MEET DEATH 16 Week meet prep Program INSTRUCTIONS SQUATS Place bar in specified position (high/low bar). Cues remain the same. Shove elbows back and pull bar down onto your back, be careful not to pull your elbows under the bar, keep them shoved back as you pull down. This will create a tight and rigid upper back. During the squat, aim to keep torso as up right as possible. Drive the knees out as hard as possible, keep eyes slightly up and head neutral. It is not possible to stay as upright during a Low bar compared to a High bar squat. But the emphasis is to remain as upright as possible. Tempo - same as a squat. But on the descent, it's a 3 second count on the way down. Paused - Same as a squat, but we are pausing the squat right on parallel. Do not go below parallel. The pause must be strict, avoid any downward movement when pausing, hold for 2 seconds. During the pause, hold your breath, keep bracing hard and keep knees out. Competition Squat - This refers to your preferred equipment for your squat. If you compete in knee wraps, use knee wraps. If you compete in knee sleeves, wear knee sleeves. Walking Lunges- These are meant to be kept rather light, emphasis on control, back knee should not touch the floor, keep torso upright. BENCH PRESS This is at your competition grip width. During set up, we want to aim to squeeze our scapula down (retract and then depress) towards our buttocks as hard as possible. In doing this, our chest should expand. Bring feet back as far as possible and drive them into the floor, as hard as you can for the duration of the lift. Before lifting off, takes a big breath, we want to hold this one breath as long as possible, ideally, the entire set. This may take some getting used to, challenge yourself to get better at this each session. DO NOT take a breath after unracking the barbell before doing the first rep. HOLD IT. Bring bar down to the bottom of the chest/sternum whilst “pulling the bar apart” to engage the upper back as much as possible, and then press the bar, being sure not to over reach and lose tightness, we should not have to reset or get tight again during the set, if we can maintain tightness the entire time. Drive head into the bench and shoulder blades down. DB Movements - Important thing here is FULL range of motion. Dumbbell should touch chest/shoulders every rep at full stretch before being locked out on the press. Maintain good control. Rows - To be done on a machine or with a barbell or with a dumbbell for the One Arm row variation. To be done with strict form, minimum upper body movement. Full range of motion. Lat Pull Down - Full stretch is important, bring the bar down to just below the chin, and then control weight back up to full stretch position. Keep it strict. Assisted pull ups can be down in place of these if equipment not available. DEADLIFT Conventional Deadlift - Stand with shins one inch from the barbell. Have feet set roughly hip width or just inside. Reach down, grab the bar just outside of the legs. Drop hips down whilst simultaneously pulling your chest up with your elbows locked. DO NOT think about pulling shoulders blades ‘together’ as this will shorten your arms and make your levers less favourable. Think about pulling them down, as you make a ‘Big” chest. Also think about ‘Long Arms’. Push knees out into your LOCKED arms. Take the slack out of the barbell, brace hard, and then execute the lift. Initiate the movement by ‘pushing’ with your quads, as you break the floor and the barbell passes mid shin, we then pull our hips through, locking our knees at the top and pulling shoulders back. Control weight to the floor and repeat. Deficit- Same as conventional deadlift, but you will stand on a platform 3-5cm high. Snatch Grip Deadlift - Hands as wide as possible whilst keeping locked elbows. Use straps to hold the barbell. Use same cues as a Conventional Deadlift, however your leverages in this position are very unfavourable. Keep chest as high as possible, push with quads to initiate the movement. Sumo Deadlift - Stand with shins very close to the barbell, in a wider sumo stance. Do not stand too wide, it's important that our knees don't track inside of our toes during the lift. If your external rotation of the hips is limited, a narrower stance will suit you more. Reach down, grab the barbell with hands just on the knurling of the barbell. We want to lower our hips, open them up as much as possible, and aim to pull the hips in towards the bar. Do not push the hips back. Also be sure not to drop hips to low. This is NOT a squatting movement. Take the slack out of the bar, pull chest up, hips in, aim for a 90 degree angle between knees, hips and shoulders as a guide, this will vary between individuals however. To initiate the movement, take the slack from the bar, push with the quads, as the barbell breaks the floor, we are trying to lock the knees and then squeeze our hips through, whilst pulling our shoulders back. Also do not point toes out too far, only point them out slightly. RDL - Similar to a conventional deadlift, except this time the lift is started from a locked out position. Take a breath and brace from this position, lower the barbell to mid shin level with a control, and stand back up. When lowering the barbell, we are wanting to push the hips back, the bar should travel straight up and down, not move around the knees. Maintain a big chest and a rigid, tight upper back. Competition Deadlift - Refers to your preferred deadlift style in competition. Paused Deadlift - Similar to your competition deadlift, however there will be a 2 second strict pause just after breaking the floor before completing the lift, Must brace hard and hold breath for the duration of the pause maintaining a good position. DIFFICULTY SCALE Using the "DIFFICULTY" Scale. 