Update on USPF Pittsburgh Progress

I have not posted in a bit so here it goes.
I am just relaxing a bit before the meet this weekend. I am doing some cardio and recovery stuff. Mostly band traction shit and rotator work. I am also stretching and using my foam roller a little more as well as my Monster Stick. Probably about 3-4 times a day as soreness sets in from sitting in a chair or walking on concrete floors. It's all going as planned though. I went for my first deep tissue massage in about 2 months yesterday and it was good, but the knots are so deep and rough they were having trouble getting rid of them.

The thoracic outlet syndrome on my right side is drving me insane. There is nothing they can do for it except for surgery and I am not doing that any time soon. My whole right side of my body is disproportionate to the left and when I lift heavy my right arm swells as does my back making benching and squatting a bit difficult. My grip gets slightly weaker if the swelling hits my hand too. I have had this issue since December of 2007 and I have found ways of just strengthen things to get around it. I'm still to young for a surgery that will put me out for about a year if it is not detrimental to my success.

Anyway here it is. I am not dieting to get down to the 220 class. I am just going to eat and see what happens when I step on the scale Friday night. I am floating around 225-227 lbs @ 19.7%bodyfat. My gear is EXTREMELY loose and gives very little support so it feels as if this meet is a raw one sometimes. The only thing tight are my briefs, but they are still about 2 sizes too big. I should be in a 15, but they won't go over my quads so I am wearing a 19 that fit when I weighed 242lbs. Just as a reference I weighed in on November 1st in Parkersburg at 231 lbs (after a depletion) and got my weight back up to about 242 lbs. I was also about 23.5% body fat. Being fat really helped with strength, but things are different now, but for the better I guess.

Squat: Opener 407.7 lbs
Bench: Opener 336 lbs
Deadlift: Opener 429.7 lbs (May do this one raw anyway. My raw max is about 460 lbs)

All attempts are only slightly higher than my raw maxes (except deadlift) and not near what I wanted, with so little support this is what I am going to have to do to have a good meet. I am hoping for a total of 1300 or a bit over though I know with tight gear I should be about 100 lbs more than that. After the meet I am going to start training with Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 method. This is all going to be basic raw training to get my strength up as high as I can before I incorporate gear again. Plus the initial lighter weights are going to be a welcome relief. I will keep things updated as much as I can, but should have pics and videos up by Sunday or Monday.

Later,
Deutsch

Last Squat Session Before Deload!

Squat (wan't planning on going this heavy, but I was trying new things)135x2x5
225x2x2
315x2x1 (Added Briefs)
365x1 (Added Suit)
415x4x1 (3x Metal IPF Squatter, 1x Tight Inzer TRX)
435x2x1 (Reverse Bands -50 @ Bottom) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq2es-wEAmw
485x1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6RoQ7fiKU8

(407.7 is projected opener)
I had a 480 squat in my last meet. I weighed in at 231, but got my weight back up and my gear fit nicely. Things have drastically changed recently. I am eating my ass off, but after cleaning up the diet and loosing almost 20lbs I am staying at a constant 225-226.5lbs. This is a good thing, but since I am only cheating once or twice a week the gains I get from carb loading come off easily. I have always had an easy time losing weight, but gaining is normally a bitch. My gear is loose as shit now, but I am broke and don't have the dough to buy new or even have this altered. I am going to use my Inzer TRX in this meet even though I normally train in my Metal IPF Squatter. The hips are really tight, but with the weight loss I can actually get down in the hole now as you can see in the video. If there is an issue I will go back though. The straps are insanely to big and will actually fall down. I have no support in this area with the gear. Essentially it will be squatting with a pair of briefs that happen to have straps on them. I will get this fixed after the meet if I can, but I am training raw until about June, then occasionally incorp. gear until the meet in September.

Training Update

Alright, well the last few days have been kinda messed up. I have been lazy with the diet and have slept for shit recently. I don't know why though. Probably nerves with the meet coming up and the school shit that I should be doing right now. Its cool though. I weighed 226.5 this morining and have raised my calories to 3400 for today and tomorrow. Then to 3600 for Friday and Saturday.

Brief overview of recent training
DE Squat
225x2x2
250x2x2
275x2x2

DE Deadlift
275x2x1
305x2x1
325x2x1

Hip Machine 2x12
Glute/Ham Raises 4x8
Hyperextensions 5x10
Abs (Multiple Movements)

DE Bench
60% 185x8x3
Floor Press 3x5
Pushdowns 2x25
Hammer Curls 2x20
Rotator Pre-hab / Re-hab Work (A Lot)
Upper Body Sled Pull (Multiple Movements)

ME Upper

Low Incline DB Bench
35x25
45x20
55x15
65x10
75x5
90x5
90x5
J.M Press
135x10
135x10
155x10
175x5
Pushdowns 2x25
Hammer Curls 2x20

Didn't have time to complete abs after ME Lower on Thursday
Standing Abs 1x20
Standing Abs (One foot in front) 2x20
Landmines 1x20
Leg Raises 1x20

Today I will do some upper body sled dragging for GPP work.

