FRIDAY – BENCH
Bench 285/330x5, 375x12
Close grip bench with legs up paused 285 3x5
Shoulder saver close grip bench with legs up 405 3x6
Inverted barbell rows – bw 3x10 strict
Bird dogs 2x10
Side planks 1x30 seconds
Band assited pullups 1x5
SATURDAY – SQUAT/DEADLIFT
Trap bar deadlift 260/300/335x5, 260x15
Safety squat bar squat 260/300/335x5, 260x15
Superset: Band good mornings and physio ball crunch 5x10
Bird dogs 2x10
Side planks 1x30 seconds
Band assited pullups 1x5
SUNDAY – CONDITIONING
Treadmill 45 minutes heart rate 110
Bird dogs 2x10
Side planks 1x30 seconds
Band assited pullups 2x5
MONDAY – INCLINE BENCH
Close grip incline bench with legs up 270/310/*345x5
Incline bench with legs up paused 270 3x5
Band pushdowns 3x20
Inverted football bar rows 3x10 strict
Bird dogs 2x10
Side planks 1x30 seconds
Band assited pullups 1x5
Progress in strength is easy to prove. If you lift something for more weight or more reps, you are getting stronger. Yes, it's that simple. One month ago I benched 375 for 10. This past Friday I bench 375 for 12. That's progress. So I feel confident I am peaking properly for my meet. I'm just about three weeks out and my confidence is growing.
Squats and deadlifts are going great. They are nice and light. I treat each rep like a single and my body is holding up well. I did experience some pain with the close grip inclines. It's a pain I get once in a while in my right palm (keeps the jokes to yourself). It was so bad on my top set that it caused me to go with a wide grip on my finishing 3 sets of 5. I actually went wider than with my flat bench and that felt great. I think I have kept moving my grip in to protect the thoracic area of my back. That keeps the bench a lot more in my shoulders and triceps. I'll be curious to move my grip out a little on the next flat bench session to see if I can harness a little more power out of my pecs and back as well.
A really cool thing as I move closer to the contest is my body as a whole is feeling healthier as each day passes. I have been battling a hip and back issue for 14 months now. The light at the tunnel finally seems like it's not an oncoming train. Speaking of which, I'm getting the most value out of bird dogs presently, so those are being done two times a day every day. The band assisted pullups are great. They create just enough distraction in my back while minimizing the risk. Lastly, I throw in the side planks for good measure.
I'm going for deep tissue tomorrow. I need the masseuse to spend a little less time on my back and a little more time on my pecs and biceps tendons. They are starting to get worn because I have not deloaded for a while. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm looking forward to competing. It's been over a year now. That's the longest I have gone between competitions since starting and that's including two surgeries. It's time!
1 Comment