Thanks OG and thanks Matty you know it brother, when the psoas are traumatized it’s a world of pain. Crippler, thank you oddly enough I think the self imposed trauma on my hip flexors may have spurred some strength gain toward a bigger dead, we’ll see. Tonight felt strong after I got the crankiness out of my chest and shoulders. Plus, for some reason I had been having horrible arthritic pains in my right hand today causing some spasms as well as pain in my right forearm. With some luck the pain subsided before lifting.
Fat Gripz(extremes) ME Bench Press:(raw)
135 x 10
185 x 5
205 x 3
215 x 3
225 x 1
250 x 1
281 x 1
CG Bench Press:
135 x 6
205 x 5 sets x 6 reps
Standing OHP:
135 x 2 x 3
155 x 3
185 x 1(had to stop because my right shoulder was in protest)
Barbell Bent-over Rows:
135 x 6
225 x 3 x 6
Reverse Incline Flyes(rear delts):
35 lbs dumbbells x 3 x 10
Hammer Curls:
35 lbs dumbbells x 3 x 12
For the last 3 exercises I had my 2 year old and 4 year old to watch and play with between sets(cross training fun). It was a good night.
GV - Read some of the early posts to this and noted the 215 OH Press - monster! Did you make it to double plates? And anything special you did to get to that - I have been red lined around 145 and looking for the next step to get to doubles. Did your bench improve? I have been hung around 185 with good form - it seems to hurt my shoulder to go higher. I am 52 and been lifting about 4 years.
Thanks Dave. dhoke-I did make it to a 225 lbs OHP, thank you and I will go higher in the future. I think OHP work always compliments bench improvements and working the OHP to higher numbers is reward itself. The OHP, to me, is a very good indicator of functional strength that can be translated into a great deal of activities, maybe more than bench press, in regular life.
I think the most important way to get a bigger OHP is to be consistent in doing the lift and pushing yourself to do more as often as possible. dhoke, you may try moving your grip in on the bench and OHP to help with shoulder issues. Moving my grip in on the bench and OHP have helped me greatly in dealing with shoulder trauma.
Read an article on StartingStrength today about Mike MacDonald(one of the best benchers ever) and I learned a new super move for triceps I haven’t considered in the past. Lifting went well tonight.
DE Bench Press(Alternating Grips):
135 x 10
190 x 9 sets x 3 reps(1 min btwn sets)
SlingShot Bench Press:
225 x 3
275 x 1
300 x 1
325 lbs x 1
Seated Barbell Close Grip Behind The Neck Triceps Presses:
Bar x 10
95 x 2 x 6
100 x 6
105 x 6
115 x 6(wanted to do more weight or sets but my triceps were surprisingly fried)
Reverse Incline Dumbbells Flyes/Hammer Curls(Giant set):
35 lbs dumbbells x 3 x 10/3 x 12
So the close grip behind the neck presses are awesome. The movement resembles skull crushers and the close grip targets the triceps except it’s more like a press than a movement to your forehead. I thought there would be more shoulder involvement however I was shocked to not notice much of any. I hope to use more weight and increase in this movement quickly because I believe the potential is there for large strength increases for my triceps. Since most triceps exercises kill my elbows and forearms(triceps tendon damage) this new move is great!
Had a bad arthritis day due to pressure changes with a rain front passing through Orlando today. My hips were aching along with the rest of my body so I lifted.
ME Squats:(raw)
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 1(belt)
495 x 1(belt)
570 x 1(belt)
Decline Bench Press:
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 1
275 x 1
3" Deficit ME Deadlifts:
225 x 3
315 x 1
405 x 1
495 x 1(I think I had more in me but I didn’t feel it wise to go higher in poundage due to achy arthritis)
Standing Crunches:
70 lbs x 20
Next week I think I will do 1 3/4" deficit deadlifts for ME day as I will be a little less than 3 weeks out from the meet. Then I think the following week I will do a near max conventional dead. That last conventional dead will be the last dead before the meet.
ME Fat Gripz(extremes) Bench Press:
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 1(Pause)
255 x 1(pause)
285 x 1(pause)
295 x 1(pause)
Close Grip Dead Stop Bench(Starting from 5" over chest):
225 x 4
265 x 3
280 x 2
Close Grip Seated Behind the Neck Triceps Presses(extensions):
Bar x 10
95 lbs x 10
105 x 10
115 x 2 sets x 6
30 minute bike ride with daughter
Bent-over Rows:
135 x 6
225 x 3 x 6
Dumbbell Reverse Incline Flys/Hammer Curls:
35 lbs dumbbells x 3 x 10/3 x12
Had to get a bike ride in before it got dark and my daughter would have been crushed if we didn’t go. Feeling decent about my bench ramping up each week closer to the meet on April 18th. I hope to win the Raw United Masters Championships outright with a best lifter and a 220 weight class title.
Crippler- My intentions are to keep it going with peaking properly for all my lifts but as you know it’s a difficult task. I’ll be ecstatic and humbled if I am successful in peaking for the meet in 22 days. That’s 3 weeks for me to get my act right. Tonight’s lifting went well.
DE Squats:(raw)
135 x 10
225 x 5
335 x 12 sets x 2 reps(1 min btwn sets)
Close Stance Good Mornings:
225 x 4 x 6
Sumo Deadlifts:
225 x 2
335 lbs x 10 sets x 2 reps(45 sec btwn sets)
Standing Crunches:
70 lbs x 20
Everything moved with intensity and explosive energy.
Everything moved with intensity and explosive energy.[/quote]
NICE !!! Looking forward to awesome meet results…
BTW, watched a few Mike Francis vids , he pulled a double overhand 715 like I reach down to pickup the Sunday paper…based on that I went to confessional and apologized for saying I lift weights…
Nice on the Hip Thrusts. Those have really helped my squat and dead (although not too many other guys have the guts to do those at the gym haha). My latest 315x3x3. What is the diff on the Zercher version?