CATCH UP: It’s All About Speed (Athlete Journal 15)

I had to get a heavy squat day in because my hair starts to fall out if I go too many days without some heavy squats. I also deadlifted heavy during one of my sessions because my hands needed more calluses. Kidding.

Testing Versus Building

Wanting to lift more weights eats me up on weeks like this, but powerlifting training is about building strength, as opposed to testing strength. It’s not sustainable to kill it in the gym every week. So when your body asks for a few weeks off, you just do it. I’m itching to get back into the gym next week for some heavy squatting, but you always have to respect the process.

“It’s not sustainable to kill it in the gym every week. So when your body asks for a few weeks off, you just do it.”

During the next four weeks I’ll be squatting heavy three times per week. I’m all about practice, so I’ll be squatting between five to seven days during those weeks, but I’ll keep the unscheduled squatting loads around 40-60% to focus on technique and speed.

READ: Craving Success? Then Respect the Process

I enjoyed the explosive speed training I’ve been doing during this two-week deload, so I think I’ll use some of the techniques in my future training. The weighted box jumps have been a lot of fun, so I’ve been toying with the idea of adding them to my warm ups every session. This week felt a little boring, but you can’t expect every lifting week to be exhilarating.

Here’s my meat and taters for the week:

Monday

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (3 seconds)

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 5 (6 sets)

Dead Bench

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 1 (12 sets)

Speed Pulls

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5

225 x 3 (5 triples)

Tuesday

Box Jump

15 lbs x 3 (6 sets @ 12 height)

Speed Squat

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 4 (5 sets)

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (7 seconds)

135 x 5 (3 sets)

Floor Press

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

165 x 1 (12 sets)

Speed Bench

135 x 4 (5 sets)

Deadlift

135 x 5

225 x 5 (2 sets)

285 x 3

325 x 1 (5 working sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (3 seconds)

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

165 x 5 (6 sets)

Clean & Jerk

135 x 5 (5 sets)

4” Defecit Deadlifts

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 3 (5 sets)

Friday

Box Jump

15 lbs x 3 (6 sets @ 13 height)

Heavy Squat

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5

225 x 3

275 x 1 (1 single)

285 x 1 (2 singles)

295 x 1 (1 single)

300 x 1 (2 singles)

Speed Squat

155 x 4 (6 sets)

Dead Bench

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 1 (12 sets)

Speed Bench

145 x 4 (6 sets)

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

Box Jump

15 lbs x 3 (6 sets @ 13 height)

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (7 seconds)

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

145 x 5 (3 sets)

Power Clean

135 x 5 (3 sets)

High Pull

155 x 3 (5 sets)

Speed Bench

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5

145 x 4 (6 sets)

I added sets and dropped or added weight accordingly during this week. Next week will be some pretty intense squatting. Of course I’ll also be benching and deadlifting as usual, but the loads on the squatting will mostly be above 90%. I can’t wait. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started in competitive lifting.

The post Are You Testing Strength or Building It? (Athlete Journal 16) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Compensatory Acceleration Training

I love to squat every day, so I had to throw in a heavy day to keep myself sane. Besides the heavy day, all of my squatting was done in the Olympic/bodybuilding stance (high-bar, narrow stance), as it gave me the largest range of motion possible. I also included speed pulls, benches, and squats, with all sets done in five seconds or less. For explosiveness, I chose box jumps and power cleans, and even threw in some high pulls.

“Compensatory acceleration training is essentially moving the bar as fast as possible throughout each lift (squat, bench, deadlift). The goal is to apply as much force as possible to the bar, and accelerate the bar as quick as humanly possible.”

The week was great. I was in and out of the gym in an hour or so (including my warm ups), which felt odd. More time for myself! The loads were light this week (between 40-60%), as the focus was compensatory acceleration training. Compensatory acceleration training is essentially moving the bar as fast as possible throughout each lift (squat, bench, deadlift). The goal is to apply as much force as possible to the bar and accelerate as quickly as humanly possible.

READ: Compensatory Acceleration Training: Speed Up Your Strength Gains

When I benched, it felt like the bar was going to fly out of my hands. It also felt like the bar was going to fly off my back during the concentric portion of the squat. The deadlift is always explosive, so that lift didn’t really change. If you do any of these speed movements, proceed with caution. It can’t be a good thing to feel like the bar’s going to fly off your back during the squat.

Here’s my meat and taters for the week:

Monday

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (3 seconds)

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 5 (6 sets)

Dead Bench

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 1 (12 sets)

Speed Pulls

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5

205 x 3 (5 triples)

Tuesday

Box Jump

15 lbs x 3 (6 sets @ 10 height)

Speed Squat

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 4 (5 sets)

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (7 seconds)

135 x 5 (3 sets)

Floor Press

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

165 x 1 (12 sets)

Speed Bench

135 x 4 (5 sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (3 seconds)

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

165 x 5 (6 sets)

Clean & Jerk

135 x 5 (5 sets)

4” Defecit Deadlifts

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 3 (5 sets)

Friday

Box Jump

15 lbs x 3 (6 sets @ 11 height)

Heavy Squat

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5

225 x 3

275 x 1 (1 single)

285 x 1 (2 singles)

295 x 1 (2 singles)

Speed Squat

155 x 4 (6 sets)

Dead Bench

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

155 x 1 (12 sets)

Speed Bench

135 x 4 (6 sets)

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

Box Jump

15 lbs x 3 (6 sets @ 12 height)

Olympic-Style Pause Squat (7 seconds)

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

145 x 5 (3 sets)

Power Clean

145 x 5 (3 sets)

High Pull

155 x 3 (5 sets)

Speed Bench

Bar x 5 (2 sets)

135 x 5

145 x 4 (5 sets)

One more week of explosive training and I’ll be back handling the heavy weights. I hope everyone enjoyed their new year celebrations. I know it’s tough to stay on track during the holidays. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post It’s All About Speed (Athlete Journal 15) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

First, let’s look at the positives of a pretend meet:

• Warming up
• Testing maxes
• Cost and ease of use

At a powerlifting meet, lifters always outnumber pieces of available equipment and you must adapt. Warm ups never go according to plan, so this is something I take into account.

You can test your max at the gym any day of the week. You’d be hard pressed to find a powerlifting event for every day of the year (unless you were dating a flight attendant). Throw all the fun travel stuff out and all you need are some friends to spot and judge your lifts at your home gym.

