jswain34
Well-known member
Iron woody band from rogue. The range on it is 25->80lb
Jswain's training log for powerlifting
- Thread starter jswain34
- Start date
Iron woody band from rogue. The range on it is 25->80lb
Hyde
Legend
For pure ******* power it's all about 3 & 4bd work. Helps there better than a slanger even as you can't rely on momentum as much and teaches better legdrive as it rewards heaving thru the board after the pause. Ppl say 4bd is useless for raw. It got me my 300 after 2 failed meets. 3 & 4 bd is too short a range to hurt elbows or shoulders but let's you play w 95-100% easily and safely often. Hit 1x3 on a 3bd, 3x4-5 on a 4bd, and 2x2 on a 3bd after and you'll get 20 reps w 2nd attempt weight in 20 min of your session. Tell me it doesn't build confidence when you get under your max 4wks later.
jswain34
Well-known member
I dont have too much experience with board work, ive actually only done it one time so im gonna need to remember this page to refer back when i need it. Thanks dude. Its so weird im exploding off my chest then i get about 2/3-3/4 up and my elbows just cant lock out. Ive never had that problem before.
SweetLou321
Well-known member
Losing position
liftandswim
Well-known member
What Lou said. Anddddd that's normal for a raw bench anyway. You should be failing 2/3-3/4 way up. If you're truly slow off the chest than good luck getting it more than a few inches.
jswain34
Well-known member
More than likely true.
Thats where i used to fail. About 1/4-1/2 way up. Just different for me to fail at 2/3-3/4. But that was also before i ever used leg drive (which I'm still bad at) and was more t&g. But this is the same place my t&g bp stalled out too...325.
With that being said...I am not a very technically sound bencher. My arch sucks. My leg drive is pretty poor. I still suck at engaging my lats. Im probably not very rigid from the floor to the bar either. A lot of loose spots for force leakage.
All stuff for me to address more seriously (will still try and work on it as an afterthought) once i get out of this hyper block. Focusing now on just gaining size.
SweetLou321
Well-known member
Afterthought. I'd never sacrifice technical proficiency for size. These lifts are a skill. Every rep should be as technical as can be and sport practice. This will also help you recruit the most motor units (1 of 2 aspects of strength). Which will allow you to lift more weight. Which will cause a great load and more muscle fiber size (the other aspect of strength). They are not mutually exclusive. Don't be lazy, clean up your bench.
You will probably out bench us all soon of you are hitting the numbers you hit and add in the technical aspects.
jswain34
Well-known member
Youre right lou. I do work on those things during comp bench days. But i really am being lazy about it. Its just frustrating and im being mentally weak about it. Its mainly just getting my lats to activate and figure out a consistent foot positioning that i want to try to work on for leg drive. You're completely right though, there's no room in this game for me to be lazy and mentally weak when it comes to my bench.
herderdude
Well-known member
My big thing for something like that would be close grip two board as heavy as you can get 6-10 reps. Leaning toward 10. Volume for size and still a pretty good ROM. Plus you don't get that usual pop off your chest from full range close grip.
I like Hyde's and Lou's suggestions as well. Never did raw 3 or 4 board, but I do plenty of CNS training with slingshots, heavy band tension, and shirt work. Similar stuff. And if your technique is lacking and you bring it up, who's to say you're actually even weak at the top end? It might be a positioning issue.
I like Hyde's and Lou's suggestions as well. Never did raw 3 or 4 board, but I do plenty of CNS training with slingshots, heavy band tension, and shirt work. Similar stuff. And if your technique is lacking and you bring it up, who's to say you're actually even weak at the top end? It might be a positioning issue.
Hyde
Legend
We can ALWAYS improve our technique, and that is most relevant. If you're going to do anything in particular tho 3 & 4 board is my choice because A. It doesn't take long B. It doesn't cost a lot, recovery-wise C. It lets you constantly feel max/circa-max weight in your grip.
If you're missing from technique/lack of position nothing can help til you improve that, but the boards will fix both tricep power issues AND poor confidence. For me, it was probably the latter.
