Reactive Training Systems

Annoying. My issues from Monday bit me on the squat today, couldn't make it past the warmup sets because of the hamstring glute and now it hurts a lot... I'm injured. Just got to focus on recovery now I guess. Bench went well however:

Bench:

60kX5@5
70k 2X4@6
80k 2X3@7
90k 1X3@8
95k 1X3@9
90k 4X3@8

I stopped here, I was taking really short rest periods (30 seconds) and still not getting anywhere near fatigue.... I only had limited time today and thought it might take me a while to get through the squats...

3 Seconds Pause Squat

80kX5@5
100kX4@6
120kX3@7

Stop. It had become too dangerous. Squatting the weight up was actually pretty easy but I couldn't walk it out or descend properly with my dodgy left leg. First time I've ever quit on anything in the gym but I'm clearly hurt, I can't put any weight on it now.

Floor Press

60kX5@6
70kX4@7
80kX4@9
85X4@10
80kX4@9

I'm rubbish at this, too easy to misgrove it. My Estimated 1 rep max has gone down but we can't discount the psychological effects from the injury here and the fact I haven't done it in about a month. Either way, my bench is on form so thats good.

Just gotta stick myself back together quick now so as not to screw up the comp.

Another very sub par squat session but I brought it on myself really, my all or nothing type personality lead to a weekend of fun tales but a lesson learned on putting in the work outside the gym too. Friday after the gym I packed up the car and headed for the Atlantic coast where I had to work Saturday night, five hours later we were there so got a few beers and headed to the beech... That was the first of many that night as we moved from the local pub and into another town with more bars and a club. When we got out at 2.30 I'd planned to sleep in the field and get picked up the next day but it was raining hard so I decided in all my wisdom to run 7 miles over a very steep hill back to my car. I've never ran that far before let alone over a hill. We got back and slept 4 hours in my car.

The next day my joints were pretty beat up and calves tight, they still are but we're not done yet. I accidently ate some egg with my breakfast which I have a very strong allergy to, I get stomach pains so severe I can do nothing but sit and wait it out. This time however I had a gig to perform so loaded on pain killers and hardly any food got my job done. By pack down at midnight I was feeling better. I should have got something to eat but instead went to an after party and came back at 4am. The next day we were up early to surf, which we did. The only problem was that it's April in England which isn't warm and I'm a very poor surfer. So I spent two hours battling large waves in freezing waters before driving home and collapsing.

So that's the backdrop to todays training, I went in with lots of aches but determined to nail it this week, still it wasn't to be:

Squat

80x5@5
100 2x4@6
120 2x3@7
140x2@7 (all feeling good so far)
150x2@9 (not so good)
160x1@9.5 (rubbish!)
150x2@9 (better than the first I was angry by now)
145x2@9
140x2@8
140x2@9

So the top set was dismaly low but given the circumstances it's understandable, I decided to try and knock out a fair bit of volume on my way down so at least I got dome practice with the movement in.

Pin press

60x5@5
70x4@6
80x3@7
90x2@8
95x2@9
90 2x2@7
90x2@9
87.5 3x2@8

Lots of volume there but had a schedule today so had to move on.

Dead to knees

120x4@6
140x4@7
160x4@9
170x4@9
160x4@8
157.5x4@8

Had to stop here due to time. They felt heavy at first but that's provbably due to not getting proper warmup weights in. So all in all a fairly bad session at my own fault, however this is not necessarily bad as it's taught me that I really do need to take care of rest and recovery. I haven't lost any strength just my ability to display it, I'm sure that's what mime would say. My priorities now rest on getting it on fine display for 5 weeks time so I'm going to use that all or nothing attitude to:

-eat right for my type and eat a lot
-not drink a drop of alcohol
-train hard
-use extra recovery methods where necessary
-keep any extra exercise light/minimal

I'm not afforded sleep in my profession but I'll put everything else in place.

Here we go.

Still in a bad way mentally but found a way to work it to my advantage in training. If I get angry before starting the set it affects me badly, but, calling it up just as you're about to start a rep and throughout the rep and it flies. So, there's a background level of anger anyway but I worked on clearing my mind before each set and then letting it rip on the set. It made for an exhausting workout but I made some pretty good numbers and it also had the interesting effect of making it near on impossible to fatigue as the weights were actually getting easier the better I got at channelling the agression:

Deadlift

100X5@5
120 2X4@6
140 2X2@7
160X2@7
180X2@8
190X2@9 (hard nine)
180X2@8
175x2@8
175X2@8
175X2@8

After 32 minutes I stopped, would have been knocking out sets forever at 7% fatigue level. I was getting stronger on the last sets.

3 Count Pause Bench

60X5@5
70X4@6
80X3@7
90X2@8
95X2@9
90X2@8
90X2@8
90X2@9
87.5X2@8
87.5X2@8
87.5X2@8
87.5X2@8
87.5X2@8

Stopped here.... rest periods were around 30 seconds by the end and I seemed to be getting stronger if anything.