This brings us to the negatives: 

• Expectations
• Timing
• Environment
• Equipment & weights
• Judging

The top of the list would be expectations. I can tell you I put a helluva lot more pressure on myself at the actual meet. It’s an accumulation of months of training performed in front of your powerlifting peers.

Timing is also different, as I alluded to earlier. I consistently waited seven minutes between attempts during my mock meet. At an actual meet, you could wait up to fifteen minutes in between attempts. I also waited ten minutes after each lift to warm up for the next lift. Depending on how many flights there are (and what size they are), you could be waiting a few hours to bench after your third squat attempt.

“Judging would be the most critical negative aspect. It is hard to judge proper depth on the squat. You need three attentive sets of eyes.”

The environment is also different. At a meet, you have fellow lifters, men and women, crushing personal records (PRs), screaming like wildebeests, and cheering you on. The atmosphere is exhilarating. It’s a lot easier to psych yourself up on actual meet day.

I didn’t face any problems with equipment, but if you are working out at a gym with a handful of platforms, you can run into trouble. Imagine finishing the squat and all of the benches being full for the next half hour. Buzzkill! The equipment at a gym is most likely different as well. At meets you lift kilos, whereas at most gyms you lift pounds.

RELATED: Lifting Is for Everyone: What a Powerlifting Meet Is Like

Judging would be the most critical negative aspect. It is hard to judge proper depth on the squat. You need three attentive sets of eyes. Good judging is the difference between a PR (personal record) and a GR (gym record).

Monday

Squat to 285

Bench to 190

Friday – Mock Meet

Squat

300 – Make

325 – Miss

325 – Make

Bench

205 – Make

230 – Make

240 – Miss

Deadlift

315 – Make

360 – Make

380 – Miss

Rest of Week

45 minutes cardio or yoga

Squat Test

I tested my maxes four weeks ago, so I was conservative with my attempt selections as I only had three weeks of training under my belt. But as a number chaser, you take small wins where you can.

First up was the squat. I chose 300lb because it was pretty close to my PR, but light enough that I could crush it without batting an eye. It felt good. It was heavy enough to prepare me for the next attempt, which would be an eleven-pound PR. I went and found the biggest guy in the gym to spot me while my friends judged my depth. I brought the bar down slow and controlled, hit depth, and exploded up. I got stuck about half way. I tried to squeeze my glutes, drive my hips forward, all while squeezing the bar with all of my might. Miss.

“ I focused, visualized, and got into the zone. I descended a little faster this time, but still had plenty of control.”

I reevaluated the lift in my head and visualized myself hitting the squat with finesse. I’m an emotional lifter, as I’m extremely hard on myself. After my seven minutes of rest, I went and found the Hulk to spot me again. I focused, visualized, and got into the zone. I descended a little faster this time, but still had plenty of control. I hit the hole, exploded up, and drove my hips once more – except this time, it worked. 325, baby!

Bench Press Test

I rested ten minutes before warming up for the bench. My first attempt was 205lb, which was gravy, baby! Since I only had a few weeks of benching under my belt and since it’s my weakest lift, I decided to try to match my PR on the second attempt, and then go for a new PR on my third attempt. I brought 230lb down nice and controlled, paused like a champ, and exploded up. I got stuck in the middle for half a second, but I exploded up into my lockout without letting the bar dip.

RELATED: The Bench Press Is a Pull: 5 Cues You Might Be Missing

I then went for 240lb on my third attempt. The bar came down clean and crisp, and the pause wasn’t excruciating. I exploded up, got stuck in the middle…and stayed stuck in the middle. Miss, but hey, I went for it.

Deadlift Test

I decided I might as well make it a full mock meet and pick some weights up off the ground. I waited ten minutes and warmed up for the deadlift. I hadn’t trained the deadlift on Monday, but I did some speed work and got plenty of lower body work in with my squatting.

Since the form and commands for the deadlift are easy, I prefer to expend as little energy as possible on the first attempt. 315lb was a cake walk. Seven minutes later, I went for 360lb, which felt pretty heavy. I may have looked like a chalky mess, but I handled the second attempt. I decided to go for an eleven-pound PR on the third attempt: 380lb. I had missed 380lb a few weeks prior, but went for it anyway.

“I was satisfied with my performance overall given the time constraints, but I know when I test my max again in a few months, I’ll see some clear improvements.”

The weight didn’t budge. It was almost laughable, but like Excalibur, it didn’t want to move. This has always been my weak point, so I’ll have to work on being more explosive from the bottom. Deficit deadlifts are the name of the game. Thinking back on it, maybe I should have been more conservative and gone for 375lb, a six-pound PR. Oh, well.

That was my max day. I was satisfied with my performance overall given the time constraints, but I know when I test my max again in a few months, I’ll see some clear improvements. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year, so happy holidays and stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Testing My Max (Athlete Journal 14) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This Week’s Training

I did have to improvise on Friday. I got in my ten sets of squats, which felt surprisingly easy. I even threw in a training max since the squat felt so good. Then it was time for the bench press.

“I would rather take my time and hit every rep with decent form than butcher my technique, miss reps, or skip sets.”

One mistake I made when choosing my lifts for this cycle was overshooting my training max on my bench press. Your training max should be around 95% of your competition max, as the competition max is something you hit after a deload – where you’re fully rested and ready to psych up. My ego got the better of me, and I chose a training max too close to my competition max.

RELATED: Why I Always Hit a Daily Training Max

I figured this out about the first week, when my chest was torn to pieces from lifting so heavy – but nonetheless, I kept chugging along. My ten sets of bench last week were harder than expected, but I just increased my rest time to ensure I got all of my reps in.

This week was a little different. I got to my ten sets of bench (195lb x 3 reps) and soon realized this would be a grind. I’m big on having confidence under the bar versus grinding out a rep with janky form (I’m assuming), so I opted to hit ten singles at the same weight instead. Powerlifters are one-rep athletes, so I always choose more sets of singles than fewer sets of doubles or triples. It may not have been what I wanted, but when you work in a rep range or follow a template, changes must always be made to accommodate yourself.

Rest Intervals

I didn’t miss any bench reps, and I didn’t feel defeated. Speaking of missing reps, I’ve included my rest intervals below for one of my workouts to further elaborate on my training philosophies.