In a hyper block Herder's suggestion makes more sense tho. Or reactive CG slanger.
If you're missing from technique/lack of position nothing can help til you improve that, but the boards will fix both tricep power issues AND poor confidence. For me, it was probably the latter.
In a hyper block Herder's suggestion makes more sense tho. Or reactive CG slanger.
jswain34
Well-known member
I like it. Might give the 2 board a try. I kinda liked the close grip swiss bar press...i wonder if that'd work off a two board. I'll save the 3-4 board for the strength block. Pending my form/positioning isn't the main factor as you mentioned.
I like your reasons for why you like the 3-4 board. Makes sense to me too and i think it'd be useful for me for the same reasons you mentioned it was useful for yourself (tricep power, confidence in handling near max loads).
Thanks for all the ideas fellas.
jswain34
Well-known member
10/26/15 hyper block w3d1
Either only getting 5.5 hours of sleep kicked my ass or the recent increase in volume finally caught up to me. Hip drive was a little off too. Deadlifts felt like hell.
Sumo deads (block 3a)
135x5
225x3 full + 3 paused
315x5
365x3
405x1
455x1 (all doh through this)
480x3 (2 hook, 1 st mix)
480x3 (straps)
480x3 (straps)
The goal was 3x5. They sucked. I also had an AMRAP W/ 450 programmed. Didnt even do it. Wasn't even worth it.
Db inc bp ss/ cable low row (neutral grip)
85x4x6/110x4x10
Triset:
Facepulls/unil lat row/bw dips
70x12/100x10/x10
80x12/100x10/x10 (x3)
80x12/100x10/x9 + 1 after 10s break.
Weight was 235. Heaviest ive been since i got fat and out of shape my freshman year of college. My girlfriends also mentioned that i look "thicker" last night. She soon differentiated that she didn't mean fatter. So we're on the right path here.
Either only getting 5.5 hours of sleep kicked my ass or the recent increase in volume finally caught up to me. Hip drive was a little off too. Deadlifts felt like hell.
Sumo deads (block 3a)
135x5
225x3 full + 3 paused
315x5
365x3
405x1
455x1 (all doh through this)
480x3 (2 hook, 1 st mix)
480x3 (straps)
480x3 (straps)
The goal was 3x5. They sucked. I also had an AMRAP W/ 450 programmed. Didnt even do it. Wasn't even worth it.
Db inc bp ss/ cable low row (neutral grip)
85x4x6/110x4x10
Triset:
Facepulls/unil lat row/bw dips
70x12/100x10/x10
80x12/100x10/x10 (x3)
80x12/100x10/x9 + 1 after 10s break.
Weight was 235. Heaviest ive been since i got fat and out of shape my freshman year of college. My girlfriends also mentioned that i look "thicker" last night. She soon differentiated that she didn't mean fatter. So we're on the right path here.
SweetLou321
Well-known member
Nice man. My gf just tells me I'm small. Yet she competes and does my diet. She started my cut...guess she likes small guys? Lol
jswain34
Well-known member
She used to say the same thing, this is actually the first time shes ever commented on the opposite end of the spectrum...other than when she talks about my lower ab fat lol. And man thats trouble. You must trust her, putting your gainz in her hands like that. Next thing you know she'll be collaborating with Ian trying to get you a pair of board shorts for physique too
SweetLou321
Well-known member
Lmao! Yeah I trust her. I trust her to not put my in board shorts...
Hyde
Legend
It's not that black and white. She's gonna convince you to get back in gear, but she's gonna get you in a raw volume block first. Then she'll introduce a pair of 'loose briefs'. They'll be black at first, but by the next block you'll find them blue and white with Hawaiian flower patterns...then suddenly you're wondering why you now have an 'arm day', but by then the spray tan is already drying...
liftandswim
Well-known member
Dead.
