Preparing for a meet, my training cycle

[Nate Dawg]

Hey AnimalMass whats up, I was just wondering if you could look over my training cycle that I have planned out. I am preparing for a powerlifting meet on march 18th, so it is 8 weeks out this friday. Basically a westside program. I am 21yrs old, 200lbs (should be going up though as I started my cycle yesterday ) I just finished up 5 weeks of the 5x5 squat program and it worked really good, definetly going back to it after the meet is over. For my cycle here is what I am running if you are curious:

week 1-10: 600mg/week test enan
Week 1-10: 300mg/week EQ
Week 1-6: 40mg/day dbol
Week 1-8: 100mg eod tren ace
Week 1-2, 11-12: 125mg eod test prop

My current lifts are 335-350 bench, been doing sets of 5 lately on bench so it is somewhere in there, my pr is 365, but my hips came off the bench so it doesnt really count. Squat is around 430, definetly not proportional to bench, neither is deadlift which is around 400. It is an APF meet, I am ordering my double poly bench shirt and double poly briefs tomorrow from Frantz Powerlifting. Probably get my squat suit in a couple weeks when I get a little more money. All the lifts I stated above are completely raw, I have only benched once in a shirt and never used a suit of any kind, so I will have some learning to do. I will be competing in the 220 class, right now weighing in at 200, but hopefully the cycle kicks my weight up there. I dont know for sure when we weigh in for the meet. OK here is the training program:

Sunday: Off

Monday: ME legs
Choose 1: Free squat, box squat, deadlift- build up to 1RM

Choose 1: rack pulls, box squats(if deadlift was picked as main exercise) build up to 5RM

leg curls, leg extensions, and hypers, a few sets of each not performed to failure.

Tuesday
Back

pulldowns- 5x10
bentover rows-5x5
one arm db rows 3x8

Wednesday
DE bench, shoulders, traps
speed bench 9x2-3
flyes 3x10
arnold press- 4x8
db side raise 3x10
db rear raise 3x10
shrugs- build up as heavy as possible

Thursday
Biceps and abs
3-4 bicep exercises and 3-4 sets per exercise
heavy ab work

Friday
DE squat
speed squat 8x2, possibly do some speed pulls also
leg extensions, leg curls, hypers- 3 sets each

Saturday
ME bench/tris
Flat bench up to 1-3RM
Choose 1-floor press, pin press, board press, build up to 3-5RM

DB press- 4x8-not to failure

DB flyes- 3x12

choose 2: skull crushers, db overhead press, tri mch ext, dips- 4x8 for each exercise, not to failure

So do you think this program is structured ok? Does the tricep work look ok? I cant decide if it is best to do it with chest or what, i dont know. This week I am deloading from the 5x5 program and trying to recuperate some before I start this cycle. If anyone has ANY tips at all I would appreciate it very much!! Later

 

[AnimalMass]

Oh man, thereis alot to do here. I have a big break tomorrow between class, so I will break this all down then, but go ahead and order the frantz poly breifs, but don't get a shirt from them. If you don't have much money and aren't used to using a shirt, then I can probably get you a new titan fury or F6 single poly much faster than Titan can get it to you.

Frantz shirts suck, but their double breifs and double suit are really good starter suits. - But you need to get them in as soon as possible.

PM me with your chest, arm, and shoulder measurements, and I will see what I can get for you in the way of shirts.

Matt

 

[Nate Dawg]

Will do. Also on my DE squat day I will do a 3 week wave, 50%, 55% and 60% then dropping back down to 50% the fourth week. Next week I will be able to get some solid numbers back on my lifts to work with, as this week I am mainly doing accessory work.

 

[AnimalMass]

OK, First things first...

The Gear:
You're running a bodybuilder's cycle of gear. You need to change it up a little bit to help you peak from the meet, rather than stagnate for it. The test enan and eq for the entire run is fine. Run dbol for 2 weeks on, 3 weeks off, and then 3 weeks on going into the meet. Run the tren the last 6 weeks going into the meet. Bump up your dosages of the dbol and tren the week of the meet, and add the prop as well on meet week. Then get off everything, except for the prop after the meet for 2 weeks, and you won't crash quite as hard.

Basically, you are trying to peak your gear use for the meet itself.

OK, gear down....on to training...

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

OK, my training advice will not be set in stone yet. It may float a bit until I figure out exactly where your needs are...

