New log begins
Competed this weekend at the 100% Raw SA Nationals, ended with a 510 (1120lbs) total. Nothing groundbreaking but a start in my first proper powerlifting meet.
Next meet I’m training for is the IPF Western Province bench meet on the 11 August.
In, based on the log title alone! Congrats on your first meet too, that’s a good total to start with (still beats me and I’ve done 4, haha)
I’d love to cone back to SA on another hunt, and hit a meet while I’m at it! How many meets a year get put on down there?
Hey dude! Yeah damn was such a rush this weekend! Couldn’t have popped my cherry sooner haha!
But yeah there’s about 3 100% Raw Fed meets a year in the western province, same for the IPF single ply in each province and 2 or 3 other meets like the GPC Fed. Not a lot of multi-ply lifting but lots of single ply and raw. They starting up the IPF raw division now too so its good that powerlifting is growing slowly in the country. I mean we are miles behind the USA and Europe and so on but can prob compete a good couple times a year and we are sanctioned for setting world records and stuff so its pretty cool. We got told at the meet this weekend that either next year or the year after we are going to hold the World champs for the 100% Raw fed so good to know we will get to see some international crazy mother fuckers down here to come compete!
That would be cool to have the worlds down there, instead of Vegas. Guess that will drive me even more, to compete at a Worlds! I need to eat some more impala!
Haha I’ll be slamming the local vleis in the meantime 
Intensification Block
Monday: ME Lower
Squat:
bar x 10 reps
60kg x 5 reps
80kg x 5 reps
100kg x 5 reps
Trx suit on, straps down
120kg x 3 reps
140kg x 3 reps
160kg x 3 reps
belt on
170kg x 3 reps
knee wraps on
180kg x 1 rep —> Tried for a second but slipped out the groove, wasn’t in the zone and got stuck half way, so re-racked, reset and
180kg x 1 rep —> Very fast and explosive but called it here
SSB good morning into low box squat:
40kg x 6 reps
60kg x 6 reps x 3 sets
My upper back from this weekend was gone! So these were brutal and I suck at good mornings so gonna keep these in for sure!
Snatch grip RDL:
60kg x 10 reps
80kg x 10 reps
100kg x 10 reps
Weighted sit ups on a GHR:
5kg medicine ball x 10 reps x 3 sets
Tuesday: Recovery
Prowler push:
40kg x 60m
50kg x 60m
60kg x 60m
Prowler harness drag:
80kg x 60m x 2 sets
Didn’t bother with rest periods, basically whenever I stopped seeing hell at the end of the tunnel I did another set. Basically today was just to pump my legs up, explode the heart for a bit and get some heavy (relative lol) stuff done on prowler after ME Lower yesterday. Next week the aim is to do more either on the push or drag, probably will do the same on the push and ramp up the harness drags.
Chatting with Howard after the benching, he owns the gym and is crazy strong for his age! Awesome guy!
Nice pictures man. I wish I could find some from my latest meet.
Do they serve all kinds of game at the restaurants there, or only 1 or 2 species typically? Just curious. I miss all of it. Blue Wildebeest, zebra, impala, cape buffalo, kudu…damn! Gotta come back!
Sup Ink!
Well I mean we do have a variety of meats at our restaurants but the more say “tourist meats” like kudu/zebra/impala and so on is more on the game reserves or at top-end restaurants for all the overseas tourists to come splurge at. Usually its just the usual steak/chicken/lamb as I guess in the states you get the same. But if you go to 'proudly south african restaurants to eat you can get some of the indigenous local food too so just depends where you go or which province you are in. I stay in the western cape which is very metropolitan and nothing like the tv says we live like haha huts/mud/riding lions all day and hunting our food in the dead of night lol!
Training today:
Wednesday: ME Upper
Got some specific soft tissue work done on my left arm/pec/shoulder and worked wonders. My right therefore suffered with the shirt work but hitting another 2 sessions next week to keep me at 100%! Felt like our was being prodded with a hot poker for a solid 30min, damn inflamation of hate in my arms!