Let’s take a look at Friday’s bench press rest times:

1. 60 seconds
2. 60 seconds
3. 120 seconds
4. 120 seconds
5. 180 seconds
6. 240 seconds
7. 240 seconds

Above is how long I rested in between sets of bench, and this changes every week. I don’t rest a specific amount of time in between sets. I rest as needed. Shorter rest periods have been proven to build strength and size. The one thing I don’t do is miss reps in the gym. I never take a rep in the gym unless I’m 100% confident I will hit it. I never have to second-guess my abilities, and I have more gym confidence.

RELATED: How to Use EFT to Overcome Challenges in the Gym

Therefore, I rest until I know I can hit my next set. I would rather take my time and hit every rep with decent form than butcher my technique, miss reps, or skip sets. Listening to my body has been the most successful strategy for me, but everyone’s bodies and training goals are different.

Here’s my meat and potatoes for the week:

Monday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

275 x 2

230 x 9 (4 working sets @ 70%+ 10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

175 x 3

165 x 6 (6 working sets @ 70% + 5lbs)

Tuesday

Deadlift

135 x 5 (2 warm up sets)

225 x 3

255 x 1 (9 singles @ 65-70%)

Pendlay Rows

185 x 5 (5 sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

275 x 2

245 x 7 (5 working sets @75% + 10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

175 x 5 (7 working sets @ 75% + 5lbs)

Friday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

275 x 2

260 x 5 (7 working sets @80% +10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

205 x 2

185 x 4 (8 working sets @80% + 5lbs)

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

285 x 2

275 x 3 (10 working sets @85% + 10lbs)

295 x 1 (training max for the day)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

205 x 2

195 x 1 (10 working sets 85% +5lbs)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

My training week flew by, and most days felt easier than weeks prior, despite being heavier. I did have to change my lifts on Friday, but the improvisation was necessary.

The first three weeks and first wave of Smolov are in the books. Next week I’ll be testing my max on the squat and bench, and who knows, might even test my deadlift max. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post A Killer Training Week (Athlete Journal 13) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Hardest and Easiest Gym Days

After hitting these rep ranges for a few weeks, I’ve discovered the hardest and easiest days in the gym. The hardest is five sets of seven. Oh man. For some reason five sets of seven is grueling, especially when done at 80%. Maybe it’s because I stayed in the three-to-five rep range all year, but take my word for it – it was a tough day. I can confidently recommend scheduling a rest day after this. There’s no need to burn out.

“Based on how the previous week felt, the goal is to achieve the same workout with an extra 5-20lb.”

The easiest day? Ten sets of three. I’m used to throwing around some heavy weights, so this day is exhilarating, as I’m always ready to get after it.

Progressive Overload

As far as my training routine goes, the setup is pretty basic. Progressive overload is the name of the game. Based on how the previous week felt, the goal is to achieve the same workout with an extra 5-20lb.

For example, my bench sucks right now. It’s always been my kryptonite, so I plan on adding five pounds each week. Building strength with concise technique keeps you honest. My legs, on the other hand, can take a beating, so I added ten pounds on my squat for this week. I’ll be taking this on a week-by-week basis as well (I’ll add another 10-15lb next week).

RELATED: How to Make Social Events a Strength This Holiday Season

I didn’t end up deadlifting this week, which I wasn’t too happy with. It’s the holiday season, and I had family in town, so the gym had to take a back seat. I typically wake up even earlier to get a session in (as I hate missing a scheduled gym day), but it was Thanksgiving last week. I had the entire day to make bad choices (such as hooking up a gravy IV to my arm).

Here’s my turkey and gravy for the week:

Monday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

220 x 9 (4 working sets @ 70%+ 10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

175 x 3

160 x 6 (6 working sets @ 70% + 5lbs)

Tuesday

Pendlay Rows

160 x 10 (4 sets)

Dumbbell Rows

85 x 10 (4 sets)

Farmers Walks

75 x 30 seconds (5 sets)

Wednesday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

245 x 3

235 x 7 (5 working sets @75% + 10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

170 x 5 (7 working sets @ 75% + 5lbs)

Thursday

Thanksgiving Feast

Friday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

265 x 2

250 x 5 (7 working sets @80% +10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

205 x 2

180 x 4 (8 working sets @80% + 5lbs)

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

265 x 2

265 x 3 (10 working sets @85% + 10lbs)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

205 x 2

190 x 3 (10 working sets 85% +5lbs)

That was it for the week. I felt refreshed and rejuvenated all week, but that didn’t make the lifts any less challenging. Just another week in paradise. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Training During the Holidays (Athlete Journal 12) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Goals for Next Year

I am just coming off of a week of minimal movement, which was relaxing. From my last meet I set out some things to accomplish next year: Program wisely, hit proper depth every day, pick out the right attempts, warm up properly at meets, stay on top of my diet, and increase my mobility and recovery tactics. Since I am in my off season, I won’t have to worry too much about changing up meet day strategies. You better believe I’ll be hitting proper depth every day, though.

“I’m just going to get more hours doing what I do best: squatting, benching, and deadlifting. I keep my training simple because the basics are what work best for me.”

I want to stay on top of my diet, but much like training, nutrition is a gradual process. Nothing’s going to change overnight. For the first time in my life I have started a food journal. Crazy, right?! I’ve always been good with my eating habits, tons of veggies and protein, healthy fats, and carbs from good sources. Recording and analyzing my food journal will be lots of fun to see what the hell I’ve been doing all this time. I’m still at square one though, so we’ll revisit the food journal in a couple of weeks.

I’ve also added mobility work, more yoga sessions, and a ton of foam rolling. Boy, do I hate foam rolling. But the benefits…

My Next Cycle

This leads us to my next cycle. What do I want to do? Well, first off, I’m a number chaser. The whole point of my training is to get stronger and post larger numbers, so that’s always priority one. My body responds well to high-frequency training because my work capacity shot through the roof ever since I funded a long-lost relative, a Peruvian Prince who has been blasting me with e-mails. Good karma, yeah?

All kidding aside, I’m just going to get more hours doing what I do best: squatting, benching, and deadlifting. I keep my training simple because the basics are what work best for me.

“From my last meet I set out some things to accomplish next year: Program wisely, hit proper depth every day, pick out the right attempts, warm up properly at meets, stay on top of my diet, and increase my mobility and recovery tactics.”

In my opinion, a bigger back translates to a better Big Three, so I want to strengthen my back during my off-season stint. I also want to build a better grip. Thus, my accessory lifts will primarily be rowing and walking like a farmer. I just finished ten months of working in the 1-5 rep range for the squat and bench, so I will explore uncharted territories.

