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Post by toolpod on Sept 20, 2006 8:26:30 GMT -5
Ok...so maybe I've gotten interested in maybe doing a full power meet, or maybe its time for my quarterly legs push, or maybe I've gotten tired of being ridiculed for having a bench press that's twice what I squat...
Either way, I've decided to try seriously hitting legs (hopefully I will stick with it) In the past, I would get guilty every few months and do some squats for a while. The highest I ever worked up to was doing 2 sets of 8 at 315 for working sets. Boredom eventually got to me and I lost interest.
Deadlifts: Something that happens to other people. ;D
Never done them, but now I'm going to give them a try.
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Post by toolpod on Sept 20, 2006 8:30:29 GMT -5
A quick recap of my progress to date:
I'll be hitting squats and deads together for the first couple weeks.
The week before last I did squats and deads, worked both as follows:
8X45 8X95 8X135 8X185 8X205
Since then: Wed 13-Sep-06
Morning:
Back to legs again after several month hiatus. 2nd week. I do squats sporadically, but this time is the first time I have ever worked deadlifts.
Five minutes cardio
Squats, in rack, going 1-2" below parallel
8X45 8X95 8X135 8X185
Deadlifts (2nd time EVER)
8X135 8X185 8X225
Tue 18-Sep-06
Dreaded legs day. Working in with some leg Nazis. Was told point-blank that if my bench wasn't where it is I would have been kicked out of the "Big-Boy" room. :-)
This is only my third leg workout in recent memory, and my third deadlift workout *ever*...
5 Minutes Cardio on the treadmill.
Squats, 2"-3" below parallel (trying to go deep early on in my training here in order to get form down solid)
8X45 8X95 8X135
8X185 8X225 8X225
Rack-Pull Deadlifts, 10" from floor approx.
8X135 8X185 NOTE: pulling a 45# and replacing it with the Quarter to make 185 was where I was asked to leave and go to the Girl's gym ( Bally's)
8X225 8x275 3X315
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Post by toolpod on Sept 20, 2006 8:35:40 GMT -5
Notable today: Everything from the middle of my back to the back of my knees feels like it was worked over with a boat oar.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2006 9:14:27 GMT -5
Stay with it man. Good to see you are sore. This is what your body needs.
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Post by dopar66 on Sept 20, 2006 11:43:43 GMT -5
The boat oar phase is typical. Don't let it bother you. Honest to goodness, if you treat the early soreness like you would an injury, your recovery will be a tad quicker and a tad less painful. A couple of aspirin, icy hot, move slowly at first, blah blah and such.
I agree with Hammer. Keep after those squats and deads!
God Bless. Doug
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Post by toolpod on Sept 24, 2006 11:32:00 GMT -5
Might as well copy in the rest of my log... Wed 19-Sep-06 Chest Day. Not feeling well. Coming down with some sort of crud somebody shared at work. I'm sure that squat and deads the day before had nothing to do with it... Trying Trac-Extreme NO today. Burst of energy 20 min after consumption. Combined with being sick, this brings me back up to normal-feeling. Sort of. Rotator cuff prehab Flat Bench: 8X135 8X225 5x365 5X365 2X405 2X405 (2nd rep assisted) 2X415 (2nd rep assisted) Incline Bench: 8X135 8X225 4X275 Triceps Press Down ( Single Pulley ) 8X110 5X120 Dips 1X16 1X12 1X8 Sun 23-Sep-06 Heavy Chest Day. Chest a little sore still from taking loads of shingles to the landfill on Saturday. Disappointing. Rotator cuff prehab Flat Bench: 8X135 8X225 3X315 3X365 1X405 1X415 1X420 1X425 Miss:435 Heavy Negative: 1X500 4-Board Press: 5X405 Miss:455 ...light touch on boards...triceps spent. Supplements: Trac-NO: Thumbs way up. Tribulus sup: T-Bomb2: Jury is still out. Started taking it 5 days ago and if anything my energy level is lower and motivation is down along with libido. (Haven't seen any extra morning wood yet ) I'll give it another week before it goes into the trash.
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Post by dopar66 on Sept 25, 2006 8:17:15 GMT -5
I can sure see why you were still a little sore for your second workout! Daggone nice numbers!
I've never personally been a big fan of the "amazing" supplements. I like to stick to the basic protein/creatine thing, although I don't even use creatine any more. Really, other than vitamins, minerals, and protein, it's basically mountain dew..... My two cents? Don't wait the week, and chalk it up to learning.
