The Quest For a 1500 Total

[benchintraining]

A little history about myself. I'm 37 years old and I started lifting about 2 years ago. I worked out during high school and college but really didnt know how to workout correctly. I have been on the Bill Starr 5 x 5 for about a year now and have seen some fair gains. My biggest weakness is squats (well Im weak with everything). I have not competed in an event but would like to sometime early next year. I would appreciate any and all advice. Currently, I'm 5'11 at 220lbs.
Best lifts
Bench 370
Squat 405
Dead 450

[benchintraining]

I'll post Mondays workout. I am recovering from a small pec tear about 12 weeks ago. I have been back at it for 6 weeks and I am currently in a deloading phase on the 5 x 5.

Bench
275 x 3
300 x 3
325 x 3

Yates Rows
225 x 5
250 x 3
275 x 4
290 x 3
300 x 3

10"Box Squats
205 x 11 x 2

DB OH Extension
80 x 10
100 x 3 x 10

Hammer Curls
45 x 3 x 12

A little ab work.

[animal]

benchintraining said:

I'll post Mondays workout. I am recovering from a small pec tear about 12 weeks ago. I have been back at it for 6 weeks and I am currently in a deloading phase on the 5 x 5.

Bench
275 x 3
300 x 3
325 x 3

Yates Rows
225 x 5
250 x 3
275 x 4
290 x 3
300 x 3

10"Box Squats
205 x 11 x 2

DB OH Extension
80 x 10
100 x 3 x 10

Hammer Curls
45 x 3 x 12

A little ab work.

Looks to me your ready to compete now....nice workout there!

[dopar66]

Hey, BIT. Welcome!

I have to agree with Animal. And not just for a bench meet. You have good squat and dead numbers as well!

You did all that with a pec tear? That's pretty gutsy! I like that!

Hope you enjoy the forum!

God Bless.
Doug

[benchintraining]

Nuts. Crap workout today. I'm in Chicago so Im at this Bally's. So many bad lifters its actually frustrating to be in there.

Pull Ups
8
9
6

Seated Military
185 x 3
205 x 2
185 x 4

Plate Raises
45 x 3 x 10

Abs

I was hoping 225 x 3 would be in the picture but i barely got the 2nd rep at 205. Oh well. today was a worthless workout. I'm going to a 4 day split next week. Wednesdays just for military and pullups seems worthless.

[3speed]

Bench, there is no such thing as a worthless training day. If you had a bad day, learn from it. How was your diet, your training leading up to it, your work schedule, your mental focus...........

All I'm trying to say is that training is a learning process. Always take notes and learn from what works and learn from what does not work. And just when you think you have it all figured out, your body changes how it reacts. Fun stuff but if it was easy, everybody would be squatting 700 lbs.

[benchintraining]

Overall a good day. This is the best my chest and shoulder have felt in a long time. 135 for a warm up felt easy and light. I was a little disappointing in my deads today. I tried front squats for the first time. The weight I used was easy but man that digs in the shoulders. I have to get used to that.

Bench
300 x 2 x 3
305 x 4 (i think I had 2, maybe a hard 3 more in in the tank)

Yates Rows
250 x 3 x 3

Deadlifts
375 x 3
405 x 3
435 x 1
460 x 1[/color] (+10lbs)

Front Squats
155 x 5
175 x 5
195 x 5

OH DB Extension
85 x 2 x 15 (thats the heaviest DB's they had)

Hammer Curls
50 x 2 x 10
40 x 10

Abs and calf work.

[dopar66]

Not too shabby! NICE job on the deads, and congrats! Looks like you got frustrated then psyched after the 435.... :')

Front squats are a drag! My hat's off to you just for having the determination to complete the 195x5!

Great workout, BIT!

God Bless.
Doug

[Beau Clark]

Nice training buddy keep it up

[benchintraining]

Monday Aug 28th
Not a stellar performance today. I am not sure if it was my effort on Friday or the fact that I spent 5 hours at a wine festival on Sunday. I think I know but my traps and shoulders were sore today.

Bench
295 x 3
315 x 3
330 x 1

Yates Rows
265 x 3
285 x 3
305 x 0 (did 3 but none were good)

I dont know what I was thinking doing 3's on rows...stupid

10" box Squats
225 x 8 x 2

I'll try going heavy again next week and I will reset after that

[benchintraining]

Wednesday Aug 30th

Not a great shoulder day. My trap and rear delt have been giving me trouble. I'm glad I only have next week of 3's. I need to reset.

Pull Ups
BW x 10
BW+25lbs x 4
BW +25lbs x 4
BW+25lbs x 4

Seated Military
155 x 5
170 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 1 (did 2 but needed a little help on #2)

Deadlift
385 x 3
415 x 3
435 x 3 [/color] (+10)
475 x 1 [/color] (+15)

I'm pleased with pull ups and deads today but my shoulder and pec is starting to act up again. Depending on how Friday goes, I may just take all of next week off. I can only lift on Monday anyhow. I have to go to R.I. for a meeting and our cheap VP will not let us rent cars. So there goes Wednesday and Fridays workouts.

