Jan 1 2019
Think Big Block 3, Week 12 Day 1/3
Deload Week
Bench
135 x 2,2,2,2,2,2
165 x 5,5
Feet Up Paused Bench (3-count)
180 x 5,5
Tried to slow down the eccentric to a crawl on these as well
DB Rear/Side Laterals
20 lb x 15, 15
DB Fly
20 lb x 15, 15
Band Pushdowns
3 x 15
Jan 3 2019
Think Big Block 3 Week 12 Day 2/4
Deload Week
Trying to make this an easy one by doubling up on days work to make a 2 day lift week. Need as much recovery as possible for the next block leading into a mock meet Jan 26.
Squats
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 5,5
Paused in the hole and exploded with as much speed as I possibly could.
Deadlifts
225 x 2
245 x 5,5 (paused just below knees)
315 x 5,5
Glute Hams
3 x 8
Ab Wheel
3 x 8
Hammers
40 lb x 6,6
Jan 6 2018
Think Big Block 4, Week 13, Day 2
I did this out of order and one day early so I could stay up to watch the national championship.
Squats
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 1
345 x 3,3,3
440 x 2 15 second holds
Glute hams
4 x 8
Ab wheel
2 x 15
Post squat update, got a little tweaked feeling in my right patellar tendon again. Hopefully im not rehashing an old irritation.
I was going to get up this morning and hit bench but the little guy woke up a few times last night and has a fever so was too tired to hit it.
Jan 9 2018
Very Early Morning Session (4 am)
Think Big Block 4, Week 13, Day 3
Bench
135 x 3
155 x 3
180 x 2
205 x 2
230 x 3,3,3
Band Pushdown
2 x 15
was supposed to hit db flies but little man woke up again. Hes been battling a cold and sleeping terribly which in turn makes our sleep terrible as well. On another note, my knee feels better so thats a good sign.
Jan 11 2018
Don’t know what the hells going on but my sleep has been shit the past week. Woke up at 230 and could not go back to sleep.
Think Big Block 4, Week 13 Day 4
Deadlifts
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
435 x 3,3
Band Pulldowns
4 x 10
Hammers
40 lb x 10,10
Was supposed to hit three sets on dead’s at 435 but I could just not muster the energy
Jan 15 2019
Think Big Block 4, Week 14 Day 1
Trying to get some rest in, hoping my knee feels better before this mock meet. Gotta our at least something up on the total.
Bench
135 x 2
155 x 2
170 x 2
185 x 2
205 x 2
225 x 2
235 x 2,2,2
290 x 15 sec hold x 2
DB Fly
40 lb x 12,12,12,12
Band Pushdowns (holding up high)
15,15
Those were hard. Trying to make it hard to even start the movement by holding up high on the band which makes the movement hard. It’s crazy how just a few inches on the band can make it so much more resistance.
Jan 18 2019
Think Big, Block 4, Week and day can’t remember
This is the last heavy session before mock meet next weekend. The program actually has one more week but timing of the mock meet with my brother in law worked out one week early.
Deadlifts
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
465 x 1,1,1
Glute hams
3x8
Band lat pulldowns
2x15
Anybody got any input on what my selections should be? @idontbrag123 @littlesleeper @losthog. For now my right knee is still bothering me a bit but I think I can still manage mid 300s with no issue. If I get feeling good I may wrap up and see if I can get 415-430. My best in wraps is 425 but squat was feeling the strongest in this program up until I hurt myself. Bench feels strong as well, I’m thinking 260,275,?. Planning on doing these touch and go. Deadlifts I’m not so sure of, the singles at 465 this morning felt kinda heavy. Plan is for 465, 505,?. We shall see though. I am tired this morning.
Top bench double from the last bench session @245
Top single at 465:
I think your bench selection will depend on how long the judge pauses you for. In my meet last year the judge paused for what seemed like an eternity so that definitely factors in somewhat.
Based on the way 465 moved, for deadlifts I would personally open lighter than 465 and take a relatively large jump. Something like
445
485
505+
You hit 465 relatively comfortably so 485 should be very attainable and it gives you the chance to go all out on the third attempt knowing you’ve already pulled a decent number. Far from your max but it should be a good cushion in case you miss the third. You’re also not completely drained by the time you take the third attempt.
Your last video of squats was 320x5 for several sets and it looked fairly comfortable. I’d probably open with something around 350 to get the confidence going.
