Sean's Powerlifting Journey

Upper

Cable Rows
3x15

Facepull
3x20

Chest Flys
*Limited ROM
3x12

Rear Delt Fly
2x30

Hammer Curls
3x15

My bicep tendon and elbows flared up from work today so I couldn't do any sort of pushing.

I have to get my right pec opened up. Ever since I busted up the scar tissue in my left, I've had no AC issues. I'll start some TENS followed by self-graston a few times a week and more hanging. I hope that getting that pec opened, and my lat loosened up, will help my RC.

I'm undecided on training. I've ran 10/20/Life since the day the book came out, with the exception of a few weeks post meet. 1.5 years. It's time for a change. I'll most likely keep a similar structure through a strength and phase, but I feel I need a hypertrophy block. I've never had a dedicated period for it.

I'm ****ing terrible with programming. I can comprehend it. I just have trouble applying it into something specific for me. I know what movements I need to do. It's just effectively applying rep schemes.

I'd like to venture into increased frequency at some point possibly. Squat 2x a week and possibly press 2x. Maybe combing a 5th day with squat and a pressing variant. I don't know.
 
Percentages and Reps IAW the above picture

Day 1
Conv Deadlift
Press Variant
GHR
Row Variant

Day 2
Press Variant
Box Squat or Front Squat
Row/Upper Back
Tri

Day 3
SSB Squat
Press Variant
Lunge Variant
Upper Back

Day 4
Press Variant
RDL
Upper Back
 
So I suppose the question this transition begs is what is the goal of your hyper block? Are you trying to go up a weightclass or do you intend to diet off all the new weight you gain and hope you end up with a better composition at 227? If you intend to do this while eating at maintenance as a natural athlete you're probably not going to get much besides a mental break. Which is fair.
 
Hyde said:
So I suppose the question this transition begs is what is the goal of your hyper block? Are you trying to go up a weightclass or do you intend to diet off all the new weight you gain and hope you end up with a better composition at 227? If you intend to do this while eating at maintenance as a natural athlete you're probably not going to get much besides a mental break. Which is fair.
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Good questions.

Goal:
-Better composition and to sit around 230 at most. I'm currently 225 so there's a slight bit of room to grow but....I need to be a better composed 220 competitor
-I just need something different. My gym time is lackluster. I've done the exact same thing for 6 meets now, just with different rep schemes. Even if it's only a 6 week change before I shift back to something I'm used to...will hopefully give me some new motivation.

I'm honestly open to any ideas. I'm open to sticking to what I'm doing now even but adding some more variation (but swith specificity).

I failed at a 5lb squat PR after 6 months between meets. It's a bit of a mind fuk when I was averaging 20-50lb PR's every 6 months. I know it was a bad day, and maybe I could have gotten it but now it makes me think; What needs to change? Right off the bat, body composition. If I've come close to maximizing my strength with what my body is already at, then I imagine there would automatically be more progress if I carried more muscle at the same weight.

Bench issues:
-RC: I'm working on it. I've battled it before and won. I just need to fix my shît.
-Technique: It's atrocious. It's hit or miss. But, my benching felt best whenever I benched 2x/week, pending joint health.

Deadlift issues:
-I need to be ****ing stronger. Goes back to my squat. What if I carried more muscle.

Trying for a pro total with a sub 300 bench and sub 600 deadlift is difficult lol

I'm just irritated and am being reactive "change everything!"

I'm thinking too much
 
I think gaining some lean muscle could definitely help - muscle moves weight after all. Growing muscle naturally without packing on the fat takes a very serious approach. Nutrition needs to be on point and frequency of stimulation needs to be high. Your suggested template is spot on. I stopped the Monolith program after 3 wks cuz it was killing my back, but I put on 4lbs and I swear my upper back got beefier. It was grueling, but it was also a blast. This reminds me of that.
 
A natty builder is lucky if they put a few lbs of lean quality tissue on in a year. If you're gaining a lb/wk on this approach you're still eating too much.
 
Hyde said:
A natty builder is lucky if they put a few lbs of lean quality tissue on in a year. If you're gaining a lb/wk on this approach you're still eating too much.
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This.

Over 5 months I've put on 10lbs. Some fat. But that an average of 2lbs per month while having natty hormone levels. Makes sense.
 
napalm said:
Whenever I'm in doubt about programming, I always fall back to 531...
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I would normally tend to agree to this but my only issue is not wanting to use the competition lifts. I have an accurate conventional 1RM but no moderate stanced SSB lift to base percentages off of. And then my pressing....I plan on just using dumbbells for a bit.

But, maybe I could use a similar progression somehow.

I might just go basic and find a weight I can hit for multiple sets of 6-10 and just increase the poundage weekly and attempt to increase volume ala Israetel/Duffin
 
Sean1332 said:
I might just go basic and find a weight I can hit for multiple sets of 6-10 and just increase the poundage weekly and attempt to increase volume ala Israetel/Duffin
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Thats what i'm doing with everything outside of the programmed cube work. Simple and effective.
 
Sean1332 said:
I would normally tend to agree to this but my only issue is not wanting to use the competition lifts. I have an accurate conventional 1RM but no moderate stanced SSB lift to base percentages off of. And then my pressing....I plan on just using dumbbells for a bit.

But, maybe I could use a similar progression somehow.

I might just go basic and find a weight I can hit for multiple sets of 6-10 and just increase the poundage weekly and attempt to increase volume ala Israetel/Duffin
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Maybe do your 6-10 with three weeks of progression and a deload, then step your progression back and ramp back up past it. That would kind of be like 5/3/1 with a higher rep range not knowing Your max.
 