[dopar66]

BIT,
You HAVE to rest that stuff, ice it down like crazy! Icy hot is all fine and good for post-workout soreness and little stuff, but it sounds like (and emphasis is on "sounds like") overtraining or an injury of some sort. You have some pretty doggone good numbers going, there's no need to really hurt yourself now when you could rest a few weeks, lose 5-10 pounds off your bench, but come back 100%. I think the taking a whole week off is a good start. Really, listen to your body, and take time off (or go really light) until your body tells you it's fine.

I don't know if you can tolerate aspirin, but it's not just a painkiller, it's an anti-inflammatory and does really good stuff for blood flow....

God Bless.
Doug

[benchintraining]

dopar66 said:

BIT,
You HAVE to rest that stuff, ice it down like crazy! Icy hot is all fine and good for post-workout soreness and little stuff, but it sounds like (and emphasis is on "sounds like") overtraining or an injury of some sort. You have some pretty doggone good numbers going, there's no need to really hurt yourself now when you could rest a few weeks, lose 5-10 pounds off your bench, but come back 100%. I think the taking a whole week off is a good start. Really, listen to your body, and take time off (or go really light) until your body tells you it's fine.

I don't know if you can tolerate aspirin, but it's not just a painkiller, it's an anti-inflammatory and does really good stuff for blood flow....

God Bless.
Doug

Thanks Doug,

I'm hoping that I did not aggravate my pec tear again. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I've been pushing as hard as I can the past 6 weeks trying to get back where I was. I'm still down about 20-25lbs. So I hate to take more time off.

[benchintraining]

Thanks for the input Scorpion and bode! I dont think 405 will be in the cards for at least 4 month.

[Beau Clark]

Just keep working at it and it will come buddy, just keep pounding out the weight.

[benchintraining]

Bench
305 x 2 x 3
315 x 4

Rows
225 x 6
245 x 3 x 5

Sponge Bob Squats (10" box / 4" pad) Still about 2" below parallel.
315 x 3
340 x 3
360 x 3

2 Board Close Grip (ring fingers on knurl)
225 x 2 x 8
245 x 8

DB Preacher Curls
30 x 10
35 x 10
40 x 10

Abs and Calf work

THe first 2 sets of bench I took out myself and that hurt. 3rd set I got a lift off and 1st 3 reps felt great, the 4th felt really good. I tried for a 5th but I crapped out about 3 inches off my chest. My right shoulder feels stretched and I didnt want to strain through it. I'm going to shoot for 330 or 335 x 3 on Monday. I am going to ramp it more though 275/305/335 is my plan.

Box squats are kicking donkey. I can see how they are helping me. Usually when I get to a heavier weight I have a tendency to lean forward. On my 2nd set I felt myself pushing back on my heals and driving my head into the bar. My form is getting better. 360 x 3 felt like a breeze.

After my workout I took one of my dealers to lunch and had a big bowl of crab soup, a 12 oz strip steak, steamed broccoli, and cottage cheese. There was nothing left on my plates to the shock of my dealer. Good day

[benchintraining]

I should have taken the whole week off. My shoulders are fried. i have pushed as much as I can recovering from this pec tear. Its time to take the rest of the week off and restart on Monday. I was going too heavy on my light days. I was getting impatient. the next run of the 5 x 5 will be smarter

Bench
275 x 3
305 x 3
335 x 1

10" Box Squats
225 x 9 x 2

Chin Ups
BW x 10
BW + 25lbs x 5

2 sets abs and calves

[3speed]

Rest up BIT. Make sure you are healed up and then go at it again. I can tell you from experience that waiting and healing is no fun but it is worth it in the long run.

[benchintraining]

Question regarding chains. I am using the 5 x 5 training method but I am thinking of incorporating chains in the program. I have never used chains before. Here is what i was thinking. i would use chains on my ramp day of benching and not on my light day. The other question I have is do you see any negatives for using chains for a straight eight week period. I'm clueless on this one.

Thanks

[dopar66]

Hey, BIT. First off, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but I agree with 3Speed. (How does he DO that?) Rest that upper body. A week may not be enough. It's better right now to be a live chicken than a dead eagle.
Chains. Okay, I haven't used them, but I have read a ton on chains and bands. The trend I see is for folks to use them mainly on the lower intensity days, then begin cycling them in more and more as time goes by. That's not a straight answer, just an observation. I'd say for your question about the eight straight is first cycle try using them light day only....?.... Of course, I welcome input from any and all willing to correct me on this! I'm about one payday away from trying chains myself. :')

God Bless.
Doug