So I gave myself 14 days to rest. It was great. By the time the two weeks was up I was itching to get back into the gym. So, Monday I go in and hit the weights. And what happens?
Tuesday I get sicker than a dog.
I can only blame it on the kids. Winter time is fun. It brings sledding parties, holidays, and all sorts of fun, but along with that come the grubby little colds that kids pass to each other in order to bring home like some sort of snot-filled Trojan Horse.
So yeah, I didn't train on Wednesday. I was "sneak-attacked" by the germs my kids brought home with them. I'm still a little congested today, but I did do a light workout as all of the major symptoms were gone.
Hopefully that is the last of the winter bugs to make it into my home though, because I only have 11 weeks left until Drug-Tested Nationals, and I am hoping for some new Personal Records.
In any case, I did promise to start putting up pages with my workouts recorded on them. I think what I will do today is post below what I did today (it's still a light day), and then next week I'll post actual blog pages that are easy to find/refer to on the main page.
So, today's workout consisted of the main lifts, but only a couple accessory lifts. The reason for this is two-fold. 1- I'm still sick so I don't want to overtax the body and prolong the recovery process. 2- I am behind on a work project so I need that extra hour or two. Anyway, without further ado, here is today's workout log.
Squat:
1. 145x5
2. 235x3
3. 325x1
4. 415x1
5. 465x1
6. 375x4
7. 375x5
8. 375x3
Bench Press
1. 135x5
2. 235x3
3. 325x1
4. 285x3
5. 285x3
6. 285x3
7. 285x3
8. 285x3 (No rest here- just switched weight and jumped into set 9.)
9. 225x3 (No rest- just switched weight and jumped into set 10.)
10. 135x5
Deadlift
1. 135x5
2. 225x3
3. 315x1
4. 405x1
5. 455x1
6. 405x1
7. 405x1
8. 405x1
9. 135x5
Bent-over Barbell Row
1. 135x8
2. 135x8
3. 135x8
Stiff-legged Deadlift
1. 135x8
2. 135x8
3. 135x8
Lying Cable Bicep Curl
1. 60x12
2. 70x12
3. 80x12
Lying Cable Tricep Extension
1. 80x12
2. 90x12
3. 100x12
That's it. Didn't take too long. Kept all of the sets as straight sets with rest between (except where otherwise noted on the bench press). No supersets or giant sets today.
I am a drug-free powerlifter. After a 14 year layoff, I have once again started competing. I won the 2016 Rocky Mountain Regionals, 2017 Utah State, and took 3rd at the Drug-tested Nationals. The goal of this blog is to relay some information that I have found helpful so that other busy dads can get back into the game, whether they are powerlifting, or getting back into shape.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Supplements I take
So, I have been asked a few times about which supplements I take. For a while, I thought I could do an in-depth review of supplements I am currently using or have used in the past, and I might still do that at some point, but for now I am just going to list them and talk briefly about each one. If you want more information or details, just click on the picture of the item you want to see.
Please do keep in mind that each one of us is different. None of this is meant as medical advice. You should consult with your doctor prior to taking any supplement, as they will best know your specific needs, as well as possible dangers or side effects. This list is meant only to be a list of things that I use.
Here are a couple things to remember though.
1. Not all companies are honest. (I know, you're shocked right?) So, make sure to get supplements that are guaranteed to be free of banned substances. Just by glancing at most reputable brands' packaging, you can see the seal of guarantee, as well as see which ones are GMP certified (GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice.)
Look for seals like these:
2. The next thing to remember is that not all "good deals" are good. I am by no means advocating buying the most expensive brands. However, if you do any supplement shopping online, be sure that the seller is reputable. With today's technology it isn't very difficult to replicate a plastic container and fill it with something that looks like protein and then sell it. So if you see a seller on Amazon, or elsewhere, offering an unbelievable deal on a particular brand... I would encourage you to compare the price for the same product through other sellers. This isn't to say you can't find good deals with legitimate sellers who offer the genuine item... I'm just saying not to rush into an unknown source.
In any case, here is a list of the supplements I use.
Protein Powders:
Six Star makes a solid protein. Good quality, decent taste, and fairly easy to mix. Another thing is that it does have creatine already in the mix. This makes it a nice post-workout shake, just remember to calculate your total creatine if you are using additional sources of creatine. Muscle Milk is one of my favorite brands. It has a higher fat content, which put me off at first, but I find that if I rotate it through and use it once or twice during a day, it doesn't add up to be too much fat. It's great for a morning or mid-day shake. Optimum Nutrition is one brand that I have always depended on for protein. They also have an NSF GMP seal, but it is smaller and on the bottom of the label. Good quality protein, no gimmicks.