In in in
 
Sean1332 said:
Yo.
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I figured I needed to spread some love into the power lifters areas now that I'm one of you. And to thing I used to purposely stay away from these logs. Must have been that I don't need to lift heavy beginner mentality. I have since been bitter by the strength bug. I'm glad I'm home
 
NurseGray said:
I figured I needed to spread some love into the power lifters areas now that I'm one of you. And to thing I used to purposely stay away from these logs. Must have been that I don't need to lift heavy beginner mentality. I have since been bitter by the strength bug. I'm glad I'm home
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haha welcome

next step-find a meet. train. compete. repeat.
 
NurseGray said:
I figured I needed to spread some love into the power lifters areas now that I'm one of you. And to thing I used to purposely stay away from these logs. Must have been that I don't need to lift heavy beginner mentality. I have since been bitter by the strength bug. I'm glad I'm home
Click to expand...

I used to find powerlifting logs either intimidating or just non applicable to my training. However, there is so much knowledge in the recovery, mobility, and even hypertrophy areas that the typical BB-style doesn't address. If I ever went away from strength training I'd be way better off than I was before I learned from Sean and the like, FTW.
 
RegisterJr said:
I used to find powerlifting logs either intimidating or just non applicable to my training. However, there is so much knowledge in the recovery, mobility, and even hypertrophy areas that the typical BB-style doesn't address. If I ever went away from strength training I'd be way better off than I was before I learned from Sean and the like, FTW.
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Yea for the first five weeks I thought my coach was crazy when he handed me bands and said to do certain movements with just the band. I thought to myself uh with no weights lol
 
Oh ya, here is my 585 deadlift. I'm waiting on someone to send me my 685/710 squat attempt. I have the 645 but the head judge is in the way

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Nice!
 
With ease. Sandbagging.
 
I have my plan. Pretty much taking it straight from Isratel's book with using 10/8/6 as the rep scheme.

Each week increasing 2.5-5% and increasing working sets each week, starting Monday with an estimated 65%.

I'll deload on the fourth week. Week 5 I'll start another mesocycle, and either attempt to increase the number of sets completed on the corresponding week, or increase the weight while maintaining the amount of sets completed with the last mesocycle.

Main lifts for the hypertrophy block will be conventional, narrower than comp stance SSB, and dumbbell/swiss bar pressing. I'm not sure how I'll apply different frequency though. Maybe front squat/high bar after deadlifts (or after first pressing day if there's a day off in between), and RDL/SLDL after squats.

Then, deload. This will put me 18 weeks out from April's meet. I may decide to push that last mesocycle of the hypertrophy block to 4weeks, depending on recovery, so I can deload Christmas week and be a fatty.

That will give me a 10-11 week strength block with a deload or two in there.

After that, I'll have a 7 week peak.
 
Good lookin pull man. Surprised you didnt get your 3rd to go. Where did you fail the lift at? Looked like you got 585 off the floor fairly easily.
 
Haha. Damn. Aint lifting a bit*h? Add 15lbs and it feels like 200.
 
Hyde said:
I dig the plan man. Should be a good, lactic-acid fueled pukefest of a routine
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Thanks, man. I'll alter it as I go I'm sure but at least I have a base. I'm open to any changes you guys see fit.

For loading, I'll use a conventional 565, a SSB 570 (based off a 3RM last year) and any pressing movement I do will be based on feel for the day.
 
Sean1332 said:
Thanks, man. I'll alter it as I go I'm sure but at least I have a base. I'm open to any changes you guys see fit.

For loading, I'll use a conventional 565, a SSB 570 (based off a 3RM last year) and any pressing movement I do will be based on feel for the day.
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Honestly you've got a perfect base. Press, pull, lower, lat work each 2-4x wk as you can recover and sleep and eat. Off-season growth is really that simple. It's just hard work.
 
Want my 3 day bench only program I just wrote, it may make or break you though.
 
Annnnd more boring ass active rest

Usual warmup

SSB Squat
Non-comp width, Oly shoe
242x3x5

GHR
BWx3x8

Reverse Hyper
90x3x10

Lateral Band Walks

Banded hip traction. And more hanging from arms.
 
Low volume, low RPE, plenty of rest.




Which is how I use the prowler for conditioning.
 
You're gonna enter a hyper block. Be efficient w your time and just start filling a cart w groceries and keep a good pace up and down the aisles. The trick is to try to pick empty aisles.
 
Hyde said:
You're gonna enter a hyper block. Be efficient w your time and just start filling a cart w groceries and keep a good pace up and down the aisles. The trick is to try to pick empty aisles.
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I've recently discovered Wegmans grocery store. 63 servings of Gatorade for $8 and chicken for around a dollar/lb. I'm set.
 
Damn. Cant beat those deals.
 
Sean1332 said:
Annnnd more boring ass active rest

Usual warmup

SSB Squat
Non-comp width, Oly shoe
242x3x5

GHR
BWx3x8

Reverse Hyper
90x3x10

Lateral Band Walks

Banded hip traction. And more hanging from arms.
Click to expand...

Active rest is tough to do sometimes. Make me feel like I'm slacking and loosing all my GAINZ...:)
 
capo180 said:
A buck a pound for chicken? Jeez that's heavenly lol.
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I know right. When I see it a 1.79 I buy like I'm preparing for an apocalypse
 
Hyde said:
Lol they do that at the Aldi here sometimes and same story

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Hahah my wife says the same thing when I buy 14 dozen eggs at a time.
 
Upper Deload

Close Grip Cable Row/Flat DB Press
4plates x4x12/50,60,65x8

Prone Incline Rear Delt Raise
20x3x35

Then work cut things short. **** it. Shoulder didn't hurt so now it's time to build that strength back up.
 
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