Polk's Road to Elite

[Polk17]

This is my first time posting on this Forum... Right now I am starting my meet prep for the 2012 APA Raw Halloween Class on October 28th, the last time I competed was October last year, and I did 475/275/600/1,350 @ 220, and I feel like these were true maxes... In the gym 5 weeks before the meet my maxes were 455/265/575...

Heading into this meet my maxes are:

Squat - 525 Without Wraps
Bench - 315
Pull - 645

The Goals for the meet are:

Squat - 575-600 W/ Wraps (Have never worn them before)
Bench - 330-340
Pull - 675-700

I have Josh Bryant doing my programming, I would highly recommend him and I can guarantee you that you will get stronger, and that you will earn it... So out of respect to his plan I will be relatively vague in my explanation of the Assistance and Special Work he prescribes... I train in my Garage Gym named Go Hard Barbell in Sebring
My diet I feel is pretty solid, I follow John Kiefer's Carb Backloading Protocol and have been very successful with it... The process starts tomorrow, with Close Grip Bench Work, which basically ends up being an Upper Assistance day...

[Polk17]

Sunday 8/5/12 - Upper

Josh Strength

Trained in my Garage (Go Hard Barbell)

preWO - Preworkout Stuff, Krealkyn, & BCAAs

iWO - BCAAs Mixed in Water

DYNAMIC WARMUP (Agile 8)

CLOSE GRIP BENCH

Bar x Many x 2
Add Foam Roller (For Arch)
95 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 3
Remove Foam Roller
225 x 2

250 x 5 x 3 - These moved very well...

PRESS

115 x 10 x 3

REVERSE GRIP INCLINE

155 x 10 x 3 - 1st time doing these, & I thought they would be hard, but I really liked them... I felt like I had good bar speed...

ASSISTANCE (Upper Back, More Triceps, Yoke, & Abs)

CONDITIONING (Prowler - 45's x 40 Yards x 8, w/ 45 Sec Rest)

pWO - 2 Scoops Protein, Chocolate Milk, Krealkyn, & BCAAs

Probably do some Light Restoration/Feeder Work tomorrow, then Squat on Tuesday...

[J L S]

nice work polk, if you are who i think you are you have gotten alot stronger and bigger since i last saw anything of you!

I had josh B do some programming for me not so long back, hes a very cool guy and very patient, I havent a bad word to say about him

[Polk17]

nice work polk, if you are who i think you are you have gotten alot stronger and bigger since i last saw anything of you!

I had josh B do some programming for me not so long back, hes a very cool guy and very patient, I havent a bad word to say about him

I have put on some size and strength, but haven't competed in a while so we will see moving forward, my gym lifts are way up, so I am anticipating a good total...

I love working with Josh, he definitely knows his shit...

[Polk17]

Tuesday 8/7/12 - Squat

JS

preWO - Reg. preWO Drink, Kreaklyn, & BCAAs

iWO - BCAAs

DYNAMIC WARMUP (Agile 8)

SQUATS

Bar x a lot x a few
135 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1
Added Belt
365 x 1

Added Inzer Z Knee Wraps
405 x 3
450 x 3 - Not sure what to think about the Knee Wraps yet... 450 felt heavier than it should have, but it's been 4 weeks since I have had anything on my back, and my set-up wasn't as good because of the Wraps... The weight moved pretty well first two, then I hit the Spud Straps on the third and messed up my rhythm...

PAUSED SQUATS

Removed Wraps & Added Rehbands

365 x 3 x 6 - Lotta volume...

BANDED FREE SQUATS

290 + Doubled Mini x 2 x 4 - 1st time w/ Banded Squats, it's a different feel... Plus at this point I was SHOT... It is hot as hell in my Garage...

GHR

BW x 6 x 4

OTHER ASSISTANCE (Some more Posterior Chain, Quads, Forearms, Yoke & Abs)

pWO - 2 Scoops Protein & 1/2 Gallon Chocolate Milk

TBH, this was killer, it was 2 full hours of Non-Stop movement... The Paused Squats killed me, 365 feels like 455 when you completely stop at bottom, but, I bet no one else who will be there October 28th did this today, and come meet day, it'll show... & it's a great excuse to house food ppWO... I dig it...

[Coke]

Damn good lifting going on in here, good luck with your goals.

[Polk17]

Damn good lifting going on in here, good luck with your goals.

Thanks bro... Trying to get strong...

[RobmoriRB]

solid work out in here....im going to sub if possiable....because i see alot of growth in here

[Polk17]

solid work out in here....im going to sub if possiable....because i see alot of growth in here

Always... Welcome...

[ChadDresden]

I ran a Josh Bryant program for just my squat for a 12 week cycle leading into my last meet and it put easily 60+lbs on my squat. He made the program for a training partner of mine. You aren't kidding, it was the toughest program I ever ran by far. I'll be keeping an eye on your log. He's been having great success with raw guys. I may get in touch with him to do my programming for the Arnold next year.

[Polk17]

I ran a Josh Bryant program for just my squat for a 12 week cycle leading into my last meet and it put easily 60+lbs on my squat. He made the program for a training partner of mine. You aren't kidding, it was the toughest program I ever ran by far. I'll be keeping an eye on your log. He's been having great success with raw guys. I may get in touch with him to do my programming for the Arnold next year.

