Sean's Powerlifting Journey

Sean1332

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So...I figured it's about time I drop the 5/3/1 log, as I have not lifted with 5/3/1 in 11 weeks now and I don't intend to in the immediate future. I've had an enormous amount of advice and encouragement from the very beginning of that training log and it makes me love this more and more. I'll maintain this log for all of my future training, regardless of what method. If you haven't followed my last log, I started Brandon Lilly's Cube Method 10 weeks ago and have just competed in my first meet. I've always wanted to compete in powerlifting and until I joined this site; I thought it was just going to be one of those things I'd never commit to. After using 5/3/1 for a few months and becoming addicted to getting stronger and stopped worrying about looks....powerlifting is all I can think about (outside of family and work..)

I switched to the Cube Method in order for me to work on different aspects of training. I intend to continue with this until it fails me, or I fail at it. I use all of my available resources, including but not limited to: The Cube Method, 5/3/1, Westside, Juggernaut, any and all writings by anyone bigger and stronger than me, and of course my resources here at AM.

Last Saturday I competed and took Best Lifter and 1st place in the 220 class, weighing 214.2. I totaled 1375, 550/300/525. I had a red lighted 2nd attempt squat at 525 for depth (BS but whatever..) and failed my 3rd attempt bench and deadlift, 320/545.

Goals:
Put 100lbs onto my total. Find a meet. Drop to 198. Total Elite raw. I want it more than anything.

Needs:
-I need to focus on my bench press. I'm a poor bencher for various reasons and it is definitely holding me back.
-Increase my deadlift. I feel I should be able to pull much more than 525..and I intend to, I just have to get there.
-Increase my conditioning. I work 48 hours on, 48 hours off and have a family. It is what it is. I have a prowler at my gym and I'll be purchasing one to keep at work.

My squat has progressed more than I could have hoped for. I feel 575 could have been hit at the meet with how fast 550 came up. 600 feels very achievable in the near future. I feel it's my strong point. Please call me out on anything you see though. It will only make me better. I'll gladly accept all forms of criticism.

I video tape as much of my training as I can. sean1313 - YouTube is my youtube page. Feel free to follow and drop any tips you can, or take anything from it for yourself.

I'm currently deloading right now. I went into the gym yesterday just to get my head back into things. I did some light SSB squats, lunges and GHR. Tomorrow I intend to hit some upper body to get the blood flowin and my mindset in the game and get back on the Cube Friday or Saturday.

My lifts will rotate as follows:
Deadlift/Bench/Squat/Body Day (Make up day) rotating through max, dynamic, and rep efforts.

Supplementation:
Cheap creatine and protein. Also been getting more and more into GDAs/insulin mimickers. Been through 4 or 5 bottles of SSV2..just bought Recompadrol also. Orange Triad/iForce for multi. NP MBCAA's. Glucosamine. Cissus (Joint Help, right now) Anabeta has been my favorite supplement by far. I just took advantage of the BOGO and I've just begun PR-XT/Nolvadren XT for the next 8 weeks. CitMal preworkout. As for a prewo drink...I switch them up..

Diet:
1g/lb of BW for protein, .5-.8g/lb for fats, the rest filled with carbs based upon my activity level. I eat as well as I can and get the majority of my calories in through whole foods. I'm no stranger to eating like a man. Right now I intend to maintain my current weight a bit longer before I drop.

Elite...here I come.
 
herderdude

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Subbed right quick. Let's get it!

EDIT: Don't forget your sig, bro.
 
AZMIDLYF

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In for ELITE journey big man!!
 
bolt10

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Definitely in for this. Last log was pretty epic! :)
 
breezy11

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I'm in.

Congrats on your first competition man. I just read through your last log. Great job.
 
Sean1332

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Subbed right quick. Let's get it! EDIT: Don't forget your sig, bro.
Hell ya

hola

Subbed to watch this journey unfold!
Damn right

In on this motha
heyyy rob

In for ELITE journey big man!!
I shoulda named the thread that..damnit your boy competes soon right?

