10 Oct Zane Geeting, This weeks bench, squat, and dead training

I’m currently in an off-season training block. I’m still on my 2x per week split until the ground freezes or the snow starts flying. At that point in time I’ll hopefully be able to return to my 3x per week schedule. As far as meet plans go, I know I’ll be doing the XPC finals at the Arnold sports festival. I’d also like to find a tune-up meet between now and then, but we’ll see what happens.

Tuesday night bench training

This week had me to the point in my rotation where I’m benching with a barbell. I decided to do something a little different and bench wide (index fingers on the rings) with my thumbs wrapped around the bar. Ever since I lost the majority of my right pec in 2011, I haven’t been able to bench raw with my thumb wrapped around the bar. The thumbless grip allowed me to keep more load on my triceps which decreased pec activation and kept me from cramping up as bad. As time progressed I realized that I can bench with my thumb wrapped in a bench shirt, and I think training it that way has allowed me to be able to do it raw again. So, as I mentioned last week, I am trying to put some more emphasis on the pecs now that I seem to be able to again. I’m not getting crazy with it, but I figured this wide grip work may work out well, especially because its the grip I use in my bench shirt. Here’s how the session went:

Warm up

Bird dogs, McGills, Push ups, Side laterals, Scarecrows

Wide grip bench

I warmed up with the bar, then… 135×10, 185×10, 225×8, 245x6x3 sets (I paused the majority of these reps and they all felt really good)

Close grip shoulder saver

225×15

Tate presses

30’s x10, 50’s x10, 65’s x10

Fat rope pushdowns

1 set of 10, 1 drop set with 2 drops from start weight.

Lat pulldowns

3 sets of 10, 1 drop set with 2 drops from the start weight

Side laterals

35’s x15, 50’s x15, 65’s x10

Band pull aparts

3 high rep sets

• That was the end of the session. I got in everything I wanted to, and really hit the triceps hard. Nothing was heavy because its basically the start of the off season work. The climb back to heavy weights will be slow and steady. Either next week, or the following week I’ll get in my new Super Phenom and see how it works for me. Its about 3 sizes bigger than what I should be wearing, but it should allow me to set up the way I want to and get used to it. If that works, I can start having it taken in, to get more support and pop out of it. So for you fellow gear whores, stay tuned for that one.

Friday night squat and deadlift training

The week had me working in briefs again on the squat, working on depth, and getting some 70%-75% work in, but keeping the RPE in the 6-7 range. It also had me on a DL week in the rotation. This called for a set of 10 in the RPE range of 5-6. I was a little tight on time, and I was cold and creaky getting warmed up, but here’s what I did…

Warm up

McGill big 3, Cat/Camel, KB swings, lots of BW squatting

Squat

Warmed up to 420×3 raw

Briefs

510×3, 570x3x3 sets ( I figure this is 70%-75% of my briefs max right now, and I hit the RPE right where I wanted to, 6-7)

Sumo deadlift

245×10, 335×5, 425×3, and 515×10 (This was also perfect, came in right at that 5-6 range on the RPE scale)

• By this time I was getting tight on time and I needed to get home. It had been a long day and I needed to work in the morning. I started my day at around 6:30am, and did these last pulls at around 11:30pm, before making my half an hour drive home. While I would have liked to do more work, I am really happy with the work that I did get done. Next time I pull, it will be in the 565-585 range for high reps (hopefully a rep PR if all goes well)… The squats were forced to depth on all 9 reps with the working weight. Everything is feeling good there, but I can still be more locked in, and I’m working on making that better with every set I do. I think this is going to pay off really well in the long run.

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Zane Geeting

Zane Geeting is a pro multi-ply powerlifter with best lifts of a 935 squat, 625 bench, and 765 deadlift. He is coming back to competitive PL after a year and a half layoff that was a result of several serious injuries including a severe rupture of the right pec that could not be repaired. Zane has an extremely busy schedule that would make most people quit before Friday. He works 55+ hours a week as a finance manager. As a renaissance man, he is also currently restoring a 140 year-old farmhouse and maintaining a hobby farm. Despite all this, Zane still finds time to train 2-3 times per week, as well as coach other lifters.  

Latest posts by Zane Geeting (see all)

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