Bencher8 Training log

[Bencher8]

ME Bench
warmed up to 365x1

4 Brd(150# band, raw)
400x3

Rev Band Bench(equipped, 50 pound deload at chest)
716x1 old loose X
816x1 looser new X
903x0 tight X

1 Brd(unequipped)
315x20

no brd
315x12

punch press
purple bandx3x30

Well, the plan this week was to do a deload....that shit went in the can lol I can never talk myself into actually doing a deload, unless I feel like total shit...I always feel like I might miss a chance at a PR...this always ends up killing me.

Some pros about this workout though
1. Touched all my sets
2. right elbow stayed in on every set
3. 900+ doesn't feel heavy in my hands anymore
4. didn't twist right at touching(a problem I have had since injury)
5. no problems with lockout drifting back at lockout

Cons:
1. My CNS is fried
2. I folded a little on my last set to touch it and that caused the miss
3. I need to work on where to place my shirt

anyway....a question to anyone who might can answer it....how do you know(before a training session) that your CNS might be inhibited? I know that the CNS can be 2 processes...excited and inhibited. Knowing that would help a lot lol

another one.....how can you "reset" your CNS. I have heard some say that doing a workout with a few sets of 10 would do it. I trained with George and he said that doing a workout with really heavy band tension would do it....this would be helpful too lol

I got some vid of my 4 brd and the rev band benches...just need Jon to e-mail it to me now lol

[Marcus]

If your CNS is really fried, then it'll feel like your brain is in a fog. It's harder to focus.

I thought Westside advocates the 3-week wave then a deload week? That's how I've been doing it based on reading all of the articles. I always feel better after it and my progress seems faster. I felt like I was running myself into the ground before I started doing deload weeks.

I force myself to stay at or below 50% of my 1 RM to deload. I go about 80% on assistance work. I also use that week to experiment with any new exercises I'm thinking of adding.

I think deload is even more important for elite lifters. You're taxing your body more and using a higher % of your muscle fibers than a beginner or even experienced lifter. Beginners are around 40-50% and elite lifters are up around 90%. It's actually pretty difficult for a beginner to over train and that's why the gain strength no matter what they do. Most of that strength gain is from increasing their muscle fiber recruitment.

[msiders]

Bencher8,

I want to add some more banded exercises to my workouts? Can you describe how you preform the KEY PRESS and PUNCH PRESS? Also I have been reading some of your other posts, and I was wondering if you have any other great training tips that you learned while training at WSB?

Thanks for your answers.

[Bencher8]

msiders, well, the Key Press is a little hard to describe, basically it is a modified DB press. You start the exercise like you would a DB press, but as you descend you tuck your elbows in and turn the DB's so your palms are facing you and take the DB's lower toward your stoamch(in the bottom your palms will be facing you and the DB's will be about the same place you touch in a shirt or a little lower), then as you ascend you turn the DB's back to normal and flare your elbows back out. If you do it right you should feel the weight transfer into your triceps and the whole exercise should mimic the groove of a shirt.

The Punch Press is a modified piston pushdown. Throw a band over a monolift or a power rack(it should be doubled up). Put one hand in each loop and when you pull the band down get your body over top. Then you punch toward the floor. Kinda hard to describe as well lol Good exercise for triceps after shirt work...

I prolly should do another vid of each of these.......

As far as tips go..... Don't get caught up in percentages in speed work....just make sure the bar is moving fast!

....high boards work better than rack lockouts for increasing lockout strength
....pick 3-4 exercises that work for you and rotate those every week
....take time to work technique(a good exercise for this is rev bands)
....don't forget to work your weaknesses

....hope this helped some..if you need any more specific advice just ask.

[Bencher8]

Back day

Lat pulls(mm band)
250x3x10

Rear delt flys
45x10
50x10
55x10

Bent over rows
225x12
315x8
365x5
405x3

band pull aparts
mmx3xfailure

decline rows
4 platesx3x10

Pullups
BWx2x8

skipped abs and hammers...just like sex... a quick in and out..oh..that's just me huh? lol

[Bencher8]

ME Bench
warmed up to 315x3

Floor Press(chains=20#'s each)
315+4chainsx3
315+6chainsx3
315+8chainsx3
315+10chainsx1
365+12chainsx1

Shirt play around w/ phenom
405x1 4 brd
585x1 3 brd

raw 1 brd
315x15

1 arm Tri ext.
35KB'sx3x25

Tri Pushdowns
50x3x10

Went in to do a deload....kinda did one lol The floor press ended up tying a post injury PR...if I had knew that I would have done 5 more pounds lol I still deloaded though...cause it wasn't a max effort, it was still easy. So not a complete deload, but ok lol

The shirt work was something else lol I was happy cause I got the shirt on easier, I got my hands out to ring fingers on the rings, and I touched the 3 brd. Apperently it takes a high pain tolerance and the ability to hold the groove for this shirt to work. I touched the 3 brd with the 585 and didn't push and the weight about flew out of my hands. This shirt has some serious spring! I got up and applauded my shirt for doing a 585 pound 3 brd lol
I don't know if this shirt will work for me, but I am going to keep working with it and see what it does with some heavy weight...here's hoping it does 900 lol

