Training for American Open

Just coming off a meet last Saturday. Went 6 for 9, total was about 1367. My workout log for that meet was here

I felt like I peaked alright strengthwise but technique was off and stupid mistakes cost me my third attempt in each lift- so about 25 kilos on the total. With attention to technique and just trying something new I’ve decided to use the Sheiko style of training for a meet December 5.

Today went as follows…

9-15-10
Deadlift to knees- 135x10 275x3 325x3x2 sets 380x3x2 sets 405x3x4 sets

These felt weird but got the hang of them toward the end

Incline Bench press- 45x10 135x6 145x6 185x6x2 sets- 3 sec pause each rep
Dips- bodyweightx5 25x5 50x5 25x5x2 sets
Deadlift from boxes (Rack pull)- 300x4 355x4 405x4x2 sets 460x3x4 sets

I’ve always been stronger off the floor at deadlifting, not so much at rack deadlifts so these were tough

Step ups- bodyweightx5x5sets
Straight leg situps= bodyweight x10x3 sets

Cool down- did elliptical at moderate pace for 15 minutes

9-17-10

Bench press- 45x20 135x10 165x5 200x4x2 sets 235x4 250x3x2 sets 265x2x2 sets 250x3x2 sets 235x4 200x6 165x8 - all reps paused for 3 seconds
Dumbbell fly- 25x10x5 sets
Squats- 45x20 135x10 250x5 300x4x2 sets 350x3x2 sets 375x3x5 sets

still sore from Wednesday, took a while to get going on these

Seated Good mornings- 135x5x5 sets

Like to do a cool-down after but gym was about to close

9-20
Squats- 45x20 135x10 255x5 305x5 350x3x2 sets 400x2x5 sets
Bench press- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x4 235x3x2 sets 265x3x5 sets - everything after 135 paused 3 seconds

Dumbbell fly- 25x10x5 sets
Push ups - feet elevated- bodyweight x10x5 sets

Front squats- 225x3x2 sets 275x3x2 sets 300x2 300x1- missed second

Supposed to do 300x2x4 but no go… not sure if I had bad form or weak quads, I kept collapsing at the bottom and having to bear hug the bar back to my upper chest. I’ll try to get a vid next time to see what I’m doing wrong here.

Good mornings- 135x5 185x5 225x5x3 sets

Cooldown: elliptical- 15 minutes

First time sober that I needed the handrails to get up the stairs to my apartment.

9-22

Deadlift to knee- 270x3 325x3 380x3x2 sets 405x3x5 sets - supposed to be 4 doubles but reading comprehension fail

Bench press- 95x10 170x6 200x6x2 sets 215x6x4 sets- used a closer grip, actually felt heavy toward the end

Incline dumbbell fly- 25x10x5 sets
Rack deadlift- 300x4 350x4 405x4x2 sets 435x4x4 sets
Step ups- bodyweight x5x5 sets

9-24

Squats- 45x20 135x10 250x5 300x4 350x3x2 sets 405x2x5 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x4 235x3x2 sets 265x2x2 sets 250x3 215x5 185x7
Decline dumbbell fly-30x10x5 sets
Squats- 250x5 300x5x2 sets 350x4x4 sets

Good mornings- short on time so just did 135x10x3 sets instead of 5x5

9-27

Squats - 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x5 325x4 375x3x2 sets 425x2x5 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x4 235x3x2 sets 265x3x6 sets
Incline dummbel fly- 30x10x5 sets
Push ups- bodyweight x10x3 on rings, then too tired so I just did 20 regular push-ups
Squats- 145x5 250x3 300x3 350x3 400x3x4 sets
Good mornings- 225x5x3 sets

9/29

Deadlift standing on 6" box- 135x8 270x3x2 sets 325x3 350x3x4 sets
Bench press- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x4 235x3x2 sets 265x2x3 sets 285x2x2 sets 265x3x2 sets
Incline dumbbell fly- 35x10x5 sets
Rack deadlift- 325x4 380x4x2 sets 435x3x2 sets 490x2x3 sets

10/1

Squats - 45x20 135x10 250x5 300x4 350x3x2 set 400x3x6 sets
had been using a slightly wider stance but clearly stronger with a shoulder width stance, will stick with that

