I’m currently in meet prep for the 2016 XPC Finals at the Arnold Sports Festival on March 5th, in Columbus, Ohio. I will be competing at 132 pounds, raw with knee wraps.

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

Tuesday's speed day was a doozy! Lots and lots of volume and work, but I was feeling really good and did a great job of getting in some quality work. It was just one of those days where you felt like you could keep training forever and whatever you put on the bar would happen. I still reigned things back a bit in terms of not putting the weights too much, but the volume of work was still high.

Like I mentioned in one of my other log posts, I'm only going to be deadlifting heavy every other week. So during my odd training weeks, I'll be pulling heavy. No direct speed work, but during my lighter warm up sets, I still be sure to pull as fast as I can. Next week I won't deadlift heavy at all and just do some speed work and move on.

My deadlifts seem to be going really well so far, and weights felt easier than I was expecting. After my technique work with moderate weights, I worked up to a decently heavy triple, then single, with reverse bands. This gives me a good gauge of where I can expect to make a reach for a 3rd attempt. On my straight weight work I am not using straps, but on my supplemental work where I work up I am sticking with the straps until about 2-3 weeks out. I've learned that as long as I'm training my grip directly, this has no ill effect and actually saves my hands for the meet.

Little things, but certainly one hell of a day from a workload standpoint.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLiXOh_-vv4]

Items Used in this Training Session
EZ Loaders
Chains
Cambered Bar
Average Bands
SS Yoke Bar
Mini Bands
Spud Ab Strap

Warm Up
Reverse Hyper - 3x15
Standing Cable Crunch - 3x15

A1) Cambered Bar Speed Squats vs 3 Chains Per Side
All reps paused in the hole
65x10
65x5 - add chains
115x3
135x2
155x2
175x2
190x12x2

B1) Sumo Deadlifts
135x5
245x5
295x3
335x3
385x2
405x4
430x2x3

C1) Reverse Average Band Sumo Deadlifts
425x3
475x3
495x3
515x3 - PR
535x1 - PR

D1) SSB Squats
65x5
155x5
205x3
235x3
265x5
305x5
345x10 - PR

E1) SSB Good Mornings
65x10
115x10
155x10
205x10
235x10 - PR

F1) Poor Man Band Assisted Inverse Curls
3x10

G1) Reverse Hyper
3x20
G2) Seated Band Leg Curls
3x20

H1) Standing Cable Crunches
4x20