11 weeks to Nationals

I figured I'd start a thread, sort of like what Freak is doing, to let you guys know what I am doing to prepare myself to pull big at the Deadlift Nationals on September 28th in Denver, Colorado. I will post all of my deadlift days and squat days. First, the split:

Tue- Deadlift day
Thu- DE bench
Sat- Squat day
Sun- ME bench

My best pulls to date are 460 conventional(meet) and 455 sumo(gym).

Today was my first of 10 deadlift sessions. It went quite well. Here it is:


7/16
Deadlift day
1.Sumo deads- 275 lbs 10x1
2.SLDL- 275x5, 295x5, 315x5
3.DB rows- 100 lbs 2x5
4.Shrugs(farmers)- 127.5's 2x15
5.Pull thrus- 3x15
6.Reverse hypers- 3 sets
7.Weighted situps- 3 sets

7/20
Squat day
1.Box squats(11.5")- 225x1, 245x1, 275x1
2.Front squats- 135 lbs 2x5
3.Leg curls w/bands- 3 sets
4.Side bends- 85x8, 110 lbs 2x8
5.Reverse hypers- 3 sets
6.Standing abs- 3 sets

7/23
Deadlift day
1.Sumo deads- 300 lbs 7x1, 365 lbs 2x1
2.SLDL- 295x5, 315x5, 345x5, 365x2
3.DB rows- 80 lbs 2x10
4.Shrugs(farmers)- 157.5's 2x7
5.Pull thrus- 3 sets
6.Reverse hypers- 3 sets
7.Standing abs- 4 sets

7/27
Squat day
1.Squats- 205x5, 225x5, 255x2, 285x2
2.Box squat /chains- 135 lbs 2x2, 185 lbs 2x2, 135 lbs 1x3
3.Leg curls w/bands- 2 minisx10, purple x8, purple+mini x6
4.Reverse hypers- 3 sets


Decent session. I suck at squats. 5's were done with belt and wraps. Doubles I added suit bottoms. I absolutely can't stand going higher than 2 reps...even with like a plate on the bar. I'm glad I train for powerlifting and not bodybuilding.

7/30
Deadlift day
1.Sumo deads- 365 lbs 2x1, 405x1, 435 lbs 2x1, 405x2.5
2.Rack pulls(9")- 405x1, 455x1, 475x1, 495xmiss
3.Close grip cable rows- 150x5, 170x5, 200x3

Good session. I am maxing sumos next week, so I decided to do some heavy singles this week. I used the suit bottoms. That is actually the heaviest sumo I have done without the straps up. After that I just wanted to see if I could rep 405. At least I know grip isn't the problem, it's just falling forward. I bet I could get 4-5 reps conventional if that's what I was going for, but I'm not.

It's odd that I have deadlifted 460 for a full ROM off the floor, yet I struggle to do 15 lbs more out of the rack with the plates 9" off the ground(bar just below the knee). Some people can pull 100+ lbs more than they can dead this way. I guess it just shows that my speed/power off the floor is key to my deadlift. I have to hit my lockouts hard!!

8/3
Squat day
1.Squats(bottoms, belt, wraps)- 255x3, 285x3, 305x3, 325x2
2.Box squats w/chains- 135 2x2, 155 2x2
3.Pull thrus- 3 sets
4.Reverse hypers- 3 sets
5.Standing abs- 3 sets


Great session. Never went over 300 for more than a single without the straps up. Triple with 305 wasn't bad, 325 double was tougher. Next week I'll go 335 for 2 and then maybe a heavy single or two.

8/6
Deadlift day
1.Sumo deads-bar, 135, 225, 315, 385
Opener- 430- good
Second- 460- good 5 lb PR(second 3xbw sumo for me)
Third- 470- miss
2.Conventionals- 135, 225, 315, 405x1, 425x1, 405x2


5 lb Sumo PR. Got what I came for. My deads are now "dead" even. ;)

I was shot by the time I got to the last set of conventionals. Pulled it twice then it didn't budge the last time.

What do you think about maybe 4 or 5 sets sets of 1 rep deadlifts after heavy squat session?? Too much??

Oc

I don't think there is anything wrong with squats and deads in the same session. Just don't expect to be as strong on the second exercise.

8/10
Squat day
1.Squats(bottoms, belt, wraps)- 275x2, 305x2, (Straps up)335x1, 345x1
2.Squat lockouts(9th hole down)- 405x1,1, (10th hole)- 405x1, (11th hole)-405xmiss
3.Side bends- 85x5, 110x5, 130x5(4 with left hand)


I did not feel as strong today as I did last week. 335 and 345 are both PR's for squatting outside of the rack which sounds strange, but does make a difference.

Squat lockouts- I have decided that I am going to work on these, with 405. I am just going to keep dropping a hole(3") until the point where I am going down deep enough and doing a full squat. The 11th hole down had me slightly above parallel(picture 4 on that thing Monstar posted). I do them by walking the weight out and then squatting down and doing a touch and go off the pins. Once I can do 405 on the 11th hole, the next step will be full ROM as the 12th hole would put me a good 2" or so below parallel. Next week though I will use knee wraps for these and go for that 405 on the 11th hole. I think these would be a good compliment to box squats on weeks I do not do regular squats.

I am going to do my deadlifts this Tuesday with a new stance I am experimenting with. It is about half-way between my narrow conventional and my wide sumos. I will pull 330 for 6 singles FAST!

