Template 2, Week 2: Squat Spotting

AS I have said many times before, at this stage of a new program: so far, so good. It feels great to be enjoying what I'm doing again, now that the structure in place and I can feel the training making me sore, and strong.

This program is a degree more complicated than any I've used before, in that I now follow a 'week 1' and 'week 2' template for pulling, pressing and events. Squats - for now, using a cambered bar, but axle when I can manage it again - are performed fortnightly, alternating with good mornings (also cambered bar). And deadlifts - my favourite kind of pull - are (for now, at least) done every two weeks too.

Fortnightly squat training has proven to not tax my knees too much in the past, and is the most frequently I will perform them nowadays. My weakest movements right now are - predictably - my presses, and for that reason I'm axle overhead pressing every week. But I've added a different supplementary movement and a newish mixture of accessories to 'Press week 2'; nothing that will tax my right bicep tendon too much. A bunch of exercises still have different loadings and rep ranges from left to right hand. That will be par for the course for the next two months or so.

On Saturday I walked in the gym and was digging around in my gear bag for knee sleeves when a familiar face wandered through from the kitchen. While I was mentally trying to place him, he asked:
"Weren't you at Genesis?" Yeah, I replied. And then I remembered I'd given him a business card after watching him deadlifting one night, last last year. I don't hand them out much at all, but I recall he'd shown some real potential and so I'd offered my help, if he'd wanted it.

A little while later his friend came through from the other training area, who I did not recognise. But he also knew me.
"You were at Genesis, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Weren't you at the Muscle Pit too?"
"Yeah. I started there, well sort of. Back in 2011, I think."
"Man, you've been doing this a while."
"Yeah. I went from the Pit to PTC Perth, then to Genesis, back to PTC, back to Genesis again... and now here."

The first fella was wrapped and belted, squatting 200 plus kilos in the farthest rack right of me. I saw him do strong work up till about 230 (I think), where his depth was not ideal and he seemed to struggle coming out of the hole. He told me later that he wasn't game to try for another single until I offered my assistance. But with his mate and I both spotting he gave it another crack... in fact I think he might have even gone heavier. From my limited vantage point, it still looked better than the last.

He's currently doing a massive amount of volume and frequency on squats and bench each week (three and two times respectively) while deadlifting only once, and has a competition coming up in three months. I told him that if I tried that program I'd be in a wheelchair before the end of it.

PULL Week 2 Template 2 - May 4th
Cambered bar squats:
20 kg x 10
70 kg x 5
120 kg x 3
150 kg x 5 x 5
Hamstring curls (p/l):
10 kg x 15
15 kg x 2 x 15
Meadows rows (l&r):
30 kg x 10
40 kg x 3 x 10
Seated rows (underhand):
left 60 kg x 3 x 10
right 37.5 kg x 18, 15, 15
Lateral pulldowns:
60 kg x 3 x 10
DB side raises (p/h):
10 kg x 4 x 10

PRESS Week 2 Template 2 - April 30th
Axle press (strict):
20 kg x 10
40 kg x 10
60 kg 3 x 10
Incline barbell press:
20 kg x 10
40 kg x 10
50 kg x 10
60 kg x 10, 9
Skull-crushers w/mini swiss bar:
10 kg x 10
20 kg x 3 x 10
Preacher curls:
10 kg x 3 x 20
DB front raises (p/h):
left 10 kg x 10, 12.5 kg x 2 x 10
right 6 kg x 2 x 20
Cardio:
assault bike 3 mins @ +60 rpm, 2 mins @ +50 rpm