My first week using the Transitioning Intermediate program went quite well. I enjoyed the variation in training, but more importantly, Friday’s competition lift day went well.
I was a little sore over the week, presumably from the introduction of a few new lifts and a bit more volume. As usual, I was concerned about how many reps I’d get in my Top Set of Competition Squats, but this program is set up to allow for low reps, as low as 1, so my worries were for naught.
I miss the pop I got from the EFS knee sleeves but I feel good about moving the weight under my own power.
- Competition Squat: 269.5 x 2
- Competition Bench: 186.5 x 2
- Competition Deadlift: 305 x 3
Friday is set up as a high intensity, low volume day, so the Load Drop for back off sets is minimal. I only managed one back off set for squats and deadlifts, but I got a few extra bench sets in.
My comfort in the Competition Bench is the best part of my Powerlifting focused training the last couple of months. The regular practice and of course the new gym with better equipment, including safety bars if I miss a lift, have had a noticeable impact. I’m still living in Poverty Bench Town of course, but I feel like there is more upside than in my Squat for example.
I watched a lot of video during the week as well, and did some additional reading, all along the lines of hypertrophy and what should be possible genetically based on my frame. It’s all so speculative that it’s difficult to make any changes in what I’m doing for the sake of additional hypertrophy focus. However, I do want to at least know if any gain at all is possible.
I was thinking about what 1 pound of added lean muscle mass, spread across the entire body, would actually look like. My guess: undetectable. So one could be doing everything correctly, actually adding muscle, yet be frustrated by a “lack of progress” and bail out or change something when it’s actually working fine. I’ve decided there’s only one way to know.
A few years ago, researching testosterone boosters, I had the same realization. How would I know if anything actually worked? So I did the only thing I could to find out: blood work. I’m going to do the same thing again. Thursday I have an appointment to get a Dexa Scan. I will find out the exact amount of lean body mass and body fat I’m currently carrying. I will remain on my program of powerlifting and my calorie cycling diet and get another Dexa in 6 months. I will finally have my answer.
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