I have been back to the gym pretty regularly for the last 8 weeks or so. I was doing some 5/3/1 just to try it our a bit but I got bored with it fast. I am switching back to a more traditional template for me. I think it is time to start tracking this stuff again to figure out where I am going. I got hooked up with a really good training partner about a month ago so he has kept me pretty honest.
Looking at doing a bench meet at the end of the summer and then maybe a full meet in the fall. Shoulders are still banged up but what else is new, eh? Going to buy Cressey’s Optimal shoulder performance and try and get them healthy too. So if that means benching like a small school girl until they heal then so be it.
Sunday - Went to a new gym and got a little excited about all the PL Equipment. I have never used all the different bars before so went nuts but kept the weight down.
Squat Straight bar - Barx10, 225x10, 315x10
Squat Cambered Bar - 135x10 225x5x5, 265x3 *Like riding a horse the way it swings
Squat SS Bar off 14" Box - 225x5x5 *Felt strange being so High up on my neck and off my back
Squat Buffalo Bar 12" Box - 225x10x3 *Felt just like a straight bar to me
I changed the name of my thread to fall more in-line with getting my shoulder stronger and with tightening up my form in all my lifts. I am really going to back off the weight and concentrate instead on getting healthy and stronger but with rock solid technique. The numbers will be whatever they are but my form will be solid.
I am sitting at 250 right now hoping to drop down in to the 242’s.
Pete - I was amazed at how hard it was to get off the box with that bar. Even though the weight was pretty light.
Tuesday
Warm Up - Behind the neck band Pull apart with a purple band 5x10
A1. Dynamic Bench - 10x3@185 with 3 Different grips, 30 seconds between sets
B1. Close Grip Bench - 3x10@225
C1. Incline DB Press (Palm Facing) - 3x12@80
C2. Purple Band Pull apart from a bench
D1. Behind the Neck DB Press - 3x15@65
D2. Green Band Press Tricep push Downs - 4x25
@username42 you look just like my nephew. I will dig up a picture and post it. Freaks me out a little. Anyways keeping true to my word I dropped weight today to keep perfect form. Hurt my ego a bit but I know it is the right thing to do to get healthy and progress. I felt like I should go buy a little green dress and start selling cookies door to door, lol.
Dead hang Pull Ups - 3x6 Unassisted, 2x10 assisted with a purple band wide grip
Dead lifts -
10@155
10@245
5@335
335 + 40 pounds of chain and did one rep every couple of minute for 45 minutes. I don’t know how many but I did them very strict and fast.
RDL- 3x10@245
Chest supported Rows - 3x10
Hammer Curls - 3x20
Pete I could not believe how hard it was to get off hat stupid box even with light weights.
Hey, I noticed in another guys log that you mentioned you follow a modified Westside template. Modified how? My guy is a 50 plus power lifter who is looking for something that doesn’t beat the crap out of him in terms of volume. He’d posted the question in the power lifting forum and a few people mentioned Westside but I’d be interested to see what kind of modifications you’ve made.
Just for fun I brought my shirt that I have not worn for 5 years and threw it on. I just wanted to get the feel for it again and couldn’t get 405 to touch the first time. It took me like 30 seconds to pull it down to my chest the second try and I almost threw it off the bench when I pressed it, lol. I may keep bringing it with me just to save my shoulders on ME days and to get used to it again if I plan on benching geared.
Bench With Chains
135 + 40 pounds of Chain x 15
225 + 40 pounds of Chain x 12
225 + 80 pounds of Chain x 8
225 + 120 pounds of Chain x 4
225 + 80 pounds of Chain x 8
225x12
A1 Press Downs - 3x10@140
A2 Green Band press downs - 3x25
Shrugs - 3x15@125 Db
@ouroboro - Basically I found I need more recovery than I used to, so I lift every other day. On non-weight bearing days I do allot of active recovery, foam rolling, Lots and lots of RC work, and even on my Max Effort days I don’t go heavy for the sake of the numbers but instead wait until my form breaks down and stop it there. I have been going really heavy on Sundays with my lfting partner, because he is 22 and indestructable, but during the week I follow the above. I do allot more volume on my dynamic days than I used too as well. I am hoping better form, more recovery time, will = good results. We shall see I guess.
@sfp - Not bad actaully. My lower back was tight for a couple days but other than that it wasn’t to uncomfortable. It was allot of volume but not allot of weight.
@Harry - Really want to get that 500 bench before I am 50 that gives me 3 or so years to train hard for it. I was looking at my old powerlifting logs and couldn’t believe it has been 5 years since my last comp and I was so freaking close to it(465). I don’t regret the semi-pro football, I still had demons to slay on that field, but now I need to get after these powerlifting goals again before I am too old to achieve them. I was pretty bummed out actually that I had lost so much from where I was an my woman had to remind me there was the little matter of blowing my left tricep tendon 3 years ago. Guess I should be thankful I can still lift!
Great stuff, Colin. Good to see you back at it.
Your benching is interesting. I would have no problem getting 405 down to my chest. It’s getting it off my chest before I asphyxiate that would be the issue.
Looking forward to seeing you hit your goals.
@Pete Single Fury is what I have now. I completely forgot how to bench in a shirt, and I weighted 275 last time I used this one. I am at 255 now and would like to drop down to 242’s so I might have to buy another. I probably should have gone up a couple more times but for the first time back I was happy just to get a feel for it again.
@Strick Someone else could probably explain this better but the way I explain shirt benching is like this; think about a Bow and how the farther you draw back on the bow the more force is applied to the arrow when you release it. Shirt benching is kinda the same way it will only come down to about 2-3 inches from your chest and you have to actually pull it down to get it to touch. When you get the press command you get a small “pop” off the bottom that gets you moving and you have to press it all the way to lock out. If the shirt is too tight you can’t get it to touch at all and if it is too loose you get nothing our of it at the bottom. I have seen some guys in double denim shirts who couldn’t get it to touch with 500 on the bar!
[quote]Colin Wilson wrote: @Pete Single Fury is what I have now. I completely forgot how to bench in a shirt, and I weighted 275 last time I used this one. I am at 255 now and would like to drop down to 242’s so I might have to buy another. I probably should have gone up a couple more times but for the first time back I was happy just to get a feel for it again.
@Strick Someone else could probably explain this better but the way I explain shirt benching is like this; think about a Bow and how the farther you draw back on the bow the more force is applied to the arrow when you release it. Shirt benching is kinda the same way it will only come down to about 2-3 inches from your chest and you have to actually pull it down to get it to touch. When you get the press command you get a small “pop” off the bottom that gets you moving and you have to press it all the way to lock out. If the shirt is too tight you can’t get it to touch at all and if it is too loose you get nothing our of it at the bottom. I have seen some guys in double denim shirts who couldn’t get it to touch with 500 on the bar! [/quote]
I have seen guys, and tried on myself, shirts where it will take 700+ to touch. If you can’t lock out 700 you are screwed.