Take Two- MP's Meet Training Log

Masters Power

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In the first log our hero (I'm writing this so I am taking some creative liberties here) set a meet PR on the bench and an all-time PR deadlifting and made it in to the top 20 in the Nation in the Over 40 age category (Masters Division) in both lifts at the age of 48.

Goal for this meet is to break the 400 barrier benching and continue closing in on 600 pulling. Training during the nine weeks since my last meet was Dan John's EES program which I did as a means of working on some different variations of the standard lifts with the hope of recovering from the meet while training some of my weaknesses and not hopefully not losing any strength.

My lifts during the DJ programming were paused incline bench, snatch grip deads, squats- had to go to front squats after 4 weeks due to knees issues, weighted pull ups and farmers carries.

In pretty good shape starting this meet training cycle. Knees aren't good but that is why I compete push/pull only and they shouldn't cause me any problems in training leading up to the meet. My only real issue is that my left bicep tendon which I tore just over two years ago and had surgically repaired and tweaked just prior to my last meet is still giving me some issues. I had my doctor who is a former team physician for a major university check it out a couple of weeks ago. He did a series of tests and said there was no need for an MRI because based on my mobility and strength he is convinced there isn't any tear and it is just strained.

My assistance work will be kept light for the next several weeks in the hopes of getting the arm entirely healed up. Meet date is June 20th.
 
4/6

paused bench 5x135, 5x195, 3x245, 2x295, 1x335, 1x360, 4x315
dips 3x12 +45
tate presses 3x12 45
tricep pushdowns 3x10 90
bb curls 10x95, 2x8 115
dumbbell curls 3x10 45

I hadn't done any flat benching since the meet so I was just using this session to gage where I'm at. Form was off a bit as all of the recent incline pressing had me pressing towards the uprights instead of straight up. I was good for 365-370 even with the form issues.

I will start the Bulgarian method of benching to a daily max six times per week in three weeks and run it right up to several days before the meet. Past experience has taught me I can only run it for about eight weeks before I start having some major shoulder issues.
 
4/7

Week 1 Coan/Phillipi Deadlift Program

deads 2x315, 2x385, 2x430
speed deads 8x3 345

3 circuits
stiff leg deads 8x205
bent rows 8x205
underhand lat pulldowns 8x180
good mornings 8x155

Felt like my double at 430 should have been faster and easier but I'm going to chalk it up to not having pulled conventional since the meet 9 weeks ago.

Even keeping the assistance work extremely light like I did today and with the work sets being light also this session took something out of me. Unlike JB and Brutus volume work is not my friend.
 
4/7

Week 1 Coan/Phillipi Deadlift Program

deads 2x315, 2x385, 2x430
speed deads 8x3 345

3 circuits
stiff leg deads 8x205
bent rows 8x205
underhand lat pulldowns 8x180
good mornings 8x155

Felt like my double at 430 should have been faster and easier but I'm going to chalk it up to not having pulled conventional since the meet 9 weeks ago.

Even keeping the assistance work extremely light like I did today and with the work sets being light also this session took something out of me. Unlike JB and Brutus volume work is not my friend.
How fast ate speed deads? Does it apply explosive through the dead motion, or no rest between reps or both?

I thought you said speed work didnt work- did you just mean for bench?
 
How fast ate speed deads? Does it apply explosive through the dead motion, or no rest between reps or both?

I thought you said speed work didnt work- did you just mean for bench?

Both explosive through the dead motion and no rest between reps. 90 seconds between sets which I can do with the weight at this level but will get longer as the weight goes up.

Speed work for bench has never worked for me. On deads I wouldn't program speed work on my own but it is part of a program I have had some luck with. Also speed work on deads provides some conditioning benefits for me.

The other factor is that the "speed" work in the Coan deadlift program starts at 60% of your 1RM max and goes up to 75% which is much heavier than most would consider speed work particularly for most programs I have seen which incorporate "speed" work for bench which typically call for using 50 to 60% of your 1RM. When the weight gets to 70 and 75% I'm still trying to move all reps explosively to lockout but after the first several triples it probably wouldn't look like it to anyone watching.
 
4/8

dumbbell OHP 2x10 50, 10x60, 8x65
cable side laterals 3x10 30
rear delt raises 3x10 60
front raises 3x10 35
ab pulldowns 2x15 120
hanging leg raises 2x12

Went very light on the OHP's trying to let the bicep heal up.
 
4/9

leg press 4x10
leg extensions 3x10
leg curls 3x10
GHR's 15, 13

Knees are still jacked up from a lot of pre meet training squatting so had to switch to leg press today. Haven't done leg extensions forever and threw them in today for no real reason except I felt like I needed more work since I couldn't squat.
 
I cannot be unsupportive to a fellow PLer. Great job on the PRs. Time to set some new ones June 20!!

Are you following a specific peaking program or goin on your own here?

Thanks Doc. I'm running the Coan/Phillipi program for deads which I began this week. I do a modified Bulgarian method program for bench which I will start in 2 1/2 weeks. The rest of my programing is just getting the needed work in and can vary from meet to meet based on working around injuries and what my weaknesses are at the time.
 
Thanks Doc. I'm running the Coan/Phillipi program for deads which I began this week. I do a modified Bulgarian method program for bench which I will start in 2 1/2 weeks. The rest of my programing is just getting the needed work in and can vary from meet to meet based on working around injuries and what my weaknesses are at the time.

Awesome. Cannot wait to see how the coming weeks treat you.
 
4/9

paused bench 10x135, 10x195, 8x245, 7x275, 5x295
paused close grip bench 2x8 225
pull throughs 3x10 140
hip flexion 3x10 30

Light bench day. Left shoulder didn't feel very good so I did a few less bench reps than I had planned.
 
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