AmIStrongYet's powerlifting log

AmIStrongYet

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Figured I would start a log so I have something to look back on over time. Today is 10 weeks out from my third powerlifting meet. Last real meet I went 474/275/501 @ 220, but at a mock meet earlier this year (my meet was cancelled due to covid) I went 501/285/529 @198.

I'm competing as a 198 (90kg) this time, and looking like I'm going to destroy my numbers from my last meet. I'm working with a coach right now, so I dont have a lot of freedom when it comes to putting my programming together, but after this meet I'll probably go back on my own. I'll probably just update this once a week during prep, and just with my highlights from the week.

I've been running 250 test, 200 mast e for the last 6 weeks, bumping that to 250/400 now. I have some TNE to add in once in a while, and just picked up some halo for the last few heavy sessions. Bodyweight sitting at 86kg so I have a little bit of room to grow, but I dont want to end up having to cut weight.

Lifts from this last week were pretty light, just easing back in after a deload.
SSB 155kg 3x4
Comp bench 105 4x4
Deadlifts 180 3x4
Comp pause squats 160 2x6

Been feeling pretty beat up from hitting a deadlift 6 rep max before the deload, but I'm finally feeling recovered, and excited to train again.
 
Last week went well, finally feeling like I'm back in my groove after my deload.

Main movements were
SSB 170 3x4
Comp pause squat 155 2x6
Comp bench 110 4x4
Deadlifts 195 3x3


Weight is still low, averaging 86.5 kg. Already starting to struggle to get calories in some days so that's not great.

Just about to head in for SSB and touch and go bench. Upper and mid back is feeling sore from laying floor yesterday in prep to sell my house, but that shouldnt slow me down too much.
 
One more week of prep done, into my block of doubles now for a few weeks. Feeling pretty beat up already, getting my house ready to sell means working a lot of weekends on things my body doesn't like, but real life comes before powerlifting.

Top sets last week were
SSB 3x4 @175kg
Comp bench 1x3 @110
Deadlift 3x3 @210

Everything but deadlifts moved great. My lower back has been pretty wrecked which definitely made them move slower than I'd like. Think I might pick up a cheap back brace to use as a ghetto version of a breath belt without spending 200 bucks on a real one. Just something to remind me to brace properly while working around the house.

While everyone on this board was watching the arnold, I was watching the showdown meet. Seeing John Haack total 1000.5kg @90kg bw was INSANE. I swear that man isnt human.

I was having some BP issues a couple weeks ago, started to climb into the high 130s, but I donated blood and added coq10 and upped my fish oils and I seem to back into the low 120s which is good for me. I've always had slightly high BP. going to keep on the supplements and see how much I can get it down and keep it down this offseason.
 
Missed an update last week because I was away at my moms farm. Was a much needed break from work (or rather a change, it's always work when I'm at the farm).

Body is feeling pretty good for being 6 weeks out from my meet, although I feel like I might have a slight pinched nerve in my neck so i went and booked a few chiropractor appointments, and I have a massage every couple weeks until the meet.

Recent big lifts would be
Bench 125kg/275lbs for 2
Deadlift 215kg/474 for 2x2
Comp squat 210kg/462lbs for 2

The squat was pretty ugly. I lost my brace in the hole and got folded on my first rep, but recovered it for the second. Going to have to clean that up a bunch if I'm going to squat in the 500s in 6 weeks.

Still struggling to put on weight, I thinkbits just going to become eat as much as I can all the time and hope for the best. Controlled increases to my calories doesnt seem to be working.
 
Another week closer to the meet and things are feeling goooood. Went to my chiro this week because I had a pinched nerve in my neck, and then went and had the best bench session I've had in a while. My shoulders felt so solid after seeing him. Took my previous bench pr for a set of 2, probably had a third in me. Looking like I'll finally bench in the 300s this meet... bout damn time.

Swapped my tuesday deadlift session with the squat session I usually do on sundays. I'm programmed for a deload on my squats, so I thought I'd put that after a day of work, and do my last heavy DL double today. Added 10mg of halo and 50mg of test base before my workout and absolutely smashed my deadlift. Took what used to be my pr for a set of 2, and I'm sure there were at least 2 more left.

Deadlifts
230x2 last tuesday
240kg x 2 today
Bench
130kg x2
 
3 weeks out from the meet now and things are getting good. Finally into singles now. In the last week I hit

Squat 220kg (485) x1
Bench 132.5 (291) x1
Deadlift 230 (506) x1

The squat and bench moved super nice. Deadlift was slow but that's because I had zero hype going into it.

