Max Effort Lower: SSB Squats and My Current Nutrition Layout

While I might not still be back to 100%, I'm healthy enough to compete bench only. Therefore, I am currently in meet prep, where I will compete at the APF/AAPF Summer Bash on July 29th, 2017. I'll be competing the 132-lb. weight class, multi-ply, where I look to bench press 500+ pounds, yet still mending my low back issues.

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Saturday kicked off my first day of meet prep for the APF/AAPF Summer Bash hosted by Eric Stone. I'll only be doing bench only, multi-ply, but I've got some big plans for this meet. This should give me 12 weeks to gear up and get my shit together to hit a huge bench press.

As of right now, my max effort days are going to be using 5/3/1 with the SSB. My max reps will be 10 on my AMAP set, and I will slowly increase my training max as I go. My back is feeling great, but for now I just want to focus on building good momentum along the way and let my body be able to do it's thing for the bench work I've got planned ahead. While my max effort work might not be anything exciting right now, hopefully after the first two cycles I'll have some good momentum behind me and feeling better. I'm hoping that after this bench meet is over, my back is feeling good to go and I can start to get ready so I can train to do a full power meet raw by the end of the year if I can make it happen. The perks of this meet will be it will also qualify me for APF Nationals in 2018, and then hopefully I've got two options for WPC World's in 2018.

To spice this up a bit, here's a current break down of my nutrition for the first week of training. I'll need to drop some weight to get down for 132, as I've put on some good size over the past 7 months or so.

I know nutrition isn't something I talk much about, but I get questions rather frequently. I'll be starting to get ready for a meet here soon, so I thought I'd share what week 1 will look like. I like to start my dieting with as much food as I can, and pull it as I go and when volume tapers off. Nothing really earth shattering here. #Elitefts #NutraBio #SmitleyPerformanceSystems #Powerlifting #BenchPress #Nutrition #Food #IIFYM #CarbCycling #Diet

A post shared by Brandon Smitley, MS CSCS USAW (@bsmitley) on May 4, 2017 at 9:53am PDT

Items Used in this Training Session
SS Yoke Bar

Warm Up
PRI Breathing Work - 5 min
Hip Flexor Stretch - 30 sec per leg
Leg Swings (forward and side to side) - 10 each
Single Leg RDL - 10 per leg
Bulgarian Split Squat - 10 per leg
Goblet Squat - 10
Standing Band Crunch - 15

A1) SSB Squats
65x10
115x5
155x5
205x5
230x5
265x5
300x10

B1) SSB Pause Squat
210x5x10

C1) Bulgarian Split Squats
3x15 per leg

D1) Wtd GHR (Elevated)
3x6

E1) Reverse Hyper
3x20
E2) Wtd V-Ups
3x20