Reactive Training Systems

Tony Parrella · Senior Member

RE: Andrew's Training Log

Jonathan Stewart · Senior Member

We all have bruised legs from squat suits, bite marks from bench shirts, scared shins from deadlifts and squat bar marks on our backs. But you can't let that superifical stuff get to you, all of that will heal.

We all have our reasons for training and competing in powerlifting, but you have to take a look around, there are a lot of powerlifters out there who have been lifting for 20+ years and still haven't qualified to lift at a National Championship, you're 19 and are the best Junior 165'er in the country and if the steady increase in your numbers says anything about your future I would bet you'll be the best in the World very soon.

For me the potential of achieving something I would never of thought possible a few years before is enough to keep me training hard and looking forward. Why not take the rest of the week off, revise your training, add some more stimulating movements or try a new approach? IPF Junior Worlds are just over 7 months away in Ribeirao Preto (Sao Paulo), Brazil...thats my goal it might be something worth considering for you as well.

-- Edited by Jonathan Stewart at 21:25, 2009-01-29

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

I've definitely got Brazil in mind this year. I am thinking about a good 3-4 week light mesocycle of just random lifts I've wanted to do and that will be lighter and give me a mental/physical break and let my body and mind regroup completely. We'll see what happens though. It all depends how the Arnold goes.

Date: Jan 30, 2009

If you've been killing it for a while (which it looks like you have), then a 3 week transition block of reduced volume and intensity is DEFINATELY something you should do. Not only will it enhance your desire to train and achieve -- it will let your body get ready for big gains in the coming cycles. I definately reccommend it after the AC this year.

Mike Tuchscherer

Little D.J. · Member

yea dude things will work out.....and ill tell ya id kill for 10 lb bench pr in 1 1/2 years lol! Took me a year and half to put 5 lbs on my raw bench.....

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

1/30 SB

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Belted Raw Squat
285x4
330x4
350x4
385x3
405x3
435x1
465x1
495xmiss
435x1
425x1
405x2
385x3

Medium Grip Bench
195x5
230x4
250x4
265x3
280x3
300x1
315x1
325xforced rep
295x1
275x3

18 Pullups

Shrugs 8x3 sets

Weighted Dips 6x3 sets

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 6/10
I missed 2 lifts, again. I am not mad about 495. In fact, I'm pretty confident I can smoke 495 fresh. My groin/knees twinged on 465 and I couldn't spread my knees and smash the hole hard with 495 and that was the difference in missing/making. Definitely confident I can make it fresh though and I'm pretty stoked about that. My bench just didn't feel good from the start. 315 was smoked though, then 325 just hit a sticking point at about a 1.5 board. Raw 1 boards might be something I'll be looking into when I go raw again. I didn't do my speed deadlifts because I didn't want to tweak my groin anymore. I am going to take tomorrow off, maybe just hit the elliptical for an hour or something. My elbows, groin, and knees don't need to have another day of lifting. I will rest for the weekend and get my body recovered to hit the 5 week peaking cycle.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

1/31 Cardio/Biceps/Abs

30 Minutes Elliptical *heart rate between 120-140 bpm

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Biceps

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 9/10
Cardio is boring. Flat out, just boring and not enjoyable. I don't know why I did it, just kind of felt it would be good for active recovery, but that will probably be the last of my cardio haha... The ez bar curls have been hurting my forearms so I have decided I will not be doing them anymore and will just stick to dumbells. Pullups felt great and have been feeling awesome this week.

Mike Tuchscherer · Guru

Definately do some psychological restoration work. You have kind of kicked yourself out of whack with some crappy workouts and you need to take measures to get things on track (but in a positive mental state).

Stick with it, man. We all hit slumps from time to time.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

2/2 SBD

Suited Squat (sz 40 super cent, altered)
390x5 straps down/wraps
460x4 straps down/wraps
490x3 full gear
525x2 full gear
555x1 full gear

12 Pushups

Medium Grip Bench +50 lbs chain
165x3
165x3
175x3
185x3
195x3
195x3

DB Flies 8x3 sets

Raw Sumo Deadlift
315x3
315x3
335x3
355x3
375x3
375x3

Weighted Pullups 6x3 sets

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 10/10
The weights were feeling pretty good today. The squat wasn't smoked as I thought it should have been but it was still a solid lift. My forearms were pretty sore on bench for some reason, hopefully not getting tendonitis. The flies, deadlifts, and pullups all felt excellent though. My hands still aren't completely recovered but they didn't hurt pulling today so thats a big plus. I think squats will feel better next week. My routine is pretty much complete though and I feel its solid so we'll see how it goes over the next 5 weeks.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

2/4 BDB

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Shirted Bench (sz 40 super katana)
285x3 -2 board
345x2 -2 board
370x1 -1 board
390x1 -1 board
375x1 -chest

Suited Deadlift
405x5 -straps down
475x4 -straps down
505x3 -straps up
540x2 -straps up
575x2 -straps up

