New log

[joebear]

Been a while since I lifted seriously, about 9-10 months I think. Blew out my Labrum playing softball and been rehabbing it after getting it fixed. Going to take it really slow and try to get back in it for 2011.
Be posting soon,probably going to do a lot of dumbbell work and work using a swiss bar when I do press so that my shoulders can slowly get used to the strain again etc...

[joebear]

Did some dumbbell presses today.Worked up to 70's for 5x5, a far cry from 425 at 200 lbs. in February,but have to start somewhere I guess.
I threw in some light back work also. Going to get on a regular split here pretty soon.

[dopar66]

Hey Bear!

Bummer to hear about the shoulder, but I have no doubt you'll make a SENSIBLE recovery! I'll try and drop by more frequently to see how your progress is going.

God Bless.

[joebear]

Thanks Doug, always good to hear from you brother

Bwt- 205

Again going light chest today with d-bells
d-bell presses:
warm ups -a few sets

work sets:

85's x 5 x 5 -felt pretty good
Incline swiss bar presses - 185 x 5 x 5- felt pretty good
chain suspended pushups - bwt x 3 sets x 20

[joebear]

Hit some d-bell presses today. Feeling pretty good so after a few sets I thought I would see where I am at strength wise for an all out ME set/ workout

Warm ups: d-bell presses
40's x 10
60's x 8
90's x 3

Work sets:
135's x 8- ME set
100's x 4 x 10

Swiss bar floor presses:
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x6
275 x 4
295 x 1
345 x 1-crushed it, but did not want to "push it" too much with my "new" shoulder

Hanging chain supported push ups in power rack:
3 x 25

I am going to do a once weekly workout to hopefully keep shoulder healthy and keep making progress. At 44 I don't heal up as fast as I used to- man it bites getting to middle age!

[dbunch]

Dec 12, 2010 17:19:20 GMT -5 joebear said:

At 44 I don't heal up as fast as I used to- man it bites getting to middle age!

lol – right on brother!

[joebear]

Bwt -206

Did a few sets of swiss bar presses to warm up then hit work sets:

Swiss bar presses w/wide grip:

225 x 10
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 1-felt good

Going to post some vids here shortly. I hope my form does not suffer too much from all the swiss bar work, have to wait and see I guess

Shoulder is holding up remarkably well. I am going to keep the volume low for my second workout of the week, but try to keep the weight in the 80- 90 % range.
I think all the tricep work I did while the shoulder was healing up for 8 months has really paid off-(mostly did standing pushdowns for various rep schemes/weights to keep things fresh, but I think my elbows have paid a price now, one thing after another man!)

[lysimacus]

Your determination is an example to all. Getting old is not for wimps!

[joebear]

Thanks Lysimacus, good to hear from you !

Did some close grip benches today with straight bar, don't want to rely on the swiss bar too much.

Warm up sets :

bar x 20
135 x 10
185 x 8

work sets: using pretty close grip, elbows real tight to sides
225 x5 x 5- felt real good
250 x 5 - felt real good- light
275 x1 - felt good -definitley had reps here, but gonna take it slow

didn't want to over do the shoulder with the extremely close grip I was using. Keeping the elbows right up against my lats really takes a lot of pressure off the shoulder girdle.Felt pretty good overall.
Going to start throwing in some heavy back work after the first of the year.

[lysimacus]

CGBP looks might good Bro. I started doing them to save my left shoulder but mainly because I think my Tri's are the weak link in my bench.

[joebear]

Did a little of everything upper body today - wanted to see how the shoulder felt doing different lifts

Lats -
Wide grip pull downs to front 3 x 10-stack
spider (t-bar) rows - 3 x 10

Chest- flat bench
250 x 15 -just wanted some reps

CGBP
225 X 5, 250 X5, 275 X 5, 295 X 5 - mid finger on smooth part of bar

Front delt raises - Going very light for a while - 25's x 3x 10
shrugs - 80's x 3 x 15

Biceps - seated d-bell curls - 40's x 3 x 8

Going to hit legs tomorrow -ouch!!!!

