Herbison's Training Log

[SeanHerbison]

Sunday, 24 September

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Squat	297 x 5 308 x 5 320 x 5 330 x 5 341 x 5
Comp Bench	237 x 5 x 5
Paused Deadlift	264 x 3 269 x 3 273 x 3 277 x 3 x 3
Recumbent bike	10 min

Monday, 25 September

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
3-ct Paused Squat	220 x 5 231 x 5
Paused Close-Grip Bench	198 x 5 209 x 5 220 x 5
Power Clean	220 x 1 229 x 1 242 x 1 251 x 1 258 x 1 264 x 1 x 2 271 x 1 x 2 282 x 1
Strict DB Rows	55 x failure left/right x 3
Echo Bike	20 min - 6.58 mi

Wednesday, 27 September

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Squat	264 x 3 352 x 1 424 x 5
Paused Bench	264 x 1 292 x 1
Slingshot Bench	297 x 3 303 x 3 297 x 3
Deadlift	374 x 3 440 x 1 469 x 5
Echo Bike	1746 Watts

Thursday, 28 September

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Beltless Front Squat	205 x 3 207 x 3 209 x 3
Paused Low Pin Bench	242 x 3 x 3
Dynamic Effort Deadlift	308 x 2 x 10
Barbell Row	154 x 8 x 2

Training is still going well. I'll be switching from 5x5 to 3x8 for squat and bench on Monday, and from 5x1 to 3x2 on Friday. I may also swap the DB rows for a different upper back movement. Otherwise, I'm keeping everything the same. So far, so good, so no reason to change.





Working on getting back to and surpassing 480 for a 5RM, hopefully without going back up 10-15 kg in bodyweight.

[DCR]

I initially assumed that I’d lost count and thought your fourth rep was your fifth, because I couldn’t imagine any fucking way that you had another one in you. Goddamn, dude. Impressive display of giving no fucks.

[SeanHerbison]

I initially assumed that I’d lost count and thought your fourth rep was your fifth, because I couldn’t imagine any fucking way that you had another one in you. Goddamn, dude. Impressive display of giving no fucks.

Thanks! While I didn't put an actual percentage on it at the time (I was a bit busy dying), I felt my chances of coming back up were less than 50%. But for this block, I've decided not to assume limitations. I'm either going to hit the reps or physically fail, but there will be no giving up on them.

[SeanHerbison]

Sunday, 1 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Squat	352 x 3 x 7
Recumbent bike	10 min

Monday, 2 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Comp Bench	242 x 3 x 2 264 x 3 275 x 3 x 2 286 x 3 x 3
Paused Deadlift	264 x 3 275 x 3 286 x 3 297 x 3 x 3

Wednesday, 4 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
3-ct Paused Squat	220 x 5 231 x 5
Paused Close-Grip Bench	209 x 5 220 x 5 231 x 5
Power Clean	220 x 1 242 x 1 x 2 253 x 1 264 x 1 275 x 1 x 4 284 x 1
DB Seal Rows	55s x 12, 13, 12
Echo Bike	20 min - 6.66 mi

I had no reason to do Monday's workout early, but I felt like it. Then I started it and ... didn't. Oh well, I just split it up, and that put me back on my actual planned schedule.

Assuming I can get a decent night's sleep, squat and deadlift should be fun tomorrow. Somewhere around 430/480 for two triples. I'm officially less than a month out (4 November for the meet), so it's time to bring the weights up and the reps down. Total volume's staying pretty much the same for now.

[SeanHerbison]

Friday, 6 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 7:08
Squat	352 x 1 396 x 1 429 x 3 407 x 3
Paused Bench	275 x 1 297 x 1
Slingshot Bench	299 x 3 304 x 3 297 x 3

Saturday, 7 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 7:38
Deadlift	374 x 3 DOH 462 x 1 495 x 3 506 x 3
Beltless Front Squat	209 x 3 214 x 3 220 x 3
Paused Low Pin Bench	248 x 3 x 3
Barbell Row	132 x 8 143 x 8
Dynamic Effort Deadlift	264 x 2 x 10
Echo Bike	1817 watts

Assuming I can get a decent night's sleep...

