Not Just a Man's World

I am serious about wanting to qualify and compete at powerlifting.  When I started out on this series there were several key problems, such as poor hip mobility.  Having had some reasonable successes at the end of 2009, fixing the remaining problems while also driving up the strength numbers are now the priorities of the program.  

I’m recording my progress in this series: powerlifting progress.  It is serving as a journal and makes me a bit more accountable to my goals. 

This week

I bombed out on bench press, back squat and my deadlift this week and finally decided to change my workouts back to a format I was using earlier in the year.  It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing for a few weeks now.

Why hasn’t the program been working?

For the last month I have been following a program with fewer exercises, fewer sets and longer rest periods.  Chris and I workout together and for the first few months of the year we had been following a program that was generally 4 exercises per workout and 10 sets of each exercise (3 or 4 reps each time) with most sets done on 60 seconds except for the first main exercise which is done on 90 seconds (or was a 5 rep max effort).

This program works well for me since I am very slow twitch.  I recover quickly and can use a weight that is surprisingly heavy in relation to my 3 or 4 rep max while still pushing out 10 sets on 60 seconds.  Chris does not thrive on this sort of program.  He’s fast twitch, struggles with such short rest periods and as such has to use very low weights.  As a result he saw very little progress early in 2010 and we swapped over to a program that would suit him much better but which we hoped would still work for me. 

Unfortunately I’ve seen very little improvement in anything.  In fact, I feel like I’ve regressed in some exercises, perhaps because I’m not working the muscles hard enough to retain the strength I had gained before.

The workouts don’t give me enough work to force my muscles to build more strength (bear in mind that the weight I use for 5 sets of 2 reps done on 120 seconds is almost the same as the weight I use for 10 sets of 3 reps 60 seconds) and I’m sure that the lower work density has played an active role in the weight gain that I saw over the start of April.

For completeness, I’ll give a quick run down of what my workouts looked like this week anyway.

Strongman events

I added weight to both my farmer’s walks and my sandbag (both at 50kg this week) and got all my reps out.  This was incredibly satisfying and has given me the confidence to add a big chunk of weight to my farmer’s walks again in the next session. 

Bench

Action plan

• Maintain – technique
• Develop – lat and shoulder strength

 Progress this week

My bench max effort was a complete flop.  I barely got out a 3 rep max with 32kg, yet I had done a 3 rep max with 38kg only 2 months ago (and a 5 rep max the same day with 37kg).

I did actually start the new program on Thursday and pushed out 10 sets of 4 reps with 26kg.  I’d pitched the weight on the low side but even so, I could still feel my muscles working hard by the end of the workout so I’m hoping that I’ll regain the lost ground pretty quickly.

Squat

Action plan

• Maintain – leg strength and ab strength
• Develop – hip mobility and lower back strength

Progress this week

Another poor squatting week.  My hip mobility was fine but I had lost the groove of the movement after last week and some continuing tightness in my thoracic spine was causing me to arch my back partway through the movement, causing me to tuck for the final part of the squat and making it difficult to get back out of the hole. 

I’ve been working on my thoracic spine mobility and my light bar squatting (30kg) was much better by the end of the week than it was at the start but there’s a way to go to get myself back in the groove.  The new program will see me squatting twice a week so we’ll see how it goes.

Deadlift

Action plan

• Maintain – leg strength and ab strength
• Develop – hip mobility and lower back strength

Progress this week

I made it up to 80kg with a swift pull and good form and was confident of beating my last conventional pull of 82kg.

However, it wasn’t to be.  I may have blown myself out doing all the light squats, or perhaps it was the thoracic mobility but 84kg wouldn’t move more than an inch off the ground.  I tried it twice before dropping the weight to 83kg and trying again.  This moved a fraction further but despite pulling hard and standing there with it dangling just above the ground for what seemed like ages I finally had to call it a day.

Related posts:

1. Powerlifting progress 2010: week twenty-two
2. Powerlifting progress 2010: week thirty-one (bodyweight 2)
3. Powerlifting progress 2010: week seventeen
4. Powerlifting progress 2010: week three