After an abysmal showing at APF Equipped Nationals, I'm now in an off season mode of training. Currently, I am in a strength block building up strength and weaknesses to prepare me for a meet prep cycle for WPC World's in November.

For programming and coaching inquires, please email SmitleyPerformanceSystems@gmail.com or visit brandonsmitley.com

Thursday's training was a great day of work. The humidity was just insane again (the peak heat index was about 108 when we started training). Luckily I was well hydrated and still feeling pretty good, so things still worked out well. My close grip benching against the bands has continued to go well. Even using the Duffalo Bar this week with the same set up, I managed to rep PR, so we're seeing some good stuff come from all the close grip work again. I don't think I'll ever abandon my close grip work again like I did last meet prep cycle. It was good to experiment on it for a meet that didn't really require a huge performance for me (even though I always go into a meet hoping to PR somewhere..but we all know that doesn't happen). Finding what works in training is great, but it's also great to find what doesn't work, so you can eliminate it and know you don't need it (at least not at this current time). For me, the wide grip benching just didn't see any direct carryover. Maybe that's because my pecs and shoulders were strong enough, and getting away from the close grip actually caused my triceps to get a bit weaker. So noted, and therefore close grip has been a huge push this strength phase.

Anyways, enough rambling. Some great back work and abs and we were done. We moved this session up about an hour from when we normally trained, and besides the weather, I think this was very beneficial (more sleep!).

I've only got a few more weeks of off season left, and then it will be time for some meet prep and time to submit my forms!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnB4QeiFk08]

Items Used in this Training Session
Duffalo Bar
Mini Bands
MAG Grip
Short Ab Strap

Warm Up
Cats & Camels - 10
Quadraped T-Spine Ext - 10 each
Band Dislocations - 10
Alternating Band Dislocations - 10 each
Band Pressdowns - 15
Band Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns - 15
Band Face Pulls - 15
Single Arm Band Fly - 15 each
Band Rows - 15
Band Curls - 15

A1) Duffalo Bar Speed Bench Press vs Doubled Mini Bands
55x10
55x5 - add bands
75x3
95x3
115x3
130x8x3

B1) Duffalo Bar Close Grip Bench Press vs Doubled Mini Bands
180x8 - PR
185x8 - PR
*definitely had more in the tank, but shut it down here*

C1) Incline DB Bench Press
65's x 3 sets, max reps (20, 18, 16)

D1) Wtd Pull Ups
Sets of 8, to a top set of 8 (+75 lbs)
*the last rep was not the cleanest*

E1) Cambered Bar Chest Supported Rows
4x10

F1) MAG Grip Lat Pulldowns
4x10

G1) Reverse Hyper Rows
3x12

H1) Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raises
4x25
H2) Plank Hold vs Band off GHR
3x60 sec
*these were absolute HELL*