Yeah, not quite. Oh well. Squats killed me. It was really tempting to try to force the second set heavier than the first, but I showed proper restraint for once and kept it at a weight I could manage without complete form breakdown and/or failure.

But no worries, I adjusted just fine. Friday was rougher than I'd like, but Saturday went well. Breaking 1800 on the Echo Bike surprised me, and is a very good sign.

[SeanHerbison]

Monday, 9 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Squat	352 x 3 354 x 3 361 x 3 366 x 3 368 x 3 374 x 3 376 x 3
Comp Bench	264 x 3 x 3 275 x 3 x 2 286 x 3 x 2 287 x 3
Paused Deadlift	264 x 3 275 x 3 297 x 3 308 x 3 x 2
Recumbent bike	10 min

Wednesday, 11 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk/Run	16 min
3-ct Paused Squat	231 x 5 242 x 5
Paused Close-Grip Bench	209 x 5 220 x 5 231 x 5
Power Clean	154 x 1 176 x 7
Cable Rows	66 x 17 77 x ? x 2
Echo Bike	20 min - 7.23 mi

Friday, 13 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 8:24
Squat	418 x 1 431 x 3 410 x 3
Paused Bench	264 x 1 286 x 1 308 x 1
Slingshot Bench	308 x 3 314 x 3 314 x 3
Deadlift	385 x 3 DOH 440 x 1 484 x 1 517 x 1 440 x 1 462 x 1 473 x 1 484 x 1 517 x 1 528 x 1
Echo Bike	1817

Saturday, 14 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 7:33
Beltless Front Squat	220 x 3 242 x 3 x 2
Paused Low Pin Bench	248 x 3 249 x 3 253 x 3
Dynamic Effort Deadlift	264 x 2 286 x 2 308 x 2 330 x 2 352 x 2 374 x 2 x 2 385 x 2 x 2 396 x 2
Barbell Row	154 x 8 x 2

Still going well. I'm feeling the fatigue, but, well, duh. I've kept essentially the same workout for 6 weeks straight, dropping reps and adding sets to keep volume the same while the weights go up. The RPE has gone up, but not significantly. I'm moving from 3x8 to 2x12 next week, then probably 2x8 the week after, and then it's meet week. I'll adjust the specifics based on how I feel, but that should keep my strength up pretty well while allowing the fatigue to dissipate.

At least as importantly, I'm still enjoying and looking forward to each training session. I've had a couple deadlift sets that were frustrating, but that's about it. On those, I just adjusted to singles, dropped the weight, and then worked back up heavier, so that's plenty doable.

Unless my fatigue is holding me back way more than I think, I'm not going to hit all-time PRs at this meet. But for the first time in years, I feel like I'm just a few months of hard training away. I'm looking forward both to this meet and to the training coming after it.

[SeanHerbison]

Monday, 16 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Squat	363 x 2 370 x 2 377 x 2 384 x 2 401 x 2 405 x 2 410 x 2 414 x 2 418 x 2 423 x 2
Comp Bench	264 x 2 275 x 2 280 x 2 284 x 2 x 3 289 x 2 x 2 290 x 2 x 1 291 x 2 x 3
Belted Paused Deadlift	297 x 3 308 x 3 319 x 3 330 x 3 352 x 3
Recumbent bike	10 min

Wednesday, 18 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
3-ct Paused Squat	242 x 5 x 2
Paused Close-Grip Bench	220 x 5 226 x 5 x 2
Power Clean	198 x 1 220 x 1 242 x 1 253 x 1 264 x 1 275 x 1 286 x 1
Cable Rows	66 lbs x 17 88 lbs x ? x 2
Echo Bike	20 min - 6.55 mi

Friday, 20 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Squat	264 x 3 374 x 1 418 x 1 429 x 1 446 x 1 463 x 1 474 x 1
Paused Bench	264 x 1 319 x 1
Slingshot Bench	319 x 3 308 x 3 x 2
Deadlift	374 x 1 396 x 1 418 x 1 462 x 1 484 x 1 507 x 1 528 x 1 550 x 1 573 x 1
Echo Bike	1782 Watts

Saturday, 21 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Beltless Front Squat	220 x 3 x 2
Paused Low Pin Bench	220 x 3 231 x 3

Everything's on track, which is nice. I set my minimum goals for this meet at 220/160/250, and Friday I hit 210/145/260 without maxing out. Bench was close, but that was partly due to taking a narrower grip. That would've been fine, if it had been the 135 I meant to load, but made it a bit hard at the 145 I actually did load.