SweetLou321
Well-known member
If you only knew
jswain34
Well-known member
10/28 Hyper Block w3d2
-cube rep bp (block 3a)
WUs: 45x5/135x5/185x5/225x2/245x2
Working: 265x3 set x5 rep
(@8.5, @8, @8.5 respectively)
then AMRAP @ 250 - 10 reps *i believe this is a rep PR. Rpe at 9-9.5.
Note: bench was touch and go...controlled (ie no bro bounce off chest)
-stiff leg DL to floor each rep.
Work up
275x10
300x3x10 - added an extra set to make up some of the missed volume from deads on Monday
Set 1: 5 doh; 3 hook; 2 strong mix
Set 2: 8 doh (had the bar deeper in my palm this set, it was rolling on set 1); 2 weak mix
Set 3: 10 doh (reset grip at 8).
-SSB REAR FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQ
160x3x8
-pullup + lat pulldown ss/ pollof (10s on 5 s off x3 is one set)
Bwx6 + 6@110lb / 70x1 set
Bwx6 + 6@120lb / " "
Bwx4 + 8@120lb / " "
Bwx4 + 8@120lb / none; only 3 sets
-pronated grip chest supported iso row
60x4x8 (60s rest)
-facepulls
70x4x12 (60s rest)
Notes:
*bench was good. I was working on just staying tight from the floor through the bar each rep. Feel like i did that pretty well. Baby steps. Next ill add in working in leg drive then finally activating the lats since i know that is going to me the hardest for me.
*SLDLs went pretty well too. Was tap the floor and go, no bounce though. I dont think its a PR, but a step in the right direction nontheless. Low back and hams were pretty pumped after this. Low back pump made SSB BSS kinda ****ty lol.
*i usually do db bss but the db area was packed so i improvised.
*left knee started bugging me during bss. We'll see if anything develops out of that or it just goes away. Hoping for the latter.
Thats it fellas. Sorry for the book.
-cube rep bp (block 3a)
WUs: 45x5/135x5/185x5/225x2/245x2
Working: 265x3 set x5 rep
(@8.5, @8, @8.5 respectively)
then AMRAP @ 250 - 10 reps *i believe this is a rep PR. Rpe at 9-9.5.
Note: bench was touch and go...controlled (ie no bro bounce off chest)
-stiff leg DL to floor each rep.
Work up
275x10
300x3x10 - added an extra set to make up some of the missed volume from deads on Monday
Set 1: 5 doh; 3 hook; 2 strong mix
Set 2: 8 doh (had the bar deeper in my palm this set, it was rolling on set 1); 2 weak mix
Set 3: 10 doh (reset grip at 8).
-SSB REAR FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQ
160x3x8
-pullup + lat pulldown ss/ pollof (10s on 5 s off x3 is one set)
Bwx6 + 6@110lb / 70x1 set
Bwx6 + 6@120lb / " "
Bwx4 + 8@120lb / " "
Bwx4 + 8@120lb / none; only 3 sets
-pronated grip chest supported iso row
60x4x8 (60s rest)
-facepulls
70x4x12 (60s rest)
Notes:
*bench was good. I was working on just staying tight from the floor through the bar each rep. Feel like i did that pretty well. Baby steps. Next ill add in working in leg drive then finally activating the lats since i know that is going to me the hardest for me.
*SLDLs went pretty well too. Was tap the floor and go, no bounce though. I dont think its a PR, but a step in the right direction nontheless. Low back and hams were pretty pumped after this. Low back pump made SSB BSS kinda ****ty lol.
*i usually do db bss but the db area was packed so i improvised.
*left knee started bugging me during bss. We'll see if anything develops out of that or it just goes away. Hoping for the latter.
Thats it fellas. Sorry for the book.
Sean1332
Legend
Chris Duffin has a video explaining it pushing back vs away. I'll see if I can find it.
Since I'm the resident bencher and all...
jswain34
Well-known member
Chris Duffin has a video explaining it pushing back vs away. I'll see if I can find it.
Since I'm the resident bencher and all...
