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 – Close Grip Bench to 2 brd – Trebles to 150kg, shoulder didn’t feel amazing so used the lightest slingshot I have to perform a few more trebles at 160/170 and 180kg.

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

C. Close grip Tricep Hell, chest to 5brd (3 reps to chest, 1brd, 2brd, 3brd 4brd 5brd) – 3 rounds @ 95/100/105kg

D. Rolling Dumbbell Tricep Extensions (3 sets of 10 @ 32.5kg DBs)

E. Dips (2 sets of reps) Bodyweight.

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

G. Lat Pull Downs (Wide grip) 3 sets of 10 @ 70-90kg

H. Seated dumbbell Power Cleans (performed like a cuban press) 2 sets of 12 @ 12kgs.

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 –  plus doubled megamini bands – 8 doubles between 165 and 215kg

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 210-260kg

D. Dumbbell Bent Over Rows (twin DB) with intentional upper back flexion and extension – 3 sets of 10 with 32.5kg DBS.

E. Inverse Curls – 3 sets of 10

F. Hanging Knee Raises – 3 sets of 8 reps

G. Leg Press – 3 sets of 15 reps ( close stance, on balls of feet, maximum quad stretch) Added 20kg to last weeks weights.

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.

Set 1 in shirt – 260kg to a 5brd/4brd/3brd

Set 2 – 300kg to 3 brd x 2

Set 3 – 320kg to 3brd x 1

Set 4 – 340kg to 3brd x 1

B. Dumbbell Bench – 37.5kg 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. Max Deadlift from 3mat blocks – just missed 340kg on top set. Missed at top as lost balance. Set up needed a little more care.

B. Transformer Bar briefs only Squats – Trebles to 250kg.

C. Romanian Deadlifts (conventional stance) – 100kg x 10, 120kg 2 x 12 reps

D. Seated cable rows – 4 x 10 reps up to 115kg

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 @ 45% (85kg)

B. Slingshot Bench (using Iron Forge Gym’s very own ‘BenchBolt’) – 6 x 4 @ 150kg 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)

Not a bad week. Mildly disappointed in the missed attempt on the 3 mat block pull on friday, but won’t lose too much sleep over it as I have done this multiple times before and just wasn’t the day for it.  Equipped Bench day was good and there was at least another 10-15kg left in the tank to the 3brd which is a good sign.

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.