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Phil Horwood : Week 1 – Prep for April Full Power Comp

Here’s my training from last week.

This was the first week of a 15 week comp build up. I intend to compete full power in April. I will be competing in the multiply division, u125kg Open category.

I have just summarised the training so will not include every last set/rep from warm ups etc.

Day 1 (Raw bench training and upper accessory)

Warm Up

  1. Cable Internal / External Rotation (2 sets)
  2. Cable Rear delt flyes (single arm) (2 sets)
  3. Prone Dumbbell Y raises (2 sets)
  4. Dumbbell External Rotation (2 sets)
  5. Barbell Guillotine Bench Press (3 sets)

A. Raw Bench Variation – Reverse Grip 4 brd Bench – Trebles up to 200kg (top sets were 180×3, 190×3, 200 x 3)

B. Reverse Grip Bench to touches – 3 x 3 reps @ 75-80%

C. Reverse grip Tricep Hell (5 board, 4 board, 3 board, 2 board, 1 board, chest all for 3 reps in one set.

D. Rolling Dumbbell Tricep Extensions (3 sets of 10 @ 30kg DBs)

E. Dips (2 sets of reps)

F. Football Bar Inverted Rows (50+ reps total)

G. Lat Pull Downs (Wide grip)

H. Seated dumbbell Power Cleans (performed like a cuban press)

 

 

Day 2 (dynamic lowerbody)

Warm up

  1. Single Leg Reverse Hypers
  2. Standing Cable Crunches
  3. Front foot elevated Split Squats with iso holds

A. Dynamic Squats – Giant Cambered BAr Box Squats – 8 x 2 @ 40-45% plus doubled megamini bands (165kg bar weight)

B. Dynamic Deadlifts – Speed Pulls plus elitefts light bands(orange) – 15 x 1 @ 40% bar weight

C. Double Pause Deadlifts (low shin and just below knee for 2 secs each) – 6 singles between 200-250kg

D. Dumbbell Bent Over Rows (twin DB) with intentional upper back flexion and extension – 3 sets of 12 with 30kg DBS.

E. Inverse Curls – 3 sets of 10

F. Hanging Knee Raises – 3 sets of 8 reps

G. Leg Press – 3 sets of 20 reps ( close stance, on balls of feet, maximum quad stretch)

 

 

Day 3 – Equipped Bench Day

Warm Up

  1. Cable rear delts
  2. Banded Upper back warm ups
  3. Tricep Extensions on cables.
  4. Pec Flyes with dumbbells.
  5. Arching over roller
  6. Hip mobility

A. Equipped Bench – after warming up raw to 180kg, I stuck a slingshot on for 5 plates, and then put my Mutiply Redline Bench Shirt on.  Worked down the boards for doubles and trebles.  My last warm up was 280kg x 2 to a 2 brd, and my top set was 300kg x 3 reps to a 1 board.  This was a big PR for me and a great way to kick off the multiply benching.  I’ve been using my band shirt for 2-3 months solid and the overload from this has obviously sustained my strength for using the multiply shirt as I am stronger now than I was when last used it.

B. Dumbbell Bench – 35kg dumbbells for 3 sets of 10 reps

C. Supinated Grip Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5-6 reps

D. EZ bar tricep Extensions (on bench) – 3 sets of 12 reps

E. Hex dumbbell grip carries, Rolling thunder Grip lifts.

 

 

Day 4 – Max Effort Lower

 

Warm up

  1. Revers Hypers – 4 x 10-15 reps @ 505 DL 1RM
  2. Copenhagen Planks 2 sets of 20 seconds
  3. Glute Ham Raises – 4 sets of 6 reps

A. Squats – Box Squats (sleeves, briefs, suit straps down)/ Curved/Buffalo Bar – Worked up to 325kg (leaving plenty in tank this early in prep).

B. Pin 3 Rack Pulls – Worked up to 320kg in briefs (hook grip)

C. Romanian Deadlifts (conventional stance) – 100kg x 10, 120kg 2 x 10 reps

D. Seated cable rows – 4 x 10 reps up to 110kg

E. Thick Grip DB farmers.

 

 

Day 5 (dynamic bench)

 

Warm up

  1. banded warm ups
  2. Cable warm ups
  3. Press ups

A. Reverse Grip Speed Bench – doubled megamini bands (green elitefts) – 10 x 3 @ 40% (76kg)

B. Slingshot Bench (using Iron Forge Gym’s very own ‘BenchBolt’) – 5 x 5 @ 135kg plus doubled megaminis.

C. Single Arm Braced Dumbbell press – 3 x 10 2 22.5kg DBs

D. 6 Point Shoulder Raises (borrowed from the late great John Meadows). 2 sets.

E. EZ bar bicep curls – 3 x 10 reps @ 40kg

F. Arm wrestling cable drills (just experimenting with these for the moment and need a little more research to find some useful drills)

 

 

Great start to the prep. Looking forward to next week.

If you’re interested in coaching / programming for your next powerlifting competition (or any other strength related goal) then email info@ironforgegym.co.uk or call 07788268672.