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Post Info TOPIC: Dwayne's Training Blog


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Dwayne's Training Blog


Thanks guys. This is my best 190 yet. At my height I really should be competing at a higher weight but I have to remind myself that my weight is not what the judges see when they place people. The 08 pics were about 182lbs. So over the year, I gained 7 lbs (20 lbs since the 2007 shows). A portion of it was fat but I know with the strength gained a portion of it was muscle. I won't know what it looks like until I do my next show...which won't be until I get stronger.

The next show will probably be a totally different experience in terms of strength is concerned because this is the first offseason I followed a higher carb approach and the strength gains have been great. In the past I would gain strength through the pre-contest time period because my carbs were always pretty low for a long time. Then this year I jacked them up really high for the first time. So, I'm afraid of dieting at this point. The only thing that will convince me to diet for a show again will be once I hit my strength goals..Why?

Because I will feel like I accomplished something and because I will finally be my strongest entering a pre-contest phase for the first time ever. It will finally be a challenge to maintain my strength through the dieting period...and not just another diet where I get stronger throughout.

Who knows...maybe it will be exactly the same as in the past I will just get stronger anyway.

-- Edited by winflex at 00:35, 2009-01-04

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ME Lower
1. Deadlift: 135/10 205/5 5 265/5 305/3 330/1 365/1 405/1 425/1***PR
2. Reverse Lunge w deficit: 85/10 10 10
3. 45 deg hyper (focus on glute ham): 20 20 20
4. Ab circuit (Situps/SideBend/R.crunch - nonstop): 3 sets of 15 (45 plate on side bend)

And the hits keep coming. 425/1 PR on deadlift. I was definitely rocked after that one.  I broke the floor nicely after a reevaluation of my technique.  Before my stance was a bit too wide and that was taking my quads out of the first part of the motion.  I brought my stance in a little bit so I could get a little more quad in the floor break and I was having no trouble at all with that today.  The lockout was strong but I was sore.  Bent rows yesterday and shrugs definitely were kicking in.  I would be capable of more if I was more fresh but I missed Thursday due to the closing time of the gym so I had to do these days in a row to keep to my schedule.  There was a less recovery between workouts.  Not sure if I will go for a PR next Sat or work on some reps with a lower weight.  (I'm only about 20 lbs away from the 445 lb goal I made a while back.) I'll wait and see how I feel.  I might work on sets with fives or threes with some where between 365 and 405. (Note: These are not bounce reps. Each rep is done with a reset from a deadstop...hence the name deadlift.. I do bounce reps when I do Hang DL's or what I used to call Bodybuilding Deads as an assistance exercise).

Reverse lunge off platform (for more depth) went well. I'm going up next week. I wish my gym had the higher boxes like Ironsport has so I could do deep step ups. Those were great. Went really slow on the eccentric on the 45 deg hypers and really hard and fast on the concentric really focusing on extending that hip as much as I could.

Finally, I really wish my squat could progress like my bench and deadlift have been.  I have to be patient.  I know I'm doing the right things and it will come soon enough.


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Some thought.

How about changing the squat rep scheme and get away from the singles?
Most times you would drop the weight and start over with multi reps and work yourself back up. This also help the mind!

Let me know as I can send something over.

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Yeah send it. I definitely think singles can be stressful on the mind. I was thinking of going down to 3-5'ers again on the max days and 10-15'ers on the rep/assistant days.



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DE Bench

Haven't done a dynamic bench in a while and I could definitely tell that my bottom speed is slower now so I'll stick with the dynamic instead of RE for a little bit to get my speed back up...which will ultimately lead to an even bigger bench.

Bench Press: bar/20, 95/20, 135/5, 165/5, 185/3, 210: 8 sets of 3, as fast as possible on each rep and 30-45 seconds between sets (yes I now have a stopwatch)
Parallel grip Chin: 15 15 12 10 (beat my last four set total by 2 reps)
BB muscle clean: bar/ 15 15 15 15
L-lateral raise: 15/15 15 15 15
BB Shrug: 135/10 225/10 285/15 15 15 15 (no straps, medium thick bar)
BB curl (top down): bar/10 5 75/ 10 10 10

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Weak point training
Abs, hams, lower back, upper back....all light 3 sets of 15.

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So little old me was worried about my squat....well today I turned that around.

