There is a pattern I’m often guilty of falling into (and you might be doing this, too) that relates to constantly testing your limits in training, as opposed to actually just training. Let me explain what I mean.
If you’re a competitive athlete, the time for testing your maximum capacity is in competition, not in training. Sure, in training you should always be pushing yourself, but there should always be more left in reserve for the day when it really counts. So, yes, you should be looking for new personal records in training wherever they might present themselves, but always with the idea that you’ll have more in the tank on meet day.
The problem with constantly testing yourself in training is that ultimately, it’s not sustainable. If you’ve got to whip yourself into an emotional frenzy three or four times a week, how long is that going to last?
Sustainability is everything in training. In fact, if it’s not sustainable, it’s not even training to start with – it’s a performance. So in the gym, put in your time, perfect your craft, embrace the grind. Then, on competition day, it’s time to uncork those big lifts that you’ve been itching to do in the gym for all those many weeks.
This Week’s Training
Weekly Training Volume: 69,731 lbs (Last Week’s Volume: 35,295 lbs)
Significant Lifts:
• Cambered Bar Squat: 260×5
• Bench Press: 190×10
• Deadlift: 350 (5×5)
Well, the most obvious thing to observe this week is that (I believe) I had the biggest weekly training volume since I’ve begun posting my workouts to Breaking Muscle. The other unique thing (for me at least) was my deadlift session that involved pulling 350lbs for 5×5. I think this was the first time I’ve ever done 5×5 on pulls. So all in all, this felt like one of the toughest training weeks I’ve done in quite a while. The only thing that remains to be seen is how well I’m able to consistently sustain this type of workload.
(PS: I’ve recently invested in a better camcorder and I’ve also learned how to so some basic editing, so you can expect some higher-quality videos, starting with a video of our group pulling session below.)
Monday, June 16, 2014, 4:50 PM
Bodyweight: 201.4 lbs
Volume: 23,020 lbs
CAMBERED BAR SQUAT
Set 1: 65 lbs × 5
Set 2: 115 lbs × 5
Set 3: 155 lbs × 5
Set 4: 205 lbs × 5
Set 5: 225 lbs × 5
Set 6: 245 lbs × 5 (Video Below)
Set 7: 260 lbs × 5
Set 8: 205 lbs × 10
DOUBLE KETTLEBELL SWING
Set 1: 106 lbs × 15 (Video Below)
Set 2: 106 lbs × 15
Set 3: 106 lbs × 15
BARBELL HIP THRUST
Set 1: 225 lbs × 10
Set 2: 315 lbs × 10
LEG EXTENSION
Set 1: 140 lbs × 10
Set 2: 140 lbs × 10
Set 3: 165 lbs × 10
Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 11:00 AM
Bodyweight: 200.8 lbs
Volume: 14,336 lbs
BENCH PRESS
Set 1: 45 lbs × 10
Set 2: 95 lbs × 10
Set 3: 135 lbs × 10
Set 4: 185 lbs × 5
Set 5: 205 lbs × 3
Set 6: 225 lbs × 1
Set 7: 225 lbs × 1
Set 8: 190 lbs × 10
CHIN UP
Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps
Set 3: 5 reps
Set 4: 5 reps
BICEP CURL (DUMBBELL)
Set 1: 70 lbs × 10
Set 2: 80 lbs × 8
Set 3: 80 lbs × 8
Set 4: 60 lbs × 10
Set 5: 50 lbs × 10
LYING TRICEPS (EZ CURL BAR)
Set 1: 75 lbs × 8
Thursday, June 19, 2014, 11:40 AM
Bodyweight: 201.8 lbs
Volume: 18,185 lbs
DEADLIFT
Set 1: 135 lbs × 3
Set 2: 135 lbs × 3
Set 3: 135 lbs × 3
Set 4: 225 lbs × 3
Set 5: 315 lbs × 1
Set 6: 350 lbs × 5
Set 7: 350 lbs × 5
Set 8: 350 lbs × 5
Set 9: 350 lbs × 5
Set 10: 350 lbs × 5 (Video of complete pulling session below)
HIGH-BAR SQUAT
Set 1: 55 lbs × 5
Set 2: 105 lbs × 5
Set 3: 145 lbs × 5
Set 4: 195 lbs × 5
Set 5: 235 lbs × 5 (Video Below)
BACK EXTENSION
Set 1: 135 lbs × 8
LEG EXTENSION
Set 1: 165 lbs × 15
Saturday, June 21, 2014, 8:45 PM
Bodyweight: 202.2 lbs
Volume: 14,190 lbs
BENCH PRESS (DUMBBELL)
Set 1: 100 lbs × 15
Set 2: 130 lbs × 12
Set 3: 160 lbs × 10
Set 4: 160 lbs × 10
CHEST-SUPPORTED ROW
Set 1: 100 lbs × 10
Set 2: 100 lbs × 10
Set 3: 100 lbs × 10
Set 4: 100 lbs × 10
BICEP CURL
Set 1: 75 lbs × 10
Set 2: 75 lbs × 10
Set 3: 75 lbs × 10
TRICEP PUSHDOWN
Set 1: 70 lbs × 8
Set 2: 70 lbs × 8
Set 3: 70 lbs × 8