Training for Arnold Raw Challenge

I had an off day at my last meet and came up shy of the WILKS score of 375 but since I was the winner at the American Open meet in my division I qualified for this contest.

I will be in over my head against some of the others in the line-up and don’t really expect to place but hey, I think saying I competed at the Arnold Classic would be pretty cool.

For my last meet I used the Sheiko method, utilizing programs #29-37-32. I think the volume helped but feel like the deload on 32 was too long, for me at least and I felt much stronger on the “Skills Evaluation” 3 weeks out than I did at the meet.

Anyway started training yesterday:

12/8/2010
Bench: barx20 135x10 185x5 225x3 250x1 275x1 302.5x1 (commands) 267.5x5x3 sets (all paused)
Chest supported rows: 90x10 135x5x5 sets
Reverse curl: barx10x5 sets
superset with wrist curl: barx15x5 sets

12/13/2010

Squats- 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x1 365x1 380x5x5 set - all to depth but not pretty reps, felt a bit rusty after the layoff, but not really sore today

Reverse Hyper- 90x10x5 sets
Straight leg situps - bwt x10x3 sets
Grappler- 70x10x3 sets

12/15

Bench - 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x3 275x1 295x1 310x1 277.5x3x5 sets
chest supported row - 90x10 145x5x5 sets

Reverse curls-47.5x10x5 sets
superset with wrist curls- 47.5x15x5 sets

Cooldown: ellipticalx15 minutes

12-17
Deadlift- 135x10 225x5 315x1 385x1 440x1x6 sets
Pause squat- 135x3 225x3 315x3x3 sets
Lunge- 65x5x5 each side
Pikes- bwtx5x2 sets
Knee raise- bwt x12x2 sets
Ellipitcal - 15 minutes

12-18
Bench-45x20 135x10 185x5 200x3x8 sets
Overhead press-95x10x5 sets
Nose breakers- 70x10x5 sets
Hammer Curl- 40x10x5 sets

12-20
Squat- 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x3 365x1 410x3x5 sets
Reverse Hypers- 100x10x5 sets
Straight leg situp- bwtx10x3 sets
Grappler-70x10x3 sets

Cross trainer - 15 minutes

12-22
Bench- 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x5 250x1 275x1 300x1 317.5x1 285x3x5 sets
Chest supported rows - 90x5 135x5 160x5x5sets
Reverse curl- 50x10x5 sets superset with wrist curl 50x15x5 sets

Felt strong today

12/24
Deadlift- 135x10 245x3 335x1 385x1 440x1 475x1 505x1x2 sets
Low Box squats- tried to work up but only got to 225 for a slow double, maybe should do these first felt like I was too tightened up
Lunges- 75x5x5 sets
Leg raise- 3x20

12/25
Bench- 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x8x2 sets
seated shoulder press- 100x10x5 sets
Nose breakrs- 75x10x5 sets
Hammer curls- 45x10x5 sets

12/27
SQ- 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x3 355x5x5 sets- felt like nothing today
Reverse Hyper- 110x10x5 sets
Grappler- 80x10x3 sets
Sit ups- bwtx20 - groin started hurting so I stopped
Elliptical - 15 minutes

12-29

Bench - 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x5 255x1 285x1 305x1 327.5x1 292.5x3x5 sets
Chest supported row- 90x10 135x5 165x5x5 sets
Reverse Curls- 45x6 55x6 65x6 75x6 85x6 85x5
Wrist curls with dumbbells- 35x15x3 sets 20x50 each hand
Elliptical- 15 minutes fast

12-31
High bar squat- 45x20 135x10 225x3 275x1 325x3x2 sets (paused) 365x1 (paused)
Deadlift- 255x1 345x1 440x1x10 sets
Step ups- bwtx10x3 sets
ab work

1-2
Bench-45x20 135x10 185x5 200x3x8 sets
Overhead press- 45x10 105x10x5 sets
Nose breakers- 80x10x5 sets
Hammer curl- 40x15x3 sets 30x20

1-4
Squats - 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x3 365x1 405x1 435x3x4 sets 435x2 - got third but took a step back at the top :confused:
Elliptical - 30 minutes

Really tough day really had to push myself…

1-5
Bench - 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x5 275x1 295x1 315x1x2 sets 277.5x3x5 sets
Chest supported rows- 90x10 135x5 180x5 135x20
Reverse curl- 65x10x2 sets
wrist curl- 70x15x2 sets
Elliptical - 20 min

