8 Week Return to Strength S/B/D Program

BELOW are just the money sets for each week. I have added options in the deadlift program so that if everything continues to feel good I can keep working with 1-rep maxes for the next few weeks before returning to another basic max effort template. If I'm still feeling great after the eight weeks as written, I will go on to attempt a new 1RM personal record by 5 kilos in early July. If I'm feeling taxed, I'll consider that triple of 300 to mean I'm pretty much back to full strength and commence a more ambitious program in due course.

Which brings me to the prospect of competing this year. Assuming I complete the extended DL template I'll seriously need to deload from mid-July, but I'll be primed for the Perth Cup in September for sure. I might even try for a wild card entry to the Strongman state finals if there's room in the heavyweight division (and with the green light from WA Strongman, of course), but we shall see.

If you're wondering why I'm using periodisation for bench press, I'm making an educated guess here. My left shoulder still bothers me but I expect it's more to do with the bursitis than the tendon tears, which I would hope are sufficiently healed by now. I believe the demands are more manageable compared with max effort, which would cause more stress to the shoulder. And I've been more conservative with the loadings, not attempting to finish in new territory. Instead that triple of 160 will signify I'm close enough to full strength to deload, reset and prepare.

Squats - Max Effort:
April 25th - 200 kgs x 8
May 2nd - 210 kgs x 8
May 9th - 220 kgs x 6
May 16th - 230 kgs x 5
May 23rd - 240 kgs x 4
May 30th - 250 kgs x 3 - PR for reps
June 7th - 260 kgs x 2 - PR for reps
June 14th - 270 kgs x 1 - 1RM PR

Bench press - Periodisation:
April 27th - 125 kgs x 3 x 5
May 4th -  130 kgs x 3 x 4
May 11th -  135 kgs x 3 x 4
May 18th -  140 kgs x 3 x 3
May 25th -  145 kgs x 3 x 3
June 1st -  150 kgs x 2 x 3
June 8th -  155 kgs x 2 x 2
June 15th - 160 kgs x 3

Deadlift - Improvisational:
April 28th - 300 kgs x 1
May 5th - 310 kgs x 1 -or- 180 kgs x 15
May 12th - 320 kgs x 1 -or- 200 kgs x 12
May 19th -  220 kgs x 10
May 26th - 240 kgs x 8
June 3rd - 260 kgs x 6
June 10th - 280 kgs x 4
June 17th - 300 kgs x 3
-optional-
June 24th - 315 kgs x 2
July 1st - 330 kgs x 1
July 8th - 345 kgs x 1 - new personal record