2004 archives (page 3)

I have been coughing and sneezing the whole weekend. It’s not the mother of all flus, more like the uncle of all flus interspersed with the occasional hot or cold spell. Now, Monday morning, I feel marginally better after loads of tea, vitamin C and esoteric herbal remedies. There is a remote chance that I will be able to go for a new bench PR on Wednesday as planned, but I am not getting my hopes up. This sucks as my previous flu was as recent as end of November.

Still not fully recovered. Hopefully I can go for the bench max attempt on Friday, in case of which I will start my next training cycle at the end of week 2.

For what it is worth, the official Westside Barbell Club site has received a face lift. Louie’s articles are now bundled as pdf files. It has never been easier to join the crowd with piles of Westside article printouts under the bed.

Went hunting for my bench sticking point today to see whether it was still where it used to be. Didn’t even have time to don my safari hat and khaki pants before I found my pray at a disappointing 95 kg/210 lbs. Yes, I have been sick, but I still found it disturbing to get stuck at a weight I have easily pushed up in training since early December. The previous set at 90 kg/199 lbs was totally out of groove so perhaps I wasn’t totally with it. No matter. The sticking point is where it used to be, which was confirmed by my next exercise, two board presses, where the bar stalled at the same height with 100 kg/221 lbs (got 95 kg/210 lbs easily).

Being in the gym around midnight is a good opportunity to do fancy setups, so banged out some reps of lying dumbell rows on a bench I raised with a stepup box and some plates. Then barbell curls (darn my biceps are weak) and reverse grip tricep pressdowns. Not a great workout, but at least I am not sick anymore which is great. The video is here (4.7M).

Enough already, let’s get back to the sticking point which we are about to dissect with academic precision. Looking at the comparison to the right (-> this way folks!) we see that not much has happened despite a focus on floor presses, illegal wides and dumbell presses during the last few weeks. I still get stuck quite precisely one third of the way up.

Quite precisely, sir? Yes, my good man. Remember the comparison pictures I took last week of all the pin, board and floor presses with close, medium and “wide” (I currently press with the pinkies at the rings, i.e. fairly narrow) grips? What I did was to scale them to the same size and align them. Using the three pin press as the bottom guide (precisely at chest), approximating the lockout height from the six pin press, and extracting the sticking point from today’s board press and my recent floor press, I got a nice comparative chart showing every exercise in relation to my sticking point. One third it is. Click the chart below to see the full version.

The chart tells me that floor presses, four pin presses and three board presses are right on the money. Combine those with more dumbell work, illegal wides and speed work to raise starting strength and explosivity and things should happen. The lockout is not really a problem at the moment. The good thing about this chart is that I can reuse it if my sticking point changes (I will make sure it does). This way I can always see which exercises hit my sticking point the closest. To state the obvious, I must say that I am pretty proud of this chart. Can’t wait to do the same for the deadlift and squat.

With the sticking point being approximately at the height of the three boards, it is not all that surprising that my max from the three boards equals that of the two boards which more or less equals what I can usually get off the bench (look especially at October 2003…). Go higher than that and I can start to lockout significantly more weight. To the lay person it would seem that the higher you go the more weight you can lock out, but this is not simply true for everybody as bar speed and drive needs to be taken into account.

One Sunday, I was lifting with Dave in London, Ohio and after our dynamic bench presses we moved into lockouts. For the record, Dave’s best bench press is 605 and mine is 575. We moved to high pin lockouts and started with 315. After my set, we moved to 365 and Dave started to psyche himself up. At first I thought he was joking, and laughed at him. He stared back at me, grabbed the bar and proceeded to grind out 3 reps. I think he ended up doing 455 for 2 reps and burst every blood vessel in his face in the process. I moved to doing 500 for two easy sets of 3 reps. So how did he bench 605 and but can barely lockout 450? It has to do with bar speed. Without that component, Dave would have never come close to bench pressing over 600lbs.
Jim Wendler: Beginner Mistakes, Part II

My progress chart also reveals that I have not made all that much progress since I last got academic with my bench at New Year’s Eve. The times are simply gone when I could add 10 kg/22 lbs to my bench every few weeks. I am making some progress in floor presses and such, but I could both physically and mentally really use a period of doing something radically different than going for singles every week. Preliminary, the 4x6 program JM Blakley outlines on his XTM Bench video combined with standard Westside training for the squat/deadlift could be a possibility. Naturally I would still focus on the assistance exercises for my sticking point, but the rep scheme and rotation would be different than what I have been doing for the last half year or so. I’ll have to make up my mind this weekend about what to do. Winds of Change and such.