God Bless. Doug
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Post by toolpod on Sept 25, 2006 10:45:01 GMT -5
Thanks Doug! I think I've actually getting overtrained. I normally do one heavy day (Sunday morning) and one speed day (Wed night) for bench. The last 5 weeks or so, I've been doing heavy reps on Wed. I started out at 16 reps total at the heavy weight, the aim was to push that to 20+ total over three sets. Unfortunately I've been struggling to keep 16 reps, and even have dropped a rep or two. Likewise, I feel like I've dropped 10lbs or so on heavy days over the same time period. Just can't go as hard today as I could 5-10 years ago... I'll probably take a break from heavy reps this week and do some speed work, maybe alternate weeks for a few. Supplements: I've never been big on the supplements, creatine, multivitamins, and protein are it. My starting postion is that most of them are worthless. The creatine definitely works for me, I always used EAS Phosphagen...I just never liked all the sugar. So far the NO-Trac Extreme seems to be working very well...sans the sugar. Although the taste is very, very tart. I think I'm going to stick with that. The T-Bomb...as I said jury is definitely out...thankfully it looks like only a $35 mistake. I was originally going to try the Goliath Lab's Groloid/Tribuloid stuff, but I am a nerd and figured I stick with the MHP brand stuff ( and because it was cheaper ) Being cheap, I'll stick it out for couple more days only because I have read that it takes up to a week to kick in. Failing that, I guess I'm just a non-responder.
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Post by dopar66 on Sept 25, 2006 14:54:36 GMT -5
I tell you, I must be the anomally, the dude that really skews the test results. Nothing works for me. Creatine? A bloat to the next whiz. No extra energy. NO? Same thing. Looked good, had no gains to show for it. I tried one of those tastrius terribulus things, nothing. Bdbldr got great results from the groloid/tribuloid, I decided to save the shipping and handling.
One thing is I have a metabolism measured in mach. Probably this stuff just doesn't stay in me long enough to have an affect. Oh, well.
The Icy Hot on the other hand, now THAT is good stuff! :')
God Bless. Doug
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Post by toolpod on Sept 26, 2006 21:37:19 GMT -5
Doug: I hear ya about the fast metabolism. Creatine works for me, but it is pretty brand dependent. So far the only ones that have worked are EAS Phosphagen, Cell-Tech, and now Trac-NO. I beleive the reason that some brands work better than others is related to formulation and metabolism. IIRC, normally creatine monohydrate in any kind of solution of water that is safe to drink, has a half-life of anywhere from 90 seconds to several minutes. Not much time to get absorbed. Some brands that I have tried have had no discernable effect. Back to the log: Tue 25-Sep-06 Mixed shoulders and legs and back...because I was a slacker yesterday and skipped my shoulder workout. Also pressed for time because the day care closes at 8PM sharp. ;D BWT: 198.0 nekkid. Standing Military Press, behind the neck: 8X95 8X135 7X185 225: Miss (WTF?!?...usually get 3) 2X205 My delts& tris are still not firing on all cylinders !@#!$ This is bothering me. Squats: (1-2" below parallel) 8X95 8X135 8X225 8X225 Deadlifts: 8X135 8X225 3X275 1X315 Woohoo! 315 felt pretty good...no hitching. I may be weak...but I've got halfway decent form!
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Post by Eagleface on Sept 27, 2006 7:54:09 GMT -5
I think you're right, it looks like you're overtraining a bit, add one more day in between heavy bench days, it will make a big difference. Regarding the supplements, I have tried tribulus and didn't feel much, but then I tried alpha male (trib with other stuff) made by biotest sold on the t-nation site www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1054351and man you feel the difference, they pride themselves in having a high quality product not just quantity, they're pricier than the others but you get what you pay for.
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Post by toolpod on Sept 27, 2006 9:12:21 GMT -5
jlesk68; I agree. This might be the first time I've gotten seriously burnt out in the CNS. Wonder if that Evil(TM) Lower Body stuff is to blame?!? Tonight is my 2nd chest day, so instead of heavy reps, I'm going to do a speed day on flat, incline, and decline at 50%1RM. Sets of three, paused at bottom. What I will try is alternatign heavy reps weeks with speed reps on the 2nd chest day. Starting today! T-Bomb2: Like I said, I'll give it a bit longer. It seems to be starting to take effect, but we'll see.
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Post by toolpod on Sept 27, 2006 19:22:11 GMT -5
Trying to change up here with some lighter speed bench and triceps stuff...
Feels pretty good, hopefully the CNS will get a break!
Wed 26-Sep-06
Chest, Speed Day and Triceps
Rotator cuff prehab
Flat bench:
8X135
Speed bench, paused at bottom:
3X225X4 3X235X5
Flat bench fast, no pause:
8X315
4-Board Press:
8X405 5X455 2X500 5X455
Incline Speed Bench, pause at bottom:
3X135 3X185 3X225
Close Grip Floor Press:
8X135 8X225 8X275
5X315 3X315
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Post by chancey on Sept 28, 2006 8:03:18 GMT -5
Very impresive bench at just under 200 BWT to say the least. Do you do any lat work? It's good your working your legs as this will help your bench. This is scary to say but even with the insane weight you bench you look like you have much more potential.
