Reactive Training Systems

Just wait til this fall when we step it up a notch.  We are getting away from the ranks of kindergarteners and stepping up into the big leagues of 3rd grade soccer for my older daughter.  It's sort of like jumping from college to the pros.  I feel Jeramie and I are ready for the big jump, this is what we've been gunning for.  Sure, it will be a tough transition, but I'm reading "Quiet Strength" right now by Tony Dungy and there are some great nuggets in there we will use.  (For real, I am reading that book, it's a great one).

Monday 6-15-09
8:00-9:15
w/ Dad and Judy
182lbs
The Pound

Competition Bench
Warmups
Cyclic
295x4 @8
320x4 @8
340x3 @8+
360x3 @9
375x2 @10 (I think Judy made a phone call and wrote next week's training plan while I was struggling thru the 2nd one)
16NL

I had PT tonight before working out and even though it hurts tremendously during the PT, my shoulders felt real good during the workout.

Box Squats
Warmups
Not happening
I was stupid stupid stupid on Saturday and overdid the good mornings.  My back was really hurting.  I felt something pull on the 7th rep of 315 Saturday and have been sore ever since.  (Not injured -I hope- just sore)  So, I did a lot of stretching and hypers and reverse hypers to try to loosen it.  This morning I could barely get my socks on, but that's because I am sore from the hypers and reverse hypers.  Hopefully, deads tomorrow will straighten me out.

Dumbbell Press
100x4
120x4
I was too sore to keep picking up the 120's so, I moved to 70# and knocked out a bunch.

Overall good bench, and tight back.  However, I have learned the therapeutic necessities of stretching so I will continue that and be just fine.

Saturday 6-20-09 T-7 Days
8:00am-9:25am
w/ Dad
181.5lbs
The Pound

Squats
Warmups
Cyclic
410x4 @8
430x4 @8
450x4 @8
480x3 @8+
15NL
Squats felt good today

Floor Presses
300x4 @8
320x4 @8
340x4 @8+
360x4 @9
380x2 @9
18NL

This is the spot where I would have written about my Good Mornings, but after last week I figured I would take a rain check on these since my meet is next Saturday. 

So, as my college hockey coach used to tell us..."The hay is in the barn"  Time for a deload and then "we'll just have to dance w/ the girl that brung us"

DE LOAD

Wednesday 6-25-09
6:00-6:40
w/ Dad
182lbs
The Pound

Squat
Warmups
340x3
340x3

Bench
Warmups
245x3
245x3

That's it, we'll see how it goes Saturday.

Saturday 6-27-09
Twin Ports Open
Duluth, MN
w/ Dad

My wife Lisa, and my daughters, and my brother in law Jeramie, all came to watch.  Judy and her husband Doug were there too, so I had plenty of support.

Squat
480 good
507 good
523 good and a pr

Bench
358 miss
358 good
374 miss

Deads
584 good
639 good usapl pr
661 miss

6/9 1521 tied usapl pr

So, how did it go?  Just ok.  Squats were great, in fact I know I was good for more, so I was cruising along pretty well. I was up 22lbs over my Raw Unity Squat and 11lbs over my Nationals squat.  However, last year at Nationals 512 was definitely a max, where 523 felt like there was more there.  Why didn't I try to go heavier?  I am all about the total and I could have missed a 529/534 and been stuck at 507.  I need to hit my squats to get momentum for the rest of the meet.

I have been struggling in the bench since the beginning of April, when my shoulder problems really started to flare up.  I felt I could hit a 370-380 and then get a good pull in.  When I missed the 358, I thought, wow I may actually bomb out in the bench.  I was able to come back and get it, but now I knew I needed to put a solid # in or I'd be giving away the pounds I just got in the squat.  I went to 374 I thought I was going to get it, but stalled out.  So, at the Raw Unity Meet I went 501-380 and now I just went 523-358, so I was VERY disappointed because I knew I'd have to pull 650 just to tie my 1532.

My deads felt great, 639 was like an opener.  So, now it's decision time, 644 would have been my usapl pr, 650 would tie my Raw Unity, 655 would have been a pr.  Unfortunately, I saw 300 kilos (661) as a nice looking number and decided to go for it.  I felt I HAD to get it, just to try to make up for the lbs lost in the bench.  I ripped it right up like my first 2 and then hit my knee a bit pushing it forward and I couldn't get it back.  No lift...UGH/

So, I totaled 1521.  Was I disappointed...YES.  Was there anything good to come of it?  YES.  Last year when I hit 1521, it was all I had, I pulled a 633 3rd attempt dead to get there.  This year I went 639 on my 2nd to get there after giving away 27lbs on my bench vs. last year.  Could I have gone more conservatively on my last pull this time and pr'ed?  Probably.  Will my bench come around again?  Absolutely.

So, am I only as strong now as I was last year...NO.  Am I 10lbs or so weaker than the Raw Unity Meet?...NO.  Do the totals say that I am stuck at 1521 and 10lbs less than my pr...YES...does that make me upset...YES!!! 

A very, very, very, very wise man once said, "A meet is a "competition" not a show of strength."*  I feel I competed only "averagely" (if that's a word).

At this point there is nothing I can do about the number, but man does it leave a poor taste in the mouth.

There will be a ton of competition at 181 at the next Raw Unity Meet, so I have to get back to work and put in my reps.

BTW-Shout out to Jordan and Tron---Canada was well represented...Steve Powell and his wife both competed.  Steve is a great guy and had a very good meet.  I think he went 529-391-639 and won the heavyweight best lifter and heavyweight best bencher.  He went for 661 too and did better than me, he almost locked it before losing his grip.  He's come down here for 2 meets (last year geared) and walked away w/ a couple of Best Lifter trophies. 

(with such a long post did I actually think Jordan and Tron would read that much before there shout out?...probably not)

*Tuchscherer, Mike 2009

lol, thanks for the reference, Tony.

I know exactly how you feel because it's the same way I felt after nationals. There are positives and negatives. So, cliche as it might be, we learn from it and move on.

And thanks for the meet report. That gives me lots of good info on how to tweak your training from here on out.

Tell him I said congrats, man! Is the 1030 a PR total?

great job at the meet tony. those are some really great numbers your putting up and im sure there is more in the future