There's no way I'm matching my PRs from a weight class up (245/170/305) at this meet, but looking at it, 232.5 kg seems to be my top squat, and 290 my best deadlift, as a 105 lifter. Neither of those are given, but I'm not calling either of them impossible. Deadlift seems to be the lift that jumps the most in competition for me, so weirdly, pulling 30 kg heavier in competition than I have in this block is something I can see happening. It would take a particularly good day, but it's possible.

I'll dial in my attempts more this week. I still need to figure out exactly how I want to approach the last 10 days (currently 14 out), but I'll be hitting openers at least once somewhere between Friday and Monday. That should give me a pretty good idea.

[cgeorg]

Wednesday, 18 October

Incredible.

Looking forward to seeing how the openers go.

[SeanHerbison]

Monday, 23 October

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 8 min
Squat	374 x 2 396 x 2 407 x 2 418 x 2 429 x 2 264 x 2
Belted Paused Deadlift	330 x 3 352 x 3 x 2 374 x 3 396 x 3
Bench	44 x 10 x 3 66 x 10 88 x 10
Comp Bench	88 x 10 110 x 8 154 x 5 176 x 3 198 x 3 x 2
Slingshot Bench	198 x 3 x 2
Recumbent bike	10 min

Tweaked my left pec during squat. It's annoying, but whatever. I'm 98% sure it's mental, since it has been just about, if not every single, other time.

As an example, I had severe elbow pain going into a WL meet that made me effectively unable to train jerks for weeks. I got to the meet, said "screw it, I'm competing", and did it anyway, and it instantly went away. Similar things have happened several times for me.

I don't know what the trigger to get this to go away is, so I may have to adjust for it like I did today, but it's not something I'm actually worried about from an injury standpoint.

[SeanHerbison]

Wednesday, 18 October

Incredible.

Looking forward to seeing how the openers go.

Truly majestic beasts.


Wednesday, 25 October

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Walk/Run	0.55 mi
Comp Bench	198*3*2 243*2 265*2 287*2 298*2*3 243*2, 3
3-ct Belted Paused Squat	154*5 265*5
Power Clean	220*1 243*1*2 265*1
Belted DE Deadlift (Hook)	265*1*3 287*1 309*1 331*1
Echo Bike	20 min - 5.87 mi

The pec is fine. It's amazing how well things "recover" when there's little to no tissue damage and you actually expect them to go away. Mindset matters, and the brain's a tricky bastard.

The plan is the same basic intensity day I've been doing tomorrow. Based on how that feels, I'll choose my openers. Shouldn't be too far off of 205/140/240. Monday will be those openers for 2-3 singles. Wednesday will be the same, but for 1 single each. Friday I'll take my last warm-ups for 1-2 singles. And then Sunday I compete.

[SeanHerbison]

Friday, 27 October

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Walk	0.55 mi
Squat	418 x 1 451 x 1 457 x 1 468 x 1 473 x 1
Paused Bench	275 x 3 297 x 2 319 x 1 330 x 1
Deadlift	495 x 1 539 x 1
Echo Bike	1782 1710

Monday, 30 October

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 8 min
Squat	44 x a bunch 154 x 5 264 x 3 374 x 1 418 x 1 451 x 1 x 3
Comp Bench	44 x a bunch 154 x 5 220 x 3 275 x 1 319 x 1 x 3
Deadlift	154 x 3 x 2 264 x 3 374 x 2 495 x 1 550 x 1
Recumbent bike	10 min

I'm using 205/145/250 as my openers. I'll do them again on Wednesday for 1 rep each. I'll do Wednesday's openers and Friday's last warm-ups with no caffeine, and then use 1000-1400 mg at the meet. Yay drugs!

On one hand, this is almost certainly not going to be amongst my stronger meets, and that annoys me. On the other, considering where I started this training block and where I'm ending it, it's been very successful. I've gotten stronger, my weight has stayed right around 102/225, and I've gone down 2-3 holes on my SBD belt. I've also been consistent with the Echo bike, and the hike I did this weekend showed that it's paying off.