I’ve channeled my inner Smolov for this training cycle, so my rep ranges will mirror his infamous workout plan. This type of training is grueling, and the rep ranges will be challenging as my body isn’t used to doing more than five reps. Is it even possible to do more than five reps? I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.

RELATED: The Russian Squat Routine vs. The Smolov Squat Routine

I’ll be training this way for eleven weeks before I have to start my next training cycle (which will end in an actual meet). I loved working up to a training max in my last cycle, as the added confidence I’m always raving about is huge for me. I added a day of working up to a training max and I will continue to do this every week.

Here are my meat and potatoes for the week:

Monday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

210 x 9 (4 working sets)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

175 x 3

155 x 6 (6 working sets)

Tuesday

Pendlay Rows

155 x 10 (4 sets)

Dumbbell Rows

80 x 10 (4 sets)

Farmers Walks

70 x 30 seconds (5 sets)

Wednesday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

245 x 3

225 x 7 (5 working sets)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

165 x 5 (7 working sets)

Thursday

Deadlift

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

225 x 5

255x 1 (8 working sets)

Bench – Training

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3

205 x 2

210 x 1

215 x 1

220 x 1 (training max for the day)

185 x 3 (3 back-off sets)

Squat – Training

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

225 x 3

245 x 2

255 x 2

265 x 1

275 x 1

285 x 1 (training max for the day)

225 x 2 (3 back-off sets)

Friday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

265 x 2

240 x 5 (7 working sets)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

205 x 2

180 x 4 (8 working sets)

Saturday

Pendlay Rows

175 x 5 (5 sets)

Dumbbell Rows

100 x 5 (5 sets)

Farmers Walks

70 x 30 seconds (5 sets)

Sunday

Squat

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

225 x 3

265 x 2

255 x 3 (10 working sets)

Bench

135 x 5 (4 warm up sets)

185 x 3

205 x 2

190 x 3 (10 working sets)

I was pretty much dead all week. The first day of squatting for nine reps was torturous on my lower body, but I wasn’t going to let a little (more like a lot) soreness keep my from putting in work. Sometimes you just have to work past it. I couldn’t bring myself to do yoga this week, but hey – nobody’s perfect. The training was brutal, which made the sense of accomplishment all the sweeter.

To anyone who reads or follows my athlete journals, don’t be afraid to ask questions or leave some feedback – it’s always appreciated and I’m more than happy to help. I know we’re into the holiday season, so spend time with your families and stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Keeping It Simple, Smolov-Style (Athlete Journal 11) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Looking Back

This was my first year powerlifting, and what a year it’s been. Looking back at my attempts from my first meet, it’s crazy to see how far along I’ve come. Technique was the most important aspect of training for me this year, and I’ve definitely accomplished that. Now that my form is good enough for three white lights, it’s time to throw on some serious weight.

RELATED: How I Got Started in Powerlifting

The easiest way for me to analyze this last meet is through a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Call it a curse, but I was a business student, so this method is my bread and butter. For all intents and purposes, the SWOT analysis will lay out my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from my last competition. The objective is to analyze these four pillars of training and set out a roadmap to accomplish my goals before my next meet.

Strengths

My laundry list of strengths from this meet include:

• Hitting personal records (PRs)
• Leaving injury free
• Making weight easily
• Using good technique
• Using effective training
• Having good training environment

I hit PRs because I programmed wisely leading up to the event, and I had good technique because I drilled technique every day at the gym. When it came to pausing the bench press on my chest and awaiting the “Press” command, I didn’t bat an eye. That’s because I trained for that pause every day.

“The objective is to analyze these four pillars of training and set out a roadmap to accomplish my goals before my next meet.”

I also believe I hit PRs because I hit a heavy training max every day, which gave me a ton of confidence under the bar. I was also able to easily get into the zone, as I do at my home gym day in and day out.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses are important to list to the minute detail, because these are the facets you can build upon. My biggest weaknesses of the meet were missing attempts, being undersized for my weight class, and simply not being strong enough. It’s forgivable to miss third attempts because sometimes your eyes are bigger than your muscles, and you just want to go for a fatty PR. Missing first attempts is unforgiveable.

So what went wrong? Did I choose an unwise opening attempt, or was I not training to proper depth every single day in the gym? Maybe I just had an off day or didn’t warm up enough. These are all things to evaluate.

“It’s forgivable to miss third attempts because sometimes your eyes are bigger than your muscles, and you just want to go for a fatty PR. Missing first attempts is unforgiveable.”

I was also undersized for my weight class, as I was the same size as most of the 148lb-ers (I’m 165lb). We’ll visit this later when I discuss opportunities. Finally, I wasn’t as strong as my competitors, which is easy to fix – get stronger. This was most likely due to my lack of experience, which is completely fine. Chasing numbers is a marathon, not a sprint. If I keep putting in the time and effort, I’ll get stronger.

READ: The Problem Is You: Time to Face Your Weaknesses

Opportunities

There’s always room for improvement, which leads us to opportunities. Next meet, I want to ensure I never miss a first attempt, so I will I program wisely during the tail end of my cycle in order to be fresh on meet day. I will also need to hit beyond proper depth on the squat every session in the gym, as I got dinged for missing depth. Big no-no. Lastly, I will work on picking out appropriate attempts and warming up properly. You don’t know how much my heart sank by missing the first lift to get into the meet. I’m just glad I didn’t bomb out.

RELATED: Powerlifting Meet Preparation: Practicing Commands

As far as being undersized, I will work on having a consistent diet. I’m pretty good with my diet, following the 80/20 rule, but you need precision for this sport. During my offseason and training cycle, I’ll need to fine tune my calories and micro/macronutrients to ensure I’m the best version of myself. I haven’t been as strict on my diet as I need to be. I’ll either need to cut some weight and fat to be in the 148lb class, or gain muscle and lose fat to be a big 165er. Everyone wants to be bigger and better, so I’ll probably default to the latter.

I also want to be stronger. The best way to do this is with consistent training. At this point I feel like getting the word consistent tattooed to myself, but you get the point. My numbers sky-rocketed over the past year, and that’s because I put in the work. Keep on keepin’ on! I will also need to work on more mobility drills, stretching, and yoga to guarantee my lower back is on the same page as the rest of my body.