Bench- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x4 235x3x2 set 265x3x7 sets
Dumbbell fly- 40x10x5 sets
Overhead press= 135x5x4 sets
Good mornings- 225x5x5 sets

kind of dragged my feet today need to step it up

10-4
Squats- 45x20 135x10 250x5 300x4 350x3x2 sets 400x3x6 sets
Bench press- 45x20 135x10 185x5 215x5 250x4x5 sets
Incline fly- 35x10x5 sets
Dips- bodyweightx8x5 sets
Front squat- 140x5x2 sets 175x4x2 sets 210x3x3 sets
Good mornings- 145x5 235x5 285x5

10-6-10

Bench- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x4 235x3x2 sets 265x3x2 sets 285x2x3 sets
Deadlift- 270x3 325x3 380x3x2 sets 435x3x2 sets 460x2x3 sets 435x2x3 sets
Bench- 170x5 200x5 235x5x4 sets

deadlifts started off a bit awkward as it had been a month since doing them but got to feeling good by the end

10-8-10

Squat- 45x20 135x10 250x5 300x4 350x3x2 400x3x6 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 170x5 200x5 235x4x2 sets 265x3x2 sets 285x2x2 sets 265x3x2 sets 235x4 200x6 170x8

got to gym hella late so I missed assistane work, but all work sets felt really good

Due to work (I’m an accountant) I was really under the gun for the October 15 deadline and didn’t get to update this. The workouts up to now were Sheiko #29. So far I really like this style of training. Although I’ve yet to retest my maxes 80% on the worksets feels much lighter.

I would say the second week was the hardest. I thought there was no way I’d get through the workouts. I was always so sore. I remember one night needing to use the handrails to get up the stairs to my apartment because my legs were so tired. But by the third week it seemed like my body had adjusted to the new volume and I was able to focus alot more on technique and speed in all my sets as opposed to just trying to get through all of the sets in 2.5 to 3 hours.

During this time I was working about 50-60 hours per week so I would say that Sheiko IS DOABLE by drug free lifters as long as you use realistic max numbers and get adequate protein intake and rest

For #37 I reset training maxes to SQ 510/ BP 345/ DL 550 - that’s up about 2% for squat and deadlift and about 5% for the bench. I feel like this should be okay because I left alot on the platform my last meet and the bench sets have been feeling too light (which is often addressed by people following this method of training)

37 - Week 1

10-11-10
Missed this session due to work

10-13-10
DL- 45x20 275x5 330x5x2 sets 385x4x2 sets 415x3x4 sets
Incline- 45x20 135x10 185x4x3 sets 205x4x3 sets
Dips- 25x5x5 sets
Rack pulls- 275x5 330x5x2 sets 385x4x2 sets 440x3x4 sets - had to do these on the minute thought I was gonna DIE!

10-15-10
Bench- 45x20 135x10 175x7 190x6 210x5 225x4 245x3x2 sets 260x2x2 sets 245x3x2 sets 225x4 210x6 190x8 175x10
Chest fly- 35x10x5 sets
Squats- 45x20 135x10 255x5 305x4x2 sets 360x3x2 sets 385x3x5 sets

#37 - week 2

10-18

Squat- 45x20 135x10 255x5 305x4x2 sets 360x3x2 sets 410x2x5 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 175x5 210x4 245x3x2 280x2x6 sets
DB fly- 35x10x5 sets
Push ups (feet elevated)- bodyweightx10x5 sets
Squats- 135x8 285x3 335x3 385x3x4 sets
Good mornings- 225x5x3 sets

10-20
Deadlift to knee- 135x10 275x4 330x4x2 sets 385x4x4 sets
Bench(pinky finger on rings)- 45x20 175x5 210x5x2 sets 245x4x5 sets
DB fly-40x10x5 sets
Deadlift- 275x4 330x4 385x3x2 sets 415x3x5 sets
Step ups- bodyweightx5 25x5x3 sets bodyweightx5

10-22
Squat- 45x20 135x10 255x5 305x4 360x3x2 sets 385x3x6 sets
Bench- 135x10 175x5 210x5 245x4x2 sets 260x3x2 sets 280x2x2 sets 260x4 245x5 210x6 175x7
Dumbbell fly- 40x10x5 sets
nose breakers- 70x10x5 sets
Squat- 285x3 335x3 385x2x4 sets

10-24: assistance/recovery workout
Pulldowns- 135x10x3 sets
Facepull- 100x10x3 sets
Seated row- 165x10x3 sets
Reverse Hyper- 140x10x3 sets
Stiff-leg deadlift- 155x10x3 sets
Shoulder press- 55x10x3 sets

