12 days until the meet and the days are flying by even faster now that this final day of max effort work is complete. In total I plan to only have 4 more training sessions before hitting the platform, two dynamic days and two active recovery days. As for today’s training, after a fairly dissappointing deadlift day two weeks ago, every attempt I took moved faster than I’ve ever felt it move. All my pulls as well as the rest of the work today went as follows…
- Stretch and Warm-Up
- Deadlift
- 135×3, 225×3, 315×2, 405×1, 455×1
- Last Warm Up: 495×1
- Opener: 525×1
- Second: 545 (4″ Blocks)
- Bent Over Rows
- 95×15, 115×15, 135×15
- Dumbbell Shrugs
- 80×20, 90×20, 95×20
- Glute-Ham Raise – 3 Sets to Failure
- Planks – 3×60 seconds
My top full rep of my day is my projected opener for the meet, the 525 pull in the video above. At first, I was feeling like my pulls weren’t as good as they have been in the past during preps. After looking at my old logs though, I realized that I am pulling more weight more times than ever before and will be opening 20 pounds heavier than last meet.This coupled with my success on he squat and bench over the past 5 weeks has me stoked for meet day and more anxious than ever to see what I am capable of. While I’m on the subject, here is what my openers on meet day are looking like…
Squat: 515
Bench: 315
Deadlift: 525
I am very proud of where I am at with my training, despite have a few roadblocks pop up here and there. Like I said to my teammates the other day, this is my last powerlifting meet as a member with Purdue Barbell. I have competed 6 times before this and will have competed every semester that I have been a member of the club. I have gone from an ex-high school football player that had lost his purpose for training, to the president of this organization surrounded by wonderful, smart teammates who all push me to be at the top of my game everyday.
I am not going to get an elite total at this meet, I am not going to set any records of significance or walk away as the best overall lifter. Don’t get me wrong, all of those things will happen one day. Lord willing, I will one day be able to realize these goals. But for this meet, my goal is to enjoy one last big one with my guys and gals. To watch them succeed as members of this organization that I have had the pleasure to leave a mark on. The goal for this meet is to best my personal records and to help my teammates do the same in whatever way I can. As long as that is my focus, this will be a day to remember and one I’m sure will stick with me for a long time.
Now that all that gooey crap is out, its time to start the recovery work. For those interested, spoiler alert, I woke up at 11lbs over 242. It looks like ol’ Josh might have one last meet at 242 in him. Until next time!
Training: by Josh Lytle 