Assistance Lower
1. SQ: 45/2 sets of 10 95/10 115/10 135/10 145/5...feeling strong after the lightweight and decided to turn my light assistance into a full fledged war.
2. SQ: 175/5 205/5 225/5 245/5 265/4**PR
3. Pin SQ: 135/10 10 8
4. Pull through: 100/15 150/16 200/15
5. Roman Chair: 0/15 30/15 50/10 70/8

So today I was victorious in the war.  Hitting a PR with a weight I previously could only do for a single...I hit four reps.  Biomechanically, I feel I get into a better squat position when I go a little heavier. Really felt the adductors, hams, and glutes...and I feel stronger.  This too is after a workout where I worked some weak points (hams, glutes, low back).  I thought I would be too fatigued to do a heavier workout.  But ironically, I think the lighter workout helped me to recover faster.  Tomorrow is a full day off...which will be nice.  Pin SQs are squats in a rack where you lower the weight to the pin, rest it for a second and then power it back up.  These I did to try to get away from the box.  Talk about hitting all the weak areas.  I love this new exercise and will probably stay with it for a while.  I actually hit a PR on pullthroughs too but its an assistance exercises so I don't count it...I'm just happy with the progress.


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So today I have good news and bad news..

Start with the good news...
First off I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

Second off my workout was awesome..long but awesome...check it out:

ME Upper
1. BP with thick bar: bar/10 95/8 175/5 sets of 3 (fast to get my speed up) 225/5 265/3 285/2 315/1 360/1 **PR (only 5 lbs away from the last goal, I will hit it next week for sure)
2. Strict Military Press Standing thick bar: bar/5 95/5 sets of 3 (fast to get my speed up) 125/5 135/5 155/5 *PR 175/2 *PR 185/1 *PR
3. BB Row thick bar: 135/5 165/5 195/5 205/5 225/5* 245/5* 205/10*tie
4. T's: 15/ 3 sets of 15
5. BB Shrug thick bar: 275/ 3 sets of 15 (again no straps, both hands pronated)
6. Incline Curls: 30/ 2 sets of 12

After bench, I had a massive pump and felt sky high. I had to do a quick break to bring me back to the ground.  I'm only 5 lbs away from the 365 goal.  I have never done that before.  I hit a bunch of PR's on Military...but that's mostly because I never attempted to lift those weights before.  Next time through however, I will stick with around 155 for the sets across so I build up the strength.  

Now I have the mindset of do what you've never done to achieve what you've never achieved.  So I carried that mindset over to BB Rows and really surprised myself.  Again these rows are all the way over bent, I pick the bar off the floor in the rowing position and never approach vertical at all.

At the end I did a few sets of five with squats with 135 to stretch the legs and also work on form.

So now the bad news...

Although I am off from work tomorrow, its because there was a death in my wife's family.  We will be going to the viewing tomorrow and funeral on Saturday.  So down times this weekend : (


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Sorry to hear about that Dwayne. I had an uncle passaway right before new years. It hard to keep focus when something like that happens.

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Sorry to hear about the loss Dwayne.

And stop benching if you want your squat to catch up!

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Thanks for the condolence Joe and CoachB.

Joe, I don't think my bench has anything to do with my squat : )

With all the emotion today and the traveling yesterday, I still was able to muster some time to escape it all and workout. It was not a stellar workout but I got it in and was able to have some separation time from reality.

ME Lower (Deads)
1. DL: 135/3 sets of 5, 210/2 sets of 5, 275/5, 315/3, 340/1, 360/1, 385/1, 405/1, new max attempt: 435/0, punishment set for not making the new max: 275/15
2. Horizontal Hyper: BW/10, 10/13, 25/12
3. Plate loaded Reverse Hyper: 0/10 20/12 40/12 90/10 10
4. Roman chair/sidebend/Reverse Crunch: 3 sets of 15 with 10/45/BW

So I didn't hit my new max on deads and I chalk it up to a hectic day and my traps and back are sore from rows and shrugs the other day. I gave myself a punishment set. Again those were from the floor dead stop on each rep...no bouncing. I guess you could call that a PR but since it was punishment....I just call it PUNISHMENT. I'm beat up right now...and I'm about to deload soon. I was also at a different gym...thankful it was a 24 hr one. They had some really cool apparatus there. Its a big powerlifting gym up in Clarks Summit PA called Brown's Gym. IF you are in the Scranton Area, this is a good gym to go to if you are looking for hardcore. I always go there when we go to Jen's family's house. Anyway, tomorrow is the long drive back to Central New Jersey and I'll try to squeeze in a quick upper body workout..and just take a day off on Monday...no extra stuff.

