Alan H's 2012-2013 OFF-season log

**Alan H** · 15th January 13, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by RogerWS76

AND ... when you get to 12 on the WoB (and I KNOW you will) with that 56 lber ... 14 will be a piece of cake when you throw the 42 again!!!

Oh, now THAT would great! ... 12 feet with the 56'er, that's gettin' up into A class territory!

Yesterdays mutliple trips up and down the stairs convinced me that it was time to take a day off. As Kit has pointed out, lifting weights doesn't make you strong. Recovering from lifting weights makes you strong. After the very hard throwing workout of Sunday, it was clear that I needed some recovery time, so I skipped on the gym, yesterday.

**Alan H** · 16th January 13, 04:42 PM

Good day, today, though my hips were super-tight and borderline painful, walking over there. MUST foam roll and get on the softball again.

foam roll
stretch cage
backsquat ... 6 x 135 / 2 x 4 x 185 / 4 x 225 / 2 x 275 / 1 x 295 / 1 x 315...six plates, equals last years 1 rep max effort and this was nowhere near a max effort. I probably have my offseason goal of 325 in me right now.

Flat Bench Press ... this is what I went in to do, today... 6 x 135 / 6 x 165 / 2 x 2 x 225 / 1 x 245 / 1 x 260 PR, but *easy*! / 1 x 265 / 1 x 270!

curlz ... 3 x 6 x 90
bench rows ... 3 x 6 x 90 each side, so 36 rows
back extensions ... 3 x 6 x BW + 25

stretch cage.

315 squat today, equals my 1-rep max from last offseason and this was nowhere near a max effort. It was hard but not a max, so I'm well on track for 225 or 230 in two weeks..

Flat Bench.
last years 1-rep max, 245
this offseasons goal: 260
todays achievement: 270

So far during this strength phase, I've achieved the following goals:

hang clean - got a triple at last years single-max, and upped my 1-rep from 185 - 195
Overhead Press @ 195, previous PR was 185
now flat bench... goal was 260, got 270 today and 260 was easy.

What remains? 325-330 squat and 405, 8 plates deadlift. I have two more weeks before the transition to speed work.

**Alan H** · 16th January 13, 05:02 PM

I don't think I will ever do a powerlifting competition, partly because for me I think it's a distraction from my real goal, and I get distracted enough as it is, and secondly because in the deadlift, I can pull SO much more than I can hang on to. I've pulled 385, but I know that I can only hang on to about 325. My grip strength is more than adequate for throwing, but not up to powerlifting. While I was seriously considering it, though I kind of formulated a goal that it would be cool to move half a ton of weight...combined lifts = 1,000 pounds.

I'm getting close....

Squat - 315, almost for sure have 325 in me right now.
Flat Bench Press - 270, did it today
Deadlift - I pulled 365 the other day, I'm sure I can pull 385, the goal is 405 in two weeks. If I can do it, my combined total will have reached that 1,000 pound mark.

Now...as in, what have I done already this offseason?

315 = 270 = 365 = 950

If I got my squat and deadlift goals, the Total would be: 325 + 270 + 405 = 1,000

**o1d_dude** · 16th January 13, 06:47 PM

Excellent lifts you had!

Just remember to keep the goal the goal. Have to confess that I'd already added up your totals before I read where you did the same. See how easy it is stray from the path to throwing awesome?

**Alan H** · 16th January 13, 10:19 PM

Oh yeah...this stuff is seductive...who'd a thunk it? The temptatation, if I happen to miss 405 in two weeks, is to recover and give it another shot two weeks later. WRONG....I suppose I could give it a weeks recovery and try it again, but NO MORE. The ultimate goal is not to lift big weights. The goal is to throw far, and it will be time to move into the speed lifting phase, which is where so much of the grunt strength gets transformed into something I can use.

Even if I happen to miss that 405, and I really don't think I will, but IF I did, this offseasons Strength Phase would still be a roaring success from having passed all those other goals.

**Martin Roy** · 16th January 13, 10:58 PM

Really, really nice, Alan. You're very close to a 300 bench - I am very impressed.