Skipped Monday’s DE Squat/Deadlift workout due to personal reasons (yes, there are such things). I’ve been thinking a lot about what to do next as far as a bench program goes. Started a thread over at Westsidebar.net presenting my current situation, sticking point and all, and inquiring about Blakley’s program as he presents it on the XTM video (the thread for those of you who read Finnish). Below is a rough outline of the program:

JM Blakley’s 4x6 Bench routine

I. BENCH DAY

Pattern warm-up (mental and physical readiness)
* for example: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2 (nothing too heavy)

Skill and neuromuscular work
* 2-3 sets of singles with near max weight, but light enough to be a sure thing with perfect form (around 85% of raw max)
* For a shirt trainer the same pattern with the shirt (2-3 x 1 @ c. 90% of shirt max); should be done at least every other week

Actual training sets
* bench with pause 4 sets of six starting at the raw 6RM. Stay at this weight until you get six reps on all sets and then raise 5 lbs and start over …and so on ad infinitum

II. ACCESSORY DAY (usually triceps)

Basic warm-up

Training sets
4 sets of six in the same manner as on the Bench day for two exercises (for example, board press 4x6, JM Press 4x6). Exercises are changed when they start to go stale, roughly every 8 to 12 weeks.

COMMENTS

Speed work can be added last on both training days as long as it is light enough not to raise a recovery demand. Closer to a meet or peaking event, the weight can be raised to 4x3 for four to eight weeks. Depending on the weaknesses of the lifter, the Bench day or the Accessory day can be exchanged for a shoulder cycle, an A/C repair cycle or a chest drive cycle. For details on these and examples of a lot of exercises get the video. You won’t regret it!!

Nobody had tried the routine, but it turned into a very helpful thread as far as my bench is concerned. Below are some of the main comments in random order:

• The bench analysis is nice. Do work from just below the sticking point (pin presses, 1-3 board press). Speed off the chest looks good, so cut back on the floor presses, illegal wides and dumbell benches.
• I raised some concern about the high reps used in the 4x6 protocol, which was echoed by the board. Close to aerobics someone said jokingly. Well, it is only one step away from a 5x5 program so we should not debunk it just based on this although it sure is not very typical (JM’s merits as a lifter vouches for this program if nothing else).
• 8 to 12 weeks of the same two accessory movements sounds like much based on the experience of some of the lifters who claim to go stale “already” after 4 to 5 weeks. Perhaps some sort of cycling needs to be done, but again, I think the program should be tested as is before final judgment is passed.
• Possible remedies for the sticking point: do close grip benches and shorts leaving the bar just above the chest. Also consider flaring the elbows out towards the lockout instead of keeping them tucked throughout. This last suggestion made me more confused than anything else since at least the Westside crew seem to/used to advocate keeping them tucked throughout. You do see plenty of elbow flaring on shirt benches, but I was under the impression that raw benchers should tuck for queen and country. Started a thread on the nazbar forum to get another view:
  

  Elbow flaring on raw bench?

  Kris:
  Quick question from a confused novice raw bencher: should one flare the elbows towards the lockout or keep them tightly tucked throughout the press when benching raw? Would the answer vary according to possible weak points? I get stuck about 1/3 of the way up (just below the 3 board mark). I bench with pinkies on the rings.

  BTW, thanks for maintaining such a great forum! Your power is contagious.

  vdizenzo (Vincent Dizenzo):
  I like to press in a straight line over my lower chest/belly, thus keeping my elbows in until lockout. Whereas, one of my training partners starts drifting the bar back and flaring his elbows after the initial pop off the bottom. What I recommend is video taping your lifts and critiquing your own style. My lifts improved greatly from watching them on video. Good luck.

  A good way to test the effect of elbow flaring would be to do some shorts or pin presses with both tucked elbows and elbows wide and compare the results.

• To alleviate sticking points between the chest and the 1/3 mark narrowing the grip it is often recommended. One lifter commented that he had precisely the same problem, but he was helped by doing just the opposite, i.e. widening the grip. Basically a close grip gives better drive off the chest, a wide grip makes it easier to lock out.
• It was suggested that I might want to consider trying some more basic training (such as a Bench program based on Prilepin’s table that several of the lifters have gotten good results from) and forget about the sticking point for now. Bench, bench and bench some more.

Great thread that is still alive. Thanks to Tenu, Force, admin, OP, Tepes and Mane for all the helpful thoughts and suggestions!

After great mental agony I have concluded the following about my bench program. I won’t start to play around with my elbows just yet as I’m still in the process of honing my form in other areas and flaring the elbows would probably just serve to break a functioning package. Instead I will forget about the sticking point (damn right I will) and do the suggested bench program based on Prilepin’s table that the board swears by. Basically, there will always be a sticking point somewhere and I will simply aim at getting 110 kg/243 lbs to stick there in style. My main target is to get my bench within the range defined by the bench guessing competition I arranged by early June. No frills, basic training will hopefully take me there.