I use protein throughout the day. I usually have a shake mid-morning or post-workout, depending on whether it's a lifting day. I'll have another 1-2 throughout the day with the last one being around 9-9:30 pm. For the "night-time" shake I choose one of the brands that are lower in fat, and deliver protein without a creatine mixture. Also... let's face it, a lot of these things don't taste so great, regardless of what the bottle claims. Being a "top tasting protein" is a bit like saying you are the least-painful bee to get a sting from... not really a high bar to set. But, do not despair! Buy fresh or frozen cranberries, blueberries, cherries, or other fruits for taste. The bonus is that beyond the taste improvement, you can add anti-oxidants, fiber, and good carbs to help fuel your muscles. Bananas are a common fruit to add, but you can be a bit creative to avoid monotony!
Protein Bars
I love bars. (No, not those kind, I don't drink. I mean protein bars!) Particularly, I like to use Quest bars. They have a wide variety of flavors and some of them are actually good. I won't say their brownie has the same taste as a brownie, but they have flavors that are actually palatable, which is a huge plus. Better than that, they are high in fiber, about 14-15 grams per bar to be exact. I'm working on upping my overall fiber intake, but these bars go a long way to helping me reach my fiber goals. Plus, no bloating or intestinal upset as can happen with some other fiber supplements on the market. It's a win win.
Creatine
I don't always use creatine. I tend to cycle through it. I don't use a loading phase like they used to prescribe either. I just use it when I feel like it. But, since I do use it, here are the brands I go to:
Muscle Tech has a simple, pure creatine option. 5 grams per serving and nothing else included. It's a good, clean option. Body Fortress has a product that includes some amino acids as well as Betaine Anhydrous. I probably use creatine half of the time while training. I usually stick with 4-5 grams per day. When I do increase that amount, I almost always take 4-5 grams from a creatine supplement, and then use the Six Star Whey Protein that has a bit of Creatine mixed in with it. I find if I use more than one serving from a "straight" creatine supplement, it has a tendency to give me tummy troubles.
Amino Acids
First, let me just say that I love BCAA supplements. Period. I know there are people out there that hate them, but I am firmly on the other side. I think they are vital when lifting heavy. Now, having said that, BCAAs are mistakenly used by some people for energy, and that is not what they are for. BCAAs are for quick, bio-available reparations. On lifting days, I take 1 serving in the morning when I first wake up. This allows my muscles to grab any BCAAs they might need after a night of sleeping and not eating. I then take 1 more serving immediately post-workout to send the building blocks to my muscles. On non-lifting days, I take 2 servings in the morning before breakfast. I am a creature of habit, so for this I only use one brand (though sometimes I do change the flavors...)
Glutamine
This is a must. I take glutamine every day. I use powders instead of pills so I can mix it into any drink. Depending on how well you mix it, it does sometimes have a gritty consistency to it though. If this bothers you, try adding it to a warm beverage, or mix it in with a thicker shake of some sort.
Pre-workout
I know a lot of people swear by pre-workout supplements. I use them sparingly. I am on my third bottle right now, and each bottle has 40 servings, so that would equate to roughly 120 workouts by the time I finish this bottle. When I do use it, I only use 1 scoop. It's just a personal thing, but I don't really want to ingest more caffeine than that, and I spend more workouts without it because I don't ever want to feel "dependent" upon a pre-workout. Good music and clear goals help me focus in the gym, so a pre-workout supplement is really nothing more to me than a slight edge over what I would otherwise be doing already. When I use it, I use this type below, and I stick with 1 scoop. However, to illustrate my point that it shouldn't be depended on... many lifters at the state championship were scooping pre-workout into their mouths between lifts. I didn't use a pre-workout that day at all. Just got into the right frame of mind and made sure to bring or buy enough real food to keep my energy up through the day.
Fish Oil
The health benefits of Omega 3s are many. There are several good brands out there for this, so don't feel like you have to stick with mine. Each day I take between 2-6 capsules of this.
Vitamins
There are a ton of these on the market. I prefer this kind simply because they are gummies instead of pills. I could do without all the extra sugar coating them... but oh well.