**Alan H** · 18th January 13, 04:18 PM

The march continues, but I am pretty ripped up. It's been a hard two weeks, with 1-rep PR's going down, or being macthed all over the place. That's all great fun and the numbers dance is a kick, but it's hard on the body and it's not something I want to do over and over again. So next Monday I put up a squat PR @325 or 330 and then the rest of next week and the M-W of the week after that I back off. I don't lift anything more than about 60% of max and I might even skip Wednesday the 30th so I'm all healed up for Friday, Feb. 1st and Big Deadlift Day.

Easy Stretch Cage3
stationary bike... 4 minutes
Deadlift- 6 x 135 / 6 x 185 / 4 x 225 / 3 x 275 / 2 x 315 straps / 1 x 355 / 1 x 385 equals 1-rep max PR from last year, but was MUCH easier than last year / FAIL at 395. I got it off the ground but it wasn't going past my shins.

Strict Overhead Press ... 6 x 135 / 5 x 155 / 2 x 2 x 175 / 1 x 185 / then I just picked up a mess of attitude from someplace and loaded up the bluidy plates....1 x 200 PR!

It was a complete and total grind and I just *barely* locked it out.... probably wouldn't have "counted" at a lifting meet, but I'm counting it!

Hammer Wind ab crushers .... 8 x 10 lb ball, each way
upright rows ... 3 x 6 x 85
Pec Deck ... I just got me some attitude and said ()*&#$(!$ it! and set the pin at 205. It's been well over a year since I tried 205 and back then I think I could do 6. Today? 3 x 6 x 205

In terms of squats and deadlifts I'm definitely getting a little bit stronger, but my upper body strength has just gone through the roof, this year.

**Alan H** · 18th January 13, 05:14 PM

Thinking through the last two weeks of this phase...

Monday Jan. 21st Martin Luther King Day...gym is closed, so take the day off- another recovery day.
Tuesday Jan 22nd... go for squat PR @ 325 ... easy flat bench day, nothing above 235.
Wednesday 23rd.... easy deadlifts, like nothing above 325, and about 20 reps, total. Overhead press, light, reps...also lat pull downs.
Friday 25th.... moderate deadlift sequence to 345-355. Maybe some lateral cable pulls. Abs.
Monday 28th.... light squat sequence, top out around 275, maybe 2 x 3 x 275... Flat bench, what the heck, can I push 275?
Wednesday 30th .. no lift. Foam roll and stretch, maybe rowing machine. Eat protein. Sleep really well Tues, Wed, and Thurs nights
Friday Feb. 1st. Deadlift day. Eight deep dishes. 405. There will be video.

And that will be the end of this offseasons Strength Phase, unless I happen to fail @ 405, in which case I take it easy the first week of February and try again on Friday Feb. 8th. MAYBE. But no matter what, that's the END of the strength phase. It's time to move on to speed.

**Alan H** · 22nd January 13, 04:26 PM

Another big day in the gym...keep 'em coming! Three days rest does a body good.

stretch cage....short stretch
Stationary bicycle .... 4 minutes
Backsquat .... 6 x 135 / 6 x 185 / 2 x 3 x 225 / 2 x 2 x 275 / 1 x 305 / 1 x 325, but I had spotters and I felt a little bit of imbalance though they swore they didn't help, so ..hmmm.../ FAIL @ 335 / 1 x 325 PR!, and an honest one, this time. I probably have 330 in me now, but not 335. 325/330? Irrelevant for my situation as a thrower.

Flat Bench ... 70% day... 6 x 135 / 6 x 185 / 2 x 3 x 225 / 2 x 2 x 245
curls ... 3 x 6 x 90
windmills .... 3 x 6 x 25
Farmers Walk...I just got a wild hare and decided to do this. I took two, 100 pound dumbells and walked 100 feet with them, twice... the length of the available gym floor, and back.

SQUAT PR...the main lifting goal for the offseason, today!

There's only one offseason goal left, the hardest one; 405 deadlift. That's next Friday.