Friday Speed Work

Friday is my speed day. While I follow the principles of the Westside approach, I have put together a bastardised version that seems to works for me. As I like to spend some time away from the gym I have to put speed in somewhere and it is this day. I have made a few changes to what I am doing in regards to this, this year and so am having to do a lot of learning and self evaluation. So at the moment things might not look like they are meant to, or the way other people say it should be done. That will come over time. I have certain goals and aims for all three lifts in terms of form and speed.

SPEED SQUATS

*          Working on my walk out and set up.

                 (with the extra weight I need a better way of getting the bar out and myself set up in the right position)

*          Getting my feet out wider                                                                                                                                 (just feel that my stance is not quite where I want it to be)                 

*          Keeping my knees over my toes

                (Turning feet out a bit more and trying to keep my knees out on the way up. Knees have been falling out a bit to much)
*          Sitting back onto the box a lot more

                (Just feel at times I "fall" on to the box and knees come forward a bit to much)
*          Learning to Touch and Go from the box

                (Westside approach is to stop on the box, however we don't do that during competition lifts so why do it in training)
*          Lots, lots more speed on the stand up part of the exercise

                (Always looking for more speed on that part of the rep. Can never be quick enough)
*          Down to a 1 mat to make sure I am below parallel 

                (To make sure I am definitely low enough)

SPEED BENCH

*          A stronger set up before starting the rep. 

               (Get into the right position to be able to position the bar better)
*          Touching a lot further down my body to shorten the distance to press

               (Have been touching to far up around my nipple line, need to be 3"-4" below there. Try to touch in that area at competition time so might as well practice it in training)
*          Faster press off my chest

               (Believe at times I have been way to slow on the "Hit" from the press call)
*          Pressing right through the rep

               (Have been guilty of "stopping" the press just before full lockout, this also causes me to slow down towards the top of the rep and make lockout a lot harder)
*          Pressing from both arms

               (At times not fully pressing with both arms as the bar comes up on an angle)
*          A Stronger lockout.

               (A stronger lockout will leave no doubt that it was a good rep)

SPEED DEADS

*          Using the 50% - 60% range for this year. 

               (Use another approach last year, so will do this this year to see what happens)
*          Stronger pulls

               (Because of the lighter weight use the whole body during the pull phase)
*          Faster off the floor

               (Faster start should mean stronger pulls, Feel I am not getting off the floor as fast as I could)
*          Pulling right to the top of the rep.

               (Again similar to the benchpress I just feel that I am slowing down towards the top of the movement, Need to pull right through the rep)
*          Activating my glutes harder and quicker in the rep.

               (Similar to squats and with a stronger squeeze of my glutes should force my hips through for a stronger, quicker lockout)
*          Stronger lockouts

               (Again leave no doubt that it was a good rep)

As you can see plenty to work on. I don't expect it all to happen at once but with consistency over time things should get a lot better. As I video my training over time I should be able to pick up whether it is working or not. However competition lifts are where I will be able to see if it is all working.

To that end if you look at my videos from Friday you can see a few things that i need to work on

Speed Squats (120kg incl No#2 bands (50kg tension) 2 mats 55%)

• Set 3 was a complete shambles, Not knowing where the box was, What Touch 'n' Go, Knees falling forward and all over the place. Anybody would think I am a newbie.
• Set 7 was a little better as I sat back a bit more and a lot more speed on the up part of the movement. Feet could have been out a bit wider however overall a lot better set. 
• Set 10 Feet out wider but not where I want to be and you can see I struggle to get them there. I will need to work on this part. Time consuming and energy wasting. A lot more control over the whole rep. because I have done the stop on the box or so long it is going to take some time to get use to the T & G method. 

Speed Squats Set 3 C1W2

Speed Squats Set 7 C1W2

Speed Squats Set 10 C1W2

Speed Bench (100kg incl 50kg of Chain 55%)

• Set 3 set up was okay and first 2 reps pretty good but I slowed down on the last rep as my body knew it was the last one. NOT GOOD. This is the part I will have to work on. Bar was in a good position.
• Set 7 You can see me driving through all the reps a lot better and right to the top of the rep. Bar touching a lot closer to where I want it to be and reasonable speed on the hit. 
• Set 10 you can see the speed in the first rep as the paddle deloads off at the top of the rep (I felt it do this) and the speed on the next 2 reps was good. The bar is hitting where I want it to be and as you can see there is plenty of drive through the triceps as I am trying to keep them tucked tight. 

Speed Bench Set 3 C1W2

Speed Bench Set 7 C1W2

Speed Bench Set 10 C1W2

Speed Deads (100kg/3 Mats 55%)

• Set 3 Set up needs to be a lot better, hips to high and looking to much at the ground in front of me. Reasonable speed and I am trying to pull right to the top of the rep. 
• Set 7 Similar things to the third set although speed from the floor is pretty good. 
• Set 10 pretty good speed right through the rep although hips were high and still looking a bit close to the bar. 

Speed Deads Set 3 C1W2

Speed Deads Set 7 C1W2

Speed Deads Set 10 C1W2

Plenty to work on next week, however I hope this gives you some insight into what I am trying to achieve on speed days. On speed days since there are 10 sets an exercise I only record sets 3,7 and 10.