It's largely about how I frame it. And who knows, sometimes the meet environment (and drugs) bring out more than I thought I had going in. My low end expectation is 215/150/260. My high end is 230/162.5/290. Hopefully it's more toward the latter, but all I can do is put in the effort.

[SeanHerbison]

Wednesday, 1 November

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Walk	0.55 mi - 7:09
Squat	44 x 5 x 2 154 x 5 264 x 3 374 x 1 418 x 1 451 x 1
Comp Bench	44 x 8 154 x 5 220 x 3 275 x 1 319 x 1
Deadlift	154 x 3 x 2 264 x 3 374 x 2 495 x 1
Echo Bike	20 min - 6.30 mi

Openers for Squat/Bench, last warmup for Deadlift. No caffeine today, and everything moved well.

[DCR]

Good luck this weekend, Sean. Hope you end up at - or beyond - your high end.

Losing three belt holes while maintaining bodyweight is some incredible recomping.

[SeanHerbison]

Good luck this weekend, Sean. Hope you end up at - or beyond - your high end.

Losing three belt holes while maintaining bodyweight is some incredible recomping.

Thanks! I'm excited for this.

Friday, 3 November

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Squat	44 x 5 x 2 154 x 5 264 x 3 374 x 1 418 x 1
Comp Bench	44 x 10 154 x 6 220 x 3 275 x 1
Deadlift	154 x 3 x 2 264 x 3 374 x 2 495 x 1

All done with prep. I'll be spotting and loading tomorrow, then competing Sunday.

[platypus]

All done with prep. I'll be spotting and loading tomorrow, then competing Sunday.

Best of luck! And it's very cool of you to spot and load.

Do you normally train this heavy on meet week? Your approach reminds me a bit of how Mike Tuscherer describes emerging strategies, definitely a contrast to the sort of meet taper I'm most familiar with where you only train extremely light the week before.

[SeanHerbison]

Best of luck! And it's very cool of you to spot and load.

Do you normally train this heavy on meet week? Your approach reminds me a bit of how Mike Tuscherer describes emerging strategies, definitely a contrast to the sort of meet taper I'm most familiar with where you only train extremely light the week before.

Thanks! I was the rear spotter, bench handoff, and deadlift jack operator, so it wasn't too tiring. We had a good platform crew.

I used to train normally until about a week out, and then hit openers and last warmups for a few singles during meet week. Then for a few years I tried more of a taper, doing 2-3 weeks with significantly reduced volume and sometimes intensity. It worked sometimes, but I found my confidence going into the meet wasn't as good, even if it maybe let fatigue dissipate slightly better, and it took me longer to get back into normal training after the meet. I basically went back to the way I used to do it, and I felt good going into this meet. I didn't feel beat up or tired, and I had a much better idea of what my openers should be and how they would feel.

Sunday, 5 November - WSS Powerfest

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Squat	205/452 215/474 217.5/480
Bench	145/320 152.5/336 miss 152.5/336 miss
Deadlift	250/551 270/595 292.5/645 miss

It's always cool to do meets with my dad. Not counting unsanctioned meets on military bases, I've done 8 of my 15 powerlifting meets with him, as well as a track meet. There's a weightlifting meet in January I'm trying to convince him to do with me. I'd prefer more like March-May, but that's the only doable one I see on the schedule.

This was a fun meet. I made a mistake in what I wrote for my third squat attempt, and my bench just abandoned me after a good first lift, but those were relatively minor issues. I'm not even mad about my bench so much as perplexed, but what can you do? Sometimes weird things happen, and you just have to roll with them. It was really cool to have 4 guys all close enough that the strategy and weight choices mattered. Usually I'm either way ahead or way behind, or have at most one competitor that's pretty close to me. I've never gone into the final round of deadlift with the serious possibility of anywhere from 1st place to not even on the podium.

I did 5 meets in 2019, none in 2020 (for obvious reasons), and then 1 each in 2021/2022/2023. This got me wanting to compete more again.

[DCR]

Congrats on the medal!