I also take an additional Vitamin D3 supplement
ZMA (Zinc and Magnesium supplement)
Lately there has been a lot of research that shows ZMA is not effective at building strength. However, that isn't the primary reason I take this supplement. As it turns out, I don't eat enough leafy green vegetables and other sources of Magnesium. Magnesium plays a vital role in many functions that contribute to better health overall... the problem is I am not a rabbit. I don't really like most leafy green vegetables. So, I use this to ensure I have enough Magnesium in my diet.
Probiotic
Arguably, one could get all the probiotics they need from eating yogurt. However, I only eat yogurt every once in a while. (Now, if we had the yogurt brands they have in say, Latvia, I would eat yogurt ALL THE TIME! That stuff is amazing!) So, I use a probiotic. In addition to colon health, there is some new research that indicates probiotics may assist in fat loss/weight management.
Please do keep in mind that each one of us is different. None of this is meant as medical advice. You should consult with your doctor prior to taking any supplement, as they will best know your specific needs, as well as possible dangers or side effects. This list is meant only to be a list of things that I use.
Here are a couple things to remember though.
1. Not all companies are honest. (I know, you're shocked right?) So, make sure to get supplements that are guaranteed to be free of banned substances. Just by glancing at most reputable brands' packaging, you can see the seal of guarantee, as well as see which ones are GMP certified (GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice.)
Look for seals like these:
In any case, here is a list of the supplements I use.
Protein Powders:
Six Star makes a solid protein. Good quality, decent taste, and fairly easy to mix. Another thing is that it does have creatine already in the mix. This makes it a nice post-workout shake, just remember to calculate your total creatine if you are using additional sources of creatine. Muscle Milk is one of my favorite brands. It has a higher fat content, which put me off at first, but I find that if I rotate it through and use it once or twice during a day, it doesn't add up to be too much fat. It's great for a morning or mid-day shake. Optimum Nutrition is one brand that I have always depended on for protein. They also have an NSF GMP seal, but it is smaller and on the bottom of the label. Good quality protein, no gimmicks.
I use protein throughout the day. I usually have a shake mid-morning or post-workout, depending on whether it's a lifting day. I'll have another 1-2 throughout the day with the last one being around 9-9:30 pm. For the "night-time" shake I choose one of the brands that are lower in fat, and deliver protein without a creatine mixture. Also... let's face it, a lot of these things don't taste so great, regardless of what the bottle claims. Being a "top tasting protein" is a bit like saying you are the least-painful bee to get a sting from... not really a high bar to set. But, do not despair! Buy fresh or frozen cranberries, blueberries, cherries, or other fruits for taste. The bonus is that beyond the taste improvement, you can add anti-oxidants, fiber, and good carbs to help fuel your muscles. Bananas are a common fruit to add, but you can be a bit creative to avoid monotony!
Protein Bars
I love bars. (No, not those kind, I don't drink. I mean protein bars!) Particularly, I like to use Quest bars. They have a wide variety of flavors and some of them are actually good. I won't say their brownie has the same taste as a brownie, but they have flavors that are actually palatable, which is a huge plus. Better than that, they are high in fiber, about 14-15 grams per bar to be exact. I'm working on upping my overall fiber intake, but these bars go a long way to helping me reach my fiber goals. Plus, no bloating or intestinal upset as can happen with some other fiber supplements on the market. It's a win win.
Creatine
I don't always use creatine. I tend to cycle through it. I don't use a loading phase like they used to prescribe either. I just use it when I feel like it. But, since I do use it, here are the brands I go to:
Muscle Tech has a simple, pure creatine option. 5 grams per serving and nothing else included. It's a good, clean option. Body Fortress has a product that includes some amino acids as well as Betaine Anhydrous. I probably use creatine half of the time while training. I usually stick with 4-5 grams per day. When I do increase that amount, I almost always take 4-5 grams from a creatine supplement, and then use the Six Star Whey Protein that has a bit of Creatine mixed in with it. I find if I use more than one serving from a "straight" creatine supplement, it has a tendency to give me tummy troubles.
Amino Acids
First, let me just say that I love BCAA supplements. Period. I know there are people out there that hate them, but I am firmly on the other side. I think they are vital when lifting heavy. Now, having said that, BCAAs are mistakenly used by some people for energy, and that is not what they are for. BCAAs are for quick, bio-available reparations. On lifting days, I take 1 serving in the morning when I first wake up. This allows my muscles to grab any BCAAs they might need after a night of sleeping and not eating. I then take 1 more serving immediately post-workout to send the building blocks to my muscles. On non-lifting days, I take 2 servings in the morning before breakfast. I am a creature of habit, so for this I only use one brand (though sometimes I do change the flavors...)
