November 24, 2018, I will be competing in the EPC Finals in Guelph, ON. This was the meet where I tore my quad in 2017. I have 2 goals:

• Get to the meet healthy
• Build momentum for the future

If there is a PR there, I will take it, but I am playing the long game from here on out.

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I wanted to give a look into some of the movements I have been doing for my assistance work at this point during my meet prep.  I typically will just put the assistance work down in the workout summary, but I won’t really elaborate on why I do it, so why not now?!

For the squat, my favourite assistance lift is the front squat.  I had gone away from it for a bit when my knees were really bad, but since addressing those issues, I have been able to get back to front squatting regularly and it’s feeling great.  I love the front squat for a few reasons.  First, it puts a large demand on the anterior core musculature and demands the lifter to brace very hard throughout.  Immediate feedback is provided when the bar rolls off the shoulders.  Next, it places a large demand on the erectors to maintain an upright posture, which is a weakness of mine in my squat.  Third, it is really effective in building the quads and glutes, which has a huge carry over to the raw squat – especially in a moderate stance, upright technique like mine.

On the bench, I have been implementing some floor pressing, as opposed to the overhead work I was doing.  My shoulders immediately did not feel good after the low bar squat was reintroduced, so instead of fighting it, I just swapped the OHP for Close Grip Floor Press.  Tons of tricep work and easy on the shoulders and pec tendons.  I also feel like the starting strength I build in the floor press, along with the increased focus on lat engagement carries over well for me.  Win/Win!

I have also been doing a lot of push-up variations.  I have mentioned this before, but I love push-ups because it allows the shoulder and scapula to go through a full ROM, as opposed to a DB Bench, where the scaps are pinned to a bench.  You’ll see in the video, I actively protract my scaps at the top and retract at the bottom.  I have seen a huge carry over in my shoulder stability from the inclusion of more push-ups.  Also, the variation in the video is hella badass!

Squat Assistance

1. Front Squat – 405x2x6sets RPE 7
2. Box Jumps – 5×5
3. Bulgarian, Singe Arm – 3x10ea
4. GHR – 3×10
5. KB Swings /ss SA Suitcase Hold – 4×15+20sec/arm

Bench Assistance

1. CG Floor Press – 345x2x6sets RPE 7
2. Ring Push-Ups – 5×10
3. Dips – 110x10x3sets
4. 3 way shoulder raise – 3x15ea
5. Gun Run – 100reps of biceps and triceps