April 2019 Training Log: Transition to Meet Prep

Each month, I will do an overview and highlights of my training log. This is an experiment based on a few questions I received on Instagram. If you have specific questions about April’s training, comment below, email me, or DM me on Instagram.

Goals:

• Become as strong as I can for my meet 5/25/19.

• Gain lean muscle mass (eating in a caloric surplus)

Supporting Activities:

• Started nutrition with Sheb Ince (Shebnation) to bulk smart and sustainable. In the past I’ve done RP Templates and I felt really bloated and just not great. Sheb has me steadily gaining weight while my body composition is changing in a way I want to see. I have been tracking macros since 2/1/19. This is HUGE contribution to the changes in my physique, more so than lifting. Lifting will make you strong and has huge benefits on the inside, but nutrition is 70% of the work.

• I don’t really drink alcohol. This isn’t a conscious decision. It just doesn’t fit into my life anymore. It is a lot easier to make food choices that will fuel my performance, as I am not using calories for nutrient-less foods/drinks.

• I see a bodyworker/therapist twice a month to help me with pelvic stability and left hip/glute troubles. These stem from instability in the left pelvis and are addressed in training as well as in warmups.

Training Highlights:

• This covers training from 3/27/19 - 4/30/19

• Switched from offseason to meet-prep program (competition 5/25/19)

• Volume is still high. In March we applied Juggernaut/Chad Wesley Smith’s MRV/MEV method to my training volume.

  • Being an AFAB (assigned female at birth) human not taking hormones or PED’s, I have less muscle mass, produce less testosterone, and therefore need/can handle more volume in order to maintain fitness. AFAB folks not on hormones recover faster and can handle more work week to week, but also lose fitness at a faster rate (meaning strength gained and ability to move the weight. Not the aesthetics/fitness industry meaning)

• With higher bench volume comes a need to take better care of the elbows. Regular rolling as well as wearing elbow sleeves in the squat has accomplished this.

• I squat and bench twice a week and deadlift and OHP once a week. Earlier in this block I was benching 3x/week, but I became too fatigued.

  • Split is

    • Bench

    • Squat

    • OHP/Alt bench (do overhead first to be more fatigued on bench)

    • Deadlift and alt squat (do squat first to be more fatigued for deadlift)

    • I typically add a mobility and recovery day. I walk my dogs frequently and ride my bike in warm weather as well. I also work 50+ hours at the gym, so I am not a super sedentary person at this point in my life.

• Variation in off season transferred well and prevented injury, especially in lower body lifts.

• PR’s

  • OHP 70# 3 x 4 (rep PR)

  • Neutral Bar Bench 90# 5 x 3 (weight and rep PR)

  • Floor Press 100# 2 x 4 (weight and rep PR)

  • Low bar squat 170# 5 x 3 (rep PR)

  • High bar box squat to high box w/ sit back 150# 2 x 3 (weight and rep PR)

  • Sumo Deadlift 230# 4 x 3 (rep PR)

The Training Week by Week

Week 15 (offseason)

• Main Bench

  • Spoto Press 85# 4 x 6

    • Spoto Press to practice maintaining tightness and exploiting my weak point an inch or two above the chest.

  • Decline Bench 75# 3 x 8; 80# 1 x 8

    • More upper back and chest connection. Easier to keep shoulders tucked in this position.

  • Accessories

    • Dips

      • BW 3 x 3 and anded drop set for 8 (medium band)

    • Seated single arm row

      • 35-35# 3 x 12

    • Straight arm tricep extension

      • Mini band 3 x 10

        • Strengthens long head of the triceps and connects to rear delt to keep everything in place on the bench

    • Face Pulls (mini band) 3 x 12

      • More rear delt work needed

    • Tricep Pressdown with Rope handle

      • 30# 3 x 12

    • Hanging leg raises

  • Pre/rehab

    • Roll tricep and bicep for elbows

• Main Squat

  • Low bar Squat 155# 4 x 4

  • High bar Squat 135# 3 x 8

  • Accessories

    • Overhead Lunges 45# 4 x 6

    • Lat pulldown w/ MAT handle 65# 3 x 12

    • Stability ball hamstring curls 3 x 15

    • TRX plank 3 x 1:00

• Overhead Press and Alt Bench

  • Overhead Press 70# 3 x 4; 55# 3 x 8

  • Neutral Bar Bench 90# 5 x 3

  • Accessories

    • Reverse Grip Pulldowns 75# 3 x 12

    • Long head tricep extension w/ band

    • Rear delt raises in cable machine 25# 3 x 12

    • Slingshot pushups 3 x 10

• Deadlift and Alt Squat

  • 145# bar weight with medium chains 6 x 2 (6th set an amrap for 4) with 1:15 rest between sets

  • Sumo block pulls from 1” mat and 30# chains

    • Bar weight 108# 5 x 4

  • Accessories

    • 45-degree back extensions

    • Neutral bar seal rows

    • Single leg glute bridge

    • Side plank with adduction

Week 16 - Deload

• Main bench - swapped spoto press for 3-second paused comp bench to increase time under tension while weight was lower.

• Main Squat- high bar with light chains

• Dumbbell OHP for volume and light chains bench press with axle bar (for more grip and forearm engagement)

• Hex bar deadlifts to rest sumo stance with light Zercher squats b/c why not?

Meet Prep Weeks 1-3

Main Bench Press

• Competition Bench press with commands first, then floor press following

  • W1: 80# 5 x 5 (73%); Floor Press 95# 2 x 2

  • W2: 85# 5 x 4; Floor press 100# 2 x 3

  • W3: 90# 5 x 3; Floor Press 100# 2 x 4

• Accessories

  • Incline Bench 65-80 lbs 3 x 5

  • Slow Dumbbell Kickbacks with shoulder rotation

  • Wide lat pulldowns

  • Barbell Shrugs w/ Lat engagement

  • Dumbbell Rows

  • Single Arm Tricep Pressdowns

Main Squat

Low bar then a variation to follow

• W1: Low bar 150# 5 x 5 (81%); high bar box squat to high box w/ sit back 140# 2 x 5

• W2: Low bar 160# 5 x 4; reverse bands w/ micro minis 185# 2 x 4

• W3: Low bar 170# 5 x 3; high bar box squat to high box w/ sit back 150# 2 x 3

• Accessories

  • Single leg RDL

  • Close Grip Pulldown

  • Single Leg Leg Extension

  • Fire hydrant hip extensions

  • Hammer Curls

Overhead Press and Alt Bench

Overhead press first then competition bench follows

• W1: OHP 55 6 x 5; Comp Bench 65# 4 x 8 w/ comp pause

• W2: OHP 60# 5 x 5; comp bench 75# 5 x 6 w/ comp pause

• W3: 65# 4 x 4; comp bench 85# 6 x 4 w/ comp pause

• Accessories

  • Pullapart with cable pulley (underhand)

  • Isometric DB front raises

  • Isometric DB lateral raises

  • DB Incline rear delt raises

  • Barbell shrugs w/ lat engagement

  • Incline chin-ups with barbell

  • Single leg plank

Deadlift and Alt Squat

Squat variation first then sumo deadlift to follow

• W1: High bar back squat 135# 3 x 5; Sumo deadlift 200# 5 x 5

• W2: High bar 145# 3 x 4; Sumo 215# 5 x 4

• W3: High bar 155# 3 x 3; Sumo 230# 4 x 3

• Accessories

  • Underhand lat pulldown

  • Leg press (w1) then kettlebell swings (w2-3)

  • Chest supported row

  • Facepull in cable machine

  • Weighted plank