Thinking and writing

Haven't trained since Sunday.  I am hoping a week off will allow me some much needed physical and mental rest.  I slept 9.5 hours last night, and still could have slept more had I not needed to get up and start making meals for the day.  My hamstring and lower back pain is starting to ease up a bit.  I did the "leg lift" test yesterday to see just what was wrong with my back and I had no trouble doing them, so that is a safe bet that it isn't spine damage and is most likely him/hamstring related.  Bottom line is I need to STRETCH every night.  If I know that, why the hell don't I do it???

I have decided that I am going to go back to pulling on Wednesday instead of on Sundays after squats.  The negatives to that are: I won't be able to get into my deadlift suit as much, I won't be able to use the actual deadlift bar, and back in June at IPA Worlds I was gassed when I got to the deads, so squatting and deadlifting on the same day were preventing this.  That will no longer be the case.  However...

My recovery time should be better, my back and hams should heal up, and I can concentrate solely on the deadlift on Wednesdays and be fresh which should mean more weight.  I figure every 6th week or so I can not pull on Wednesday, then on Sunday after squats work up to a single in gear in the deads to simulate meet conditions.

Plan of attack is to pull every other week off the floor, then on the weeks I don't pull from the floor alternate between rack pulls and beyond the range pulls.  I am going to do a long cycle and not worry about peaking for the September meet, but instead just going into the meet and pulling whatever I can pull.  I know that sounds a bit strange, but it worked for me with the 715, so it is worth a shot.  The first 19 weeks are going to be sumo pulls, starting very light with 405x5x3, and jumping 15 pounds every other week.  The rack and beyond the range pulls will be done with a conventional stance.  I will follow deads with the close stance squats for 10s, hip work, and ab work.

On Sundays I will be able to concentrate fully on the squat and that means I will be able to do a lot more work in full gear.  We are going to do 3 week waves, de-load on the 4th week, max on the 5th, then back to the waves.  My plan for the 3 week waves is to do:

Wk1: straight bar off high box, double bands, full gear, to single
Wk2: Cambered bar, chains, no box, full gear to single
Wk3: SSB, double bands, sponge box, briefs, to single
Wk4: De-load, 315+strong bands, 8x2, briefs
Wk5: Max, full gear

then

WK1: same as above to triple
Wk2: same as above to triple
Wk3: same as above to triple
Wk4: De-load, 350+ strong bands, 8x2, briefs
Wk5: max out, full gear

Then follow that with a couple exercises from this pool: squat lockouts, KB swings, gms, suspended gms, seated gms, belt squats

Then glute-hams, reverse hypers (EVERY WORKOUT!!!) and abs.

I have a possible career change/advancement coming up so I am a bit stressed over it.  I am interviewing for a manager spot next week, and from what I hear the interview is going to be brutal.  I will also be interviewing for a counselor spot at a different prison.  Either way, the job will be 8 am to 4 pm, Mon-Fri, so I will be working like a normal human for the first time in over 3 years.  Wish me luck-

-Rick

 

Comments

[Brian L.]

Good luck with the professional advancement opportunity!! It can be really stressful, but in the end it will all pay off for you.