Training Log for February 2004
For February I've decided to keep the intensity as well as the volume rather low in order not to burn out. My big dates this year are July (National Powerlifting Championships) and November (IPF World Championships). No date has been set for the SA Strongman championships yet with the result that I'm currently not doing a lot of events training although I'll increase this substantially in March. Power-wise things are not looking too shabby and I managed a few PRs during February.
Monday 2 February: Maximum Effort Bench Press
| Floor bench with 30kg total chains | 5 sets of 3 up to 150kg |
| 160kg x 1 | |
| 170kg x 1 | |
| 180kg x 1 (nice PR) | |
| Incline dumbell presses | 60kg x 8, 60kg x 8, 60kg x 6, 60kg x 6 |
| Wide grip tricep extension | 11 plates x 12, 12p x 10, 11p x 10 |
| Remarks | Seems like the rest week paid off. Feeling good |
Tuesday 3 February: Maximum Effort Squat
| Below parallel box squats | 5 sets of 3 up to 230kg, 250kg x 1, 275kg x 1 |
| 305kg x 0 wrapped - very close (PR = 300) | |
| Zercher squats | 135kg 3 sets of 10 |
| Remarks | That squat was very close. Next time. Only |
| the last set was wrapped |
Wednesday 4 February: Supplementary Workout
| EZ bar front raises | 15kg x 10,25kg x 10,35kg x 8,45kg x 8,55kg x 8 |
| One arm rows | 60kg 4 x 10 |
| Romanian deadlifts | 180kg x 8, 230kg 2 x 10 |
| Leg press | 7 plates 3 x 12, 7 plates + 120kg person x 10 |
| Remarks | We decided to do some extra lower body work |
| today instead of the normal delt and lat routine |
Thursday 5 February: Dynamic Effort Bench
| Speed bench | 110kg with tight green bands: 9 sets of 3 |
| Floor CG chain suspended bench | 5140kg 3 x 10 |
| Remarks | Speed was exceptionally good today. Very |
| explosive. Workout short due to time constraints |
Friday 10 February: Dynamic Effort Squat and strongman events
| Below parallel box squat | 175kg: 10 sets of 2 |
| Strongman events | Various tyre flip |
| Remarks | Squats felt very good and very fast |
Monday 9 February: Maximum Effort Bench
| Chain suspended bench press | 5 sets of 3 working up to 150kg |
| 160kg x 1, 170kg x 1, 180kg x 1, 185kg x 1 | |
| Chain suspended bench rep sets | 130kg 2 x 8 |
| Pullover presses | 45kg 4 x 10 |
| Floor dumbell presses | 60kg 10, 10, 8, 8 |
| Remarks | That bench was a 5kg PR. Not too shabby. |
| My bench is coming along nicely. |
Tuesday 10 February: Maximum Effort Squat
| Seated good mornings | 4 sets of 3, working up to 220kg |
| 240kg x 1, 260kg x 1 PR | |
| Smith machine one leg squats | 60kg 4 x 10 |
| One-legged leg presses | 5 plates, 4 sets of 12 |
| Remarks | That 260kg seated goodAM was very hard |
| but still a nice PR |
Wednesday 11 February: Delts and Lats
| Seated elbows-in DB presses | 60kg 8, 8, 6, 6, 5 |
| Seated low pulley rows | 12 plates x 10, 13p x 10, 14px 10, 15p 2 x 10 |
| Tricep extensions | 11 plates x 10, 12p x 10, 13p x 10, 14p 2 x 10 |
| Seated dumbell curls | 20kg 4 sets of 10 |
| High leg raises | 2 sets of 10 |
| Remarks | Felt good |
Thursday 12 February: Dynamic Effort Bench
| Speed bench | 110kg with green bands: 6 sets of 3 (very sore) |
| Remarks | Had to call it a day as the bicep brachialis were |
| hopelessly overtrained. Bummer! |
Friday 13 February: Dynamic Effort Squat
| Remarks | Took the day off for the biceps to recover |
Monday 16 February: Maximum Effort Bench
| Reverse chain floor bench | Sets of 3 up to 140kg, 150kg x 1, 160kg x 1 |
| 165kg x 1 PR | |
| Lying low pulley delt raises | 10 plates 4 sets of 12 |
| Lying low pulley lat raises | 10 plates 4 sets of 10 |
| Skull crushers | 25kg 4 sets of 10 (light pump) |
| Remarks | Very happy with the PR on the bench |
Tuesday 17 February: Maximum Effort Squat
| Partial deadlifts from 1 box | Sets of 3, up to 220kg, 250kg x 1, 280kg x 1 |
| 300kg x 1, 320kg x 1 PR, 330kg x 0 | |
| Reverse hypers with 20kg chains | 12, 12, 20 |
| Remarks | The 330kg went up to above the knee. Got to |
| work that lockout. |
Wednesday 18 February: Delts, Lats and Legs
| Leg press | 5 sets of 10 working up to 540kg |
| Seated rows | 13 plates 5 sets of 10 |
| Side lateral raises | 15kg per hand 5 x 10 |
| Seated dumbell curls | 18kg 3 x 12 |
| Remarks | In keeping with my plans for February, I'm keeping things nice and easy |
Thursday 19 February: Dynamic Effort Bench
| Speed bench | 110kg with green bands: 10 sets of 3 |
| Chain suspended floor press (low) | 120kg x 10, 140kg x 10, 150kg x 10 |
| Tricep extensions | 12 plates x 10, 13p x 10, 14p x 10, 15p x10 |
| Remarks | Speed was quite good on the bench. Turned |
| out to be a nice workout. |
Friday 20 January: Dynamic Effort Squat
| Below parallel box squat with 40kg chains | 175kg: 10 sets of 2 |
| Tyre flip | 600kg x 4, 350kg x 8 |
| Remarks | Still taking it easy. The squats were quite |
| heavy. |
Week of 23 February
Rest week. It seems that my new regimen of three weeks on and one week off is working well.