I’m currently in meet prep for the 2016 XPC Finals at the Arnold Sports Festival on March 5th, in Columbus, Ohio. I will be competing at 132 pounds, raw with knee wraps.

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

Wednesday I opted to get in my final full body training session before the meet. This was just a session of taking about 50% or so on each lift for three, singles, and then calling it a day. I just wanted to stay lose and drill some technique before I start to cut down and get ready for meet day. I'm also 100% pain free now, so that's also a great sign.

As for the training cycle as a whole, I thought it went awesome...except for that one session where I threw my back out. All things considered, I hit good weights, made smart training calls when I needed to, and put in a lot of good work. I can't say it was my best training cycle, due to how the end rounded out, but other than that, it would have been my best prep yet. I feel very confident that I'm going to do well, and I just know that on meet day I'm going to have to listen to my body more than anything else, and make smart attempts at what I'm good for, for that day. Plain and simple. If nothing else, the adversity and challenge has made this one of the best learning experiences for my career, and I think it's a good sign of maturation of myself as a lifter. Of course I would have liked for that last deadlift that I took two weeks out to go my way, but I'm confident in my abilities and know that's a weight that can be pulled. I've done everything I can do on a rehab front (as well as training and nutrition), so I can't ask for anything more from myself.

It's time to go have some fun, spend an awesome weekend with some great people and teammates, and hopefully bring back some PR's. Thanks for all the support thus far, I really appreciate it to those of you that have personally reached out.

Items Used in this Training Session

Warm Up
Leg Swings - 2x10
BW Squats - 2x10
DB Swings - 2x20

A1) Squat
45x10
135x5
185x3
225x2
275x3x1

B1) Bench Press
45x10
95x5
115x3
135x2
165x3x1

C1) Sumo Deadlift
135x5
185x3
225x2
255x3x1

REHAB

30 min of ice
PRI Breathing Drills (3)
60 min of stim