Friday: Bodyweight 191lbs
Warmup S
DL 3x1x80%
Rdl 2x5x85
Bent row 4x5
Hypers 3x10
Mod hanging leg raises 3x25
Tempo: 7x60
One change I wish I would have made was adding block pulls. Deadlifts, block pulls, rdl, rows, abs.
Week 24: Taper
Monday: Bodyweight 190lbs
Warmup B
Squat 3x1x70% (plus 10)
Dead 3x1x60 (plus 40)
Bench 3x1x80 (plus 5)
Tue: rest
Wed: Train
Thur: rest
Fri: rest
Sat: sq/bp/dl (1rm)
Not sure what to expect on Saturday - not really counting on any massive improvements. I know for a fact I’m stronger but not sure how much - I have already done my previous max for a easy double and did a easy single plus 20lbs over my previous max. Previous 1rm was done about 3 months ago.
Wednesday: Bodyweight 190lbs
Warmup S
Squat 3x1x60% (15)
Dead 3x1x50
Bench 3x1x70
check pm sent yesterday
I decided to adjust my training max numbers for tomorrow because my body doesn’t feel great. I understand why strength athletes use knee/elbow sleeves etc.
Original goals: (12 weeks) 70lbs on the squat, 40lbs on the bench, and the deadlift whatever I had.
Adjusted goals: (12 weeks) 50lbs squat, 20lbs bench.
It’s better to stay safe after all. I never been the type of lifter who miss reps or technique look totally different when maxing out etc. I always try to stress good clean crisp reps.
The first 3 months:
Squat: 65lbs
Bench 25lbs
Deadlift 55lbs
The past 3 months:
Squat 50lbs - total 115lbs
Bench 20lbs - total 45lbs
Deadlift 50lbs - total 105lbs
Felt fresh and strong this morning… I blew my load on the squat since it was my “primary” lift and didn’t push it much on the bench/dl. I probably had another 10lbs on the bench and I stopped after my 2nd attempt on the deadlift. I took one to many jumps on the squat and it cost me 15lbs. Overall I’m happy with the results and glad to be moving on because these past 3 months of training has been tough!!!
The goal is to do a quick 20-30mins of cardiac work Sunday morning to enhance my recovery etc. The original plan was to start the next block of training on Monday but about 4 weeks into this past program I decided to take a week to recover - much needed!!!
What weights did you lift in your 1rm tests?
High bar back squat 585 (no wraps/sleeves - just a old 1980 leather belt)
Bench 325
Deadlift 585 (done more in training but I stopped - didn’t have much motivation after the squats)
I normally train around 5pm but I done all my testing early Saturday thats a huge deal for me because I hate lifting heavy shit early morning.
No pre workout drinks/caffeine.
I probably should have staggered the lifts like I did the first 3 months vs doing all 3 on the same day.
If my body recover well over this week, I will continue the powerlifting training.
I never miss reps in training and rarely grind out reps.
That’s some impressive numbers. Was your squat to powerlifting depth, and was your bench paused? I’ve competed internationally in powerlifting, but your Wilks score is significantly higher than mine. With this sort of Wilks score you could place in the top 15 at IPF World Classics. Are you going to enter any powerlifting meets this year?
All my squats are very deep - deeper then most powerlifters I see at meets. Probably won’t do any meets - gonna start my track and field training in two months. Coming off my 3yr layoff I was doing 275 for 10 this time last year - boy I have come a long ways!!!
I wanna do another 2 month block of powerlifting training but not sure my body can take it.
Not familiar with powerlifting but most of the guys I saw lifting at usapl raw nationals in my weightclass had better numbers esp on the bench. Russell had a easy 662 squat, 396 bench, and 688 dead = 533 wilks.
Russel is absolute world class. Would have won the world champs with a 533 Wilks last year. Here is the score sheet from 2017 IPF World Classic: http://www.powerlifting-ipf.com/fileadmin/ipf/data/results/2017/classic-powerlifting/detailed_scoresheet_m.htm
How often do you compete and what does your training look like? Do you wear any training aids in training?
Only started lifting a bit heavier again a few months ago, but with a focus on Olympic lifts and hence more overhead and front rather than back squats.
Over the next 8 weeks I’m going with the “CAD” program it’s a old program I had success with in the past. The first time I did it was back in 2005-2006 but my sprint volume was too high, I still manage to pr in my jumps and 40yd dash for my football tryout. The second time in 2010-2011 I didn’t do much sprinting only throws/jumps and my overall power and 30m time improved. The program is solid for developing your low end power numbers (vj - slj - 30m etc). I will make small changes in the exercises and overall volume etc. I will try and add another 15-20lbs to my back squat over the 8 weeks. No sprinting - only lifting, mobility work, and general fitness runs twice a week.
You can read a small write up on the program below…
By: Chris Thibaudeau
(This is a training program for strength & explosiveness for athletes.)
Canada is a land of many strength training legends. Maybe it’s the frozen tundra and the dark forests we live in or the fact that we have to carry a shovel and dig our way to work in feet of iced snow. Either way, there has been a lot of good strength training advice coming from our side of the border. No doubt that you’ve heard about such Eskimos as Charles Poliquin or Charlie Francis. It’s possible that you also are aware of the existence of a Polar Bear named Pierre Roy. Well, for every well-known Canadian strength coach out there, there is a dozen more just as good that still dwell in the dark, unknown or unrecognized by most strength adepts. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the strength coaching profession is not as respected and revered here as it is on your side of the border or in Europe. Regardless, there are great coaches around that do have some unique training methods worthy of being added to our training codex.