I thought i had seen something about it somewhere online. I just couldn't remember what they said about it. Ill try and look for it too. Thanks. And lol...just get that shoulder figured out and you'll be fine man.
liftandswim
Well-known member
Fwiw, I think up and towards my head.
Good work going on in here!
Good work going on in here!
jswain34
Well-known member
Yeah. It makes sense. I'll keep digging for that duffin article and see what he says. Itd probably help get more carryover from OP i'd think.
Thanks! Just putting in the work.
SweetLou321
Well-known member
I never actively push back. I also never actively push the bar. May sounds odd but I imagine pushing myself away from the bar. I have very littler backward push. Just enough to properly lock the delts/elbows out. I also squeeze my last together as I press as to not flare them. This keeps me tighter between sets. This also helps me connect my leg drive, and head drive, into the bar.
herderdude
Well-known member
Honestly I do the opposite. I take it way out on the handoff, drop it straight down to my xyphoid, punch it straight back up. If it slows down I fade it back. If you fade too early and slow down, you have nowhere to run.
This works for me because I'm a strong back side of my body bencher. The big early fade works well for the pec poppin front side bencher in my experience.
How do you tell which you are? I'm glad y'all asked. Very simple test. If people say "damn! Dude must bench a house!" As you're walking up to them, you're a fade guy. If while you're walking away, its the opposite. I just came up with this whole theorem in five minutes, so there might be a few holes, but it's not far off.
Edit: and as I read further you have your two examples right above me. Ian has big ol pecs and benches with more flare. He fades. Lou and I are from the equipped big arch school, taught to shove ourselves into the bench to get the bar moving and only flare slightly and fade as a very last resort.
RegisterJr
Legend
This is how I try to bench. It also is the only way my biceps don't participate and scream in pain.
Hyde
Legend
I actively try to drive/throw it backwards. Like Herder said, if I run out of steam and can't get my elbows through with that it will die there. If I can get through my tris will finish it.
If you bench in a straight line I think it's much more helpful to try to drive your body away from the bar, like Lou said. That's how I do non-arched CG/ tricep work. But in my comp stance I try to drive it up and back. Which is strange cuz I have lousy pecs, but I do have decent front delts. I also have a paltry bench
Really like the session, J - does the left knee hurt when ankle is on the bench or when it's in front doing the work?
If you bench in a straight line I think it's much more helpful to try to drive your body away from the bar, like Lou said. That's how I do non-arched CG/ tricep work. But in my comp stance I try to drive it up and back. Which is strange cuz I have lousy pecs, but I do have decent front delts. I also have a paltry bench
Really like the session, J - does the left knee hurt when ankle is on the bench or when it's in front doing the work?
jswain34
Well-known member
thanks for all the help/input in here. I am having a difficult time categorizing myself in one vs the other. On one end, i never have really actively faded back and always just pretty much went straight down to my xyphoid and straight back up then faded when i got stuck, essentially how Herder described earlier. On the other end, i flare naturally, have a ****ty arch, have pretty poor lat engagement. All of those things can be fixed. I also did set a rep PR with someone screaming "back and towards me (standing behind me)". Maybe that tells me i should give the fading a try and see how it goes. I also think starting to synchronize pushing back off the floor (with leg drive) and fading back off the chest could help me tie the two together. I've always had naturally strong shoulders without really much attention to working them. Maybe this cue will help tie them a little better into my press as well.
Just bouncing ideas off myself and writing them down in here at the moment.
Just bouncing ideas off myself and writing them down in here at the moment.
jswain34
Well-known member
Thanks. It was a pretty good one. PC is feeling it today, i love it.
The knee was bugging me when it was the front leg doing the work. It was around the quadriceps tendon. It was even a little painful when i would stand up from the chest supported iso row station. But, there is 0 pain today. The true test will come tomorrow with fronts and ssb squats.
