After coming off my best meet performance of my career, I am now officially a beat up powerlifter. I'm having some minor low back issues that I'm working on mending up, and then I'll begin to find a competitive option. My goals for 2017 are to compete in a bodybuilding show and also get back to the platform 100% healthy.

For programming and coaching inquires, please email SmitleyPerformanceSystems@gmail.com or visit brandonsmitley.com


Friday kicked off a new wave of speed bench, with me working in with the Swiss Angle Bar. This is a bar that doesn't get much love from me, except for JM presses, so I'm opting to see how I like it for a wave of dynamic work. For the first day, it felt really good. It's just super comfortable on the elbows and shoulders, but still let's me apply a ton of force. We'll see over the next few weeks what kind of progress I can make with it. I did have to cram this training session in within about 80 minutes or so, which is pretty quick for me on a day in the garage...even training solo. Adrian has been having some car issues, so I've been her chauffer lately, and I squeezed this is between clients and needing to pick her up. Would have liked to get maybe another back exercise in there, but since I got ample in on Monday, I felt if I was to skimp on anything it could be a back/lat exercise.

Another week down though, and only one more week until I can finally squat something!


Items Used in this Training Session Swiss Angle Bar Chains EZ Loaders Mini Band Core Blaster T-Bar Attachment Blast Straps

Warm Up Cats & Camels - 10 Quadraped T-Spine Ext - 10 each Band Dislocations - 10 Alternating Band Dislocations - 10 each Band Pressdowns - 15 Band Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns - 15 Band Face Pulls - 15 Single Arm Band Fly - 15 each Band Rows - 15 Band Curls - 15

A1) Swiss Angle Bar Speed Bench Press vs 2 Chains Per Side 45x10 45x5 - add chains 75x3 95x3 115x3 130x10x3

B1) Swiss Angle Bar Bench Press vs 2 Chains Per Side 165x5 195x10 - PR

C1) Swiss Angle Bar Speed Bench Press vs 2 Chains Per Side 135 x 20, 20, 15 *I was a bit more aggressive on my 3 sets of 20 this go around. I should be able to get this by the end of the 3 week cycle.*

D1) Wide Grip Pull Ups vs Mini Band 3 sets, max reps

E1) T-Bar Row 3x10

F1) Standing Cable Rows 3x12

G1) Blast Strap Y + T 3x8+8 G2) Split Stance Band Lift 3x15 per side


Brandon Smitley
Tagged: Training Log
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