Glutamine
This is a must. I take glutamine every day. I use powders instead of pills so I can mix it into any drink. Depending on how well you mix it, it does sometimes have a gritty consistency to it though. If this bothers you, try adding it to a warm beverage, or mix it in with a thicker shake of some sort.
Pre-workout
I know a lot of people swear by pre-workout supplements. I use them sparingly. I am on my third bottle right now, and each bottle has 40 servings, so that would equate to roughly 120 workouts by the time I finish this bottle. When I do use it, I only use 1 scoop. It's just a personal thing, but I don't really want to ingest more caffeine than that, and I spend more workouts without it because I don't ever want to feel "dependent" upon a pre-workout. Good music and clear goals help me focus in the gym, so a pre-workout supplement is really nothing more to me than a slight edge over what I would otherwise be doing already. When I use it, I use this type below, and I stick with 1 scoop. However, to illustrate my point that it shouldn't be depended on... many lifters at the state championship were scooping pre-workout into their mouths between lifts. I didn't use a pre-workout that day at all. Just got into the right frame of mind and made sure to bring or buy enough real food to keep my energy up through the day.
Fish Oil
The health benefits of Omega 3s are many. There are several good brands out there for this, so don't feel like you have to stick with mine. Each day I take between 2-6 capsules of this.
Vitamins
There are a ton of these on the market. I prefer this kind simply because they are gummies instead of pills. I could do without all the extra sugar coating them... but oh well.
I also take an additional Vitamin D3 supplement
ZMA (Zinc and Magnesium supplement)
Lately there has been a lot of research that shows ZMA is not effective at building strength. However, that isn't the primary reason I take this supplement. As it turns out, I don't eat enough leafy green vegetables and other sources of Magnesium. Magnesium plays a vital role in many functions that contribute to better health overall... the problem is I am not a rabbit. I don't really like most leafy green vegetables. So, I use this to ensure I have enough Magnesium in my diet.
Probiotic
Arguably, one could get all the probiotics they need from eating yogurt. However, I only eat yogurt every once in a while. (Now, if we had the yogurt brands they have in say, Latvia, I would eat yogurt ALL THE TIME! That stuff is amazing!) So, I use a probiotic. In addition to colon health, there is some new research that indicates probiotics may assist in fat loss/weight management.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
USPA 2017 State Championship done!
This was a fun meet! I'll be the first to admit I was nervous for a lot of it. I tend to get nervous up until the moment I hit the platform... It sucks, but it also keeps me on edge.
Going into the meet I only had about 4 hours of sleep last night, so I wasn't sure how I was going to perform. Ass in the fact that I had to move up a weight class (thanks a lot pizza and other delicious foods I can't resist!), and it's a hard recipe to work with.
I opened with 501 on the squats. Got it easily and smoothly.
I then went for a PR on my second attempt. I was shooting for 539. As you can see in the video, I had the power, but I was a bit too high and didn't break parallel. :(
However, rather than simply try again, I decided to go for a better PR. I went up to 551 on my third attempt, and I made sure to hit the correct depth on that one!
This was the toughest squat battle of my life. I probably wouldn't have gotten it if not for the people shouting at me to keep driving it up. Afterward I was pretty exhausted. It took me about 30 minutes to recover, and even then my back started cramping up pretty bad.
I moved into bench press while my back was still cramping, never a good way to start off. I nailed my opener (341) which was my best lift back in September.
My second attempt was at 363. I got it as well, but this one hurt. That cramp in my back was spreading from the middle of my back all the way down to my left hip.
My third attempt was 373. Now, I could blame it on the spasms, which by this point were all over my back and through the front of my right abdomen as well, but even without the cramps I just didn't have the power to push this one out through the sticking point. I'll work on that for next time.
Now, because of the cramps, I dropped my opening deadlift to 474. I wanted to make sure I at least got on the board, so that way if I had to quit I could at least count my total. However, much to my surprise, the deadlifts unlocked my back. 474 went up like nothing.
2nd deadlift I went for a PR. The most I have done before is 525 at home, and 518 in competition. So, I went for 529. Got it too.