1) When you did the 5x5, were you squatting olympic style, butt to the floor, with a narrow stance? Or you squatting with a power stance to parallel?

2) Also, when you pull, are you pulling conventional or sumo and where is your sticking point? Do you have a hard time locking out your pulls or is it harder off the floor?

Matt

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

Also, you you have any powerlifters that you train with or can with to help you learn how to use a shirt and a suit?

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

OK, your training cycle itself is setup very close to a typical Westside program, however I change a few things up...

1) Our primary goal is to get your 1 rep maxes up on each lift - first raw - and then in the gear, since you have little experience right now with maxing and no experience in suits or shirts.

Here's what you need to do...

ME Squat:
1) Free Squat to a 1 rep max. Wear a belt. (When you get your briefs, squat in them.
2) Deadlift to a 1 rep max. Wear your belt.
3) Light accessory work - don't go crazy, but make sure to work your abs heavy.

Do this 2 weeks in a row, and then we'll make some changes.

Speed Bench:
1) Speed work 9 sets of 3 with about 215-225. - Work up a bit after your sets if you feel good. (If you are using bands or chains, obviously reduce the weight).
2) Accessory. - you know what to do.

Speed Squats:
1) Speed Squats 8 sets of 2. - work up if you feel good - if you don't, don't worry about it.
2) Rack Pulls from about 2-3" beliw knees to a max single.
3) Accessory - (not too much again)

ME Bench:
1) Raw Bench Max
2) 4 Board Press for a 3rm.
3) Accessory.

OK, do that this week, and we'll go from there.

Basically, you're going to be maxing a ton though. You are currently training 6 days per week, which is alot, but is probably ok right now, but as we apprach the meet, you need to start droppingthe extra workouts and lots of the accessory work, and start putting everything you have into your max effort work.

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

If you are up to it, just make this thread your training journal over the next 8 weeks, and we'll work on it together and make sure you really peak your strength going into the meet.

Matt

ps - get suits, breifs, and shirts as fast as possible. Make sure you have a good belt, knee wraps, and preferably wrist wraps as well.

 

[Nate Dawg]

OK, First things first...

The Gear:
You're running a bodybuilder's cycle of gear. You need to change it up a little bit to help you peak from the meet, rather than stagnate for it. The test enan and eq for the entire run is fine. Run dbol for 2 weeks on, 3 weeks off, and then 3 weeks on going into the meet. Run the tren the last 6 weeks going into the meet. Bump up your dosages of the dbol and tren the week of the meet, and add the prop as well on meet week. Then get off everything, except for the prop after the meet for 2 weeks, and you won't crash quite as hard.

Basically, you are trying to peak your gear use for the meet itself.

OK, gear down....on to training...

Matt

Alright, I might just wait till 7 weeks out and start the dbol then and run it up to the meet. I had been thinking about the prop like what you said, I was thinking starting 10 days out from the meet shoot 50mg/day that would equal 350mg of test prop a week plus 600mg of test enan equals 950mg of test, so I think that would be pretty good. Also might start 10days out shooting 75mg ed of the tren.

 

[Nate Dawg]

OK, my training advice will not be set in stone yet. It may float a bit until I figure out exactly where your needs are...

1) When you did the 5x5, were you squatting olympic style, butt to the floor, with a narrow stance? Or you squatting with a power stance to parallel?

2) Also, when you pull, are you pulling conventional or sumo and where is your sticking point? Do you have a hard time locking out your pulls or is it harder off the floor?

Matt

Matt

With the 5x5, I squatted to a box that is 13in tall, it is about 1.5in-2in below parrallel for me. It was a pretty wide stance, nothing extreme, I would say if you measured from the outside of one foot to the outside of the other it would be a little over 3 feet wide.

Normally I pull conventional. My sticking point is everywhere lol.....no, usually I get it about 2-3 inches off the floor then have a hard time from there, I have a problem with hitching also, I just plain suck at deadlift. My main problem is I use my back more than anything, they look like a fucked up SLDL.

 

[Nate Dawg]

Also, you you have any powerlifters that you train with or can with to help you learn how to use a shirt and a suit?

Matt

Ya there is a guy at the gym that is doing the meet too, and he is very knowledgeable on this stuff, so he can help me get everything figured out there. I will go ahead and use this thread as my journal and continue to fill it out up to the meet.