Good Mornings

100X5@8
110X5@8
120X5@9
112X5@8
112X5@9

Seated Military

40X5@8
50X5@8
52.5X5@9
50X4@9

I was exhausted by this point both mentally and physically so couldn't put the same into the GPP exercises. Still, at least I'm getting good training sessions out of all this.

Still mentally beat down but its not holding me back. Had a decent squat sessions today, first in a couple of weeks:

Squat:

80X5@5
100 2X4@6
120 2X3@7
140X3@8
150X3@9
160X3@9.5 (PR...sort of)
147.5X3@9

Still doing a lot of warmup sets. I get impatient going through them but I feel they work in a couple of ways. They warm up my body ready to fire and re-inforce technique both in the big picture and before my attempts for the day. My 160X3 is a PR sort of because it should have been a 9 but I couldn't honsetly judge whether I would have got another one out of it. Still, double body weight for a tripple, not that long ago that was my max (in fact, last comp I hit 165 for my squat.)

2 Board Bench

60X5@5
80X4@5
90X3@6
100X3@7
110X3@8
115X3@9 (healthy PR)
110 4X3@8

115 was my 9 at a double last round through so thats good stuff. Couldn't fatigue on it though despite knocking out a fair few 110's, my tolerence for higher loads in my hands must be building.

ISO MIO Deadlift

100X4@5
120X4@6
140X4@8
150X4@8
160X4@9
152.5X4@8
152.5X4@9

These are cool, I stopped it just below the knees then snapped it up, I think this may be a better way of tackling sticking points than the rack...maybe. I also learned more about my setup here and how the right groove can make a huge difference, even after the 3 count pause.

Decided to be sensible today (which seldom happens with my mentality), joints were slightly painful (elbows and shoulders, that never happnes) and things just didn't feel right, muscles tender etc so I backed off. Still got some good weights in, it just wasn't full bore:

Bench

60X5@5
70 2X4@6
80 2X3@7
90X3@8
95X3@9.5 (I'm slightly weaker today too)
90X3@8
90X3@8
90X3@8
90X3@9

Squat Heels Raised

80X5@6
100X4@7
120X3@8
140X3@8
147.5X3@8.5 (PR)
140X3@8

Could have gone further and hit a 155 or something probably at a 9 but the nature of our rack means getting the plates under the heels etc lead to me hitting the rack with the bar etc on the way up which was obviously effecting performance. Plus my back was feeling tender so just backed off, safe in the knowledge I'm undoubtadly stronger than last time this exercise was in there (145@9).

Close Grip 2 Board

80X4@6
90X4@7

Not exactly the best exercise for a dodgy elbow/shoulder plus I didn't have anyone to spot/unrack by this point so I cut it there after the bar nearly rolled out of my hands. Nothing to worry about too much.

Feeling pretty beat up right now but positive about the way training has been going and pleased that I managed to back off. I think its showing good steps on my mental game relative to lifting.

Tuesday: Skills Testing

Squat

80kX5
100kX4
120k 2X2
140k
150k
160k
170k (+5k on previous meet squat)
160k
160k

Bench

60kX5
70kX4
80k 2X2
90k X1
100k X1
105k X1 (+5k on previous meet bench)
100k 3X1

Deadlift

100kX5
120kX4
150kX2
170kX1
190X1(started misloading the bar I reckon at this point 10k too high)
200kX1
210kX1 (was disapointed when it was a grinder but then counted the weight, 10k pr!)
190kX1

Total: 485k (+20k on previous meet total) with a little more in the tank to give. I'll be aiming to 490-500k in the meet I think.

Sunday (Saturday wasn't happening due to exhaustion, working stupid hours)

3 ct iso mio deadlift

100X6@6
120X6@7
140X6@8
150X5@9
140X6@8
140X6@9

Could have done more without doubt but had to train at a commercial gym with no chalk and the bars were crazy slippery, was having trouble holding on.

Bench pinky ring

60X5@5
70X4@6
80X4@8
90X4@9
85 5X4@8-9

Got some good volume in there.

Good Mornings

80X8@6
100X8@8
105X8@8
110X8@9
105X8@8

Stopped here, as my back was feeling well worked even if I could have gone on, got squatting to do soon.

Incline DB press

20X8@6
22.5X8@7
25X8@8
27.5X8@8
30X8@9
27.5X8@9

Didn't have a setup to do incline barbell so had a bit of fun seeing what I could do here just going up one weight at a time. My biceps were really feeling it with all the benching today...odd.

Overall, this week and last has been extremely stressful with crazy long hours at work and lots of pressures etc but I've still got some very decent training sessions in by moving them to the least stressful/most appropriate days of the week and laying back when required. Will continue this into the next couple of weeks leading up to the meet.