RELATED: How to Stop Your Lower Back Pain

Threats

The threats level of this analysis would be anything that would keep me from performing to the best of my abilities between now and my next meet. My threats are injuries, scheduling, and accountability. I left injury free, which is always nice, but much to my chagrin, I tweaked my lower back per usual. In order to ensure I don’t get injured, maintaining proper form and exhausting all forms of recovery throughout my next cycle will be at the forefront of my training.

RELATED: Programming for Injury Prevention: How to Keep Your Athletes Healthy

My work schedule has been extremely hectic, and it’s oh-so-easy to feel fatigued and unmotivated after a long day in the office. This always leads to skipping the gym. Always. I have to be accountable. I have to plan around my work schedule, and ensure I hit every gym session and stay motivated. I chose to take this journey alone, and no one will know if I skip a training session. For this reason, I have to hold myself to a higher standard and be consistent with my training.

“Next meet, I want to ensure I never miss a first attempt, so I will make sure I program wisely during the tail end of my cycle in order to be fresh on meet day.”

Writing an athlete journal is also an amazing way to keep myself accountable. I don’t want to let anyone down!

Not really any meat or potatoes this week:

Monday – Sunday

Active Rest

That was it! I rested all week long. It was almost complete rest, but since I can’t stand not being in the gym, I went in for a few days of cardio. I rode bikes, used the rowing machine, played basketball, and went for some runs outside. I had to fight the urge to do anything with a dumbbell or barbell, but I was good.

READ: What Does Active Recovery Actually Mean?

I now know what worked and what didn’t work during my last meet and season. I know what I need to improve upon for my next season, and I will come back bigger, better, and stronger. Next week I’ll get back into the ol’ high frequency training. Thanks for reading, and stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Post-Competition Reflections (Athlete Journal 10) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I typically refuel with liquid carbs and protein after my weigh-in, as they are delivered the fastest. I don’t want to feel bogged down with food, but I still need the energy, so this type of cocktail works best for me.

Squat

I don’t think I spent enough time warming up for the squat. My first attempt at 281lb was supposed to be achieved without batting an eye, but I didn’t hit proper depth. I’ve talked about the importance of hitting your first squat, as it sets the tone for the whole meet. This was my first time missing my first lift of the meet, and my heart sank. I was butt hurt for all of two minutes, when I realized I had to get back in the zone.

I went through my mental cues: tighten up my whole body, and squeeze that bar with all my might. I decided not to make the jump to 314 on my second attempt, as I couldn’t afford to miss another lift. With that being said, I still wanted to go up, so I decided to change my second attempt to 292lb. I must have squatted to the ground because there was no way I was going to miss my second lift on depth.

“I’ve talked about the importance of hitting your first squat, as it sets the tone for the whole meet. This was my first time missing my first lift of the meet, and my heart sank.”

I decided to jump up to 314lb on my last attempt, despite my desire to hit the 330 I had planned. The meet wasn’t going as planned, so I went out for my 314 attempt and grinded it out. It was rough! I was so paranoid about hitting depth that I dropped it low once more, and almost got stuck in the middle. This has never been a sticking point for me, as typically coming out of the hole is the hardest. I ended up squeezing the bar even harder and pulling it into my back/the ground, thrusted my hips forward, and peered up at three white lights. Ahhhh!

Bench Press

At this point my lower back was already killing me (as it’s always been a problem for me), so I rolled out, did some mobility drills, and yoga’ed it out. (That’s a word, right?) After warming up on the bench, I knew my opener was going to be a piece of cake. I wasn’t going to have a repeat of my first squat attempt. A couple of commands were missed by my competitors, so I made sure I was going to hit all three verbal cues for the bench.

RELATED: Heal Your Lower Back With These 5 Yoga Poses

I went out and hit 203lb with ease, and then I took a big jump to 231lb. This felt great, so I figured what the heck? I decided to go for 242lb on my last attempt, and barely missed it by an inch. I had great control going down and exploded off the chest. I was about an inch away from locking it out, and pressed with all my might, but I wasn’t successful. I was happy with my bench, but watching a video of my third attempt on my iPhone made me cringe – I was so close!

Deadlift

It was now time for the last lift of the meet: the deadlift. For me, this is time to get hyped up on preworkouts. I made the mistake during my first meet of taking stimulants before the bench, and I couldn’t bring the bar to motionless on my chest since I was so shaky and antsy. Either way, lesson learned.

My lower back was dying, and I could barely pick up 225lb. I rolled out, got some more protein and creatine (liquids) into my system, and tried my best to focus. I decided to use a belt on the deadlift, which I have never even tried in the gym. I figured the belt would help stabilize my lower back and get super tight with the added intra-abdominal pressure. I barely warmed up for the deadlift, as I figured I didn’t have much left in the tank, so I might as well save it for the judges.

RELATED: 15 Practical Strategies to Increase Your Deadlift

I was going back and forth on what I should do for my attempts, as I wasn’t feeling the most confident. Eventually I settled on keeping my first two attempts as is. I trained so hard for this, so I figured I might as well be giving it 110%, even though I wasn’t feeling like it. I walked out, got some air, and braced myself. 314lb never felt so easy. I then decided to make a big jump up to 369lb, which was a nine-pound PR for me.

I went through the motions once more, and felt great picking it up. That s*** was heavy! I then told the referees I would hit 380lb. Why not throw on another ten? Even though I was feeling crappy, I decided to change my attempt at the last minute and go for 385lb. Oops! I might have made the bar budge, but it wasn’t happening. Maybe if I was 100%, but at the end of the day who knows?

Here’s my warm ups for the week. I clearly took it pretty easy:

Monday

Squat – Training up to opener

Bar x 5

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 2

245 x 2

275 x 1

285 x 1 (3 sets)

Bench to opener

95 x 5

135 x 5

155 x 5

185 x 3

195 x 2

205 x 1 (3 sets)

Deadlift to opener

135 x 5 (2 sets)

225 x 3 (2 sets)

275 x 2

315 x 1 (3 sets)

Tuesday

Bench

95 x 5

135 x 5

165 x 3 (3 sets)

Squat

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5 (2 sets)

225 x 3 (3 sets)

Deadlift

135 x 5 (3 sets)

185 x 3 (2 sets)

240 x 3 (3 sets)

Wednesday

Bench

95 x 5

135 x 5

165 x 2 (2 sets)

Squat

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5 (2 sets)

225 x 2 (2 sets)

Deadlift

135 x 5 (3 sets)

185 x 3 (2 sets)

240 x 2 (2 sets)

Thursday

Rest

Friday

Meet Day

• Squat – 315
• Bench – 231
• Deadlift – 369

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

Rest

Next week I’ll reflect on the meet as I get ready to enter the offseason. I won’t be competing for a few months, but I will still be testing my max leading up to my next powerlifting competition. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post My Last Powerlifting Meet of 2014 (Athlete Journal 9) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Practicing your commands is huge. How would you like to hit a personal record on a squat with proper depth, only to find out you racked the weight before hearing your command? Red lights! The load and technique are the hardest part of the lift, so be sure to follow the easy commands to ensure you get three bright and sparkly white lights (from the three referees, although I like to imagine they are from the lifting gods).

