Below is my November-March Training Plan.. as you will notice I get into my gear 12 weeks out to make sure there are no problems hitting depth in the squat..
Doing Sumo work and Low-Box Squatting Early in cycle to build hip strength and out-of-the hole power..
Then moving into a Smolov Jr. Bench-only routine..
Then into Box Squats w/Bottoms of suit only..
At this time starting a 12 week Shirted Bench routine of Triples/Doubles/Singles
I didn't invent it.. Hell I didn't even think to use it until someone (Laura!) told me about it..
Smolev Jr. is a 3 week Bench-Only program designed to put 15-20lbs on your raw bench.. it was derived from the Smolev Squat routine, and is slightly "De-tuned" for Bench work.
The basic plan is you Bench 4 times a week, Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat.. each day increasing reps, but decreasing set # so your volume stays fairly constant each day of the week.. then each of the 3 weeks, you kick it up 10lbs the first week, and 5 lbs the second.. the percentages are all based upon your current 1RM max..
During the Smolov Bench routine, there is no accessory work, nor legs/other body part work. Also, it is not recommended to try and cut weight during the 3 week cycle. Your body needs to focus on recovery and strength building.. and take it from me.. once you hit week 2.. there will be no energy for additional body parts or accessories!!
It is not recommended to run this routine one-time-after-another.. You can run it multiple times, but always deload a few weeks in between....
My RPS powerlifting meet update for all my friends who couldn't make it:
So today was a learning experience. Lol. What did i learn?
A. I spent
the last 6 months getting stronger. And no doubt I did, but the only
equipped squatting I did was with the
straps down...
B. My non-adjustable straps inzer champion which fit me at
260, no longer fits me at 274. Retrospect?
Needed to spend more time w
straps up finding out what it took to get down. 525, although light on
the way up - just couldn't get down. Nonetheless it was another awesome RPS
meet hosted by Gene and Ame!
The squat suit I have was given to me by another lifter who inherited it from
someone else. It was made for a 220-230lb lifter. At 260 last year I
made it work. At 272 this year, plus i added size in my shoulders, it
didn't anymore. I should have put the suit on earlier in my training
cycle so I would have found it out I couldn't hit depth. What happens
is, as you squat down, the tension in the shoulder straps increase, and
if the suit is too small, it will bind or lock up before parallel.. Then
the further u drop down, all it does is pull your shoulders forward and
make u lean forward, and u never break parallel.
Newer suits, (and I
just bought one!) have Velcro straps so u can adjust tension and hit
depth. What the suit did was turn my 525 squat into a squat and a good
morning as it threw me forward. The good news is I had plenty of
strength, I good morning the 525 back up and squatted it 3 times no
problem.. As far as the other lifts, once u bomb out, you don't continue
- sometimes they let u, but its not smart to continue w bench and
deadlift at my age, and utilizing 400-600lbs. All I would be doing is
risking injury, with no chance of totalling or setting a record because my
lifts wouldn't count because I missed the squat all 3 times...
Everythings a learning experience! See the video below for one of my 525 attempts.. bar speed was good, weight was light.. just couldnt hit depth!
My next competition will be at the RPS 2013 New England Revolution, held at Next Level Fitness, 12 Industrial Lane, Johnston RI 02919 on March 23 and 24th, 2013.
Below is my training MesoCycle for the next 6 months.. What is a MesoCycle? It is a general layout and scheduling of my workouts - not the exact workouts out I will do, but rather what body parts I will cycle and focus on over that period of time. As you can see I have two "3 week Bench Specific" Smolev Jr. routines I am hitting during October and November. I feel I have neglected my Raw Bench over the last year or so, and I am looking to push that up close to 400lbs raw.
What is the Smolev Jr Bench Routine? Stay tuned and I'll explain...
