dead stop ben
barbell 1" from chest
6x3(80-90% max)
2-3 min rest
275 x 3
285 x 3
295 x 3
305 x 1
295 x 2
295 x 2
Iso relaxation
speed bench
lower to chest
relax muscles
3 sec, then press
up very fast
10 sets
50%, rest (60-90)
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
185 x 3
weighted chins
5 x (4-6)
rest 90-120
25 x 5
25 x 5
0 x 5
0 x 4
0 x 3
EZ Curl standin
5 x 4-6 (r. 90-120)
Control negative
115 x 5
115 x 5
115 x 5
95 x 5
95 x 5
Face pulls
standing
3 x 12 (60-90)
50 x 20
60 x 20
double green x 12
double green x 12
Felt okay today, coming back from being sick (hopefully I’m done with all that nonsense, I was coughing a little during my workout but it wasn’t too bad). Misjudged some weights in the dead stop bench, thought I could get three reps with 305, and definately could have gotten 2 but it would have taken everything out of me.
I look forward to my thursday session, hopefully I’ll be able to get my freind who is a good spotter to come with.
Maximal Eccentrics
load bar 100% of max
lower bar (7 sec)
have partner help lifting during the positve portion
4 sets (3-4 min rest)
315 x 4
335 x 4
355 x 4
partial pin press
110-130 degress
stop short, press
4 x 3
2-3 min rest
315 x 3
325 x 3
335 x 2
315 x 3
Back Squat
5 x 5 (90-120)
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
Leg Curl
5 x 5 (90-120)
190 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5
1000 mg V. C
Good session today, had a great spotter in my buddy. Felt strong today. Moved up in a lot of weights. Making sure I eat alot today.
Sunday
4/20/2008
High Stress
4
Session 1
2-3 Warmups
Icepack (2min)
Caffine
Extended Cluster
%90 Load
AMAP
30 sec rest between reps
315 x 5
Decline Close
Grip Bench
5x(4-6)
90-120 rest
225 x 5
245 x 5
255 x 5
255 x 5
255 x 4
felt good on everything, I just wish I had a spotter. My butt came off the bench a little on the last rep of the 315 x 5. I’ve been reading up on foot placement. Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore’s Starting Strength (2nd edition) has some nice information that really got me thinking about my foot position.
On page 93, Starting Strength talks about if the
“feet [are] too far up [it] may lead to bridging…placing the feet up too far back under the hips with the knees at an acute angle. This position predisposes you to bridge your butt up in the air.”
I think I’ve got to make sure that my knee’s are closer to 90 degrees, to avoid any future problems with my butt coming off the bench.
dead stop ben
barbell 1" from chest
6x3(80-90% max)
2-3 min rest
295 x 3
285 x 2 (ouch)
Iso relaxation
speed bench
lower to chest
relax muscles
3 sec, then press
up very fast
10 sets
50%, rest (60-90)
0 x 0 (skipped this session due to shoulder pain)
weighted chins
5 x (4-6)
rest 90-120
0 x 5
0 x 5
0 x 5
0 x 5
0 x 4
EZ Curl standin
5 x 4-6 (r. 90-120)
Control negative
115 x 5
115 x 5
115 x 5
95 x 5
95 x 5
Seated Cable
Row behind neck
3 x 12 (60-90)
60 x 14
50 x 19
60 x 10
60 x 10
Today was a good day, despite not being able to get hardly any bench work in. During warm-ups I felt very strong, but preceded to load the bar with a weight that I lifted for 3 reps last week (I failed to recognize that last week I missed the sunday session due to being sick). So I pounded out only 2 reps, which really drained me.
After waiting a bit, I reloaded the bar with 285 (ten pounds less). I get one rep fine and then the 2nd rep I feel a popping (not a super big deal, since my shoulders have been crappy since I was 12) and a slight shooting pain. I racked the bar and decided to call it a day (for bench pressing). Chin-ups, curls (for the gurls) and face pulls felt alright.
I’m not exactly sure how I am going to adress this problem since I’m 4 weeks into the program. I might remove the dead stop presses on tuesday and just focus on speed bench on tuesday. Which would allow me a longer recovery for my high stress/eccentric day on thursday.
My shoulders have been hurting the last few days, so I decided that I would take a break and see how they feel for Sunday’s session(s).
1)If they feel real good I’ll continue the program.
2)If they are still achey, I’ll wait a few more days, call the program quits (after 4 weeks) and take a 1RM to establish how effective the program was. Since I didn’t really get too many reps in on tuesday, Sunday would technically be a 5 day rest.
The shoulder still felt a little sore. So I decided to call “Deat’s ‘8 Weeks to a Record Bench’” program off…I did do a 1RM bench press today as a test of the program…
135 x 15
225 x 8
275 x 1
315 x 1
335 x 1 (PR-4-weeks-ago)
360 x 1 (25-PR)
I would say this program was very effective, but all the volume was very hard on my shoulders. I have genetically weak shoulders (thanks Dad/Grampa).
I’m going to take 2 weeks off all forms of barbell benching.
Specifically:
Week 1 - Rest, no upperbody lifts over 50%
Week 2 - Full Body hypertrophy
Week 3 - Full Body hypertrophy
Week 4/and beyond - Split? Westside? German Volume? Crossfit? Bosu Ball? HIT? 10 x 3? 3 x 10?
Thanks Hanley, I’m just glad I made some progress.
The 1RM I did about four weeks ago with 335 lb was such a grinder, I could barely get it up (looked like Hanley’s low box squat max with 190KG!). I was very impressed with how much this program helped me improve.
If anyone is crazy enough to attempt this program, they should follow the guidelines very strictly (Icing, contrast showers, recovery walks, rest, enough food, ect.) It’s very intense (I could only handle 4 weeks).