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Full Workout Logs

Starting 2/12/07

Rotation VI

By Gary F. Zeolla

These workout logs are continued from Full Workout Logs: Starting 12/15/06: Rotations IV and V.

Stats:
Age: 45
Weight class: 114s/ 123s.
Next contest: Possibly IPA Worlds, June 23,24 in York, PA.

For details on this routine, see Training Routine Format - 3 Week Rotation.

Warm-ups are in brackets. All weights are in pounds. Format: pounds/reps.
Workout time includes set-up, warm-up, lifting, stretching, and clean-up.

Rotation VI; Week One

Bench assistance

Monday – 2/12/07

Standing Press: [DBs: 10s/15, BB: 45/10, 60/6, 75/3] 85/6, 90/4

Dips: [--/10, 35/6, 60/3] 75/5, 75/5

DB Rows (elbows in): [35/8, 47/4] 57/5, 57/5

Reverse Curls: [50/8] 60/7, 60/7

Rotator Cuff (two exercises): [7.5/12,12] 12.5/12,8 12.5/12,8

Bicycle Abs (reps to each side): 30, 30

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout Time: 1:22

I had increased my upper back work the last couple of weeks, and with this workout, I could tell that was a big mistake. As I was doing the DB rows, my upper back just didn’t feel right, and afterwards and today, it is really sore. So I’m going to have to skip my next upper back work and maybe even a workout altogether, and then cut back to what I was doing. But this does explain why squats went well last week but benches and DLs not so much.

____________________________________

Squat assistance

Wednesday – 2/14/07

Low Squats: [55/15, 105/10, 155/6, 200/3] 225/5, 240/4, 255/3

Partial Squats: [235/6, 285/3] 325/5, 345/4, 365/3

Standing DB Calves: [15/12] 25/11, 25/11

Step-ups: 3:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout Time: 1:24

____________________________________

Bench assistance

Monday – 2/19/07

Close Grip Benches: [45/15, 75/10, 100/6, 120/3] 135/6, 140/4, 145/3

Rack Benches: [125/6 145/3] 160/5, 165/4, 170/3

Lat. Pulldowns (underhand grip): [45/8, 70/4]

Hammer Curls: [20s/8] 27s/8, 27s/8

Crunch/ Reverse Crunch Combo: 10/25, 10/25

Heavy Bag: 3:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout Time: 1:26

My upper back has been feeling overtrained. So I moved this workout from Friday to Monday to give it time to recover. I wasn’t sure if I should do the lat. pulldowns on this workout, so I compromised. I did my warm-up sets but skipped the work sets. Hopefully, I’ll be good to go for my deadlift work on Wednesday.

____________________________________

Deadlift assistance

Wednesday – 2/21/07

Platform DLs (3” platform): [55/15, 145/10, 205/6, 260/3] 290/5, 310/3

Stiff-Leg DLs: [195/6, 235/3] 260/5, 280/3

Jump Rope: 3:00

Stretching: ~ 10 minutes

Workout Time: 1:15

Still feeling a little overtrained, so I kept this workout short and at a lower intensity.

Rotation VI; Week Two

Rotation VI; Week Three

Bench Assistance

Monday – 3/5/07

Decline Bench: [55/15, 95/10, 125/6, 155/3] 175/5, 180/3

DB Presses (alternating arms): [10s/8, 20s/8] 25s/8, 25s/8

BB Rows (medium grip): [65/8, 85/4], 95/6, 100/5

Reverse DB Curls: [20s/8] 27s/8, 27s/8

Rotator Cuff: [6.25/12] 10/10x2

Twisting sit-ups (reps to each side): skipped

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout Time: 1:26

Feeling a bit “off” for this workout, probably due to my hard workouts last week. So I didn’t push too hard. I skipped the sit-ups since my obliques were still sore from Friday’s side bends.

____________________________________

Squats, many problems (long, sorry)

Wednesday – 3/7/07

Squats with gear: [55/15, 145/10, try Titan briefs and Frantz suit: 240/--, remove briefs and Frantz suit, try old Crain suit: 240/2]

Raw Squats: [145/8, 195/8] 235/8, 245/8, 255/8

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout Time: 2:00 (but meaningless)

Gear problems continue to haunt me. I couldn’t get the new Crain suit for work for me. It was tight in the hips but too long in the torso. I thought of getting it altered, taking some material out of the middle of the torso. But with the way it was bunching up, I had no idea how much too take out. So I just returned it. It was a shame, as it looked like a good suit if it had fit right.

So for this workout, I first tried wearing my Frantz suit over my new Titan briefs. I got it all on without too much problems. But when I tried to do a set, I had the same problem as when I tried wearing briefs under this suit at my last contest, the material dug into my testicles, and the pain was unbearable. I tried shifting the briefs and suit around some as best as I could. But not matter what, as soon as I tried squatting down, it would dig in. And mind you, I was barely squatting down at all as I simply couldn’t get down very far with just 240. So again, it was a shame as the combination might have worked well. But as it was, I had no choice but to take it all off.

At this point, once again I was feeling disgusted over gear problems and rather tired from putting the gear on and taking it off. So I laid down for a few minutes to rest and figure out what to do. I decided to use my old Crain suit. But once again, when I squatted down, it was digging into my testicles.

This was strange as I’d worn this suit many times before, but maybe I was feeling extra “tender” down there due to the previous attempts. But whatever the case, I again had no choice but to take off that suit. So now, just like at my contest, I was exhausted from putting on and taking off two different suits.

So I laid down and rested some more and tried to decide what to do. I pulled out a calendar and counted out the weeks until IPA Worlds. I figured if I started with this workout, I could get in a full 11 of my 9-10 day training “weeks” before the contest. IOW, I’d get in 11 workouts for each powerlift if I did them every week rather than rotating the powerlifts with assistance work like I have been doing.

I figure that 11 workouts for each lift will be enough to get prepared to compete raw. So I quickly thought up a cycle and started that with this workout. I’ll use a basic cycle of starting with eight reps and gradually increasing the weights and dropping the reps over the 11 weeks. I won’t do singles until the last week or two before the contest.

I could still change my mind and use gear. In that case, I'd start adding it in the second half of this cycle. But for now, I am planning on going raw. But unlike last year, raw this year will be the more standard definition of no wraps, just a belt. Also unlike last year, hopefully this time I’ll have enough time until the contest to get prepared so I don’t end up injured.

My new routine is described at: Training Routine Format - Starting 3/7/07. My new workouts start at: Full Workout Logs: Starting 3/7/07: Weeks 1-6 of 11.

Full Workout Logs: Starting 2/12/07: Rotation VI. Copyright © 2007 By Gary F. Zeolla.

Powerlifting and Strength Training
Powerlifting and Strength Training: Full Workout Logs

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