Weighted 253 at the gym today will push calories up as weight class limit is 264 and I’ve been feeling kind of stale at the gym

1-7

Deadlift- 135x10 255x5 345x1 395x1
455x1
485x1
517.5x5

Scheduled to hit a single felt strong so I told my buddy I’d try a triple but felt good and went on to do 5

Sit ups= bwtx20x3 sets
Prowler - 180x3 sets 135x1 set

1/9
Bench - BARx20 135x10 135x5 235x8x2 sets
Close grip bench- 185x5 205x5 225x5 245x5
Dumbbell overhead press- 55x10x3 sets
Thick bar curl- 50x6x6 sets (didn’t count weight of bar because I don’t know what it weighs)

1-10
Squat- BARx20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x3 365x1 390x5x5 sets
Good mornings- 225x5 235x5
Grappler- 70x10x3 sets
Prowler- 90x6 sets

Good session today, good depth and plenty of speed on all reps, need to remember to keep head up

1/12

Bench- 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x5 260x1 280x1 300x1 320x1 285x3x5 sets
Chest supported row- 90x10 135x5 180x5x5 sets
Pushdowns- 3 sets of 20
Reverse curl- 65x12x3 sets
grip work

1/13
Close stance squat- 45x10 135x5 185x3 225x3 275x3 315x1 (paused) 365x1 (paused)
Deadlift- 245x3 345x1 395x1 440x1x10 sets
Grapppler- 70x10x5 sets
Prowler- 90x6 sets - fun to do, but pain in groin precludes me from going full speed

1/14

Bench- barx20 135x10 185x5 200x3x8 sets (speed)
Overhead press- 135x5 165x3 185x3 135x5
Nose breakers- 90x10x3 sets
Hamer Curls- 40x20x2 sets

1-17

Squat- 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x3 365x1 405x1 420x3x5 sets

use to dive bomb my reps but am finding that staying tight and stopping just below parallel works alot better

Good mornings- 135x10x5 sets
Grappler- 95x10x3 set 70x20
wussy elliptical - 20 minutes

1/19

Bench- 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x5 275x1 295x1 315x1 327.5x1
292.5x3x5 sets

Close grip
225x5
225x5 off 1 board
225x5 off 2 boards
225x4 off 3 boards - could not lock out 5th rep

only rest to change boards

Good lifts and interesting technique on deads. So you just felt like pulling five at 517.5 one day? That’s crazy, man.

[quote]HeavyTriple wrote:
Good lifts and interesting technique on deads. So you just felt like pulling five at 517.5 one day? That’s crazy, man.[/quote]

LOL, thanks guy! What I’m trying this cycle is only pulling heavy every other week, and I feel like my deadlift is finally moving again.

I had meant to do a single there but was feeling pretty strong. I am blessed to have a training partner who brings this intensity and work ethic to the gym that puts most guys to shame. You can hear him hollering at me in that vid. LOL

It really pushed me to hit those extra reps!

1-21
Deadlift - 135x10 245x5 345x1 415x1 465x1 505x1 535x3
Step ups- bwtx10x3 sets
Cable woodchop- 70x20x3 sets

Prowler sprints- 90x7 sets

1-23
Bench- 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x3 242.5x8x2 sets
Close grip bench- 225x5x2 sets
Dumbbell shoulder press - 60x10x2 sets
Dumbbell curls- 35x10x3 sets

1/24

Squats- 45x20 135x10 225x5 275x3 315x3 365x5x5 sets

felt like shit so left after that

1-27-10
Bench- 45x20 135x10 185x5 225x3 275x1 295x1 315x1 335x1 350x0 - had it moving well but couldn’t lock out

left afterward - gym closed early due to weather

All through this training cycle I have had a slight pain in the left side of the groin. Not really an excruciating pain but when squatting hitting depth is kind of uncomfortable and on the concentric phase it feels very very tight despite stretching beforehand.

Normally I think nagging little pains like this are just part of the game, but I also feel the same pain there when I sneeze or cough or even laugh too hard. Someone mentioned that this is a warning sign of an inguinal hernia.

Hopefully it is only a tightness/slight strain of the groin muscle but I need to be wary of this. I will just foam roll and stretch this Friday (deadlift day) and next Monday (squat day) Next Friday I will try some moderate squats - up to 315 or so. If I still feel something I will take a break from heavy training until I see a doctor.

Really this is very disappointing as my deadlift had taken off and this would be the biggest meet I’d ever been a part of but it is probably better to err on the sign of caution than risk permanent injury.