Any tricks for improving strength in one week?

[Ray]

I test out in two weeks for my football team. If anybody has any tricks or a pre testing routine please help. The reason why im so worried is that i need to be the strongest on the team for testing. I want to be the strongest ever football player at my college, and as a frosh in the total of Bench, Clean, and Squat. Right now i only bench 360 pounds but i make it up with a squat of 670 and i clean 370 . I get killed in the bench and right now i need to make up about 45 pounds within two weeks to be the strongest on the team(im estimating what two other teamates will get). This is very important to me so any help will be greatly appreciated. Right now im thinking about heavy rack lockouts with both the bench and the squat along with some speed work. I tried energy boosters such as ultamate orange and extreme ripped fuel but they dont even seem to give me an energy boost anymore. I heard that inhalers can give a nice boost when taken before a workout and also cheque drops. Any other quick performance enhancers because i dont know if i could get a hold of these. Thanks

[NightOp]

Hit the creatine if you aren't already and get like 10 hours of sleep the night before you test, be sure to warm up before the test....

as far as energy boosters go, take in a crapload of simple carbs about an hour before the test... either alot of fruit juice or whatever you have, just don't drink or eat too much to the point of being "full" or anywhere close for that matter...

Besides all that, you could try a drastically different chest training method for this week, something that would leave you absolutely devastated and too tired to push a door open....... and the following week (the one right before the test) you go back to whatever training you are doing right now for your chest (hopefully with more weight that is due to the grueling and different workout from the previous week) ... This is JUST A SUGGESTION as to something you might want to try, you know your body best and if staying with whatever you are doing now is best, then do that and don't listen to me...

Say you do 4 sets of 8 on bench right now (for example..) (either to isometric failure or not to failure at all execept for your last set...) and you take 2 mins rest between each set. Well, an example of a "drastic change" would be todo 4 or 5 sets of 10 with each set goin to all three types of failure........ This is freakin brutal and might be your best bet for quick strength gains...

Here is how you would do this>

Set 1 > pick a weight that you can barely get 10 times without help... On the 11th rep your spotter will help you finish (make him MAKE YOU WORK HARD) Now, rack the bar and rest for about 7 seconds, then WITH YOUR SPOTTER helping you, lower the bar to your chest and then try your hardest to get it up HALF WAY up, your spotter will have to help you of course... Now, once you have it half way up, tell your spotter to let go (carefully) and you try to hold it half way as long as you can, and IMEAN AS LONG AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, imagine that you are holding a car's bumper and someone is under it, this is a mental game... The second the bar starts coming down, your spotter is to grab it and you both work to rack it. Now, rest another 7-10 seconds while its racked, Now, with your spotter doing ALOT of the work, unrack it and hold it up all the way, now start fighting to keep the weight up as your spotter slowly lets it go down to your chest (these are called negatives) do this only once, then rack it. THAT IS THE END OF SET 1.............. do the exact same thing except with less weight for the rest of the sits with about 2 rest between sets, proceed through all your sets like this with proper form and crazy mental effort, once you are done grab some light dumbbells and pump out as many reps as you can... If you do all of this properly you will most likely have to be spoon fed for about four days... Like I said, only do this once (this week or early next week) and then go back to whatever training you where doing, for the week right before the test.

Notes on this method> You have to make it hurt, if you aren't motivated or you have a crappy spotter(s) this won't do jack for you. Keep good form. When i say spotter, I should say Spotters, because it is very dangerous to have only one guy doing all that work spotting you.. grab two friends and tell them to make an hour of free time and explain to them exactly what they are todo. This is also a great way to tear your pec so be freaking careful, especially on your last sets, if you feel something starting to go, yell for them to rack it fast... I'm not an expert but I love training, so please take of all this with a grain of salt... Good luck bro.

[dumbells101]

Don't expect too much progress. Instead focus on preparing for the day. Here are a few suggestions

1 Definately big sleep the few days leading up to.
2. Don't train for 2 days prior to.
3. (if you can) take an ECA stack an hour before lifting.
4. Stay well hydrated that week and especially the day of.

Good Luck!

[Sicilian30]

three simple words Sleep, Train and Eat! Eat Eat Eat! Well good foods like plenty of carbs, protein and calories. This will help your muscles get fuel to do what you need to do.

[Ray]

Thanks for the suggestions. Ill let ya guys know what i test in at in two weeks.

[DirkDiggs]

good luck...thats a lot of weight in two weeks