Powerlifting Week 2

Training is going great this week! I wish I could keep doing 3 times a week, but next week will just be meeting with him once a week and then on my own the other days.

Deadlifts were light speed deadlifts this week,which was good because my back has been SO sore. I didn't feel that fast on them, but I did feel cool using bands. ;) Still trying to decide whether to go with Sumo or conventional. I feel comfortable with both, but I just don't know which is my strongest. I love being able to RDLs again, but they have been frying my hams and lats. I mean, I'm sore for days afterwards.  I have missed them though!

Bench felt good this week. The main thing I'm working on is upper back tightness, really keeping my shoulders down and pulling in while keeping my sternum up. It's tough! I'm surprised though by the weight I'm able to do because when I'm on my own I usually use less than what he has me using. I did floor presses for the first time ever, and I don't know why, but I really like them!

I also love bench day because we work on back for the accessory lifts, and I've always loved training back. However, he had me doing back to back back supersets(did you get that?), so my lats were absolutely fried afterwards. After the 3 sets of 10 chinups supersettted with straight arm pulldowns, I felt like my lats were going to explode. 

Squat day was good. Right now I'm just getting used to squatting wider. I narrowed my stance in the last year to try to build up my quads, so that has made me more of a quad dominant squatter. We've been doing box squats to take out the stretch reflex at the bottom and wide stance squats to work on really using my hips and hamstrings more. It's hard for me!

Saturday is just an accessory and conditioning day. I'm going to start not going so heavy on my conditioning so as not to interfere with my strength training and actually make it more "cardio"(but nothing super strenuous). That just means light weight on the prowler and less rest between sets and not going "all out". I may even just walk with a sled hooked to my waist for 15-20 minutes after my training. This week I used 90lbs and did reverse sled drags one way, then low handle push back and then did some plate carries and kettlebell Farmer's walks between sets. 

MONDAY-DEADLIFT DAY

1)Speed deadlift w/bands:  50%(115) x6x1

2)RDLs: 155x8/175x3x8

3)Hip thrusts: 155x10/185x4x10

4)Reverse hyperextensions: 90x3x12

5)Hanging leg raises 4x15(these absolutely sucked, and some sets were broken)
6)Side lying band clams: 2x20(left)/1x20 (right)

 

WEDNESDAY-BENCH DAY

1)Bench press: 125x3/125x3/125x3

2)Floor press: w/pause 95x5/115x5/115x5 

3a)Chinups: 3x10 

3b)Straight arm band pulldown: 3x10

(Lats were about to explode at this point)

4a)DB reverse flyes: 10x3x12

4b)Seated cable row: 70x2x10

5)Band tricep pushdowns: 1x25

5 minutes jump rope high knees (30 seconds, 30ish second rest)

FRIDAY-SQUAT DAY

1)Box pause squat: 185x3x3

2)Wide stance box squat: 145x3x5

3)Front squat: 95x3x8

4)GHR: 10 x 4x6

5a)Ab wheel rollouts:1x12/2x10(negatives)

5b)Band seated abductions: 3x20

SATURDAY-ACCESSORY DAY

1)Speed bench press @50%:  75lbsx7x3

2)Incline bench press: 80x3x8

2b)Single leg hip thrust: 4x12

3a) Lateral raise 3x10

3b)Pull aparts 3x15

3c)Cable tricep pushdowns 3x15

Conditioning:

Reverse sled drag one way, low handle sled push back w/90lbs for 10 rounds +

Plate carries(25lbs) x 20 seconds x 3, then Farmer walks (53lbs) x 45 seconds x3 (between Prowler sets)