May 7th: Week 1 Day 2

Competition Deadlift w/ Belt (hookgrip all reps):
140x4 @8
150x4 @9

Pin Bench Press (midrange):
90x4 @7.5
100x4 @8.5
105x4 @9.5

Front Squat (no belt):
90x6 @9

Cable Row:
66x8x5

Deadlift went well, though i notice when I hookgrip the bar drifts forward off the floor which doesnt normally affect me when I mixed grip. Taped fingers made a difference, also taking off my skirt as fakebusto suggested.

Misread my sheet and was supposed to floor press instead of pin press (though not sure how I am going to rig floor press at the YMCA). This was odd but ok, definitely a tough exercise and it was hard for me to get in the right rep range. Front squat and row were fine.

Thanks guys!! I credit this place with so much motivation and technique work that I'd never be in a place to take advantage of it without H&F.

Official Weigh In: 82.0kg

Forgot to post it earlier.

Is there a rack where you can lower the pins and floor press inside the rack? If you can't do that, I would substitute towel presses instead. I don't really like floor presses in that slot anyway because it is supposed to be an overload bench and most people floor press less weight than they comp bench.

May 8th: Week 1 Day 3

Pin Squat @ parallel (no belt):
120x5 @8.5
125x5 @9

Bench TnG (no belt):
80x6 @8.5
85x7 @9.5

Push Press:
60x6 @9

Banded Face Pulls

Rear Delt Flies

Skipping rope 30s on 30s off:
6 rounds

Pretty good session. I set the pins right at parallel, unracked and lowered to the pins, waited for three seconds under no tension then pushed it up. Hard work. Bench TNG was supposed to be x6 @10, but i guessed badly. I should probably have stopped at 6 and done another set I guess. Push press was tough afterwards, couldnt quite get a good rack position. Warmed up on the treadmill (8' at 5% incline fast walk), and then squeezed in a bit of cardio at the end. My work capacity sucks.

Looks like I'll be starting next week at GS, benching monday and then joining in with some other powerlifters for tuesday squat and friday DL. I think we'll talk about how to structure this with my other lifting on monday.

Why did you go to 7 reps. That would be a perfect time to do x6 @8.5 or nine and then do another set or two

Yeah, that's what I should have done. Wasnt really thinking at the time.

The rack has a fixed bar support that is too high for me to get my elbows to the floor if I lie in the bottom of the rack - I sized it up but it wont work. I'll do towel press or use a half foam roller in the future.

May 9: Week 1 Day 4

2" Deficit DL w/ belt:
140x5 @8
140x5 @9

Close Grip Bench Press:
75x6 @8.5
80x6 @9

Snatch Grip SLDL:
60x6 @7
80x6 @8
100x6 @9

Cable Row:
72x6x3

DB Curls:
17.5sx8x3

Measured all of the bars at the YMCA. Two ivankos are 830mm ring to ring (both bent), the good one has a center marking and is 810mm ring to ring and the other bent one is 710mm (pretty sure this one is slightly fatter too). Need to remember to use the good one for all benching for consistent hand spacing.

Deficits were on one plate, so probably closer to 1.5" in real life. Tough. CGBP was with index fingers on the inner ring, first time benching that narrowly. Not sure I did SLDL's correctly, probably closer to an RDL.

Will be getting my program from John this weekend, then starting with him next week on that program.

Got the under 3.5 right. Nice.

Easy there. Still five day a week RTS style i believe, and id happily continue with this otherwise.

Okay we will give you a push. If the new programming looks like miket's, then we will give you a win. This day4 looks awfully tough on top of the other days you posted. This programming is nothing like SS. It makes SS look like a handball game between schoolgirls.

But look at Weasel's results. It plain works.

SS to TM to RTS = 1300 pounds. Except for me. My lowback hurts. Sadmonkey. But I will watch

May 12th: Week 1 Day 1

Competition Bench Press (no belt):
75x6x4

Incline Bench (TnG):
65x6x4

Close-Grip Bench Press:
70x6x4

Pullups:
BWx6x4

So day one of training with the new program, one on one with JS. Keeping all top four sets of the main lift for the day within 16-18 mins and focusing on bar speed (RPE 7-8) for the first 3-4 weeks, then we'll taper down and work in lower rep ranges at higher RPEs.

Adjusted bench grip out to middle finger on ring, which seems to be about my limit with my levers. Definitely sorer in the chest/delts than in any previous benching, and my close-grip is quite easy, so I probably have plenty of pecs to add to the lift which should leave me stronger long term (and help out with the physique too). Sick DOMS from pullups too, been prioritising horizontal pulling over vertical.