Bench:
bar x 10 reps x 2 sets
40kg x 5 reps
60kg x 5 reps
80kg x 5 reps
100kg x 5 reps
Rage - X size 50 shirt on
3 -Board added
120kg x 3 reps
130kg x 3 reps
140kg x 3 reps
150kg x 3 reps —> Took the shirt off and got my mate to twist the sleeves, popped this like a baaws
160kg x 2 reps —> Went for the third but sleeves were not twisted and mind wasn’t into the last one. Should have done it like a beast but oh well called it here. Bit pissed with myself but keeping at myself like this to be the best is only going to make sure that I shit excellence the next bench session.
Supplementary: Push press
40kg x 6 reps
50kg x 6 reps
60kg x 6 reps
70kg x 6 reps
I have neglected proper overhead work for a long time and want to see if using this as a supplementary move will keep my pressing strong and keep my elbows healthy (er) as in the past push presses drove my bench from 120 to 140 quite nicely.
Dumbbell floor press:
15kg x 10 reps
25kg x 10 reps
30kg x 10 reps
T-bar row:
20kg x 10 reps
30kg x 10 reps
40kg x 10 reps
50kg x 10 reps
My training outline for the meet on 11 August.
I spoke to the secretary for the western province ipf and I am on the shortlist being reviewed to do the full power meet as the rule is usually if you have not lifted in the ipf then I am only allowed to do the bench meet happening on the same day, so I will find out soon enough if I am going to be doing the full meet, so my training will be as if I am doing al three lifts on the day.
ME Lower
Week 1: Squat with suit straps down, knee wraps 3RM
Week 2: Chain squat with suit straps down, knee wraps 3RM
Week 3: Chain squat with straps up, knee wraps 3RM
Week 4: Full squat technique day, going to what I can get parrallel in for a few singles
Week 5 is the meet
Assistance work: GM into low box squat 6-8RM, Snatch grip RDL 8-10RM, Heavy abs
ME Upper
Week 1: 3 Board press with shirt 3RM
Week 2: 2 Board press with shirt 3RM
Week 3: 1 Board press with shirt 3RM
Week 4: Full bench technique day to what just touches for a few singles
Week 5 is meet week
Assistance work: Push press 6-8RM, dumbbell floor press 8-10RM, t-bar row 10-12RM
DE Lower:
Week 1: SSB 40% bar weight with 40% band/chain combo 8 x 2 reps.
Sumo pull 60% with chains x 8 singles
Week 2: SSB 40% bar weight with 50% band/chain combo 6 x 2 reps.
Sumo pull 55% with chains x 10 singles
Week 3: SSB work up to a double.
Sumo pull 50% with chains x 12 singles
Week 4: 50% bar weights 10 x 2 reps.
Sumo pull 50% x 6 singles
Week 5 is meet week
Assistance work: Sumo straight leg deadlift 8-10RM, Dumbbell RDL 10-12RM, Heavy abs
DE Upper:
Week 1: Fat Gripz bench 40% with chains 8 x 3
Week 2: Fat Gripz bench 40% with chains 8 x 3
Week 3: Fat Gripz bench 40% with chains 8 x 3
Week 4: repition day with dumbbells for 3 sets with a 5min break in between
Week 5 is meet week
Assistance work Floor press 6-8RM, rolling extensions 10-12RM, BB row 10-12RM
Wait, you DON’T ride lions all day? Damn man, I thought you were cool. I went up to one of the game reserves up in the Limpopo Bushveld, and we were surfing on warthogs and wrestling eland every day! Haha If I go back, I’d like to hunt something(s) in the Eastern Cape, and even do some fishing off the coast somewhere, that would be awesome.