Squat

We’ll start with the squat. Your name gets called and you have a minute to unrack the weight and show you have complete control of it with your legs locked. The set up is important. My lats are tight and pulled back, I’m squeezing the bar with all my might, and I’m pulling the bar down into the ground. The referee will say, “Start,” which is your cue to squat to proper depth (hip crease below highest point of the knee) and explode up. Don’t move! Lock the legs once more and wait for the referee to say, “Rack,” before racking the weights. Then it’s time to look for the lights.

Bench Press

After some resting, relaxing, and eating, it’s time for the bench press. Slap yourself around a bit, do whatever it takes to psych yourself up, just be ready. Your name will get called again and it’s time to set up. Get super tight, squeeze the lats and the bar (sound familiar?), and lift the bar off the rack – or get a hand off. I like getting a hand off because it conserves energy. Might as well make the lift as easy as possible.

BENCH BETTER: 12 Simple Strategies to Boost Your Bench Press

You’ll then hear the “Start” command. Slowly lower the bar down to your chest, or wherever you prefer pressing from – I prefer going to the top of the abs. From there, you will have to show the referees that you have brought the bar to a complete stop. The bar has to lie motionless on you. The more control you have bringing the bar down, the faster and easier it is to reach this point.

“If you have a weak lockout, this may be a problem. That’s why you have to train the whole movement.”

You’ll then get the “Press” command, and you press the bar. Crazy, right? Don’t move! Wait for the “Rack” command, and finish the lift strong. If you have a weak lockout, this may be a problem. That’s why you have to train the whole movement. White lights?

Deadlift

More resting, relaxing, and eating. Except this time around, I take a ton of preworkouts and get real amped up. A lot of people say the meet doesn’t even start until the bar hits the floor. Might as well be jacked up on stimulants, right? As far as following your commands, the deadlift is a piece of cake. Easy-peasy lemon for-sheezie. Bathe in chalk and get ready for your name to be called.

GOT CAFFEINE? Caffeine Increases Bench Press Performance

Once you hear your name, walk up to the bar and get tight. Squeeze the glutes and squeeze the lats – all the cool kids are doing it. Then, grab the bar and rip it off the ground as fast as humanly possible. Form is important, but essentially you’re just bringing the bar from the ground to your crotch. Once you lockout, the referee will say, “Down.” Lather, rinse, and repeat three times and you’re all done for the day!

Choosing My Attempts

Those are the commands in a nutshell. This week I practiced these commands time and time again. They have forever been engraved in my memory, and I will never fail a lift by ignoring a command.

Then it was time to pick my first two attempts. I always go super light on my openers, as the only purpose they serve is to calm my nerves and hone my technique. Below are my first two attempts and I‘ll leave the third attempts up to my imagination. I tend to go balls to the walls on my third attempt, and they are all a matter of feel on meet day.

Squat

• 1st attempt: 281 lbs
• 2nd attempt: 314 lbs

Bench

• 1st attempt: 203 lbs
• 2nd attempt: 225 lbs

Deadlift

• 1st attempt: 314 lbs
• 2nd attempt: 369 lbs

Those are my attempts. Meat and taters time:

Monday

Squat – Heavy

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

265x 3 (5 working sets @ 5 lb increase)

285 x 1 (training max for the day)

Bench – Maintenance

95 x 5

135 x 5

175 x 2 (5 working sets @ 80%)

205 x 1

215 x 1 (training max for the day)

Deadlifts – Technique/Speed

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

265 x 1 (6 working sets @ 75%)

Tuesday

Bench

95 x 5

135 x 5

195 x 3 (3 working sets @ 85%)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat (2 second pause in the hole)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5 (2 sets)

185 x 5 (3 working sets @ 65%)

Dumbbell Row

40 x 5

65 x 5

85 x 2 (2 sets)

105 x 5 (5 working sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Squat – Training

Bar x 5

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 2

245 x 2

275 x 1

285 x 1

295 x 1

305 x 1 (training max for the day)

225 x 2 (4 back off sets)

Bench – Training

95 x 5

135 x 5

155 x 5

185 x 3

195 x 2

205 x 2

210 x 1

215 x 1 (training max for the day)

185 x 2 (4 back off sets)

Abs

Hanging Leg Raise x 10 (5 sets)

Planks (15 second holds)

Friday

Squat – Training

Bar x 5

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 2

245 x 2

275 x 1

285 x 1

295 x 1

305 x 1

310 x 1 (training max for the day)

225 x 2 (4 back off sets)

Bench – Training

95 x 5

135 x 5

155 x 5

185 x 3

195 x 2

205 x 2

210 x 1

215 x 1

220 x 1 (training max for the day)

185 x 2 (4 back off sets)

Saturday

Squat – Training up to opener

Bar x 5

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 2

245 x 2

275 x 1

285 x 1 (3 sets)

225 x 2 (3 back off sets)

Bench to opener

95 x 5

135 x 5

155 x 5

185 x 3

195 x 2

205 x 1 (3 sets)

185 x 2 (3 back off sets)

Deadlift to opener

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

225 x 3 (2 sets)

275 x 2

315 x 1 (3 working sets)

Sunday

Squat – Training up to opener

Bar x 5

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 2

245 x 2

275 x 1

285 x 1 (3 sets)

225 x 3 (3 back off sets)

Bench to opener

95 x 5

135 x 5

155 x 5

185 x 3

195 x 2

205 x 1 (3 sets)

185 x 2 (3 back off sets)

Deadlift to opener

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

225 x 3 (2 sets)

275 x 2

315 x 1 (3 working sets)

So I basically trained a lot this week. My week was structured differently, as I wanted to focus on my openers and form rather than hitting a training max every day. I worked up to my openers on Saturday and Sunday, and they felt great. I’m ready for this. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Powerlifting Meet Preparation: Practicing Commands (Athlete Journal 8) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I have one more week of training after this, followed by my competition week (which is similar to a deload). Around this time I get antsy to get into the gym, as my motivation has never been higher. I haven’t been sore at all this week, so I got a fifth day of practice in.