5 = very comfortable, around 6/7 reps left in the tank. 6 = quite comfortable, around 4/5 reps left in the tank. 7 = slightly challenging, around 4 reps left in the tank. 8 = challenging, around 2/3 reps left in the tank. 9 = very challenging, maybe 1 rep left in the tank. 10 = absolute max for rep(s), nothing left to give. TIPS - Avoid overshooting the difficulty, especially in the earlier weeks. - Leave room for progression each week with accessory movements, do not max them out early. - All deadlifts to be done from a dead stop, no bouncing or touch 'n' go deadlifts. - Paused movements are to be strict. - On bench press, aim to pause at least the first rep of each set. - If fatigue levels are getting extremely high, reduce the intensity of accessory work for 1 week. DISCLAIMER/WAIVER physical exercise and strength training can be strenuous and subject to risk of serious injury, we urge you to obtain a physical examination from a doctor before using any exercise equipment or participating in any exercise activity. You agree that by participating in physical exercise or training activities that you are are in good physical condition and do not suffer from any known disability or condition which would prevent or limit my participation in this exercise, and you do so entirely at your own risk. Any recommendation for changes in diet including the use of food supplements, weight reduction and/or body building enhancement products are entirely your responsibility and you should consult a physician prior to undergoing any dietary or food supplement changes. You agree that you are voluntarily participating in these activities and use of these facilities and premises and assume all risks of injury, illness, or death. You acknowledge that you have carefully read this “disclaimer/waiver" and fully understand that it is a release of liability. You expressly agree to release and discharge Pale Horse Powerlifting from any and all claims or causes of action and you agree to voluntarily give up or waive any right that you may otherwise have to bring a legal action against Pale Horse Powerlifting for personal injury or property damage. To the extent that statute or case law does not prohibit releases for negligence, this release is also for negligence. If any portion of this release from liability shall be deemed by a Court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, then the remainder of this release from liability shall remain in full force and effect and the offending provision or provisions severed here from. Phase 1 Weeks 1-3 DAY 1 SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK1 WK2 WK3 HIGH BAR SQUAT (SLEEVES) 8 9 7 4X8 HIGH BAR TEMPO (3SEC) 3X5 HIGH BAR PAUSED 3X4 WALKING LUNGES 3X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 4X6 3X10 3X12 3X12 SETS X REPS DAY 3 DEFICIT DEADLIFT CONVENT. 4X6 3X8 SNATCH GRIP DEADLIFT 3X10 RDL DAY 4 CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 4X10 3X10 3X10 3X10 7 8 9 7 8 9 7 8 9 Phase 2 Weeks 1-2 DAY 1 HIGH BAR SQUAT (WRAPS) HIGH BAR TEMPO (3SEC) HIGH BAR PAUSED WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK1 WK2 7 4X6 8 3X5 3X4 3X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 5X5 4X8 3X12 3X12 SETS X REPS DAY 3 DEFICIT DEADLIFT CONVENT. 4X4 3X3 PAUSED DEADLIFT 2X8 SNATCH GRIP DEADLIFT 3X10 RDL DAY 4 CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 5X8 3X8 3X10 3X10 7 8 7 8 7 8 Phase 3 - deload DAY 1 SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY DELOAD WEEK COMPETITION SQUAT 5 3X5 HIGH BAR PAUSED (SLEEVES) 3X5 WALKING LUNGES 3X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 3X5 4X8 3X12 3X12 DAY 3 COMPETITON DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT SNATCH GRIP DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 3X3 3X3 2X8 3X10 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 3X8 3X8 3X10 3X10 5 5 5 Phase 4 Week 1 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT COMPETITON SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK1 1X3 8 8 2X5 3X3 2X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 5X4 3X12 3X12 3X12 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 3X8 3X3 3X10 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 5X8 3X12 3X12 3X12 8 7 7 Phase 4 Week 2 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK2 3X8 7 3X3 2X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 4X4 3X10 3X10 3X10 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 3X3 3X3 3X10 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 4X8 3X10 3X10 3X10 8.5 8 8 Phase 4 Week 3 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT COMPETITON SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK3 1X3 9 9 2X5 3X3 2X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 4X4 3X8 3X8 3X8 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 3X8 3X3 3X10 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 3X8 3X8 3X8 3X8 9 7 9 Phase 5 Week 1 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK1 3X5 7 2X3 2X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 4X3 3X12 3X12 3X12 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 3X3 3X3 3X8 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 4X6 3X12 3X12 3X12 8 9 8 Phase 5 Week 2 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT COMPETITON SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK2 3X2 8 1X8 7 2X3 2X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 3X3 3X10 3X10 3X10 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 2X5 3X3 3X8 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 3X6 3X10 3X10 3X10 9 7 9 Phase 5 Week 3 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT WALKING LUNGES SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK3 8 3X5 2X3 2X20 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS DB OVERHEAD PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 4X2 3X8 3X8 3X8 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 3X2 3X3 3X8 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 3X6 3X8 3X8 3X8 8 9 6 Phase 6 Week 1 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT COMPETITON SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK1 3X1 9 1X10 5 2X2 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS BENCH PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 2X3 1X6 3X12 3X12 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 2X5 2X3 2X8 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 3X5 3X12 3X12 3X12 8 7 6 7 Phase 6 Week 2 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK2 8 3X5 2X2 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS BENCH PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 2X2 1X5 3X10 3X10 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 2X1 2X3 2X8 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 3X5 3X10 3X10 3X10 9 7 9 8 Phase 6 Week 3 DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT COMPETITON SQUAT HIGH BAR PAUSED SQUAT SETS X REPS DIFFICULTY WK3 8 1X3 7 1X8 2X2 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS BENCH PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 2X1 1X4 3X8 3X8 DAY 3 COMPETITION DEADLIFT PAUSED DEADLIFT RDL SETS X REPS 2X3 2X3 1X8 DAY 4 BENCH PRESS DB INCLINE PRESS LAT PULL DOWN ONE ARM ROWS SETS X REPS 2X5 3X8 3X8 3X8 9 7 6 9 meet death competition week DAY 1 COMPETITION SQUAT COMPETITON DEADLIFT SETS X REPS 1X3 1X3 DAY 2 BENCH PRESS BARBELL ROWS LAT PULL DOWN SETS X REPS 2X5 2X10 2X10 DIFFICULTY 5 5 8 meet death competition day "May Hell Follow With" _ _ @ pale_horse_powerlifting www.facebook.com/palehorsepowerlifting/ www.palehorsepowerlifting.bigcartel.com
