- (deadlift only) if it became necessary in order to keep the deadlift progress-
ing.. My basic schedule was this:Tuesday
a. Squat
b. Bench press
c. Bent-over row
d. Calf work
Thursday
a. Deadlift
b. Military press
c. Calf work. Abdominal work opened most workouts, to warm me up. In the bench
press, row and press I used a × set-rep format—a light and a medium
warmup set followed by work sets with the same poundage. I rested sev-
eral minutes between sets to ensure that, with few exceptions, I made all the
sets of reps. So long as I made all work sets of reps for a given exercise
I would increase the poundage a little at the next workout for that exercise.
Calf work was a couple of hard sets in the standing calf raise, for about
reps per set. e squat was usually done for reps a set though at above
× it was denting my recovery ability for elsewhere. Had I not had to
drop the squat due to knee problems I would have needed to have kept it
under × so as not to mar progress in the deadlift.. My choice of training days was not ideal. At that time, I was employed as
a school teacher three days a week—on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Tuesdays and ursdays around midday were the best times to train in
order to minimize potential disruptions and maximize concentration.Illness
. I was ill during the first week of February, and could not train. I returned to
deadlifting on February , with pounds ( kilos) for the usual reps.
On February I used pounds ( kilos) and on February I was back
on schedule with the kilos I used before getting sick. at kilos felt
heavier than the pre-sickness did. On hindsight I should have worked