CG Decline +50 lbs chain
195x6
200x6
205x6

Good Mornings 6x3 sets

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 10/10
The weights felt smoking easy today and I weighed 166 this morning. The lighter I've gotten the better I feel. I did all the benches basically flat back because my training partner couldn't come so I was lifting off myself. I just had someone hold the boards for me. Then I figured since my deadlift hasn't been going well, I would go back to how I was pulling before, and it worked AMAZING. I absolutely smoked 575. It came up so fast the first time I lost my balance at the top, so I did it for another rep (i was only supposed to do 1 rep today at 575) and I nailed it perfect. I'm very very happy about this and am stoked about the rest of training now. My body feels as if its recovering pretty well. Over the next 4.5 weeks my body will definitely be recovered. I'm on the anabolic diet and am going to keep it this way. I'm just going to eat carbs after my workout Wednesday and carbup saturday postworkout into sunday. I feel really good on this diet, I'm A LOT leaner, and I'm spot on weight-wise.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

2/6 SBD

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

raw Squat +belt/wraps
300x3
350x6
365x5
375x4
375x3

Comp Grip raw Bench
200x3
235x6
240x5
245x4
250x3

Zercher Pin Pulls
270x6
280x6
290x6

Shrugs 8x3 sets

Weighted Dips 6x3 sets

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 10/10
This workout was pretty short (around 90 minutes) and all the weights felt good. I tried the slow half way down - drop quick to the hole and pop up style squats with my stance moved in a little bit and they felt a ton better than being out wide with a steady drop speed. I am going to implement this for my raw squats from now on, as long as my knees can take it without knee wraps. I am considering using this style in gear as well but probably not until after the Arnold because I don't really want to change stuff up now. Maybe I'll give it a shot for a few sets or something but more than likely, I'm sticking to whats working unless its unquestionably better. I weighed 165.4 this morning (164.8 yesterday morning) and I'm feeling excellent. I'm going to stay on this diet with carbups on saturday evening-sunday. I'm also going to have 100g of sugar with my postworkout shake after my workouts mwf. I think this will keep my weight from dropping too much. We'll see how much I weigh after my carbup monday morning and then I'll make that call.

-- Edited by Andrew Hollenbeck at 19:24, 2009-02-06

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

2/7 BSB

12 Pullups

Shirted 3 board
315x3
380x3
410x3
425x3

Full Clean + Jerk
135x2
185x2
225x1

Low Box Squat +50 lbs chain +avg band
225x3
245x3
265x3
265x3
245x3
225x3

Military Press
135x6
135x6
135x6

GHR 8x3 sets

Abs

Biceps

12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 10/10
The weights felt easy and amazing today. I full cleaned for the first time today and nailed 225 and got the jerk easily too. This was completely random and not part of my routine, I just had to urge to try and full clean. The low box squats and military presses felt great as well. That was my strongest military yet as far as reps with 135. I forgot to do the 12 pushups and 12 squats in the beginning of my workout, then was too smoked from my 3 really fast/hard sets of db curls to do my 12 pullups at the end. No biggy though, everything that was important felt great and that is what I'm happy about. BTW, weighed 162.8 this morning. I'm carbing up today/tomorrow.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

2/9 SBD

Suited Squat (sz 40 centurion/altered)
395x3 straps down
460x5 straps down/wraps
490x4 straps down/wraps
525x3 full gear
555x2 full gear
590x1 full gear

Medium Grip Bench +50 lbs chain
165x3
175x3
185x3
195x3
195x3
165x3

DB Flies 8x2 sets

Sumo Deadlift
315x3
335x3
355x3
375x3
375x3
315x3

Weighted Pullups 6x2 sets

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 10/10
This workout made me feel much better about my squat. Last week's 555 wasn't easy, but this week I came back and smoked it and hit 590 for a solid paused rep. I am going to get my straps shortened up this week because they feel pretty loose. Since working in my gear alot, I am much more in tune with it and I can now feel how the suit is working when its on me. It is hard to explain, but simply, I feel as I know my gear much better now and notice little details that I never used to. The bench and deadlift felt great too. The deadlift just felt light as can be, it was a pretty kool experience because 315 honestly just felt like lifting air. I'm pretty stoked with how things are feeling now that I've dropped the volume down alot. I just hope my thumb heals soon from slicing it open on my wrap roller last nite cuz its a pretty open and deep gash.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

2/11 BDB

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Shirted Bench
285x3 -2 board
355x2 -2 board
380x1 -1 board
415x1 -1 board
395x1 -chest

Suited Sumo Deadlift (sz 44 Metal King Squatter)
405x3 -straps down
475x5
505x4
540x3 -straps up
575x2
605x1

CG 3 board
225x6
265x3
290x4
290x4
305x4
310x3

Good Mornings 6x2 sets

Abs

12 Pullups/12 Pushups/12 Squats

Assessment: 10/10
The weights felt pretty solid today. My bench was fast, and popped off my chest insanely fast but I misgrooved 395 a little and it made the upper half somewhat difficult. The deadlifts were all easy, but I think my other suit is still better. I am going to try this metal king again after I get the straps sewn and hips taken in a tad this week. If I don't feel as confident in it as I do my titan, I'm going with the Titan because I know I can smoke weights in that. I just think that if I get this metal suit dialed in that it will be better. The 3 boards were pretty easy, and good mornings felt amazing today. I did 255x6 really easily. I might do 275 next week. Since lowering the volume my good morning weights have went up a ton. Hopefully I'll be doing 255-275 weekly pretty soon, then onward to 3 plates.

Andrew Hollenbeck · Senior Member

Heres a video from Monday and Wednesday's workouts ..its a 590x1 squat from monday 2/9 and 605x1 deadlift from 2/11...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMWGHykiQ7g