Definitely in for this. Last log was pretty epic! :)
yeaaah man, the Lone Cubers

I'm in. Congrats on your first competition man. I just read through your last log. Great job.
Thanks bud. Tryin to find some meets close to our area...I don't feel like goin out to western MA..
 
Jiigzz

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Ooohh elite status dreams. Here to follow you reaching that.
 
Sean1332

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Why not? I'm all about weighing 198....
When I first started working out 2-3yrs ago, I remember I said I'd bulk to 195 and then get shredded. I just prefer the "eating as much food as I want and weigh 225+" method

weigh-ins Monday..bleh
 
jimbuick

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When I first started working out 2-3yrs ago, I remember I said I'd bulk to 195 and then get shredded. I just prefer the "eating as much food as I want and weigh 225+" method

weigh-ins Monday..bleh
I don't want shredded, just lean enough to not jiggle too much :biglaugh:
 
breezy11

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Thanks bud. Tryin to find some meets close to our area...I don't feel like goin out to western MA..
Don't blame you. I can't stand going out there. There was a guy at the gym today talking about an upcoming comp at Baystate in Scituate. It might just be bench though.
 
Sean1332

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Don't blame you. I can't stand going out there. There was a guy at the gym today talking about an upcoming comp at Baystate in Scituate. It might just be bench though.
Hm I'll search around
 
Sean1332

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do you plan on taking any time off?
Yeah I've been bumming around all week. I have to get in some sort of exercise this week because of weighins next week at work. Tuesday I went to the gym, still feeling like slightly beat up, and foam rolled and stretched. I hit some very light SSB, lunges, and a few GHRs. I feel much more recovered both physically and mentally now and will hit some light upper body tonight, nothin strenuous. I'll get back into the swing of things this weekend.
 
napalm

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Yeah I've been bumming around all week. I have to get in some sort of exercise this week because of weighins next week at work. Tuesday I went to the gym, still feeling like slightly beat up, and foam rolled and stretched. I hit some very light SSB, lunges, and a few GHRs. I feel much more recovered both physically and mentally now and will hit some light upper body tonight, nothin strenuous. I'll get back into the swing of things this weekend.
i'm gonna take 2 weeks off

knees, shoulder, hips all hate me...
 
Sean1332

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i'm gonna take 2 weeks off

knees, shoulder, hips all hate me...
Ol' man! The week off I took beforehand helped a lot. I felt more mentally drained than physically actually. My back was pretty sore but that's it. My left shoulder has gotten better with prehab and mobility.
 
napalm

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Ol' man! The week off I took beforehand helped a lot. I felt more mentally drained than physically actually. My back was pretty sore but that's it. My left shoulder has gotten better with prehab and mobility.
dude, i'm at the point that i'm just trying to survive the next 5 weeks. i'm only gonna squat, i'm just to beat up btwn stupid left hammy and my shoulders. add in the mcl's from the other day...great...

i'm thinking about just squatting up to my opener once a week, and add a DE like day on friday w like triples of 75% for speed for the next 4 weeks, then taking a week off right before.

too long of a training cycle sucks...
 
Sean1332

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Post Meet Deload/Upper

Warmup:
Foam roll, Internal/External rotations with miniband, banded pull downs, banded front/back shoulder rotation, push-ups

Floor Press
135x8
155x8x2

Meadow's Rows
90x12x3

Face Pulls/Tate Press
90x15x3/35x12x3

Pull-ups/Banded Pressdown (light orange)
BWx8x3/Bandx15x3

Light ass weight. Nothing exciting. Getting back into things. My shoulder is feeling much better. I've been doing some mobility work with it each day and it seems to be helping.

Will do some conditioning tomorrow on the track if it doesn't rain. Starting the Cube again Saturday with deadlifts...on a brand new deadlift platform at my gym.
 
AZMIDLYF

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The sad thing is that's all heavy for me, oh well ya gotta start somewhere.
When you end up where you want to be, it'll make where you started from that much sweeter!!
 