Simplicity Is Key

I’ve been training for so long that I’ve tried every program: 5/3/1, Westside, circuit training, Smolov, and bodybuilding programs. I would’ve done dumbbell curls on a BOSU ball with Jillian Michaels if she told me it would increase my bench. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned this year as far as training for powerlifting goes, it’s that simplicity is king. I’m going on the platform to perform three exercises. Shouldn’t the bulk of my training be performing those three movements?

They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at any one thing, and I’ve set out to hit that number as quickly as possible. Don’t worry, it’s still going to take forever. When I was working on building one lift once each week, I would spend around thirty minutes doing that lift, and then an hour and a half trying to build that lift. This means I would perform a competition barbell squat for thirty minutes once per week.

I think I’d be dead before I hit 10,000 hours at that rate. With my higher frequency training, I get to squat for thirty minutes five times per week. That’s five times the amount of actual practice! Sweet.

RELATED: The Art of Practice: 5 Key Elements for Perfect Practice

 Training Focus

One phrase I hear time and time again is, “Don’t major in the minors.” I think we’ve all been guilty of this. My next meet will mark my fourth of the year, so I’m basically a beginner. My time shouldn’t be spent doing accessory lifts to build my big three.

I would benefit much more from practicing only the big three. Dedicating the majority of my time to these lifts alone will provide roughly one zillion benefits, including increased motor unit recruitment, firing rate, and intra- and inter-muscular coordination. These three movements will become second nature. I’ll improve upon my technique, and my body will know exactly what to do when I get on the platform.

“The week was great. I hit some big weights with ease, and oddly enough it felt natural to squat and bench so often.”

My body has adjusted to squatting and benching nearly every day, and my numbers have shot through the roof. Other than the performance benefits of practicing so often, having confidence under a heavy bar is huge. This week I topped off my squat and bench at 300 and 215, respectively. Both lifts felt easy and I still had a few more reps left in the tank. Meat and taters time:

Monday

Squat – Heavy

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

260 x 3 (5 working sets @ 5 lb increase)

270 x 1

280 x 1

290 x 1 (training max for the day)

Bench – Maintenance

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

175 x 2 (5 working sets @ 80%)

205 x 1

215 x 1 (training max for the day)

Deadlifts – Technique/Speed

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

260 x 1 (6 working sets @ 75%)

Tuesday

Bench

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3 (4 working sets @ 85%)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat (2-second pause in the hole)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 5 (3 working sets @ 65%)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Dumbbell Row

40 x 5

65 x 5

85 x 2 (2 sets)

105 x 5 (5 working sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Deadlift – Heavy

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

225 x 5

275 x 1 (6 working sets @ 80%)

Bench – Floor Press

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 2 (4 working sets @ 85%)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat – Reps

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

220 x 8 (3 working sets @ 5 lb increase from last week)

265 x 1 (training max for the day)

Friday – Extra Day

Squat – Training

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

225 x 3

245 x 2

265 x 2

285 x 1

295 x 1

300 x 1 (training max for the day)

225 x 2 (4 back off sets)

Bench – Training

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3

205 x 2

210 x 1

215 x 1 (training max for the day)

185 x 2 (4 back off sets)

Hanging Leg Raise x 10 (5 sets)

Planks (15 second holds)

Saturday

Bench – Pin Press

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

195 x 1 (4 working sets @ 90%)

215 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat – Goblet Squats

35 x 10 (2 sets)

55 x 5

90 x10 (3 working sets @ 5 lb increase from last week)

Bent-over Row

95 x 5

135 x 5

200 x 3 (5 working sets @ 5 lb increase from last week)

Sunday

Rest

The week was great. I hit some big weights with ease, and oddly enough it felt natural to squat and bench so often. Next week is my last week of training in the gym, so I’ll be hitting some big daily maxes and picking out my first attempts. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Pre-competition Reflection (Athlete Journal 7) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The deload week has finally passed. My mind and body got a chance to relax, and I entered the gym as a Hungry, Hungry Hippo. You can only be patient for so long.

This week felt great in the gym, as it always does when I’m refreshed and focused. With only a few weeks left before my meet, every day in the gym counts. The goal at the beginning of my training was to increase my frequency, and my body has adapted so well to squatting and benching this often, that I was even able to add a gym day to focus on hitting a training max.

Training Max

And that brings us to the training max, which I’ve included in my journals over the past month. The training max is a big weight I work up to at the end of every training session, but by no means is it a true max. The training max serves several purposes, and it’s basically a single that I work up to on the squat and bench. This single is one I should be able to do without any grinding or pumping myself up. I also always ensure that the single is a weight that I could take for a triple, or a single with two left in the tank.

“You need the ability to define and overcome your own limits and the confidence to not second guess yourself. Those qualities are just as important as logging countless hours in the gym.”

My biggest take away from the daily max is added confidence under heavy weight. The mind and body are so entwined when it comes to lifting. You need the ability to define and overcome your own limits and the confidence to not second guess yourself. Those qualities are just as important as logging countless hours in the gym. Knowing your body has the capacity and strength to handle heavy weights eliminates nervousness. This is good.

The training max is implemented daily. Since I hit this max on the reg, that means I gain confidence every single day. I always work up to a weight I can easily manage. Thus, my numbers are always fluctuating, but steadily increasing. Sometimes a personal record (PR) might come, but it’s nothing worth rushing for. Previous PRs become daily maxes, as I can easily hit them for a triple. That’s music to my ears.

RELATED: Why Your “Max” Isn’t Your Max – The 6 Types of Actual Maxes

Choosing Your Attempts

During the meet, I will get three attempts to squat, bench, and deadlift. Choosing these attempts wisely will ensure I reach my full potential come PR-time. Now I am definitely not an expert on this topic, but here’s my philosophy and how I make my attempts.

The first attempt should be a number I can walk into the gym and hit a triple of any day of the week. This attempt should always be easy and relatively lighter in weight than its two counterparts. I don’t know any powerlifter who uses their first attempt on their final score, so why strain yourself? This is most important with the squat, as it’s the first lift that gets you into the meet, and its calming when you hit proper depth the first time around.

“Since the daily training max is always a number I can hit with full confidence, unstimulated, with two reps left in the tank, it also helps me to pick my openers.”

