After coming off my best meet performance of my career, I am now officially a beat up powerlifter. I'm having some minor low back issues that I'm working on mending up, and then I'll begin to find a competitive option. My goals for 2017 are to compete in a bodybuilding show and also get back to the platform 100% healthy.

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

With the Arnold weekend wrapping up, I got in my max effort bench training with Steve Diel and Ted Toalston. I managed to work up to a pretty easy 435, which was the heaviest I had been in about 2 years, and I opted to shut it down there. I need to get ready to start to plan a training cycle and begin to eye a meet. The good thing is I really haven't lost a step in the shirt for as little as I've been in it. Maybe I've just really found a shirt that works well for me, but whatever it is, it was definitely like riding a bike. I do know that whatever meet I do I'll definitely be hitting a PR the way the 435 moved. Knocked out some accessory work and then made the nice long drive home. Which is why my log is still like 2 weeks behind..


Items Used in this Training Session
Texas Power Bar
Metal Jack Bench Shirt

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) Bench Press
45x10
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
255x3
285x1
305x1
335x1 - add Metal Jack
365x1
405x1
435x1

B1) Neutral Grip DB Bench Press
100's x 3 x 10-12

C1) Incline Tate Press
4x10

D1) Decline KB Skull Crushers
4x10

E1) Overhead Cable Tricep Extensions
100 total reps

F1) Chest Supported Rear Delts
100 total reps of T, Y, W 's