Hyde
Legend
Interesting vid on EFS today. Basically Tate and Smith tell Casey Williams trying to sync legdrive w a heave isn't worth it cuz you risk not getting everything sync'd under max weight and/or getting called for heaving. Plus by nature to heave means you have to lose some hip tightness to bring it back in. They both pretty much tell him to move towards a tricep/arch dominant shirt style bench focusing on staying up and meeting the bar in a shorter stroke while lowering slower and tighter to get a press call sooner and use a bit more lat. Go figure. The lone difference they incorporate since he's raw and touches higher is to breathe into the chest instead of the belly.
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herderdude
Well-known member
Here's what Laura had to say on the matter
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herderdude
Well-known member
Interesting that two really big guys that benched just a smidge more than small 242 Casey benches raw are completely retooling his bench. But he is young and only been powerlifting for four or five years, maybe they have it right. Or maybe Donnie gives him the best tips when he visits him. Or maybe Wenning when he visits him. Or maybe Louie, the first guy that taught him how to bench for powerlifting. Its hard to say, but I still don't see why they messed with his bench unless his pec is continuing to get more cranky.
herderdude
Well-known member
Now that I see the video, I really have to say that I agree with a lot of what they are saying, but not all of it. My second to last pec tweak I was doing insanely well with a heave style, then coming back from that I tried to replicate my heave but was too loose. I had to go back to my roots. Now, even when I stay flatter and heave, I do try to press in a straight line still. I let my lower body momentum push the bar back toward my head and I push with my upper body almost done toward my legs. It worked really nicely for me.
herderdude
Well-known member
Lot of big raw benches among the ladies at the Sweatt Shop, they're all friends of a friend. Some 132 and 148 girls with 210-225 benches.
SweetLou321
Well-known member
I think it really just depends on what clicks for that lifter and let's them lift the most weight...safely. Longevity will always win in the end.
From what I've seen. The high arch guys bench great with no heavy. (Laura/efs) style.
The flatter guys sink and heavy better to gain momentum to make up for leverage.
From there you gotta piece together tightness and drive.
From what I've seen. The high arch guys bench great with no heavy. (Laura/efs) style.
The flatter guys sink and heavy better to gain momentum to make up for leverage.
From there you gotta piece together tightness and drive.
liftandswim
Well-known member
Agree with Lou. Longevity definitely wins. Can't bench heavy unless you're able to actually train hard for 10+ years
jswain34
Well-known member
Agreed with what you said Lou. I have been thinking about this quite a bit over the last day and a half and what ive decided is im going to continue working on what ive been doing. Its kept me relatively healthy so far. I don't want to toy around with too many different things at once, imo thats when it gets difficult to make progress because you're switching stuff up too frequently to really see what works. Like i said before, ill keep ironing out things one at a time.
jswain34
Well-known member
10/30 Hyper block w3d3
-Narrower than comp stance Front Squat cube rep block 3a
+olys
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x1
255@[email protected]
255x5
-i was using straps to make a makeshift handle on the bar to try and help keep my elbows up up through rep 4 on this set. I lost the grip, tried switching to cross arm grip and ended up losing it down my arms...had to let it roll down my biceps and forearms into the safety pins. Lol...amateur. Hit rep 5 after deloading to 135, reracking, then reloading. Didnt cause a scene thankfully ha.
255x5 @ 7...clean grip. It seems i dont lose my upper back till after 5 reps with the clean grip. Good to know for the future.
-SSB SQUATS
+olys
210x6
270x9...left patellar tendon got pissed off after i fell forward onto my toes on rep 8.
olys off...+flats
270x10...no knee pain. Olys will only be used for fronts from now on.
-SSB PAUSE SQ (3-5ct)
220x3x6
-Banded (behind neck) GHR SS/ Neut grip pullup
Bwx12 / bwx8
1 Green Monster Mini x12 / bwx8
2 G MM x2x12 / bw x 2x8
-Suitcase holds
70x5x30s (15s rest between arms)
-45lb bumper plate pinches
x28s
1min rest
x21s
Grip on left gave out first both times.
-had some extra time today so i threw in the pauses.