Such a man is strength coach Jean Boutet. A mountain of a man who was himself a strength powerhouse and a damn good football player in his youth. This man, rugged in style and crude of words (great blues singer too!) has produced time after time incredibly powerful athletes in all the range of athletes. From youngsters to master athletes, from synchronized swimmers to football linemen. His training approach is simple, to the point and extremely effective � to say the least!
Probably his greatest achievement as a strength coach is the training of Pascal Caron, the break man for the Canada 1 bobsled team. At the training camp Pascal turned some heads after he bench pressed 425lbs at a body weight of 175lbs (without a bench shirt or any mechanical aid/recoil gear) and ran the 60m in 6.36 (0.02 sec. faster than the actual World Record by Maurice Greene of 6.38). Among other things, he has power snatched 100kg (hang snatch actually) and hang cleaned 130kg for a triple. At a pro football combines a few years back he also bench pressed 225lbs 33 times and ran a 4.17 / 40.
Coach Boutet’s accomplishments are not limited to Pascal as he is currently training dozens of hockey players from midget up to pros (NHL and AHL), he also trains over 70 football players and dozens of other elite athletes from various sports. He is also a great football coach. Last season he was coaching two teams, one High School team and one Collegiate team and both won the provincial championship (equivalent of the state championship) and both were undefeated for a combined 24 - 0!!!
Okay, this is not a eulogy or a biography, you will get some useful training info! Specifically I will expose you to one of Coach Boutet’s most effective, yet simple, training method. The “ascending-descending” method. This method is aimed at improving lower body power to its maximum level. It is simple, brutal, and unbelievably effective.
The nuts and bolts
The method is simple. It uses a series of exercises, each different in nature in regard to the F = ma equation. It will use one pure slow-speed strength exercise (or limit strength exercise), one strength-speed exercise, one speed-strength exercise, one reactive strength exercise and one bounding exercise.
Exercises:
- Full back squat / Front squat
- Hang snatch / Hang clean
- Jump squat
- Hurdle jumps / Depth jumps
- Step up jumps
The workout is done twice per week. The first time you start with no.5 and work up to no.1 (ascending training). In the second training you start with no.1 and work your way down to no.5 (descending training). This way, you emphasize the high speed movements once and the slower speed movements with a greater strength component once also. This will allow you to get an incredibly powerful and explosive lower body!
Program design
While it’s not set in stone, I recommend using a 3-1 approach to this training. This means that you increase the volume during the first 3 weeks, then cut it down drastically during the fourth week to allow the body to surcompensate. During week 3 you should be at the end of the line � you should be tired and somewhat fatigued (although not excessively). Performance-wise that third week is your lowest point (keep that in mind!), but during the fourth week you get better and better and when you start a new 4 weeks cycle you are much improved compared to the first cycle. This progression is maintained for 3 cycles.
Here’s what a sample program might look like. You’ll notice that I do not write the reps, sets and load immediately. Right after the workout description there will be a list of periodization tables for each exercise explaining how much to do every week. BTW, the exercises are not supersetted, you do all the sets for exercise one then move on to exercise two etc.
Table 1. Exercises and training density
Training Day Exercise Rest intervals btw. sets
Monday Step-up jumps 1-2 minutes
Hurdle jumps 1-2 minutes
Jump squat 2-3 minutes
Hang snatch 2-3 minutes
Full back squat 3-4 minutes
Thursday Full back squat 3-4 minutes
Hang snatch 2-3 minutes
Jump squat 2-3 minutes
Hurdle jumps 1-2 minutes
Step-up jumps 1-2 minutes
Week 25:
Monday: Bodyweight 190lbs
Warmup B
Vertical jumps 2x10
Depth jumps 3x5
Jump squats 3x12x10%
Weighted box jumps 4x4
Squats 3x3x80% of 3rm
Rdl 2x6x225
I had the option to do 3-4 sets on the squats, I went with the low number (3sets). Felt better on the jumps - squats felt very avg…
Tuesday:
Warmup J
Bench 3x2x89%
Jm press 3x8
Row/Lat pd 6x10
Shoulder press 3x12
One handed Pushdown 2x16
Tempo: 2x4x30s/60s (4-5/2)
Body was sore today (upper back, abs, hamstrings). Too tired to write anymore - time to watch some college basketball.
Thursday:
Warmup S
Squats 3x3x85% of 3rm
Rdl 3x6 245
Weighted box jumps 4x3
Jump squats 2x12x10%
Depth jumps 2x5
Vertical jumps 2x10
I wanted to do 4 sets of squats but I kept it at 3, hopefully next week the squats feel better.
Friday:
Warmup J
Cg bp 5x3x82%
Db tri ext 3x12
Face pulls 3x12
Db rear raises 3x15
Hammer curl 3x16
Tempo: 2x3x30/60s
I been working on my sprint program for the past 8+ months. This is what I have for my 4 week pre preparatory phase.
M/Th: MB accel, Mb throws/hops, LB wts
T/F: Ub wts, ext tempo
From there I will move to a 8 week preparatory phase.
First 4 weeks
M/Fri: Sleds, throws, uphill jumps, lb wts
T/Sat: Ub wts, tempo
W: Throws, jump circuits etc
Second 4 weeks
M: Sleds, throws, uphill jumps, lb wts
T/Sat: Ub wts, tempo
Fri: Accel work, throws, uphill jumps, lb wts
Wed: Throws, jump circuits etc
My first year back I’m gonna put a huge focus on the jumps and throws because it’s easier to do a higher volume of jumps/throws and stay safe vs high volume sprinting…