[Bencher8]

Back Day

Lat pulls(mm band)
220x10
260x10
320x8

Rear Delt flys
45x10
50x10
55x10

Bent Over rows
225x10
315x2x10

band pull aparts(mm band)
3xfailure

1 arm straight arm pulldowns
37x3x10

pullups
BWx3x8

leg press
3 platesx3x12

hammers/abs

[Bencher8]

ME Bench(sorta)
warmed up to 365x1

3 Brd(straight weight, unequipped)
495x3
545x2
585x1

3 Brd(straight weight, equipped)
635x1
705x0 shirt blew

punch presses
purplex3x30

tri pushdowns
60x3x10

Blew the phenom out in the sleeve seam. Ordered another one with an extra inch in the chest panel. This is the last week of easy lifting. I haven't been going up to 100% for the last couple weeks and I wanna get back to some heavy lifting! Got rev bands coming up next week.....see how that goes.

[Rob Luyando]

Nice work! You put evil thoughts in my head and I took 4 bags and weighed in at 276. Can you say welcome to 308's!

[RevTodd]

Nice work! You put evil thoughts in my head and I took 4 bags and weighed in at 276. Can you say welcome to 308's!

Now you're gonna take the all-time record at 308, eh? Rob you are just crazy enough to get it done!! Good luck and I'll see you at the Bench show tonight!

[Marcus]

Key presses work. I've added them in and they seem to be helping with some form issues. Thanks for explanaining what they were a couple of weeks ago.

[THE BRUTE]

Key presses work. I've added them in and they seem to be helping with some form issues. Thanks for explanaining what they were a couple of weeks ago.

i have a vid of the lift somewhere...i can drop the link. took me a week before i could figure out the damn lift...LOL!!

great work paul...even with the blow out...and thanx for the comment...i guess bench only guys shouldn't pull 730 raw...LOL!!
TB

[Bencher8]

no problem Marcus. Seems that everyone who has tried them has liked the way they work for'em......never knew how smart I was lol

I was gonna ask Curt to bring the link, but he had to do it once before. I have the vid on my desktop, but it has been acting up a lot lately.

Curt, nope, bench only guys have no busness pulling ME deads lol

[Bencher8]

ME Bench
warmed up to 495x1

2 Brd(straight weight...just for Rob lol, equipped)
635x2
725x1
835x1

...and I was done lol Had to quit a little early, cause today was teacher conferences. I can feel the speed is a little down cause I haven't done bands in about 3 weeks or so, but my mid range strength is better, so the lift was still pretty easy....I mighta had a shot at a PR(875), but figured no reason to rush it.

Bands are back next week, so speed should come back up soon. Need to make sure that I am working more of my mid range with styraight weight as well as working my top end with the bands. I usually get a little caught up with the bands and neglect my raw work....balance is the key!

[Bencher8]

Light Back Day

Lat Pulls(mm band)
160x3x12

DB Clean and Press
22x3x12

1 arm straight arm pulldowns
35x3x10

bent over rows
225x3x10

decline rows
4 platesx3x10

bent over rear delt flys
25x3x10

hammers
50x10
80x10
110x3

some more curls and felt gay so stopped...

abs....felt gay and stopped after 2 sets lol

weight was 304, so getting back up there. Did the hammers just cause I seen Brute doi them and wanted to see what I could do since I don't train them lol

[THE BRUTE]

hell...i don't train them either...i just do them...LOL!!
i see your finally back up over 300 again..
TB

[Bencher8]

ME Bench
warmed up to 405x1

4 Brd(unequipped, bands)
405+(100)x3
405+(200)x3
455+(200)x3

2 Brd(equipped, bands)
495+(200)x1

1 Brd(eqipped, bands)
585+(200)x1
675+(200)x1
705+(200)x0

Everything felt good...strength was good considering I was walking my ass off for 10 hrs at work...and I was able to talk Julie into giving me some lol Didn't have to work to hard though....she was on top lol

The 2nd 1 brd lift was so easy I just knew I was good for over 9..I missed the damn thing cause it came up a little faster than figured it would and didn't get my elbows out fast enough to catch it...plus I couldn't get my breath and took the bar out with my elbows still a little bent....basically screwed the technique all up lol

[Rob Luyando]

Thats funny Julie tells me you never work hard your a bench fag! LOL!

[Bencher8]

true! I don't wanna get too much cardio in.....dogg style is the way to go babay!

[Bencher8]

ME Bench
warmed up to 405

4 Brd(equipped, straight weight)
495x3
545x3
585x1
675x1

Reps
315x2x20

called it here. I was using this session to help break in the new phenom and to help with practicing the new setup I may go with....believe it or not I tried out the tucked feet MM setup. Wasn't too bad...I have been working on flexibility and getting into the setup wasn't bad. Main problem I am having right now is finding a way to put the weight into my lats and tris in the new setup and keeping my head down.

The shirt started to blow on me with the 675, so I shut it down there. Going to get the arms reinforced to try and keep the shirt together long enough to determine if it would be a good shirt for me....