Solid training layout, good luck working up to your next meet dude
Haha thanks dude 
Friday: DE Lower
Foam roll
Dynamic leg warm up
Box jumps: 3 reps
Reactive box jumps: 3 reps
Low box to high box: 3 reps
Strength-Speed low box squats:
Safety Squat Bar
Bar x 5 reps
32kg chains added
Chains x 5 reps
Blue band added, double looped at top and double looped 2 pegs at bottom
Chains and bands x 5 reps
40kg with chains/bands (50kg± at the top) x 2 reps
60kg with chains/bands x 2 reps
Trx suat suit on
60kg with chains/bands x 2 reps
70kg (40%) with chains/bands x 8 sets x 2 reps
80kg with chains/bands x 1 rep
90kg with chains/bands x 1 rep
95kg with chains/bands x 1 rep
100kg with chains/bands x 1 rep
Felt pretty solid on all these sets and reps. Worked up 4 singles, all felt fast and explosive. Sat really far back as well and focussed on shooting up and leading with my head/shoulders, pushing the suit out and trying to ‘leg curl’ up. Taste!
Reverse wave sumo deadlifts:
Trx squat suit, straps down
70kg x 3 reps
70kg with chains (32kg) x 3 reps
120kg with chains x 1 rep
130kg (60%) with chains x 8 singles
Straps up
140kg with chains x 1 rep
150kg with chains x 1 rep
160kg with chains x 1 rep
All felt pretty good. I feel the suit support and ‘spring’ with a wider sumo stance than my raw sumo stance. So mid foot is pretty much against the ring of the bar, so yeah feels better this way.
Rack pull:
2-3inches below the knee
double overhand grip
60kg x 6 reps
100kg x 6 reps
140kg x 6 reps
Stopped here, grip was tiring out. But all felt nice and solid
Back extensions:
bw x 10 reps
slight cambered bar x 10 reps x 3 sets
Lower back pump of hate! Driving home I couldn’t sit comfortably at all, jissus!
Palloff press:
30lbs x 10 reps each side
40lbs x 10 reps each side
50lbs x 10 reps each side
Will make sure to film my workouts from now on, was meant to today but session took 2 hours. Not in a tiring way but was chatting a lot to other trainers I work with, helping them out and having a laugh. Was actually a really fun session!
I’d like to see some vids man, sounds like you’ve got a sweet setup down there and are putting it to good use.
Thanks dude ja our gym is slowly getting some pretty cool pieces of equipment as times goes by so using as much I can when I can
Trained at Virgin Active today with a mate, so deviated from the training plan slightly for the meet but had a good time non the less.
Sunday: DE Upper
Dynamic bench press:
bar x 10 reps x 2 sets
40kg x 5 reps
50kg x 5 reps
60kg x 8 sets x 3 reps
Close grip bench:
80kg x 3 reps
90kg x 3 reps
100kg x 3 reps
wrist wraps on
110kg x 3 reps
120kg x 3 reps
130kg x 3 reps —> had a slight bump up from my mate on the 3rd rep
Dumbbell extensions:
15kg x 12 reps x 3 sets
Seated shoulder press:
18kg x 12 reps
20kg x 12 reps
23kg x 12 reps
Pendlay row:
40kg x 12 reps
50kg x 12 reps
60kg x 12 reps
Monday ME Lower
Chains squats:
bar x 10 reps
chains = 30kg at the top
chains x 5 reps
40kg with chains x 5 reps
60kg with chains x 5 reps
suit on, straps down
80kg with chains x 5 reps
100kg with chains x 5 reps
knee wraps on, belt
120kg with chains x 5 reps
140kg with chains x 3 reps
150kg with chains x 3 reps
160kg with chains x 3 reps
170kg with chains x 3 reps
175kg with chains x 3 reps —> PR! 205kg (450lbs) at the top
Felt pretty good for a triple, called it here, was hitting depth nicely and mainly getting use to knee wrap pressure.
SSB good morning into low box squat:
40kg x 6 reps
50kg x 6 reps
60kg x 6 reps
Snatch grip deadlift:
70kg x 8 reps
100kg x 8 reps
120kg x 6 reps
Weighted sit ups on a GHR machine:
5kg medicine ball x 10 reps x 3 sets