Thanks for the input, i think your right about the deadlift approach. Granted i lifted at 445 am this morning im usually pretty tired on regular training days and also with zero food and slim hydration lol. Im bout to eat a massive breakfast next saturday and hopefully pull an 8 hours of sleep.
I’ll tag a couple others who are good with attempt selection: @MarkKO @BOTSLAYER
Personally, I want to make 100% sure, without a doubt that I can make my opener. So the fact that you can lift 445lbs first thing in the morning, tired, with no food, means that is probably a good opener (obviously depending on RPE - Youtube is blocked at work so I can’t see the vids right now).
I like to open stupid light, and take bigger jumps than opening heavy with smaller jumps, but that is just personal preference, not based on anything. The two meets I’ve been to, I’ve seen big, strong guys fail their openers and all I can do is shake my head. I would be so embarrassed if I missed an opener.
Here is my very non-technical/non % based attempt selection process:
Opener: Heavy, but something I am confident in, and WILL NOT MISS. Around or just above a training max.
Second: Damn near a PR here, depending on how training has been going. Doing your best to hit that RPE 9-9.5.
Third: YOLO. Dig deep, get into a dark place and don’t give up on the weight. You peaked for this shit, now GO LIFT IT!
I know 100% without a doubt i could hit 350/250/450. Moving into PR territory gets me a little anxious just because it is PR territory and I have never attempted all three lifts at RPE 9-10 in the same day so it should be interesting. It is kinda weird considering i lift early morning so most all of my recent heavy sessions have been hard and I havent touched any weight really above 90-92.5%. Im excited nonetheless.
This is how I’d do it, assuming this was your last session before the meet and you’re going to deload fully the week leading in.
Open at 417.5 lbs, which is 90% of your fatigued max of 465;
Second attempt is 465 or 475 which is 100 or 102% of your fatigued max, depending how you feel. I’d go 465 lbs;
Third attempt is 477.5 to 487.5 lbs, 103 to 105% of your fatigued max.
Same deal for squats, for bench go 90/100/103.
This works well if you deload for a full week pre meet. If you keep training during meet week I would not use this system and follow something closer to what @littlesleeper set out.
Thanks @MarkKO that’s some solid advice. Sounds like a good way of setting up a realistic good total that you can be confident in hitting. Bout to load up on rest and calories this week and hope I’m feeling strong come Saturday.
Love this shit. A big Deadlift is an all or nothing lift. You can’t go into the lift thinking I might or I may bail. You know before you grab the bar you are selling out to lift the fucking shit off the floor pouring every ounce of drive, anger, fear, into the lift. It is a burn the ships moment. Go to that dark place that survival is all or nothing. Grip it and rip it!
TBH this only really works if your technique is close to perfect. Until then, it’s more important to focus on executing the cues correctly. Getting too angry and psyched up has a high risk of limiting your ability to do that.
Jan 22, 2019
“Deload” Before the mock meet
Hit bench this morning, wanted to have a feel for where i was leading up to saturday. Figured hitting close to an opening weight for one single wouldnt hurt anything.
135 x 3
155 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 1
255 x 1
Felt pretty easy honestly.
Jan 26 2018
Mock meet
Didn’t go as I wanted it to. Planned so that third attempts were PRs but missed on squat and bench but I did hit a PR on deadlift
Squats
135 x 1 and all to follow
185
225
275
315
340 - attempt 1
365 - 2
410 - missed just slightly out of the hole
I’m not too pissed about this one as I have been battling knee pain and didn’t properly prep for this mock meet. The last relatively heavy squat I hit was 325 three weeks ago when I injured my knee. Nonetheless 365 felt pretty easy.
Bench singles
(didn’t pause as I have not been pausing in training)
135 x 1
155 x 1
185 x 1
215 x 1
235 - attempt 1
255 - attempt 2
280 - miss
Not too sure why I missed here. The missing on 410 on squats sucked some energy and my low back/upper back were kinda weird feeling. Missed 280 just above middle portion of lift.
Deadlifts
225
275
315
365
415
465 - attempt 1
505 - attempt 2 (PR)
515 - missed just off floor
Happy about the small PR here even after maxing squats and dead’s. I think if I was just hitting dead’s 515 was there but my low back started to round slightly putting me in a bad position so I just dropped it.
Was a decent learning experience and I now have a “baseline” to work from to make things move forward from here. I’d like to actually enter a real meet when I get the chance. I really want to pull 550 this year and hit 440 on squat.
Strong lifts man. 505 looked easy. Is that a DL bar?
Thanks man, I think I could have put up a larger total but I learned a lot today. Yes it’s a rogue deadlift bar