I’m back at it! After a very long deload week I am officially back into offseason powerlifting training. I missed posting about the last two training sessions before the week started due to a full schedule which even involved a trip to the Elitefts S4 Compound with Purdue Barbell for a seminar with Dave “Under the Bar” Tate himself. Aside from resting up nothing I did this past week is training log worthy, mostly just normal shenanigans and recovery work. The first ME Lower training session since before my last meet went as follows…
- Box Squat (vs. Elitefts Pro Light Bands)
- 45×5, 135×5, 225×5, 275×3, 295×3, 315×3, 335×3
- Paused Front Squat
- 165×12, 185×10, 205×8
- Stiff Leg Sumo Deadlift
- 245×8, 275×8, 315×8
- Glute-Ham Raise – 4×12
- Back Extension – 4×20
- Standing Cable Ab Pulldowns – 4×15
I always forget how much Brandon’s Beta Test program takes out of me during the first week while I am reacclimating myself to powerlifting training but it just means I have to push myself that much harder. Ethan and I were under time constraints today so the rest between sets was not optimal. We pushed through it and even had a little time to catch my breath once we got through the supplemental work and into accessories. During our seminar with Mr. Tate we got learned on how we should tweak our form on some of the accessories (i.e. Glute-Ham Raise) so we are getting some more bang for the buck now. I can already feel everything getting tight and stairs will be hard for a few days but that’s the price we pay for pretending to be bodybuilders for six weeks. I am overjoyed to be back under heavy weights again. Going into the training session I was anticipating getting more weight on the bar but the band/box combo really humbled me today. As per usual I will be alternating deadlift and squat variations on max effort lower days so I have two more heavy days with this movement during the duration of this cycle to get that number up. My power will come back fast now that I’m into powerlifting movements but I will just have to endure this readjustment time to the heavy sets with compound movements. School will be over for me a week from tomorrow and summertime always seems to see faster progress for my lifts than when I’m bogged down with school. It’s time to hop back on the gain train! Until next time!
