Powerlifting Experiment, week 1 of 9
Week 1 over and done with.
Initial impressions after first workout (Heavy bench and “Light” Squat): I may eventually have input my maxweights at a tad too high.
Then again, I’m told by Kris that this is a fairly common feeling during the first few weeks of this nice, cushiony 9-week Russian Peaking Program. Notice the sarcasm seeping through the lines here.
In actual fact, I’m afraid of looking far further down the program than next week. I did that a few times, and felt the pressure building inside my head, so I think I’ll refrain from that procedure from now on. 
Right now, after having just done 6 x 3 reps @ 130kgs (286 lbs) on the Heavy Squat and Light Bench day, I can’t see how I’m supposed to do 6 x 6 with the same weight in just 3 weeks time. It seems impossible, yet Kris tells me this is also a fairly common feeling. Hmm. Kris seems to be telling me a lot about how feeling horrible is actually good… Maybe I should have a second opinion on this. 
Oh yeah! One other thing: We’re going really masochistic here. We are having the other count to two on each rep of the bench press (pause ~2 sec in bottom), and also we’re contemplating having a monetary penalty for each rep of squats that’s over the legal depth by even a centimeter (a third of an inch, approximately), paid to any foundation or organization of our choosing, as long as it’s one we do NOT agree with. HA!
This’ll definitely provide us with good confidence come meet day.
Altogether, and in retrospect, this week has left me a bit sore in the hipjoints, but that was I think due to improper technique (stance too wide on both deadlifts and squats), but I’m feeling confident the problem has been solved by some experimenting. The next week will, of course again dim any hope I have of ever making it through these 9 weeks alive… 
Seriously though, I feel up for next week, and that is most likely as good as it’s going to get on this program.
December 4th, 2006 at 8:40 pm
I believe strongly that if this program does not kill one, it makes one a heck of a lot stronger. When used with liberal PRs, there is very little certainty to it, except that you are in for it if you don’t put up. If you do put up, you might still be in for it. Increasing one’s max on the order of 10 kg/22 lbs or more on all three lifts in nine weeks is not supposed to be easy. I think your squat and bench are just fine, but you will have to give it all on the dead. I am in the same boat as far as the bench and squat goes… Let’s not lower weights unless we start failing miserably, which we WON’T. I think.
Tomorrow we hit week 2. Got sore legs but am ready for the squat… AND the risk of having to pay huge sums somewhere for not consistently breaking IPF depth. Let’s see… tomorrow is 6×2 on the squat; at 50 cent for every high rep, we could stand to lose up to 6 euros each. And that’s just for one workout. Heating up the sauna now and readying the horse liniment in a vain effort to prepare.
Thanks for doing this with me, shared masochism is half the battle.
December 5th, 2006 at 7:05 am
No, it’s just double the pain.