[joebear]

Been doing some pretty consistent training the last few months, feeling pretty good. I even worked in some cambered bar benches to give my shoulder the "ultimate test" -( I worked up to sets of 315 x 8 with the cambered bar - 5'' camber to it ) and my shoulder seems ok, but I don't want to push it with the cambered bar so I am going to be doing swiss bar presses and d-bell work for a while

BWT- 210

Did some stretches, shoulder warm up stuff ....

Swiss bar bench presses - TNG
135 X 5
185 X 5
225 X5
275 X 5
315 X 5,5,5
365 x 1

Man the Swiss bar is so nice on the shoulders! but my strength is always way down with this bar - anybody else have this experience- just curious

This was it for chest, just a quick workout with some heavier weight and a little volume. I still can't do flyes - the angle/stretch of the motion still hurts so I will wait and see if it heals.

[zimbo415]

Good benching, what is your bench PR? It is good to see another michigander on the site.

[joebear]

Thanks Zimbo
( I might have to stop by and see you next time I am in the Grand Rapids area)
My last real competition was in Traverse City a year and half ago and I did 425 at 200 lbs. then blew out my labrum not too long after, been a long rehab !
Right now I am pretty confident I can pause 400 -basing this off the cambered bar benches, or pretty close to it anyway)
I saw your youtube benches- nice form and good pause -very strong off the bottom !

[joebear]

Did some d-bell presses today

bwt - 211

A lot of stretching, light d-bell warm ups ...

Work sets -

140's x 8
140's x 6
140's x 3

100's x 3 x 10- paused each rep

front delt raises 3 x10

In and out- shoulder feeling pretty good

[joebear]

Heavy triceps today

Bwt - 212 -

Close grips -( super close grip, thumbs 8 '' apart )
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x6
work sets -same grip - all TNG
295 x 8
315 x 5
350 x1

3 boards : reps paused for 2 secs each
295 x 3
315 x 5
275 x 3 sets of 5 , 15 sec break between sets

standing pushdowns - plate loaded lat tower
150 x 3 sets of 5

seated dip press - plate loaded
405 x 5 sets of 5 - 30 sec break between sets

overhead dumbbell extensions - just for a pump
60's x 3 sets of 25 each set - 45 sec breaks between sets

Shoulder feels pretty good, I have a slight "twing" in there, I think from doing those cambered bar benches

[buckeye2010]

I love close grip benches but don't perform them with a grip as narrow as yours.. Very impressive.

[joebear]

Thanks Buck- wrists are feeling it, I think I am getting old!

Bench work: used swiss bar w/ wide grip

(rotaor warm ups etc...)

Dead presses in cage - swiss bar was at chest level in power rack for each rep since I tend to miss at the bottom more than top end
135 x 5
185 x5
225 x5
275 x3 - work sets, each rep paused
295 x 3
315 x1
335 x1- very solid , had a few reps here I think- wanted to avoid failure

Incline d-bell presses -going for more reps here
100's x 3 sets x 10 reps per set

Chain supported push ups in power rack

3 sets of 25 reps per set

Shoulder feels pretty good, I am liking the volume more and more

[buckeye2010]

I switched to putting 2 fingers on the smooth part of the bar ( I realize that not all bars are the same ) which relates to about 14". It took all the stress off of my wrist and still does a great job of working the triceps. I believe that it has helped my bench as well. I brought in my normal bench grip as well and no longer fight shoulder and wrist issues.

[joebear]

Screwing around after football practice in the weight room with some ball players

Kids were doing some dynamic effort speed work in the cages- I did some warm up sets in the cage with bar set at chest level and did some dead presses- I was curious as to the difference in strength between the swiss bar and a regular straight bar - somewhere around 40 - 50 lbs. I did not go to failure when I did cage dead presses with the swiss bar but I came pretty close with the straight bar- probably had 10 more lbs.

Straight bar dead presses -bar at chest level in power rack:
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 1
350 x 1
385 x 1 - stopped here, had to arch but it went up smooth

Shouldn't have done these I know but I was feeling pretty good - and I was just dinking around -shoulder is holding up well

[zimbo415]

Nice job on the bottom rack benches (that is what I call them). I have 3 levels I do them from chest level 4 inches above the chest and 8 inches above the chest. Then I keep records for the 3 different levels.