STB, I want you to take a look at my transformation phase, which I will be starting next week:
First, I plan on doing this for two weeks, then taking a deload for the third week, which is the week of my meet. During my deload I’m basically going to be doing some light (50% or less) technique work, as well as practicing my commands some more.
All dynamic work is planned with no bands/chains/box, and I plan on doing my competition lifts for my max effort days. I am a raw lifter.
Anyway:
Week one:
Upper DE
Speed bench 10x3@55%
DB bench 3x10
Curl variation 3x10
Face pulls 5x10
Lower ME
Squat- work up to 85% for a single
Deadlift- same
Heavy front squat holds
Maybe back raises
Upper ME
Bench- work up to 90% for a single
Press 3x5
Barbell rows 3x5
Lower DE
Speed squats: 8x2@50%
Speed deads: 10x1@50%
Back raises 3x10
Maybe front squat holds for time
Week two:
Upper/Lower DE days same as above
Upper ME:
Bench- 75% for 1x5
Press 3x5
Barbell rows 3x5
Lower ME:
Squat- 75% for 2x3
Deadlift 75% for 2x3
Heavy front squat holds
Back raises maybe
I plan on using full gear (i.e. knee/wrist wraps) for the top set of all my max effort work. Assistance work will be limited to ~75% of the weights I use in my intensification phase.
My questions mainly center around my max effort days. Is it wise, even as a raw lifter, to do my competition lifts for my max effort days? Or, should I stick to using a special exercise, maybe a regular box squat?
I plan on squatting and deadlifting for my lower body ME days, so I plan on lowering the percentages/volumes for those days as compared to my upper body ME days. However, the numbers I decided to go with on those days are rather arbitrary. Is there a certain percentage I should be aiming for? Or, as another thought, could I just work up to my planned opener? I’ve done this in the past with some degree of success.
Just give me your thoughts/suggestions (anything from other posters is greatly appreciated as well), thanks a lot. Hopefully the information here will help me hit some PR’s at my meet.