3rd attempt I decided to be a little reckless. I went for a PR again, but also decided I wanted to deadlift more than I squatted. (I have always had bigger deadlift numbers, so it would be a shame not to keep that trend going today). My third attempt was 561, and I have to say that I not only got it, but I think my form was nearly flawless as well. Not only that, but after the meet, the chief judge made sure to announce to everyone in the gym that he would love it if they would all set the deadlift down as nicely as I did. He said, "I have never seen anyone respect a deadlift bar as much as Sam, I hope you all noticed."
And, in the end, even though I had to go up a weight class, and fought through a few hours of sleep and some nasty back spasms, I came out on top. Next stop is Drug Tested Nationals!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Well... I ate too much!
Never let it be said that I hide some of the more bitter aspects of my powerlifting journey.
While I initially had great success dropping weight a couple weeks ago, it turns out that I not only gained it all back, but I put on another couple of pounds. So, I am sitting at 285. The good news is, I am able to change up my registration for the meet this Saturday so I can compete still. The bad news is, there is a big difference between competing in the 275 pound weight class and the 308 pound weight class.
So, not sure how things will go. I am expecting to put up a PR in the squat, so stay tuned for that. If I don't come home with a medal, at least it will be good to hit a new high number. I was hoping to hit 375 on the bench, but I am not sure I will manage more than about 360... we'll just have to see.
However, one thing that has gone funky for me is my deadlift. Personally, this is the hardest lift for me to nail down. I am still fine-tuning my deadlift programming because I can't find anything that works consistently. When I train light (60-75% 1RM) then I notice huge strength drops. However, when I train heavy (90-95% 1RM) I notice great gains but they cycle violently and are inconsistent. If I train at 80%, then I kind of stagnate. Even shuffling things around and mixing light, medium, and heavy days doesn't seem to work. It's always rough to hit a plateau... but it's aggravating to hit one so close to a meet. At this point I don't know that I can add any weight over my previous meet.
After the meet I am going to come back with a weightlifting routine that helps to strip off weight. Obviously I will have to actually count calories as well, or else risk keeping all of my jiggly body fat... it does help in the winter as far as insulation goes though... so I have that going for me, which is nice. 😉
In any case, after I put up the meet results, I think I will do a few weekly logs as well. See if maybe by showing those off it might help me remain a bit more diligent. The plan is to cycle off of the heavy lifting for a month or two and go almost to a hypertrophy regimen while watching my diet. I was toying with the idea of going on a keto diet, but I haven't found any peer reviewed studies that go beyond a few weeks, so I am a bit leery of experimenting with that with nationals coming up in May. More likely, I will go with a rounded diet, balancing macros and making sure there are no wasted calories etc.
Wish me luck!
While I initially had great success dropping weight a couple weeks ago, it turns out that I not only gained it all back, but I put on another couple of pounds. So, I am sitting at 285. The good news is, I am able to change up my registration for the meet this Saturday so I can compete still. The bad news is, there is a big difference between competing in the 275 pound weight class and the 308 pound weight class.
So, not sure how things will go. I am expecting to put up a PR in the squat, so stay tuned for that. If I don't come home with a medal, at least it will be good to hit a new high number. I was hoping to hit 375 on the bench, but I am not sure I will manage more than about 360... we'll just have to see.
However, one thing that has gone funky for me is my deadlift. Personally, this is the hardest lift for me to nail down. I am still fine-tuning my deadlift programming because I can't find anything that works consistently. When I train light (60-75% 1RM) then I notice huge strength drops. However, when I train heavy (90-95% 1RM) I notice great gains but they cycle violently and are inconsistent. If I train at 80%, then I kind of stagnate. Even shuffling things around and mixing light, medium, and heavy days doesn't seem to work. It's always rough to hit a plateau... but it's aggravating to hit one so close to a meet. At this point I don't know that I can add any weight over my previous meet.
After the meet I am going to come back with a weightlifting routine that helps to strip off weight. Obviously I will have to actually count calories as well, or else risk keeping all of my jiggly body fat... it does help in the winter as far as insulation goes though... so I have that going for me, which is nice. 😉
In any case, after I put up the meet results, I think I will do a few weekly logs as well. See if maybe by showing those off it might help me remain a bit more diligent. The plan is to cycle off of the heavy lifting for a month or two and go almost to a hypertrophy regimen while watching my diet. I was toying with the idea of going on a keto diet, but I haven't found any peer reviewed studies that go beyond a few weeks, so I am a bit leery of experimenting with that with nationals coming up in May. More likely, I will go with a rounded diet, balancing macros and making sure there are no wasted calories etc.
Wish me luck!
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