May 13th: Week 1 Day 2

Comp squat w/ belt:
130x6x4

Sumo DL (no belt, hookgrip):
110x6x4

Cambered bar squat:
95x6x4

Training with JS and two others today, really fun lifting in a team environment. Felt like a tough day, but got plenty of feedback saying that the bar speed was good so I'll take it. Adductors gonna be sore from the sumo DLs, and cambered bar squats were really interesting/taxing. The bar wobbles all over the place, making the core work hard to keep steady. Opened a nice gash on my shin from the competition grade knurling.

Rest of the week looks like 3sec pause bench thursday, comp deadlift friday, back and bro stuff saturday, mostly in a 4-6 rep range.

11 Weeks to Meet. Would like to maybe hit 170kg squat, 115kg bench and 190kg deadlift, but in the front of my mind is to get through 11 weeks of higher intensity stuff without getting hurt.

May 15th: Week 1 Day 3

3sec Pause Bench:
75x4x4

CGBP:
70x6x4

Only got there 40 mins before closing so rushed through this. Back is a bit sore at the moment, not sure what from. Will monitor.

May 16th: Week 1 Day 4

Comp Deadlift w/ belt (hookgrip):
125x6x4

3sec Pause Squat:
95x4x4

SLDL:
80x6x4

Lifting with the team at GS. Five lifters and two coaches today. One other 83er who is a tiny bit weaker lower body than me but better bench, and a 74er who totaled 490kg at Regionals, along with a female 50er (nicknamed "Machine") and a 66er who were there for the squat session. All juniors.

Hookgrip is coming along, not thinking so much about it during reps. Working very hard on getting the hips through earlier and faster once the bar clears the knee. Still a bit unnatural but I can see the benefit for the lift so I'll keep working on it. Pause squats afterwards were tough but quite doable.

Aidan your recover is nothing short of incredible. Was it a full rupture or a tear? You returned to significant exercise weeks before I am able to! Very impressed.

Thanks! It was a full rupture. I think I had an excellent surgeon and a rapid recovery/rehab plan (not of my design). It seems to depend on your surgeon what they recommend with regards to return to certain activities. Did you get put in a boot quite quickly afterwards, or were you in a cast for a while?

I was in a splint for two weeks, then neutral cast for 3 weeks, then a more stretched cast for 2 weeks before switching to a boot. Doctor said no weight bearing on foot until 12 weeks so PT only had me doing stretches, and seated exercise. Also my right foot so unable to drive.

Unless stick shift drive with the left. I folded my right(bad) leg under my left to drive. Not best for hip alignment long term but better than not working.

May 19th: Week 2 Day 1

Competition Bench Press (no belt):
82.5x5x2
85x5x3

CGBP:
75x5x4

Incline Bench Press:
70x5x4

Training at GS. Pretty good session, comp sets all felt really fast and technique is getting a bit more comfortable with the slightly wider grip.

Official Weigh In: 81.3kg

Interesting. I went into a boot with wedge heel after two weeks with weight bearing as tolerated in the boot (none outside). I started to transition to no boot after 14 weeks iirc.

May 20: Week 2 Day 2

Comp Squat:
135x5x2
140x5x2

Sumo DL:
120x5x4

Cambered Bar Squat:
105x5x2
110x5x2

Fun day, i love squats. Still felt pretty fast so we increased the weight, accessories were good too. Think its 10 weeks to meet day. Got told I should become a PT, as I "have a good eye for form".

May 22nd: Week 2 Day 3 (YMCA)

3sec Pause Bench Press:
72.5x5x4

CGBP:
70x5x54

Seated DB Shoulder Press:
20sx6x3

Face Pull:
3 sets of 15

Pretty quick session so probably didn't push the weights as high as I could have. Feeling down physically and mentally at the moment.

Sucks man. Do you think you are feeling down mentally cause you are working out more frequently? I found that happened to me.

Just a bit of real life stuff adding some stress, combined with worse than normal sleep and the extra training is adding up I think. Probably take an easy weekend to recover a bit.

May 23rd: Week 2 Day 3 (GS)

Deadlift (Belt + Hookgrip):
135x5
140x5x3

3Sec Pause Squat:
105x5x4

SLDL:
85x5x54

Just me and the Machine at the team training today, a couple of lifters were later (including a dude pulling 175 for reps as we were finishing up ). Overall went pretty well, grip feeling pretty solid and technique feeling reasonably good on deadlift.