Incidentally, here's the meet video:
http://youtu.be/dWJP2WQ1bOA
So, I've got a revised program that should address these issues. It's essentially cobbled together from my old benching habits (which worked) and some new ideas for the deadlift (because linear progression with dead-stop pulls is the only method that's ever worked for that, and I want to experiment with something new).
So, the new layout:
Monday - Warmup
ROM Progression Deadlifts - Starting with a weight I can take for 10 (plus rest-pause) from a reasonable height
Barbell Rows - Either Pendlay- or Bodybuilder-style (see below)
Front Squat triples - as before
Tuesday - Warmup
Tuesday - Warmup
Squat singles - As before
Pulldowns/Pull-Ups - I've found that I can actually do at least one pull-up with good activation now.
GHR - As before (though see below)
Wed - Warmup
Wed - Warmup
Max Effort bench progression - Floor Press, Bench, 2-Board, 1-Board; max triple the first week, max single the next, then switch movement.
DB Bench/Blast Strap Pushups - 6s for the dumbbells, work for 10s on the push-ups
Front Squat triples - as before
Th - Warmup
Squat singles - As before
Pulldowns/Pull-Ups - See above
GHR - As before (though see below)
Fri - Warmup
Fri - Warmup
Deadlift technical work - Dead stop, from the floor. See below.
Rows - May do more bodybuilder-style since I'm already pulling from the floor.
Front Squat triples - as before
Sat - Warmup
Squat singles - As before
Bench tech work - Programmed on Prilepin's table
Press/Floor Press - 5x5. Press during the Floor Press and Bench ME, Floor for the boards.
Dieselcrew rehab and curls as before. Ideally I'd prefer to have the GHRs and Chins on Thursday, but there's no way to arrange that without throwing everything else off. The alternative arrangements (discussed below) make that more viable, but I'm going with this for the time being. I'll pop in tomorrow to test Press weights; I want to start with something doable but not easy. Floor Press weights I can determine based on the ME Day; DB Bench I can test tomorrow as well. Rows I can play around with.
I'm experimenting with the ROM progression thing because it worked pretty well for Emevas and I don't have a whole lot to lose. The longer time under tension with heavy weights should benefit my lower back strength pretty significantly (not sure if I'm going to use a belt, at least initially), and I've got Friday dedicated to technical work. Straight up Bulgarian has worked very well for my squat thus far and will probably continue to do so until my technique is essentially perfect and my technical max is within a very small margin of my absolute max (and possibly not even then).
For the bench, the two approaches that have generally worked best are LP and a rough copy of conjugate - but said rough copy featured an LP for overhead and floor pressing, so there's an LP element either way. This approach pushed my bench up something like 25 pounds in 8 weeks last time I used it, so I'm interested to see how it goes (incidentally, those 25 pounds started roughly where I am now). I don't know if I'll be using the same submax cycle for my bench, though; fortunately, I still have it in my desk organizer, so I can pull it up easily if I decide to try it.
The row style is something of a concern here - part of the reason I'm doing them is to add volume pulling off the floor and stressing my low back without imposing the full strain of deadlifting. A more bodybuilder-style approach will probably work better for Friday, since I'll already have pulled from the floor. I'm also mildly concerned about my technique on GHRs - since the hamstrings function partly to posteriorly rotate the pelvis, it's possible I'm actually compromising the movement. I've asked Mike Robertson via EFS, though considering how anal the question is I don't know if I'll get a response. As it stands, I'll just see how badly they shred my hamstrings and if I like it I'll keep doing it until I get told otherwise.
Ultimately I think that this is a reasonable approach, but I do have some alternative ideas based on other stuff that's worked:
1) Nix the Westside approach and go for straight linear progression on the bench. My guess is that I'd press for 5x5 2-3 times per week; for 3 days I'd just do one each of bench, floor, and overhead, but for 2 I'd either wind up cycling the same way but over more training sessions, or do two at a time and just rotate every 3-4 weeks (probably deloading the one that was staying on). The rotation idea is basically drawn from how I approached ME and supplemental work on conjugate (successful) and the fact that my bench went up like crazy when I switched out to Floor for a while on LP. If I pressed only two days per week I might add in some DB pressing and blast-strap push-ups on a third day to get some lighter work in.
2) In concert with the above, add a third deadlift day (or possibly just take Wednesday off - less likely but convenient). This would free up a lot of work since I'd be able to basically just do Dead/Row or Chin/Front Squat and Squat/Pressing/GHR on alternate days and reduce the extent of planning involved. I'm not willing to just jump onto this to reduce my mental load, but it's an option. This also opens up some options for organizing the deads (ROM -> Deload or Snatch-Grip -> LP or technical work or 3 forward 2 back), so I'm keeping it mind because it does sound appealing. I guess I could actually have both vertical pulling and GHRs on the Squat days there as well, which would probably be very good for my upper back and shoulder health (and - hilariously - still keep the sessions shorter).