Film some of your sessions and post. Would be very informative. Looks like you will take it all. I live in Denver and plan on going to watch the big boys throw the iron around. Keep training hard!!!

Oc

Freak,

what are you doing for ME bench? mainly full ROM exercises?

What are you goals? What are you trying to pull at nationals?

ME bench I am doing a lot of board work right now. I also cycle in reverse band presses and floor press with and without chains.

I am going in expecting nothing less than a PR. A PR for me would break the current record. I am only pulling, so I have no excuse not to get a PR. With the rest of the deadift sessions I have lift I am going to just build up in weight and decrease the sets I do, leading up to my max. I used a figure of 470 to figure out my %'s, which would be a 10 lb PR.

I have filmed some of my stuff, but I don't have a digital camera and I am too computer illiterate to get it transfered from a VHS to the computer.

I am trying to break a USAPL deadlift record, too

MEN'S TEEN (16-17) NATIONAL RECORD
242
The record is 600.75 I am going to break it with atleast a 605
at the
USAPL Men's Teenage/Junior National Powerlifting Championships in June.



Good luck

Damn! Good luck to you too.You are a monster and young too.

8/13
Deadlift day
1.Conv. deads- 315 lbs 6x1, 365 lbs 1x1
2.Power cleans- 135x1, 155x1, 185xmiss
3.Conv. deads**- 215 lbs 2x1, 255 lbs 2x1, 275 lbs 2x1
4.One arm cable rows- 90x6, 100x4
5.Reverse hypers- 2 sets


Good session. This is the first of my last 6 deadlift session before the meet. I will add 20 lbs per week and lower volume accordingly. I will always end with 1 heavier single.

Messed around with power cleans after that thread got me thinking. I could swing 185 up to my shoulders no problem but I couldn't flip my wrists back. I think my technique sucks. I don't think I'll mess around wih these anymore before the meet.

After that we did deads again. This time the largest plate on the bar was a 35, so the bar started lower to the ground. I then stood on a 45 lb plate, plus I was pulling in my Chucks and I usually pull conventional in DL slippers. The ROM on these was a good 3-4" or so longer than my usual comp. conventionals. Felt pretty good. I bet I could go over 400 on these.

Finished with some rows and rev. hypers and that's all folks.

8/17
Squat day
1.Box squats- 135+light bands choked- 7x2, 155+LB 1x2, 155+LB+mini band 2x2
2.Squat lockouts(11th hole down)- 315x1, (wraps) 365x1, 385x1, 405x1
3.Standing abs- 4 sets


Good session. Speed on box squats was good and I added a mini band for the last two sets instead of adding more bar weight. Felt good.

I blew up 405 on squat lockouts. Last week I tried it without knee wraps and couldn't budge it. This week it was cake. Next week I drop another pin and that will put me down to legal depth. We'll see how it goes. I cll themlockouts, but you could really call them partials or deep Monstar squats. I unrack the weight and do a walkout, then I squat down, tap the pins and explode up.

8/20
Deadlift day
1.Conventional deads- 335 lbs 6x1, 385x1
2.Suspended BO GM's(39")- 185x3, 205x3, 225 lbs 2x3
3.Deadlift lockouts(just above kneecap)- 425x1, 475x1, 495x1, 505x1


Suspended GM's were nice and hard. Hadn't done them in a while.

Wanted to feel the heavy weight so I went with lockouts. 495 and 505 were actucally pretty easy. I just didn't want to overdo it today.

8/24
Squat day
1.Squats(bottoms, belt, wraps)- 275x1, 305x1, 335x1,
(straps up)- 365xmiss, 345x1(high), 365x1(high), 375x1!
2.Box squats- 135 lbs 2x2, 155 lbs 2x2, 185x2
3.Standing abs w/bands- 3 sets



My back had been hurting since Tuesday, so I wasn't sure what was gonna happen. Felt better yesterday and today had no pain. So we squatted. After the 305 set, I put on my new suit bottoms. It is the same suit that I already had, but one size smaller. 335 was cake. Once I put the straps up it felt a bit awkward. First try at 365 I felt like I was fighting the suit instead of just squatting the weight. Went back down to 345 and just went down to where it was comfy and back up(not all the way down). Went back up to 365 and my buddy called me up to early before I was low enough. Added 10 lbs for a PR and this time Beercan called me up from the side view. He waited til I hit depth and then called me up and I got it with good bit of struggle. Not too bad considering I was in a good bit of pain the last few days.

8/27
Deadlift day
1.Reverse band deads(sumo)- 405x1, 455x1, 495x1, 505xmiss
2.Deadlift lockouts(just above kneecap)- 495x1, 515x1, 545x1, 565xmiss, 565x1
3.Standing abs- 2x25


First time I ever tried the reverse bands with a sumo stance(moderate sumo, inside the rack). 495 was my best ever on these with conventional. I matched it, but couldn't beat it.


Hit a PR on the dead lockouts. I missed 565 the first try, but felt I could do it. Rested a bit and came back and smoked it. I think I can go 585 soon on these.

8/31
Squat day
1.Squats(bottoms, belt, wraps)- 275x2, 305x1, 335x1, 355x1, 375x1, (Straps up)- 385xmiss
2.Sumo deads- 225 lbs 2x1, 275 lbs 2x1

I was shot at this point. I woke up late today, wasn't feeling 100%. I still managed to hit my best ever straps up squat with the straps down. So if I ever get comfortable squatting with them up, I'll be in business.

Next few weeks will be box squats. Gotta lay off the heavy squats for a bit.