I will never understand how you (or anyone) manage to sink in an effective hook grip that fast. When I really was trying to be good at DLing, I switched from hook to mixed for a few reasons, among them that mixed let me dip, grip, and rip.

Squat looked strong af.

[SeanHerbison]

Congrats on the medal!

I will never understand how you (or anyone) manage to sink in an effective hook grip that fast. When I really was trying to be good at DLing, I switched from hook to mixed for a few reasons, among them that mixed let me dip, grip, and rip.

Squat looked strong af.

Thanks. I switched from mixed to hook for that same reason you switched from hook to mixed. I couldn't just set and go with mixed. Well, I could, but only if I wanted to risk feeling imbalanced. Hook grip being symmetrical fixed that.

Squat is indeed feeling pretty good.


Monday, 6 November

Exercise	Weight × Reps × Sets
Walk/Jog	0.55 mi - 7:51
Seated Box Jump	45” x 3 x 4 47” x 3
High Bar Squat	154 x 8 220 x 8 264 x 8
Bench	154 x 8 198 x 8 x 2
Snatch	110 x 2 x 3
Recumbent Bike	20 min

Right back to it! Soreness wasn't too bad, though bench was definitely enough to feel in my pecs. Tiredness was the bigger issue. 1200 mg of caffeine doesn't lend itself to great sleep.

[SeanHerbison]

Wednesday, 8 November

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk/Jog	0.55 mi - 7:04
Seated Box Jump	45” x 3 x 5
SSB Squat	181 x 10 225 x 10
DB Bench	55s x 12 85s x 9 75s x 12, 9
Echo Bike	20 min - 5.66 mi

Friday, 10 November

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Snatch	154 x 2 176 x 1 198 x 1 220 x 1 231 x 1 238 x 1 242 x 1 246 x 1
Clean and Jerk	246 x 1 258 x 1 264 x 1 269 x 1
Clean	284 x 1 295 x 1 308 x 1 319 x 1
Bench	154 x 10 198 x 13

I don't usually have a specific plan for the weeks after meets. I just go in and do whatever I feel like, though that usually involves testing snatch and clean. My jerk definitely needs work, especially if I'm going to do the January meet I have an eye on, but not bad overall. I'm surprised my snatch is that high, actually. That's 20 or 25 lb off my best. Clean is 35 off, and jerk is something like 65.

I got a great deal on a loadable keg, too, so now I'm playing with that.

[SeanHerbison]

Monday, 13 November

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk/Run	0.55 mi - 6:50
Box Jump	45” x 3 x 3 47” x 3 x 2
Squat	44 x 10 x 2 154 x 8 220 x 8 264 x 8 x 3
Bench	44 x 10 154 x 8 209 x 8 x 5
Deadlift	154 x 8 264 x 8 374 x 8 x 2
DB Shrugs	75s x 12 x 3
Recumbent Bike	20 min

Tuesday, 14 November

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Yoga	This one
Trail Walk/Run	12:37
Easy "Sprint"	~40m x 5
Cartwheel	5 each way

I'm not going to be logging most of these, but I'm doing more training on my non-lifting days. Yoga's been helping me, in particular with bracing. I've keeping my hips under me better recently, and that's most of the reason.

Wednesday, 15 November

Exercise	Weight x Reps x Sets
Walk/Run	0.55 mi - 6:28
Box Jump	45” x 3 x 3 47” x 3 x 2
SSB Squat	225 x 10 227 x 10
DB Bench	75 x 12, 12, 9
Power Snatch from Blocks	154 x 2 x 3 165 x 2 x 2
Power Clean from Blocks	220 x 2 x 2 231 x 2 x 2
Skullcrushers	55 x 12 - plate 65 x 10 - DB 55 x 12 - bar
Echo Bike	20 min - 6.43

8s and 10s are a completely different challenge from 5s or lower, and I really need to get better at that again. I'm not in great shape for training, and that's my priority for now. I'm going to try to hold my 1RMs where they are, but I'm not concerned with pushing them forward for a bit. At one point (10 years ago, I see, now that I looked it up) I was doing 295*10*3 with 90 seconds rest. There's no chance I'd be capable of doing that at the moment, and I intend to rectify that.