-Narrower than comp stance Front Squat cube rep block 3a
+olys
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x1
255@[email protected]
255x5
-i was using straps to make a makeshift handle on the bar to try and help keep my elbows up up through rep 4 on this set. I lost the grip, tried switching to cross arm grip and ended up losing it down my arms...had to let it roll down my biceps and forearms into the safety pins. Lol...amateur. Hit rep 5 after deloading to 135, reracking, then reloading. Didnt cause a scene thankfully ha.
255x5 @ 7...clean grip. It seems i dont lose my upper back till after 5 reps with the clean grip. Good to know for the future.
-SSB SQUATS
+olys
210x6
270x9...left patellar tendon got pissed off after i fell forward onto my toes on rep 8.
olys off...+flats
270x10...no knee pain. Olys will only be used for fronts from now on.
-SSB PAUSE SQ (3-5ct)
220x3x6
-Banded (behind neck) GHR SS/ Neut grip pullup
Bwx12 / bwx8
1 Green Monster Mini x12 / bwx8
2 G MM x2x12 / bw x 2x8
-Suitcase holds
70x5x30s (15s rest between arms)
-45lb bumper plate pinches
x28s
1min rest
x21s
Grip on left gave out first both times.
-had some extra time today so i threw in the pauses.
RegisterJr
Legend
You sound like me failing on fronts.
What kind of mobility are you doing to increase elbow/shoulder ROM?
What kind of mobility are you doing to increase elbow/shoulder ROM?
jswain34
Well-known member
Its mainly my wrists holding me back i think now. My wrist flexors have gotten really, really tight over the last year or so with my jobs both being on the computer and the lack of extension work. I used to have zero issues clean racking on fronts. I think my lats might be playing a role in my shoulders having difficulty holding that degree of flexion too.
RegisterJr
Legend
I don't do enough wrist stretching either. I do find that tricep rolling helps too.
jswain34
Well-known member
10/31 Hyper Block w3d4
- 5/3/1 OP (1+)
45x5/95x5/115x3
145x5/160x3/180x1+ (x6 = 216)*PR
Bonus sets:
1x205 *either tied old or set new PR
215x1 (absolute grinderrrr) *definite new PR.
- Swiss bar press (cgbp width at 2nd to inner bar) ss/ spider curls
160x3x12 / 25x3x12
- LEG EXT SS/ Machine chest fly
100x3x12/150x12
----------/165x2x12
100x20/---------
- SA GNADE TRI EXT SS/ cable rev curl
70x10 / 60x12
60x10 / 60x12
60x10 / 80x12
And done. Good day. OP PRs are hard to come by. Let alone a rep pr and a 1 rep in the same session.
Leg extensions in place of leg press today. Last week the single leg leg press kind of got my SI fired up. Leg presses and i dont get along. Regardless of how i try to do them. Plus i needed quad volume and my hams/adductors are feeling pretty beat up. Just went to some isolation work. Should have done them heavier. Kept constant tension the entire time and stopped short of *******.
- 5/3/1 OP (1+)
45x5/95x5/115x3
145x5/160x3/180x1+ (x6 = 216)*PR
Bonus sets:
1x205 *either tied old or set new PR
215x1 (absolute grinderrrr) *definite new PR.
- Swiss bar press (cgbp width at 2nd to inner bar) ss/ spider curls
160x3x12 / 25x3x12
- LEG EXT SS/ Machine chest fly
100x3x12/150x12
----------/165x2x12
100x20/---------
- SA GNADE TRI EXT SS/ cable rev curl
70x10 / 60x12
60x10 / 60x12
60x10 / 80x12
And done. Good day. OP PRs are hard to come by. Let alone a rep pr and a 1 rep in the same session.
Leg extensions in place of leg press today. Last week the single leg leg press kind of got my SI fired up. Leg presses and i dont get along. Regardless of how i try to do them. Plus i needed quad volume and my hams/adductors are feeling pretty beat up. Just went to some isolation work. Should have done them heavier. Kept constant tension the entire time and stopped short of *******.