AZMIDLYF

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And yes Sean, he goes on the 4th of May. He's getting nervous. Lol
 
AZMIDLYF

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He is in the 220 class. We originally had thoughts of doing the 198 class back in december but he has put on almost 20 lbs since. He is hoping for numbers similar to yours if all goes as planned.
 
Sean1332

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**** ya man. Good for him. Hope to god he beats my bench though lol
 
AZMIDLYF

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We shall see. He did a double with 280 yesterday. He has all his size in his lower body from many years of hockey so the upper body was neglected. He's only 21 so there is plenty of time to grow.
 
Sean1332

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I'm looking into some single ply suits and gear...Thoughts? Still researching bigtime.
 
napalm

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I'm looking into some single ply suits and gear...Thoughts? Still researching bigtime.
You've developed enough, and your form is good enough to move to the dark side. Once I get to 405, I'm getting some briefs...
 
herderdude

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From what I've seen so far, my new Rage shirt has an extremely forgiving groove and is definitely strong. I've had both brothers bench heavy in it. Titan has the best single ply stuff. F6 shirt for an arch and tuck bencher, Super Centurion suit is a mean squatter. I haven't looked at deadlift suits. If you learn sumo, you can put the Super Centurion on backwards and use it. I saw one guy use that and two guys use Metal deadlifters at the meet. Bench shirts were much more numerous and harder to identify.
 
Sean1332

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My gym owner has a Izner Hardcore squat suit I may try to fit into next week. I understand it'll be a game changer and I won't be competing anytime soon equipped...but why not? May start purchasing an item at a time each pay period. Should I begin briefs first?
 
herderdude

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Awh man! I wanted to try that one! Rodja recommended to me to start with briefs. I ended up buying his. I forget the reasoning behind it, but that's what he said. I'd try to get that Hardcore on and give it a ****in spin!
 
Sean1332

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He said its sized 195-210 so it'll be a tight fit. Sittin at 213 this morning.
 
napalm

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He said its sized 195-210 so it'll be a tight fit. Sittin at 213 this morning.
From what I understand, it's better to start loose than tight. Too tight might fold you in half at a most inopportune time...
 
herderdude

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Yeah, too tight sucks. I thought I was really getting the hang of manipulating my bench shirts, until I bought this tight one. That was just a huge mess to get on, and it totally flattened my arch and crushed my scap retraction. If the suit is broken in, you stand a much better chance.
 
supermanjow

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Long time no see, superman! How are things?
Not bad. My liver has come around somewhat. Levels are still well above norm, but on the lower end compared to where I had been. I'm beginning to wonder if I have gentically high iron because that's been another symptom and after talking with my Dad last weekend it runs in the family as rampantly as Type 1 diabetes does (uncle, aunt, and dad all have it now and G-pa and G-ma both had it). That will definitely put a hurt on a guy's liver. I've been taking Anteaus Labs Aegis for a while now and it seems to be helping. I'm also planning on starting to get my blood drawn regularly as well as this can help with the excess iron.

My strength took a major nose dive, but not being able to train at normal intervals the last 4 months will do that. January was a total wash. February saw me starting to get back in the gym, but then my daughter was born on Feb 17th. Now well into April and almost to her 2 month birthday we have 4 weeks left before she can start coming to the day care at our gym and my wife and I can start training together again.

I'm planning on doing my next show in November. The Rocky Mountain Championships in Denver are that month. So, I've got about 2 months to gain some muscle back before starting to cut.
 
Sean1332

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Well good luck man. Glad your health is coming back. Congrats on being a dad, that's pretty awesome
 
supermanjow

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Thanks! Being a Dad is so amazing!!! I wouldn't trade it for all the gym sessions and muscle growth in the world!
 
supermanjow

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I'll watch it later when I'm not at work. I've worked out from home quite a bit over the years. One arm pushups, triangle pushups, wall pushups, stair case pullups, one legged squats, walking lunges, floor glute ham raises, and one legged calf raises for the win. Not to mention, sprints out on the lawn.
 
Sean1332

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Izner Blast shirt, briefs and Max deadlift suit ordered. Will grab the squat suit at a later time. **** it
 
AZMIDLYF

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Hardcore big man!! Lol
 

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