I'm working out stuff on my diet but I'm shooting for some manner of omelet or mild shake for breakfast (may try to add a small amount of carb in here), ribs or something else low-maintenance for lunch (with medium starchy carbs), a moderate low-carb late afternoon meal, and then 1-2 shakes and a high-carb starchy meal post-workout. Shakes will consist of whey, creatine, salt, dextrose, and maltodextrin (for now - I guess I could find some other stuff but that's the important bits); I'm not sure about timing yet, but I'm thinking immediately or 30 minutes post-workout and then an hour after that (assuming 2). Given when I'm training it may have to be one and a meal, but I can work that out.
Also note that I may add in some conditioning work earlier in the days once school gets out. My guess is that this'll be alternate days of prowler pushing and some stuff for pressing and pulling (probably just band pressing and rowing, honestly), but we'll see. If this happens then the meal right after will be high-fiber and moderate-to-high in starchy carbs.
Front Squat triples - as before
Sat - Warmup
Squat singles - As before
Bench tech work - Programmed on Prilepin's table
Press/Floor Press - 5x5. Press during the Floor Press and Bench ME, Floor for the boards.
Dieselcrew rehab and curls as before. Ideally I'd prefer to have the GHRs and Chins on Thursday, but there's no way to arrange that without throwing everything else off. The alternative arrangements (discussed below) make that more viable, but I'm going with this for the time being. I'll pop in tomorrow to test Press weights; I want to start with something doable but not easy. Floor Press weights I can determine based on the ME Day; DB Bench I can test tomorrow as well. Rows I can play around with.
I'm experimenting with the ROM progression thing because it worked pretty well for Emevas and I don't have a whole lot to lose. The longer time under tension with heavy weights should benefit my lower back strength pretty significantly (not sure if I'm going to use a belt, at least initially), and I've got Friday dedicated to technical work. Straight up Bulgarian has worked very well for my squat thus far and will probably continue to do so until my technique is essentially perfect and my technical max is within a very small margin of my absolute max (and possibly not even then).
For the bench, the two approaches that have generally worked best are LP and a rough copy of conjugate - but said rough copy featured an LP for overhead and floor pressing, so there's an LP element either way. This approach pushed my bench up something like 25 pounds in 8 weeks last time I used it, so I'm interested to see how it goes (incidentally, those 25 pounds started roughly where I am now). I don't know if I'll be using the same submax cycle for my bench, though; fortunately, I still have it in my desk organizer, so I can pull it up easily if I decide to try it.
The row style is something of a concern here - part of the reason I'm doing them is to add volume pulling off the floor and stressing my low back without imposing the full strain of deadlifting. A more bodybuilder-style approach will probably work better for Friday, since I'll already have pulled from the floor. I'm also mildly concerned about my technique on GHRs - since the hamstrings function partly to posteriorly rotate the pelvis, it's possible I'm actually compromising the movement. I've asked Mike Robertson via EFS, though considering how anal the question is I don't know if I'll get a response. As it stands, I'll just see how badly they shred my hamstrings and if I like it I'll keep doing it until I get told otherwise.
Ultimately I think that this is a reasonable approach, but I do have some alternative ideas based on other stuff that's worked:
1) Nix the Westside approach and go for straight linear progression on the bench. My guess is that I'd press for 5x5 2-3 times per week; for 3 days I'd just do one each of bench, floor, and overhead, but for 2 I'd either wind up cycling the same way but over more training sessions, or do two at a time and just rotate every 3-4 weeks (probably deloading the one that was staying on). The rotation idea is basically drawn from how I approached ME and supplemental work on conjugate (successful) and the fact that my bench went up like crazy when I switched out to Floor for a while on LP. If I pressed only two days per week I might add in some DB pressing and blast-strap push-ups on a third day to get some lighter work in.
2) In concert with the above, add a third deadlift day (or possibly just take Wednesday off - less likely but convenient). This would free up a lot of work since I'd be able to basically just do Dead/Row or Chin/Front Squat and Squat/Pressing/GHR on alternate days and reduce the extent of planning involved. I'm not willing to just jump onto this to reduce my mental load, but it's an option. This also opens up some options for organizing the deads (ROM -> Deload or Snatch-Grip -> LP or technical work or 3 forward 2 back), so I'm keeping it mind because it does sound appealing. I guess I could actually have both vertical pulling and GHRs on the Squat days there as well, which would probably be very good for my upper back and shoulder health (and - hilariously - still keep the sessions shorter).
I'm working out stuff on my diet but I'm shooting for some manner of omelet or mild shake for breakfast (may try to add a small amount of carb in here), ribs or something else low-maintenance for lunch (with medium starchy carbs), a moderate low-carb late afternoon meal, and then 1-2 shakes and a high-carb starchy meal post-workout. Shakes will consist of whey, creatine, salt, dextrose, and maltodextrin (for now - I guess I could find some other stuff but that's the important bits); I'm not sure about timing yet, but I'm thinking immediately or 30 minutes post-workout and then an hour after that (assuming 2). Given when I'm training it may have to be one and a meal, but I can work that out.
Also note that I may add in some conditioning work earlier in the days once school gets out. My guess is that this'll be alternate days of prowler pushing and some stuff for pressing and pulling (probably just band pressing and rowing, honestly), but we'll see. If this happens then the meal right after will be high-fiber and moderate-to-high in starchy carbs.
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