#37 Week 3

10-25
Squats- barx20 135x8 255x5 305x4 360x3x2 sets 415x3x5 sets
Bench press- barx20 175x5 210x4 245x3x2 280x3x5 sets
Incline dumbbell fly- 40x10x5 sets
pushups- bwtx10x5 sets
Squats- 255x5 305x5 360x5x5 sets
Straight leg situps- bwtx10x3 sets

This session was BRUTAL - came out to about 23,000 pounds of squats alone

10-27
Deadlift to knees- 275x4 330x4 385x4x2 sets 415x4x4 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 175x6 210x5 245x4x2 sets 260x3x2 sets 280x2x2 sets
Close grip- 260x3x2 sets 245x4 225x5 210x6 190x7 175x8
Dumbell fly- 45x10x5 sets
Deadlift from pins- 335x5 385x5x2 sets 440x4x4 sets

10-29
Bench- 45x20 135x10 175x5 210x4 245x3x2 280x2x5 sets - felt heavy today
Squats- 45x12 135x3 255x5 305x5 - brought wrong shoes - knees felt so bad I just decided to cut the rest of the sets out
Close grip- 175x6 210x6 225x6x4 sets

You win some, you lose some…

10-31: assistance/recovery

was feeling pretty rundown toward the end of last week, so used lighter weights and higher reps here

Pulldowns- 75x20x3 sets
Face pulls- 50x25x3 sets
Chest supported rows- 70x20x3 sets
back raises- bwtx20x3 sets
stiff leg deadlifts- 88x20x2 sets
Dumbbell press- 30x20x3 sets

#37 - Week 4

11-1
Squats- 45x20 135x10 255x5 305x4 360x3x2 sets 410x3x2 sets 435x2x3 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 175x5 210x4 245x3x2 sets 280x3x5 sets
DB fly- 20x10x5 sets - kept weight light see if shoulders feel better
Dips- bodyweightx8x5 sets
squats- 255x5 305x4 360x3x2 sets 410x2x4 sets
Good mornings- 245x5x4 sets

11-3-10
Bench- 45x20 135x10 175x5 210x4 245x3x2 sets 280x3x2 sets 295x2x3 sets
Deadlift- 135x10 275x4 330x4 385x3x2 sets 440x3x2 sets 470x2x3 sets

moved grip in - used to use thumb distance from smooth- today used index fingers against the smooth part of the bar. IT felt a bit awkward but shortens the distance of the pull.

Narrow grip Bench- 190x5 225x5 260x4x4 sets
Dumbbell fly- 20x10x5 sets
Step up- bwtx5x5 sets

11-5-10
Squats- 45x20 135x10 255x5 305x4 365x3x2 sets 410x3x6 sets
Close grip bench- 175x5 210x5 245x5x5 sets

Friday is always the toughest day. 37 I found was pretty tough. I raised the maxes which in retrospect might not have been the best idea. The last 2 weeks especially were brutal.

Doing a max or called “skills evaluation” next Wednesday will get a video and hopefully increased numbers =)

Sheiko #32 week 1

11-8
Squats- 45x20 135x10 255x3 305x3 360x3x2 sets 385x2x3 sets
Bench- 45x20 175x5 210x3 245x3x2 sets 260x2x3 sets
Leg raises- 3x10

11-10

“Skills evaluation”

Squats- 45x10 135x5 255x3 305x3 365x2 410x1 435x1

460x1
485x1
505x1 (PR)

Bench- 45x10 135x5 175x3 210x3 245x2 275x1 295x1

315x1
335x1 - ugly rep, admittedly this might not have passed in a meet - need to practice holding the pause a bit longer

Deadlift- 275x3 330x2 385x1 440x1

480x1
520x1
550x1 (PR)
570x MISSED - barely moved it, just out of gas. Might have had to do with that shout-out to the late, great Jon Pall Sigmarson…

My good friend and training partner was kind enough to tape my attempts. I’ll post the video as soon as he uploads it.

11-12
Squat- 45x20 135x5 255x3 305x3x2 sets 360x3x2 sets 385x2x4 sets
Bench- 45x20 135x10 190x3 225x3x2 sets 260x3x6 sets
Dumbbell fly- 20x10x5 sets
Good morning- 185x5x5 sets
straight leg sit ups- bwt x10x3 sets

still shot from Wednesday everything felt so heavy