ME Lower

Squat
135x2x5
225x2x3
315x1
315x1 (Added Briefs)
405x1
405x1 (Added Metal IPF Squatter)
425x1
445x1
455x1 (Used a 1/2" Chain per Side)
Deadlift
135x2
225x2
315x1
405x1
465x1 (Looked hard, but felt really easy. I am using the suit much better now.)
Hyper Extensions w/ 45lb Plate 3x12-15
Seated Green Band Leg Curl 3x15

Bodyweight today was 224.5lbs

Wasn't planning on squatting, but I was feeling a little bit better and healed today and wanted to see where I was at. I was using a rather close stance on Sunday when I hit 445lbs and yesterday used a realtively wide stance and actually placed a box under me for depth.

Yesterdays Conditioning & DE Upper

Yesterdays conditioning was a rough one. It will probably be the last really tough one that I will do going into the meet. I need to back off and conserver some energy. I sleep well though afterwards. It really kicks my ass. We used a deck of cards yesterday which took about 21 minutes and got my heart rate to about 187bpm.
Spades - 25lb Dumbbell Snatch
Hearts - BW Squats
Diamonds - Burpees
Clubs - Push Ups
**If you pulled a 10 of clubs you had to do 10 push ups, an ace was 11 as a king, queen, and jack were also 10's. All numbers were just that. It comes out to be 95 of each move total at the end. The burpees still suck ass.

DE Upper
60% - 175x10x3
3 Rep Floor Lockout @ 280lbs (Pin #2 about 3 board) - 1xClose, 1xMid, 1xWide (285)
Tate Press 2x20
Hammer Curls 2x20

Will drag sled later really light for upper body before I go to the new building.

DE Lower - 90% Test

Squat
50%x5x2 - 240
315x2x1
405x1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwzVEowQl9U)
445x2x1
(445 Side View - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTnnTowlhkk)
(445 Front View - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjC50ukshrw)
Sled Drag 275lbs - 3 Trips Forward & 3 Trips Backward

That was it for yesterday. I wanted more, but had a gym meeting and had to go work on the new place for a bit. I will do some conditioning work today, abs, and grip.Later

Intense Conditioining Session

Quick and intense conditioning session today.

10 Minutes: 4 Cycles
10 Burpees
20 Jumping Jacks
10 Mountain Climbers
20 Dumbbell Cleans (35lbs)

50 Purple Band Pushdowns
20 Monster Mini Band Pull-Aparts
Incline Rotator Rotations 2x20

ME Lower & Upper

I know that I have not been keeping up on the logs lately, but right now my main focus is just getting in the training sessions and other school work. We are also in the process of starting to get a building cleared to move the gym in the very near future. Anyway, I have had a few really great training sessions this week that killed the lack luster shit that I have experienced recently with the weight loss and cold weather killing my knees and elbows.

Thursday – ME Lower
Concentric Suspended Good Morning (About 3” above the navel, feet shoulder width apart)135x2x3
225x3
275x3
315x3
335x3
365x3
405x3 (Added Chains) PR!!
Romanian Deadlifts 4x5 (Standing on bench w/ feet almost touching)
Leg Raises 3x10
Sled Drags 3 Forward 3 Reverse @ 275lbs

Friday – ME Upper (Normally Saturday, but shit happens)
Flat Bench
135x5
245x3
265x2
295x1 PR!! @ 225lbs
315x1 (Added 52 Rage X)
335x1
365x1
370x1 PR!!
315x2 (Added Chains)
Incline Dumbbell Extensions 5x8
Chest Supported Rows 3x10
Side Laterals 3x12
Hammer Curls 100 Reps (50x10, 40x10, 30x10, 25x10, 20x20, 15x40)

Both sessions were great and the pain is relatively gone. I have APT knee sleeves now that I am using and the raw bench shit today I had elbow sleeves. The tendonitis still comes back occasionally.

DE Squat/DL & Bench

Squat:
240x2
265x2
290x2
Deadlift:
285x1x2
295x1x2
310x1x2
Hyper Extensions 4x10

Starting next Sunday I will be doing some different things and checking form for the meet at the end of the month.

Bench:
175x10x3
Floor Press Lock Out 3x5x280 (Close, Mid, Wide Grip)
Tate Press 2x20
Hammer Curls 2x20
Upper Sled Work 2-3 Trips
Sled Drag 2 Plates 6 Trips

All weights felt really light. The floor press was on the 3rd pin about a 5 board. Next week I will use the 2nd pin.