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Sorry about the loss in your family Dwayne

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Appreciate it Dave.

Got home today and hit the gym.

DE BP
1. BP:bar/10 95/10 135/8 155/5 175/3 195/3 [215/ 8 sets of 3 fast reps with only 45 secs b/w sets]
2. Parallel grip Chin: 15 15 13 10 (1 more rep than last time total)
3. Seated DB Cleans: not done..need some trap recovery
4. L-laterals:20/15 15 15 15
5. BB Shrugs: not done...need some trap recovery
6. BB Curl:bar/10 65/5 85/10 10 10

Starving...gotta go eat. Day off tomorrow.

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Today
Day off - foam roll

Yesterday
SQ Assist
1. SQ: bar/5 95/5 135/5 165/5 195/5 225/5 245/5 265/2 225/5 4
2. Pin SQ: 135/5X5
3. Pullthrough:200/15 10 10 10
4. Roman Chair: 70/10 10 10 10

It was a great workout although I fell short of my previous PR of 265 for 4. Technique-wise, I am feeling the hammy bounce reflex really well now. But I definitely know that I need to deload soon as my recovery system is asking for it big time. Only one more day in this loop tomorrow, ME BP, and then, a big deload is coming my way...ONE FULL WEEK. I will make sure that I stretch, get massaged, a lot of soft tissue work, some sauna, maybe a little swimming, and do some weight lifting but none of the compounds that I've been working on...just circuits to keep up the blood flow and maintain the muscle.

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Insane workout...
slump has left the building but deload is still necessary as I'm feeling it already.

ME BP
1. BP: several warmups..cut to the chase...365/1...now I can stop benching : )
2. OHP: couple warms, 155/5 5 4 4
3. BB Row: couple warms, 245/5 255/5 5
4. Incline Y: 15/20 20
5. BB Shrug: 3 wms, 495/5 (decided to go heavier, since my reppage has been higher before)
6. Incline Curl: 35/12, 12

CARDIO: Triple non-stop drop set squat: 185/15, 135/10, bar/20, my butt has never been as pumped.

Deload starts tomorrow. I'm going to switch up my ME exercises. I've been doing ME Bench for two cycles in a row...so I'll switch to OHP. I just finished an ME for Deads...so its back to squats.

Can't wait for my week away from the heavies. My mind and body need a break.

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Yoster wrote:

Dwayne,

This is what you look like in the off season?  Holly crums!!  I'm dieting my @ss off and I WISH I was cut like that.  Great progress as well!!



The cuts are due to good overhead lighting. haha!

 



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winflex wrote:

Yoster wrote:

Dwayne,

This is what you look like in the off season?  Holly crums!!  I'm dieting my @ss off and I WISH I was cut like that.  Great progress as well!!



The cuts are due to good overhead lighting. haha!



OK - well then - I'm going to need those lights!!  See you Sunday



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See you tomorrow.

Deload day 1
rolling, stretching, mobility.
reverse lunge off platform: bar/10 95/ 8 8 8
45 degree hyper ext: 0/15 25/10 45/ 10 10
Ab circuit (situp, sidebend, rev. crunch): 3 sets of 10 with 20lbs, 55 lbs, and 0 lbs respectively.

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deload day 2
rolling stretching mobility
parallel grip chins: 15 15 15 10
Db upright row: 25/15 15 15 15
Dips: BW/ 20 20 14 (whoa dipping strength has gone down a lot...haven't done them in a while maybe I will add them as an assistance exercise next round)

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restoration today
foam rolling stretching and sleeping early.

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deload day 3
again foam rolling, stretching, mobility

DB step lunge: 25/12 30/12 35/12 40/12 45/12
GM's: bar/10 10 95/10 10 10 10
Weighted situps (behind head): 10/10 15/10 20/10 25/8 immediate drop 0/20+

Went home.

I can feel the joints getting better and the built up fatigue of the past several weeks fading away. I'm still tight though up in the traps and upper back and hammies though.

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Your tight in the traps from the weight behind head sit ups!!! wink


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Could be.

OHP: bar/10 10 95/10 10 115/10 10
fat man row: legs on floor/ 10 10 legs on bench/ 10 10
YTWL: 12/ 2 sets of 5 in each direction

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Off day...flexed a half day today since wife had off today. I went to the gym with her to help; kind of a gym date. Fun, hadn't done that in a while.

