Today I put up the 100# dumbbells on flat bench.I have been doing 5x5 and my fifth set with the 95s felt good so i grabbed the 100s and put them up 5 times.I could probably do the 110s but i will leave that for next week.Maybe in a month i will be putting up the 120s and warming up with the 100s.
Kick ass, mate!
At my gym the 100’s change color-look green and more metal color no rubber around it- must have felt good to get into the big league dumbbells.
I just recently hit that too, got up to the 105’s for 4 reps. Felt good, felt even bigger when some kids that are still in high school that I went to school with were right next to me and said “Wow!”
Congrats.
I also hit another milestone, I ripped a callus off my finger deadlifting, I felt pretty hardass.
Nice going!!
I remember the first time I put up the 100s. It felt great. Just one of many milestones…keep it up. Good shit.
What’s your flat bench like actually? I’m trying to see if my dumbbell strength is the limiting factor on my bench strength.
[quote]Hanley wrote:
What’s your flat bench like actually? I’m trying to see if my dumbbell strength is the limiting factor on my bench strength.[/quote]
I don’t think you should worry about it. Sheiko is working for you and your numbers keep going up. Based on what I’ve seen you post, your chest isn’t as strong as your lats, shoulders and triceps. So what? Unless you intend to compete raw, this is how you want it.
In general, yes, your dumbbell bench press numbers are fairly low for what your raw bench max is. That just means that your lats are strong and you know how to use them.
[quote]ChaseT wrote:
Hanley wrote:
What’s your flat bench like actually? I’m trying to see if my dumbbell strength is the limiting factor on my bench strength.
I don’t think you should worry about it. Sheiko is working for you and your numbers keep going up. Based on what I’ve seen you post, your chest isn’t as strong as your lats, shoulders and triceps. So what? Unless you intend to compete raw, this is how you want it.
In general, yes, your dumbbell bench press numbers are fairly low for what your raw bench max is. That just means that your lats are strong and you know how to use them.[/quote]
Thanks bro.
But on the flipside, look at it this way. I have everything I need to bench (just pulling a number out) 340-350 raw, except a chest. So if I can push my dumbbell numbers up then surely my normal bench should take a big jump. they’re the weak link.
And if I can get say 80-100lb out of my shirt now, all things being equal that should stay constant. So if my dumbbell bench comes up, my raw bench comes up, my shirted bench comes up. See what I’m getting at and why I think it’s important??
Congrats dude.
Move your grip out to wide grip on a few sets in sheiko, Hanley.
I’ve been doing Sheiko recently and my pecs are pretty sore. I use the widest legal grip for IPF.
[quote]Hanley wrote:
ChaseT wrote:
Hanley wrote:
What’s your flat bench like actually? I’m trying to see if my dumbbell strength is the limiting factor on my bench strength.
I don’t think you should worry about it. Sheiko is working for you and your numbers keep going up. Based on what I’ve seen you post, your chest isn’t as strong as your lats, shoulders and triceps. So what? Unless you intend to compete raw, this is how you want it.
In general, yes, your dumbbell bench press numbers are fairly low for what your raw bench max is. That just means that your lats are strong and you know how to use them.
Thanks bro.
But on the flipside, look at it this way. I have everything I need to bench (just pulling a number out) 340-350 raw, except a chest. So if I can push my dumbbell numbers up then surely my normal bench should take a big jump. they’re the weak link. When I can bring them up to the level of everything else.
And if I can get say 80-100lb out of my shirt now, all things being equal that should stay constant. So if my dumbbell bench comes up, my raw bench comes up, my shirted bench comes up. See what I’m getting at and why I think it’s important??[/quote]
Of course I understand why you’re asking. This thinking isn’t wrong. It’s the whole foundation of the Westside/conjugate method. What I’m saying is that you are finding success with Sheiko/volume and should keep on riding that until you get stuck. Keep it as simple as possible for as long as possible, then when you finally get stuck, you can start worrying about weak points.
You might spend a bunch of time focusing on your dumbbell bench press only to find out that there was no carryover to your suited barbell bench. Here’s another idea…just sub dumbbell bench press for the 10x5 chest flies in the Sheiko template.
^Tis what I’ve actually been doing 
It’s really helped drive my raw bench up too!
Good job bud.
[quote]Wordwreckin wrote:
I just recently hit that too, got up to the 105’s for 4 reps. Felt good, felt even bigger when some kids that are still in high school that I went to school with were right next to me and said “Wow!”
Congrats.
I also hit another milestone, I ripped a callus off my finger deadlifting, I felt pretty hardass.[/quote]
I agree, but only if you did a few more sets after you ripped it, I pulled a PR once with a bloody bar.
Good job with the dumbells, sadly my gym only goes up to 100s, I was very happy when I first hit them on flat, and then incline. The one time I went to a different gym I tried 110s and there is a world of a difference, I got 4 reps with my eyes popping out of my head.
[quote]Hanley wrote:
So if my dumbbell bench comes up, my raw bench comes up, my shirted bench comes up. [/quote]
Not entirely true. A shirted bench is not just a raw bench with a shirt on, it is quite a bit different. It is very hard to keep your raw bench climbing AND your shirted bench climbing, because both need equal attention. If you want to really get the most out of either, you need to devote yourself to one.
We have found that when you are spending more time working in your shirt, your raw bench goes down or maybe stays flat, but your shirted bench goes up. But when you are spending a lot of time out of your shirt your raw bench goes up, but then you wonder why you are only doing X in your shirt. See what I mean?
Hanley, couple of questions
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are you using the sheiko stuff that talmant posted on elite?
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What exercises do you do for lats and what are your numbers for them?