Ya, my first meet I did 475, and my gym max a month before that was 450, I hit 525 at the end of a cycle, and was beat to shit, haha... I have told every person I talk to about him, you WILL make gains, but you WILL earn them, one way or the other, either with Volume or Intensity or Both... He's rediculous smart when it comes to training, and awesome when it comes to working with you, I get a detailed E-Mail after every video of every work out... The shit he does with the Deadlift is rediculous...

[Polk17]

Thursday 8/9/12 - Bench

Trained @ Go Hard Barbell w/ Kiko...

JS

preWO - preWO Cocktail, BCAAs, & Kreaklyn

iWO - BCAAs

DYNAMIC WARMUP (Agile 8)

BENCH (Paused)

Add Foam Roller
Bar x Many x 2
95 x 8
135 x 5
Remove Foam Roller
185 x 3
225 x 2,1
245 x 1

265 x 3 PR - All were pretty smooth...

235 x 7,4,3 (Rest Paused)
200 x 13,5,3 (Rest Paused)

DIPS

BW x 10,10
BW+45 x 8,3,1 (Rest Paused)

ASSISTANCE (Direct Chest Work, Chins, Tris, Yoke, Calves, & Abs)

pWO - BCAAs, Kreaklyn, 2 Scoops Protein, & Chocolate Milk

A really solid Bench Day, good start to my cycle... Pullin' tomorrow...

[bald bull]

good stuff looking strong

[J L S]

nice work polk, whole lot of squatting and the best thing about the whole post... 'gallon of chocolate milk'... its quite funny you mention the ridicolous stuff he does with the deadlift, I'll never forget my run with josh b as I have a scar on my right quad from deadlifting, used a bar with pretty horrible knurling and needless to say i bled that session

[Polk17]

good stuff looking strong

Thx man, on my grind...

nice work polk, whole lot of squatting and the best thing about the whole post... 'gallon of chocolate milk'... its quite funny you mention the ridicolous stuff he does with the deadlift, I'll never forget my run with josh b as I have a scar on my right quad from deadlifting, used a bar with pretty horrible knurling and needless to say i bled that session

Thanks man, still sore... Chocolate Milk is the nectar of the Gods... He'll kill you with Deadlift, I'm positive I'll be bleeding tonight... Usually from hands & shins...

[Polk17]

Friday 8/10/12 - Pull

Trained @ Go Hard Barbell

JS

preWO - Reg. preWO Cocktail, BCAAs, & Kreaklyn

iWO - BCAAs

DYNAMIC WARMUP (Agile 8)

SPEED SQUATS

Bar x a lot x many
135 x 6 x 2
225 x 2 x 6

PULLS

135 x 8
225 x 6
275 x 3
315 x 2
365 x 1
405 x 1
Added Belt
455 x 1

500 x 1 x 15 w/ 30 seconds rest - All were smooth, 15 felt better than 1...

SUMO STANCE DEAD SQUAT

455 x 1 x 4 - 1st time, like em...

BARBELL ROWS

185 x 6 x 3 - Strict

GHR

BW x 6 x 3

OTHER ASSISTANCE (Lots of Upper Back, Biceps, Yoke, Hams, Low Back, & Abs)

pWO - BCAAs, Kreaklyn, 2 Scoops Protein, & Chocolate Milk

Lots of volume, Pulls felt really strong... Overall a solid end to a solid week...

[J L S]

nice work, thats alot of sets. kicking ass for sure

[Coke]

Damn, that's a super session.

[Polk17]

nice work, thats alot of sets. kicking ass for sure

Damn, that's a super session.

Thanks guys, pretty sore today...

[Polk17]

**Video from Yesterday**

Don't know what happened to the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlndr...ature=youtu.be

[jkstrength]

Nice pulling bro!

[RobmoriRB]

nice pulls keep it up and i like the 455lb pull

[Polk17]

Nice pulling bro!

Thanks bro... Trying to peak at the right time so that I can do my best Pulling on the Platform... Eyes on 700 in October...

nice pulls keep it up and i like the 455lb pull

Thanks man, they are really good, especially for me as I use my Back a lot to Pull... It really Strengthens the Legs & Hips, for the initial Pull off floor...

[Polk17]

Sunday 8/12/12 - Upper

Trained @ the D.A.C. w/ my Boy...

JS

preWO - Reg. preWO Cocktail, BCAAs, & Kreaklyn

iWO - A7

DYNAMIC WARMUP (Agile 8)

CG BENCH

Bar x Many x 2
95 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2
245 x 1

Added Inzer Z Wraps
260 x 5 x 3 PRs - Not bad, form was pretty good until the last rep or two of the last set... Still have work to do...

PRESS

125 x 10 x 2

REVERSE GRIP INCLINE

165 x 10 x 3

PALMS OUT PUSHUPS

2 Minis x 12 x 3

ASSISTANCE (Upper Back, Yoke, & Abs)

pWO - BCAAs, Kreaklyn, 2 Scoops Protein, & Chocolate Milk

Played Softball yesterday, so I didn't get as much rest as I needed from Friday, felt it a little bit... Either way the work was done, and I felt decent... Off Tomorrow, Squattin' Tuesday...

[Brian Hopper]

Strong pulls!