Future plans: I'm going to start up a three day a week Sheiko Powerlifting program. More details to come tomorrow.




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Did not yet start my program up but today was a normal scheduled lift day and I had no idea what I was going to do...SO I SQUATTED going after 5's at first....but then I changed my mind...

And boy was I pleased with the results:
bar/ 10 10
150/ 5 5
185/5
205/5
235/3 (stopped early on purpose because at this point I wanted to test my new max)
255/1
290/1 (This was a PR for me and it felt great...I got it on video)
300/1 (Another PR...I didn't get this one on video because my disk was full and I didn't want to erase the 290 just incase I failed on the 300)

So in a couple of weeks I'm pretty sure I will hit my 315 goal. The light week (with no squat, deads, or benches) helped me to recuperate and I'm glad I did it.

Closed the workout out with some light SLDL's: 135/10 185/10 225/10 275/10 295/5..I think my hamstrings got the point by the time I was at 295.

Called it quits and then video'd one my gym associates do their speed deadlifts with 500 for three reps with their camera.

After I saw 500 being picked up by my 200lb buddy, I made a goal for myself of deading 500lbs and getting up to 200lbs and tight. I'm pretty sure my squat will follow my deadlift nicely as it has been so far.

Stay tuned for the 290 squat vid.

-- Edited by winflex at 22:12, 2009-01-24

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Alright so what's my new total
Bench: 365
Squat: 300
Deadlift: 425
Total:1090

Sheesh, If I had gotten that 435 a couple weeks ago, I would've been at 1100 now.

Honestly, i think I'm at the point I have to make some 2009 goal setting.
Goals:
Bench: 405
Deadlift: 500
Squat: 405
for a total of 1310

this is all raw (only a belt). Beasty weights for beasty proportions!

-- Edited by winflex at 22:41, 2009-01-24

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Awesome work Dwayne.

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Rock on!

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I've been out a few days from training because I came down with a really bad cold.  Felt like my head was going to explode all the time but now I'm on the road to recovery and ready to rock the house with the new program I am about to commit to.  Its is Sheiko Powerlifting Program #29.

My previous powerlifting workouts have basically been a hybrid between Louie Simmons Westside Barbell (WSBB) and Joe DeFranco's Westside for Skinny Bastards program (WS4SB).  WSBB includes maximum effort days (ME) to build the ability to strain under a heavy weight, and dynamic effort days  (DE) to build the ability to accelerate and have explosiveness.  WS4SB includes ME and DE days but also repetition effort days (RE).  RE days help with the volumization of the muscles which is important for skinny bastards.

My analysis of these programs was that I love them.  However, I feel it improved my bench and deadlift a lot more than my squat.  I can't complain though.  It did finally get my squat to the 300 mark.  The emphasis in these programs is to find your weak points in the lift by analyzing your form on the ME days and choosing the right assistance lifts to help develop the strength needed to reduce those weak points. 

That approach works great when it comes to exercises that I am already very coordinated in....like the bench and deadlift.  It works okay for the ones that I'm not as coordinated in (squat). However, lately I do think that my squat coordination is improving; so, that made me do some research and I stumbled across the Boris Sheiko Powerlifting Programs.

The beginner program is basically aimed at hammering down the neuromuscular coordination needed for the competition lifts.  This alone will increase the strength of the movement.  Also, the weights used aren't ME or DE (aka...straining weight 90%+ 1 RM, or lighter quick moving weight, 50-60% RM).  The weights aren't moderate either like in bodybuilding (aka 6-20 reps).  They are "almost" straining (80-90%RM)  but not quite...which allows the lifter to save up nervous energy for a future true maximal test (aka powerlifting competition).  The training period is called the preparatory period...and the lifts are lifted 2 or 3 times a week.  So, that means, at times, I will be squatting three times a week.  A lot of times I may be squatting twice in one workout.

What you won't see in the Sheiko program is something like barbell curls or tricep pushdowns or leg curls...Iso's are out...only big heavy lifts and lifting them often is in.  Sheiko #29 is 4 weeks long and I will test my strength after that to see the improvements. 

This is just another tool in my arsenal to reach my goals for 2009.

I remember when my 2008 goals were 60-90 lbs away on each lift.  For the most part, I've passed those goals, though lagging in the squat.  This program will more than likely get that squat going like it should...as well as get that deadlift and bench into territory I never used to think about ever doing.

***and if I end up getting strong...maybe i will doing some powerlifting ; )



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