No attempt is set in stone, so always pay attention to your body and mind when it comes to the next two attempts. For the second attempt, I typically go for a five- or ten-pound PR (usually five for bench as that’s my weakest lift).

After that, it’s balls to the walls. I always bring a kilo chart, so I’ll just pick a number based on how many more pounds I feel I can add to the lift. Not very scientific, but hey, I usually hit numbers I couldn’t fathom at the beginning of my training cycle. Just make sure you have full confidence when you get under that bar, or it ain’t budging. Since the daily training max is always a number I can hit with full confidence, unstimulated, with two reps left in the tank, it also helps me to pick my openers.

Here’s the steak and taters for the week:

Monday

Squat (Heavy)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

255 x 3 (5 working sets @ 90%)

270 x 1 (training max for the day)

Bench (Maintenance)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

175 x 2 (5 working sets @ 80%)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Deadlifts (Technique/Speed)

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

225 x 1 (8 sets, 20 second rest intervals @ 65%)

Tuesday

Bench (2-second pause on chest)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

170 x 4 (4 working sets @ 75%)

205 x 1

215 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat (2-second pause in the hole)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 5 (3 working sets @ 65%)

200 x 1 (training max for the day)

Dumbbell Row

40 x 5

65 x 5

85 x 2 (2 sets)

100 x 5 (5 working sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Deadlift (Heavy)

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

250 x 1 (6 working sets @ 72.5%)

Bench (Floor Press)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

170 x 4 (3 working sets @ 75%)

195 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat (Reps)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

215 x 8 (3 working sets @ 5 lb increase from last week)

245 x 1

255 x 1

265 x 1

275 x 1 (training max for the day)

Friday – Extra Day

Squat (Training)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

185 x 3

225 x 3

245 x 2

255 x 2

265 x 1

275 x 1

285 x 1 (training max for the day)

Bench (Training)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3

205 x 2

210 x 1

215 x 1

220 x 1 (training max for the day)

Hanging Leg Raise x 10 (5 sets)

Saturday

Bench (Pin Press)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

180 x 1 (4 working sets @ 85%)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Squat (Goblet Squats)

35 x 10 (2 sets)

55 x 5

85×10 (3 working sets @ 5 lb increase from last week)

95 x 1 (training max for the day)

Bent-over Row

95 x 5

135 x 5

195 x 3 (5 working sets @ 10 lb increase from last week)

205 x 1 (training max for the day)

Sunday

Rest

The fifth day felt great, and I plan on making that a permanent change. I don’t feel sore any more, and I’ve grown a lot, both mentally and physically, in only a few weeks. I’m always excited to see what the next week brings to me. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post Why I Always Hit a Daily Training Max (Athlete Journal 6) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I knew before I started my training cycle that I would have six weeks to train as hard as I could, and one week where I could lighten the load, avoid overtraining, and get some extra time to recover. That week has arrived.

What Is a Deload?

Deload is not a time to slack off, watch reruns of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and eat bags of Sour Patch Kids until my dentist disowns me. It’s also not a time to psych myself up at the gym or play a pick-up game of rugby. Much like my feelings about squats, deloading is a love-hate relationship. You have to do it if you want to makes gains and be successful in the long term, as your body definitely appreciates the break. But when you’re so used to loading up bars and politely moving heavy weights, backing off the weights for a whole week is easier said than done.

I love challenging myself in the gym, which is the real reason I go every day. But during deload week, I keep my lifts under 80% of my training max, cut my daily heavy single, and chop the volume in half. I typically cut the reps in half and keep the sets the same, since when I compete I only get one chance on every lift. One first attempt on all three lifts, it doesn’t matter if I have another left in the tank. For that reason, I’d rather practice six first attempts with singles than get three first reps performing doubles.

“During deload week, I keep my lifts under 80% of my training max, cut my daily heavy single, and chop the volume in half.”

Recovery

Deloading is all about recovering, so I also take measures to get extra recovery in this week. I find foam rolling a few times a day, stretching and going to yoga, getting deep-tissue massages, and the prioritizing proper sleep and nutrition are great ways to recover. Those deep-tissue massages hurt like hell, but you definitely feel like a whole new person after getting them.

The last part of the deload week is mental. Deload teaches you to respect the process and not challenge the body more than you know you should. As I mentioned before, it’s hard to go to the gym and lift lighter weights. It takes a lot of discipline and you don’t feel like you accomplish anything, since you barely break a sweat. But guess what? After being antsy inside and outside of the gym for a whole week, it’s time to crush some heavy weights. Deloading is always a self-motivator, as I come back to the gym that much hungrier, ready to squat, lock, and drop it.

Here’s my meat and potatoes, boring but body-friendly:

Monday

Squat (Heavy)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3

225 x 2 (4 working sets @ 80%)

Bench (Maintenance)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

175 x 1 (5 working sets @ 80%)

Deadlifts (Technique/Speed)

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

205 x 1 (5 sets, 20 second rest intervals @ 60%)

Tuesday

Bench (3-second pause on chest)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

160 x 2 (5 working sets @ 75%)

Squat (2-second pause in the hole)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

135 x 5

170 x 2 (4 working sets @ 60%)

Seated Row

80 x 5

120 x 5

150 x 2

175 x 2 (6 working sets)

Wednesday

Yoga

Thursday

Deadlift (Heavy)

135 x 5 (2 warm-up sets)

240 x 1 (3 working sets @ 70%)

Bench (Floor Press)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

160 x 2 (4 working sets @ 75%)

Squat (Reps)

Bar x 10 (2 sets)

95 x 5

135 x 5

160x 8 (2 working sets)

Friday

Yoga

Saturday

Bench (Pin Press)

Bar x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

170 x 1 (3 working sets @ 80%)

Squat (Goblet Squats)

35 x 10 (2 sets)

55 x 5

80×5 (3 working sets)

Bent-over Row

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 1 (5 working sets)

Sunday

Rest

No extra days of practice this week, just lots and lots of rest. I was able to stay sane throughout my deload, which is always nice as I feel like a lazy piece of friend when I’m not challenging myself. I’m ready to get back in the gym and squat, bench, and deadlift like there’s no tomorrow. Next week will definitely be a lot more fun, but this week was very rewarding. Stay active!

Ryan Seaver is a novice powerlifter who found his love for the sport after six years of going to the gym religiously. Follow Ryan’s journals to learn how to get started as a competitive lifter.

The post The Benefits of Deloading (Athlete Journal 5) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.