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

Sunday was my second day in the bench shirt, and I felt like I made some incredible strides compared to last week. After benching last week I sent my videos over to Team Elitefts and got some good constructive feedback. If you ask me, this is by far the most valuable thing I get from my teammates - they know how to give me coaching cues that help specifically me, backed by decades of experience and by lifters and coaches way smarter and stronger than me. I widened my grip out just a hair, focused on pulling the bar apart more, and doing my best to belly up (with the little belly that I have). I resulted in a good smooth touch with 415. I'm not sure how this will play out based on openers and such, but it at least gives me a ball park range of numbers I can use for a meet. I then just followed up with some raw max effort work and triceps and was done.

It was a long training day as I had some Purdue Barbell members back down again, but it was a great time and everyone that's been coming down has been making some great progress for their meet coming up. We should see some big lifts and PR's coming soon.

Next week I'll be out of the shirt to give my body a bit of a break/rest, as I don't want to burn my CNS and body out too quickly. I'm doing a good job of staying healthy, and I'd like to keep it that way if I'm possibly planning to be in a shirt from now until after summer.

Items Used in this Training Session
Sabertooth Bar
Metal Jack Bench Shirt
Duffalo Bar
Mini Band

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
55x10
105x5
145x5
195x5
235x5
265x3
285x2
305x1
325x3 - add Metal Jack
355x3
375x3
395x3
415x1 - touched!
*All other work sets were airboarded*

B1) Duffalo Bar Bench Press vs Doubled Mini Bands
55x5
145x5
195x3
225x3
255x3 - PR!

C1) Close Grip Duffalo Bar Bench Press vs Doubled Mini Bands
185x3x8

D1) Skull Crushers
4x12

E1) Cross Body Tricep Extensions
3x15
E2) Bench Dips
3 sets, max reps

F1) Seated Rear Delt Raises
3x25