Ah, the Ahhnold weekend.
I trained Friday because Saturday I went to see my contractually obligated friends and teammates JP, Bryan Doberdunk, and Jo Jordan compete at the XPC Xtravangaza (that’s the official name of it, right?). I was going to write a sentence summing up how everyone’s meet went but I think all 3 feel differently about their performances so you can read about them here.
Also Friday during the day I went to see Joe Sullivan hit a 936 squat on a weird ass bar in the animal cage and I got to live out this meme.
knowyourmeme.com
Also the expo is fucking terrible- it is instagram in real life.
ANYWAYYYYYYYYY......
Training for the Women's Pro/Am April 14th. Programming by Dave Tate in italics.
FRIDAY
- Warm Up
- Hanging Leg Raise
- Reverse Hypers
- Pull Down Abs
- Face Pulls
- Low Rows
- GHR
- *2-4 sets (whatever you need)
- Squats - no box
- Work up to a weight that is 70% of your best squat. If Raw then base on raw, if full gear than base on full gear. If you use gear than use it all. Should be able to hit 70% for 2 sets of 3-5 reps
This is my first time back in my suit since last my last meet and it is the beginning of this peaking squatstravaganza. I am basing my squats off 520 as opposed to the 500 I did last meet. As per David. I am specifying because it is my MO to make up numbers I should hit and have it throw off my training. I did not make this one up.
After my last meet I told Dave I wanted to squat lower in training since some meets they want me at parallel, some they want me lower, so I just want to be ready and feel comfortable squatting to wherever I need to get to.
OH BOY DID DAVID COME THROUGH ON THAT ONE. I asked him to call my depth and I swear he was just trying to prove a point and called me like 3” deep. I’M NOT RAW FOR A REASON. I DON’T WANT TO BE DOWN THERE. IT’S TERRIBLE. I was so deep I could see the fucking Titanic down there.
Anyway this was 365x5. 2 sets. Obviously these were fine since they were 70%.
Dave’s hs football coach and his wife were in the gym visiting Dave. They cheered for me after my sets. Dave was so mad.
- Speed Pulls
- 50% for 8 sets of 1
215 8x1. Again, alternating hook grip and reverse grip. Both are still in the running for meet day hand placement contender.
- GHR or Inverse Curl
- + Warm ups
- + 4 working sets of 6-8
Inverse curl with a quarter.
- Reverse Hypers (heavy)
- + 6 sets of 8-10 reps
We put the kilo plates on the reverse hyper since no one uses them for anything else so I’m pretty sure I used 6 total 25 kilo plates riddle me what it is in pounds I have no idea.
- Blue Ab Bench with very light med ball between knees with feet off floor.
- + crush ball between legs
- + 4 sets to failure
45 lbs total
- Free Time
- Whatever you want
Banded round back good mornings, leg extensions, innie outtie machine, stir the pots, ham curls. I like to imagine someone curling a giant easter ham when I type that out.
- Recovery
- 90/90 breathing - 5 minutes
- Light stretching
Here is an important picture from the meet Saturday
SUNDAY
Teammate Yessica was in for the Ahnold and came out to the compound today for some shirt work. I always appreciate it when people ask for and listen to my input. I don’t think that feeling will wane anytime soon. Also, I passed the crown of “Ms. Trap Queen London, Ohio” on to Yessica which was bittersweet. It’s nice to see your teammates succeed but really, my traps are all I have going for me.
- Warm Up
- Hanging Leg Raise
- Reverse Hypers
- Lat Pulls
- Face Pulls
- Pull Downs
- GHR
- *2-4 sets (whatever you need)
- Shirt work - work up using triples and do a set of three where all three touch.
The point today was just to get some shirt work in. Weight was not as important as the ability to touch for 3.
OK THIS WAS A FIRST FOR ME. I HAVE NEVER TOUCHED 3 BENCHES IN A ROW. I think I usually touch about 3 benches in all leading up to the meet. Probably including my opener. SO 2 in training, my opener, and one other one at a meet that I touch but then dump on my face. SO actually like 4 benches! Wow!
Anyway worked up raw to 185 then put the shirt on for 225x1, 255x3 not touching any of them, then 275 touching. All. three. Reps. High Five. Or… high… three?
I also had my shirt pulled all the way up. Did not do any setting or pulling it down or anything like that. Which makes it easier to touch. I get less out of it but it gets down there ok. So that is a good way for me to have my shirt for anything under 300ish. If it’s set for too light of a weight, I have to fight the shirt on the way down and expend too much energy by the time i get to the pressing portion (which happened at my last meet).
ALSO keeping with my theme of “fuck it’s let’s change it”, I set up with my feet a bit wider than normal. Still tucked but instead of almost touching the bench, I just started with them set a little wider. To me they feel wider but they probably are only like an inch farther out and I just have terrible proprioception and mobility. I went back and forth during my warm ups to see if one felt better and used the wider set up for my work sets. I did feel a little more stable. Usually when I tuck all the way, my legs shake and I feel kind of rocky like a giant cruise ship floating on the tiny little point at the bottom. Like the Titanic (I guess that would be icy instead of rocky). I feel way tighter tucked than I would if my feet were flat but if you have seen any of my meet bench videos, it kind of looks like doodie.
- Yoke Bar JM Press
- Work up to 5 heavy sets of 3
- + less than 3 minutes rest
- + use more weight than last week
I did 3 sets here with a plate but my elbows hurt like fuck so I switched to close grip pressing on a 3 board. I should have switched out exercises weeks ago but alas. Did some sets with 225, 205, and 215 trying to find a good working weight.
- Chest Supported Rows
- + 4 sets 6-8 reps
Probs two plates and some change
- Shoulder Series
- Dumbbell 3-Ways
- Side Raise - 20 reps
- Front Raise - 20 reps
- Rear Delt Raise 20 reps
- + no rest until round is over.
- + 2 rounds
10 and 15 lbs wow look how strong I am getting. Watch out, Thor.
- Band Push Downs
- Mini or Light Band - 100 total reps without stepping away, so the rest will be less than 10-15 seconds when needed.
- Free Time
- Whatever you want
2 sets everythang- lat pulls, grip with hex dumbbells, front raises, curls, banded
Also EVERYONE got sick after the Arnold so I am trying my darndest not to. Good thing I follow the World Health Organization hand washing recommendations unlike the rest of you disgusting fucks.
- Recovery
- 90/90 breathing - 5 minutes
- Light stretching
WHY YES THOSE ARE PREBUESCENT BOY SCOUT MEDICS HERE TO TEND TO YOUR SEVERE POWERLIFTING INJURIES.