 

[AnimalMass]

Alright, I might just wait till 7 weeks out and start the dbol then and run it up to the meet. I had been thinking about the prop like what you said, I was thinking starting 10 days out from the meet shoot 50mg/day that would equal 350mg of test prop a week plus 600mg of test enan equals 950mg of test, so I think that would be pretty good. Also might start 10days out shooting 75mg ed of the tren.

OK, don't run the dbol 7 weeks out from the meet. Believe me when I say I know what I'm talking about here. You don't want to run it longer than 3 weeks at a time when using it for CNS saturation purposes (which you are, even if you don't know you are.)

I promise you will get better results running the tren the last 6 weeks and then running dbol 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, and then 3 weeks on. - Trust me on this one. I'm a good friend of Author L Rea (Author of Chemical Muscle and Building the Perfect Beast.) - I know what I'm talking about here.

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

OK, the rest sounds good. I can fix your deadlift. Follow that workout for the next week and we'll go from there.

Matt

 

[Nate Dawg]

Ok, I will cycle the dbol as you said. I probably wont have the dbol till the middle of next week. So what dosages do you think I should run for each mini cycle of the dbol? When you talk about saturating the CNS, does it work like after 3 weeks on you stop getting the CNS stimulating effects of the dbol, so you go on for a couple weeks to get strength gains from that, then cycle off to let your CNS clear out, then when you hit it for the 3 weeks before the meet you get the same amount of CNS stimulation again causing greater strength gains that just staying on for 7 weeks straight? that was a long sentence lol...

Yesterday did speed bench, shoulders and shrugs, everything went pretty well. Monday I started the cycle with 150mg prop eod, yesterday I started the enanthate and eq, will continue the prop for another 2 weeks. As the enanthate starts to kick in I may drop the prop to 100mg eod to prevent any gyno issues if they arise.

One other thing, what is wrong with running the tren 8 weeks out vs. starting it 6 weeks out? I know its not good on the body to run for more than 6 weeks or so, but I figured an extra 2 weeks on would just give that much better gains. Not doubting you at all, just wondering why.

 

[Nate Dawg]

Would you happen to have any links to L. Rea's info, or do I just need to buy his books?

 

[Nate Dawg]

Did speed squats today off a box about 2 inches below parrallel, 8x2. Then went to speed pulls for another 8 sets of 2. Did 3 sets of leg ext. leg curls, and hypers. Been sick the past couple days, its been going around here quite a bit lately, before I went to the gym my temp was 99.8, so I wasnt feeling the best, but it got better as time went on. My friend who is doing this same meet was there a bit later, and after he was done with his speed work let me try out his Franz double canvas squat suit. It was loose in the legs, but we got it to where there was a fair amount of tightness. First time I have ever squatted in a suit, then I built up to a heavy single, was soo close to getting 415 off the box, but needed a little spot, so i figured that was decent considering I just got done with a leg workout, and that is the first time I have went heavy in around 6-7 weeks since I have been doing the 5x5 program. Tomorrow have max effort chest, so hopefully that goes good. I think the test prop is starting to kick in, so that is nice.

 

[AnimalMass]

BTW,

You probably didn't know this, but guess who got your friend to do the 5x5? Yep - you guessed it. I convinced his substancially larger cousins to do it.

Matt

 

[Nate Dawg]

lol...thats funny, because I remember when they first told me about it, I remembered reading the program over here, and I thought it was funny how everything they told me was to a tee of what the program over here was.

 

[Nate Dawg]

Did ME chest today, started off with flat bench raw up to a single, got 325, barely missed 335. I am happy with that, considering just 5 weeks ago I finally got my form right and got my ass glued to the bench now. My chest is kinda weak due to my past of raising my hips to get the bar off my chest, so now when I keep my hips on the bench the first few inches are hard getting the bar up. After that I went to 4 board press and built up to 355x3 easy and then hit 365x2 with a little help on a third rep. Then I hit several sets of flyes, rotator cuff work, 4 sets of cable tri extensions, and one set of DB overhead press. My tris were pretty tired by the end of all that. Monday I will have my ME leg numbers in for you Matt, so you will have something to work with.

 

[Nate Dawg]

Yesterday did ME legs, got 405 on the box squat, set about 1inch below parallel, just wearing a belt. Then went to several sets of heavy good mornings, and then some leg ext, leg curls and abs. Matt, sorry I didnt do the deadlifts, but I can guess that it is around 400 +- 10lbs. Been sick since thursday, so I was pleased with yesterdays lift despite all that, that is by far the best box squat I have ever done. Today I am doing back.