As we wind down another cycle and Derek looks to sport-specific rugby training, Scott found willing lifters to go for max lifts on Thanksgiving Day.

Tuesday, 11/24/09

Axle Push Press, w/2 mb: 65×5/105×5/135×3/160×3/160×3/175×3/. Bands were wrapped around the bar twice.
Front Squat: 95×3/135/. Ok that’s all for the front squat. Apprehensive about doing any weighted squats, so instead, I did,
Barbell Step-ups: 135×10, each leg/185×8/185×8/.
Plyo Box Jumps, 24″. 3 x 7.
Single Dumbell Rows: 75×8/90×8/90×8/90×6/.
Front Plate Throw, 35#: 3 x 8.
Standing Cable Crunches: 100×10/110×10/110×10/110×10/.

Just about everything I did was preceded by a tentative movement to calibrate for an injury. Front squats were eliminated.

Thursday, 11/26/09

Looks like a deadlift and bench press ME day.

Power Cleans: 113×5/113×5/133×3/. These were put in toget the CNS ready to deadlift.
Deadlift ME: 245×5/295×5/325×3/345×3/385/415/440/462.5pr/475f/470f/. Gave it all @ 462, which is the only set I could count the weight of the collars!
Bench Press ME: 135×3/165×3/185×3/205×3/250/260 pr/270 pr/275f/.

Saturday, 11/28/09

Saturday was a big-time sick day. Sometimes you finish big, other times not so.

Olympic lifting has a long tradition in sports other than Olympic weightlifting for strength, power and conditioning but it is not without it’s detractors by strength coaches mostly, I suppose, because of the steep learning curve it takes to master the lifts. Many coaches are of the opinion the time could be more effectively used for other movements that provide similar benefits.

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A little over a month ago, in “Random and Structured Training” I wrote of the differences of each type of programming and said I trained sort of in between the both with my training approach.

I am in the midst of the third week of highly structured and programmed training after signing on with my friend, pro strongman Scott Brengel of EastWestStrength, (not sure if he is my “friend” anymore)!

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What happens when a tall, long-limbed,  young, cocky 20 year old challenges a shorter-levered, confident 32 year old to a weightlifting competition? I don’t know yet, but we’ll find out in about 8 weeks as these two claim they will train and then square off for a maximum three lift total contest.

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Prior to an athletic competition, a man’s testosterone level will increase as they get ready to “do battle”. Interestingly, those levels increase or decrease depending on their fortunes during the game. In this video, two evenly matched rugby teams had their T levels tested before, during and after their match. (Hint, the winning team had more).

In another video, powerlifter Kieran Kidder talks about his steroid use which he believes are “widely misunderstood”. You decide. The animation on muscle growth is interesting.