Been struggling a little bit with my mental health the last week or 2 but I think that's getting better now. Going through a divorce, selling a house, and wanting to quit my job because the place has gone to shit doesnt make for the best mental state sometimes. Had some super productive conversations last week with my wife and family though, and I seem to be in a better place now.

I was getting a little worried I might have to back off my gear use. Blood pressure had been sitting a little higher than I like in the AM, but I've played around with my supps and seem to have that under control too. And in 10 days I can go donate blood again, that should take care of the rest.
 
1 week out from my meet and I'm feeling pretty good. Looks like some big comp PRs coming my way. Recently hit

Squat 235kg/517
Bench 137.5/303lbs
Deadlift 260kg/572lbs

Tomorrow I go in for an SBD day, light squat and dead with a planned 140/308 on bench, and then a light bench Wednesday. Otherwise this week is just walking, hot tubs, and massage. Bodyweight is sitting right at the upper limit for my weight class most days, so I'll probably just avoid salt the last day or 2 before weigh ins, and cut water at noon. Might hit an early sauna before weigh ins if I wake up early and want to help my wilks out a bit.

My elbows have been bugging me after my last few squat sessions, so I'm trying some bpc to see if that helps at all.
 
1 week out from my meet and I'm feeling pretty good. Looks like some big comp PRs coming my way. Recently hit

Squat 235kg/517
Bench 137.5/303lbs
Deadlift 260kg/572lbs

Tomorrow I go in for an SBD day, light squat and dead with a planned 140/308 on bench, and then a light bench Wednesday. Otherwise this week is just walking, hot tubs, and massage. Bodyweight is sitting right at the upper limit for my weight class most days, so I'll probably just avoid salt the last day or 2 before weigh ins, and cut water at noon. Might hit an early sauna before weigh ins if I wake up early and want to help my wilks out a bit.

My elbows have been bugging me after my last few squat sessions, so I'm trying some bpc to see if that helps at all.
Won’t help short term before the meet at all but if those squats are hurting your elbows you need to really work on your should flexibility…… it’s embarrassing how long that took me to figure out.

I always thought my elbow issues were coming from push exercises…. I can’t remember exactly but I think it came to fruition after watching an Ed Coan video. I could even feel the tension in the elbows thinking back…. but was too thick to figure out the obvious.
 
Yeah, it's going to be a focus this off season for sure. I've never been the most mobile guy. I kind of thought I had fixed it for this prep, but once I started squatting over 500 each week it started acting up again. Luckily it never hurts until a couple days later so it shouldnt be a huge issue on meet day.
 
Yeah, it's going to be a focus this off season for sure. I've never been the most mobile guy. I kind of thought I had fixed it for this prep, but once I started squatting over 500 each week it started acting up again. Luckily it never hurts until a couple days later so it shouldnt be a huge issue on meet day.
If you’re pulling forward on the bar (if that makes sense - like cranking on it) for those big squats, that too might be causing it….if your flexibility has improved. It’s crazy how much tension can be placed on the elbows for a squat!

smash that big day! Be sure to let us know how you make out.
 
Well, it's about a week after my meet now, and I'm starting to think about the gym again.

Meet didnt go the way I wanted, for a variety of reasons. I spent the Saturday after weigh ins watching the drug tested day and didnt eat as much as I should have, so I was a little light come Sunday, and then I just kept making technical mistakes. Still set comp prs on all three lifts, ending with 240kg/529 squat,
127.5/286lb bench, and a 255kg/562lb deadlift.

Missed my 2nd attempt bench cause my butt came up, and my third cause I was too focused on not letting my but came up and just didnt keep any leg drive. Missed my 2nd deadlift, got it on my third. Not super happy, but I learned some things.


Took this week off the gym, and I have eye surgery Wednesday so not sure how that will affect my training, but its time to put on size. I was the smallest guy there by about 25 pounds.
 
Figured I should update this again, been pretty absent from the forum since my last meet. I always struggle with getting back into the groove after a comp. Did about 6 weeks of machines and DB work, and then 5 weeks of basic hypertrophy work. Sitting 9 weeks out from my next meet now. Bodyweight is sitting right around 90 kg, so I have some room to grow ans still have an easy cut. Squats are feeling dialed in, hit 180kg for an easy 4x4 last week. Bench is up 5kg from this point in my last prep, hit 105kg for 4x6 last week, and pulled a mediocre 220x2. Struggling to make deads feel right, but tomorrow will be my chance to redeem myself. Plan is 240kg for a double tomorrow, which would match my best double of last prep.
 
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