First Meet Training
By Al Baker
For EliteFTS.com
While preparing for the 2002 IPA Nationals, I tore my hamstring and thus ended up competing in the bench. Despite this set back, I had trained for quite awhile and I knew what it was like to be prepare for a full meet. As I began training for the IPA World Cup I knew what I was in for. I had certain goals in mind going into this meet so I knew my training would have to be changed a bit to help me obtain my goals. My goals were very specific which I believe is something I think everyone should do. If you don’t have goals in mind you won’t know if you’ve succeeded or failed. If you reach your goals, you can look back and analyze what you did correctly and vice versa.
While I was totally prepared for the training, the meet was a different story. The last week was especially difficult for me because of the waiting. I was anxious, nervous and excited the entire week. I went to the meet one day ahead of time to weigh in, watch, relax and see how the meet was being run.
The last few weeks before the meet I started to gather things I was going to need. I made a list of everything I would need and made sure I covered all of my bases. Always make sure to bring extra equipment if you can. You never know what will happen at the meet. My list consisted of a squat suit (Frantz double canvas), briefs (Crain training suit), Chuck Taylor’s, 3 sets of knee wraps (1 set of Inzer’s and 2 sets of TP-5000), 2 sets of wrist wraps (Inzer), belt (Inzer), socks, t-shirt, bench shirt (Karin Klein double denim), back up shirt (another Karin shirt), a singlet, some liniment, ammonia caps, Advil, and a block of chalk. I had this all done a few days ahead of time so I could just visualize doing well at the meet.
The day of the meet I woke up early and found a place to relax in the warm-up room. I was in the 3rd flight so I had a lot of time. Still, because I had not been in a meet before, I didn’t know exactly how to time my warm-ups. I watched the flights before me and tried to get an idea of what I needed to do. I performed my warm-ups just like I usually do on max effort day. When I was about 6 lifters out I went out to the platform. The meet ran very well so I didn’t have much down time to think between my attempts. The only real problem I encountered in the squat was my first squat attempted was passed and then later red lighted. I decided to retake my attempt rather than attempt a higher weight. Then in the bench I was having hard time getting the bar where it needed to be at the start. Because of this I only got 1 good attempt on bench.
My training consisted of this:
Sunday- Speed bench
I did 8 x 3 @ 205 with doubled minis around two dumbbells with varying grips (I never use chains or free weight they tear my shoulders and elbows up)
Triceps - Elbows out or DB extensions starting light and working up to a heavy 10.
1 or 2 back exercises -lat rows, lat pulls, hammer rows, face pulls
All back exercises in the 4-5x10-12
Every few weeks boards press - 2-5x5-8
Shoulder raises every other week-front raises, side laterals and rear raises for blood flow and recovery; continuous sets of 20 reps rotating through the three movements.
Hammer curls occasionally.
Monday-Me Squat/Deadlift
Worked up to a max single (tried to stop at a PR and before failure, don’t like to teach my body failure). Also, I never used any equipment on this day. I would pick between GM’s with a Cambered bar, straight bar, narrow, medium or wide stance. I would also do a low box squat off a 10 inch box with cambered bar, Safety Squat Bar, or straight bar. When I was doing a pulling movement it would be pulls with the Jump Stretch platform, pulls off boxes (where the weight is elevated, our power rack doesn’t go low enough) or reverse band pulls.
Every other week GM’s w/ varying bars
Low box squat once a month
Pulling movement once a month
Second exercise - If GM’s were done then I would do a pulling exercise for grip and back work (pin pulls or Jump Stretch platform pulls).
If GM’s weren’t the core exercise then I would do GM’s for 3-4 sets of 10-15 with either a straight bar or cambered bar
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GHR - 4-5 sets holding weight 12-15 reps
Reverse hyper - 2-3 sets
2 abdominal exercises - 3-5 sets of each
Wednesday- ME bench
I worked up to a max single (try to stop at a PR; before failure, don’t like to teach my body failure). The exercises I chose from were 2-3-4 boards, 2 boards with cambered bar, floor presses or rack lockouts all with a narrow grip.
-Then same as speed day
Friday- Speed Squats
On this day, I wore briefs and a loose belt. I did 8 x 2 with 425-460-485. For six weeks, I used a blue band. Then I did 2 weeks with 3 sets of chain with 525-575. After that I did 3 weeks at 425-460-485 with blue bands and followed that with 3 sets of chain. My last week was a download week with 345 and a green band.
Speed pull- 6-10x1; I would vary the weight each week from 365-405-455 for 10 weeks. (I did not do these two weeks from the meet.)
GHR (with back elevated) - 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps
Reverse Hypers - 2-3 sets
Abs - two exercises
Every night band I did some extra work with bands for recovery and GPP. All exercises were done for 100 reps.
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - triceps pushdowns, lat rows, and shoulder stuff.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday did band GM’s.
My records for ME Bench
2 boards - 505
3 boards - 530
4 boards - 570
Floor presses - 455
Lockouts - 475 on low setting
Lockouts - 565 on higher setting
Cambered bar 2 boards – 425
My maxes for ME Squat/DL
Low box straight bar - 615
Low box with SSB - 565
Low box with cambered bar - 585
Cambered bar GM’s - 615
Straight bar GM’s - 605
Suspended GM w/ cambered bar - 615
Pulls off Jump Stretch platform with quadrupled mini’s – 505
Pulls from boxes - 710
Rack pulls - 785.
Meet Results
Squat
1st 850 (red lighted, depth)
2nd 850
3rd 905
Bench
1st 640
2nd 670 missed
3rd 670 missed
Deadlift
1st 675 good
2nd 705 good
3rd 755 missed