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Post by toolpod on Sept 28, 2006 9:57:07 GMT -5
Thanks chancey, much appreciated! I basically don't do any lat work, never have. I hate lats. in general, the only thing that I can think of is that because I always practiced unracking the weight and bringing it down under control, even the heavy stuff and max efforts, that seems to have given me a peripheral back workout for bench. I'm just now trying to see if I can work on some lat drive, it going to be tough though...I'm 5'11" so my trunk just isn't that wide. I'm really hoping that the deadlifts and squats will bust me out of my plateau..I've been stuck in the mid-low 400's on bench for a couple of years now. My goal is to hit 500 raw...I'd be elated to come within 10% of somebody like Dennis Cieri
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Post by toolpod on Sept 29, 2006 8:54:06 GMT -5
Soreness update:
The leg and lower back soreness isn't half as bad as it was last week.
Then: I had trouble walking and sitting
Now: I am just sore and tired. :-)
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Post by dopar66 on Oct 2, 2006 7:31:04 GMT -5
Icy Hot!
(Some day, I'm going to seek endorsements from Icy Hot and Mountain Dew.)
:')
God BLess.
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Post by toolpod on Oct 2, 2006 8:08:13 GMT -5
You know, I have yet to try Icy Hot...I need to give it a shot. Up until now Advil and lots of water have been my mainstay. Now that I'm closer to 40 than 30...maybe I should reevaluate Sun-1-Oct Heavy Chest: Feeling much better this week after doing a speed day instead of a heavy rep workout. I think I'm seeing a soft-spot off of my chest, this week I'm going to do some pauses. Rotator Cuff prehab Flat bench: 8X135 8X225 3X315 3X365 2X415 1X420 Miss:430 Miss low. Need to work on out-of-the-hole strength Heavy Negatives: 1X505 1X515 Reps: 9X315 3-Board Press: 7X385 My Traps and pecs are sore today, hopefully that is a good sign!
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Post by dopar66 on Oct 2, 2006 11:17:35 GMT -5
Man, Toolpod, when you go heavy, you go HEAVY!
I am in no way qualified to give you pointers on getting strength and pop out of the hole. However, once you get that, it looks to me like you are going to be pressing some mind boggling numbers! Shoot, hitting 420x1 right behind 415x2 is right daggone boggling to me!
God Bless.
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Post by toolpod on Oct 2, 2006 14:06:44 GMT -5
Doug, Thank you sir! No, please, any advice you might have on getting low-end improvements for out-of-the-hole would be *greatly* appreciated. Just because I have some good numbers doesn't mean I know what I'm doing! Any and all advice more experienced lifters such as yourself is appreciated! I feel like the first 3-4 inches is my soft spot, after that I feel good to go. I hate pauses, but I think that is what is needed. Have you ever done any (don't know what they are called) when you take the weight, press it 1/4 way, drop it back to chest, press 1/2, then all the way, for each rep. I've got two weeks 'til the next meet (haven't sent my reg. form in yet) I was planning on competing in. I feel like I am about 10lbs off from when I set a PR 8 weeks ago, need more low-end if I'm going to match that in competition form. My plan: Warmups: 8X135 5X225 3X285 2X330 1X385 Attempts: 1st: 405 2nd: 430 3rd: 450
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Post by toolpod on Oct 2, 2006 14:14:50 GMT -5
Another dumb question:
Does anyone wear a belt when they bench?
Does it help or hurt?
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Post by 3speed on Oct 2, 2006 15:39:25 GMT -5
Toolpod, You are definitely on the right track. Pauses and chain work will help your "out the hole" strength. A belt can help if you are a flat bencher. It can help you or get in your way if you bench with an arch. You need to experiment and see. Personally, I bench with a small arch and have to put on a belt when I go over 325 or my lower lats will cramp.
Strong benching Bro. Don't worry about the getting close to forty part. Getting old is something that happens to all of us if we live long enough. It sure beats the alternative.
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Post by dopar66 on Oct 3, 2006 8:26:54 GMT -5
Two weeks out from a meet and my most sincere advice is this: do NOT change ANYTHING before the meet!
After that, pauses, chains, maybe a cambered bar (be super careful with this one if you try it), dumbell presses, and pec work. Also, when you do pause, do super nasty pauses, 5 counts if you can handle that. But that's all for AFTER the meet.
When you get that meet day adrenaline pump, that 10 pounds will come back. I'm looking for an awesome report in about two weeks!
Train smart!
God Bless.
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Post by 3speed on Oct 3, 2006 10:21:07 GMT -5
I totally agree with DOPAR. I did not mean to suggest to change anything this close to a meet. You have done all the work you can do at this point. Time to rest up some and get ready to git-er-done.
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Post by chancey on Oct 3, 2006 11:13:13 GMT -5
"...press it 1/4 way, drop it back to chest, press 1/2, then all the way, for each rep" Sounds like some medieval torture to me. You could set up in the rack and set the pins just above your chest. Ideally you have one set of pins at the bottom that you'll lift off, press till you tap the second set above your chest and repeat pausing at the bottom. Of course the vets are right - don't mess around this close to a meet. Best of luck at your meet. Looking forward to see how you do.
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