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what’s your DB bench like currently?
My unequipped bench has been as high as 360, and even tho I havent trained it in a while I still think I could hit at least 335, maybe 350. I’ve been prioritizing my lat work and am up to 90lbx18 and 75lbx30 for DB Rows. I’ve actually been doing incline and seated military db work since my gyms DBs only go up to 90 - 90x9 on the incline and 70x10 on the seated mil. I’m hoping to see an improvement in my bench when I go back to it
Yo KBC,
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I’m using the Sheiko CMS cycle. Eric posted it on Elite but I first ran it before he had it up there.
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I’ve gone as high as 45kg bells (100lb) for 25 strapless about 6 weeks ago when I was training them hard.
Right now having done em for the first time in 6 weeks last thursday, my best is 50kg (110lb)x15 strapless. I think I’ll hit 20 reps with it this week.
I train my lats and upper back ALL the time. I’ve REALLY hit them hard over the 3-6 months. They’re at the stage now where I feel they’re ahead of everything else and I can focus my attention on pec strength now.
I train em with…
Fat man rows (my new fave lat exercise)
Pull ups typically sets of 8-10(palms facing me and away from me, I like neutral grip with a v-handle too)
Pull downs typically sets of 12-15(variations as above)
Chest supported rows 8-12’s
Dumbbell Rows 15-30 reps
Face Pulls 12-15’s
Seated dumbbell power cleans 10-15’s
Shrugs, strict and power 8’s normally
I train my lats every single time I step into the gmy with at least one of the exercises above. Soemtimes 2. And upper back work too.
I normally warm up with some form of pulldown, then do a row later in the session and finish with upper back. Never really going to failure, but still workign hard.
I plan on using a similar plan to train my chest and hopefully bring it up.
- My best dumbbell flat bench currently is 37.5kg (82.5lbs) 'bells 5x10. I reckon at a push I might put up 95-100lb x10, maybe.
I could rep 70lb bell’s seated military style all day to be honest. I’ve pressed 80kg (175lb) x5 standing in the last 8 weeks and my seated press is usually 5-10kg ahead of it.
As I said elsewhere, my best incline’s 115kg (255lb) x1, and I’ve done 100kg (225lb) x5 before.
I guess my lats and shoulders are ahead of yours, but your chest beats mine to a bloody pulp!!
Did I get everything there?
PS, how are you benching that much more than me???
[quote]SprinterOne wrote:
Hanley wrote:
So if my dumbbell bench comes up, my raw bench comes up, my shirted bench comes up.
Not entirely true. A shirted bench is not just a raw bench with a shirt on, it is quite a bit different. It is very hard to keep your raw bench climbing AND your shirted bench climbing, because both need equal attention. If you want to really get the most out of either, you need to devote yourself to one.
We have found that when you are spending more time working in your shirt, your raw bench goes down or maybe stays flat, but your shirted bench goes up. But when you are spending a lot of time out of your shirt your raw bench goes up, but then you wonder why you are only doing X in your shirt. See what I mean?
[/quote]
Are you talking single ply or multi ply? I lift in a single ply f6 for the record…
I’ve trained my raw groove to closely enough mimic my shirted groove recently so maybe that’s why I see the benefits.
I’ve always sucked off my chest raw, and the shirt has compensated for it. That’s probably why I get 90+lbs out of it!! But the extra chest strength is really helping my off the chest speed in the shirt too so I’m in the position where I can blast bigger weights towards lockout. It’s only now that in the shirt lockout’s starting to be a problem. I used to miss mid-range.
I do alot of medium to high board work during the course of a normal training week too so I’m able to keep my lockout numbers going as well. Last time I put my shirt on I had done nothing but raw full range and board work and I hit 55lbs PR in it. And I’m not even joking. 155kg->180kg. And that was in one session, I literaly put the shirt on and hit it.
I’ve no doubt in times to come this won’t always hold true, but right now there’s definately a correlation between my shirted and raw numbers.
I’ve no doubt that would all change if I was wearing multi-ply gear tho!
[quote]Phatshady912 wrote:
Wordwreckin wrote:
I just recently hit that too, got up to the 105’s for 4 reps. Felt good, felt even bigger when some kids that are still in high school that I went to school with were right next to me and said “Wow!”
Congrats.
I also hit another milestone, I ripped a callus off my finger deadlifting, I felt pretty hardass.
I agree, but only if you did a few more sets after you ripped it, I pulled a PR once with a bloody bar.
Good job with the dumbells, sadly my gym only goes up to 100s, I was very happy when I first hit them on flat, and then incline. The one time I went to a different gym I tried 110s and there is a world of a difference, I got 4 reps with my eyes popping out of my head.[/quote]
Of course I finished my sets. “I ain’t no bitch!” Some guy doing SMS(Smith Machine Squats) was staring at me while the blood was dripping downmy hand. The rush you get from pushing yourself in the weight room is amazing. It’s even more amazing when something unexpected like that happens and you’re forced to push yourself more.
I’m still a little whiles off hitting 100’s on an incline, I’ve seen maybe 2 people hit inclines with anything over 95’s. What have you gotten up to these days?
[quote]Hanley wrote:
Are you talking single ply or multi ply? I lift in a single ply f6 for the record.[/quote]
Single ply or multi ply. 90 pounds out of a single ply is alright, better than what I get, lol, but my partner got 175 out of his in his last meet, so, I guess it depends on what you really consider good. For the longest time he tried to keep his raw strength going up while also trying to improve his shirted strength, and neither really went up that much. Once he began to dedicate himself to working in the shirts, his shirted bench skyrocketed but his raw stayed the same.