I am going to take a break off the fancy board work, pin presses & Co, instead focusing on full-range motion that many raw benchers say are the foundation (shirt benchers get great assistance from the shirt at the bottom, therefore board work etc. targeting more of the lockout phase is most helpful). In another thread at nazbar, Jim Wendler, Mike Miller and others suggested, besides wisening up and buying a shirt, the following assistance exercises for raw benchers:

• Flyes to strengthen the pec delt tie in
• Neutral grip dumbell presses/incline presses
• Bradford Presses
• Chains suspended pushups with feet elevated and an average band around back
• Illegal wide grip bench presses
• Low pin rack lockouts
• Exercises with a close-grip

Next Monday I will test my close grip bench max as I need to input that into the calculations for the Prilepin Bench program. I can then start the program the following week. Will present the program later, perhaps even create a script for it. And Blakley’s program? Still interested, but not now. Naturally, I am interested in hearing about any reader experiences with this program.

Today I did a standard DE Bench day based on my current routine. Not one of my better training sessions.

This was another loooong postaaah, so I am going to lighten up the tune with some great quotations from Blakley’s video:

“I don’t believe in plateaus”

“If you think there are plateaus you’re wrong!”
“The program never fails”
“There is no such thing as waiting too long between sets”

“There is no substitute for progress, folks”

Towards the end of the video there was a close call…

“…he was stuck at a plateau… well, not a plateau… well, he was inching along”

Great video!! Get it now.

Zercher squats off the second pins was today’s max effort squat movement. Watching the first taped set with 60 kg/133 lbs, I noticed that I was not sitting back far enough instead leaning over to pick the weight up (the easy way for me). On the subsequent sets I tried sitting back more with some success, but the shins were still not as nicely vertical as when I did them free standing some weeks ago. Then I had a problem with the upper body dipping forward on ascent; this time I had better hip drive and there was much less forward dipping, but this might be something of an illusion as I started with more forward lean. For more of a challenge, I could consider starting one notch lower next time, which would also allow me to place the bar in front of the knees properly. VIDEO (2.9M)

Worked up to a single at 80 kg/177 lbs and stopped there figuring that 5 kg/11 lbs more on the bar could cause my back to round, a risk I was not quite willing to take yet. Picking stiff-legged deadlifts, a severe back rounder, for my second exercise is not at all paradoxical as there is a huge difference between doing singles and sets of ten. Pyramided up to a set at 90 kg/199 lbs, which reassured me that my back is indeed in quite good shape now. Might not take so long before I start repping with 120 kg/265 lbs again.

But let’s not pretend I am quite 100% healed yet. I still get a cold sensation at the location of the injury when training, which could be indicative of scar tissue. Am thinking about seeing a sports massage therapist or something next week.

New month, new adventures. For the first time since my first wavering steps into the world of powerlifting last May, I slid my hands in close - index fingers at smooth - to find out if my close grip max is indeed in the neighborhood of my 1RM bench. After last week’s less than stellar performance on the bench, I did indeed punch up 97.5 kg/215 lbs to lockout after a near failure at 100 kg/221 lbs (first time this trick ever worked!). Reattempted 100 kg/221 lbs some five minutes later, but by now the fatigue made that attempt an embarrassment for all. This means that I will embark on the new six-week benching program with the same max weight for the wide and close-grip benches. Weirdness does happen.

The several heavy attempts made this an awfully slow workout. As you can see and hear on the video clip (2.9M) there was quite a gathering at the gym around 7pm. I usually train around 3pm when the air is fresh and the music pristine. Quickly did some rows and an incline hammer curl/incline tate press superset and hit the shower content. Let this be the last time my max bench, with any grip, fails below 100 kg/221 lbs! So there.

The stiff-legged deadlifts I did on Friday hit my poor hamstrings with a vengeance. During the weekend they were so sore that I could not even fully extend my left knee joint. If it wouldn’t have been for the light posterior chain massage Sanna gave me, I probably would not have stopped limping by Monday as I did now. This is what happens when you get a back injury, take three months off the movement, and then go for sets of ten…

As speed squatting was ruled out by a nasty lingering soreness, the only sensible option was to hit only the abs, calves and grip. I think I am going to hit the stiffs next week as well. Hamboys, you better be prepared this time around!

By the way, I received Brent Mikesell’s Hardcore Powerlifting Video yesterday, which turned out to be a very enjoyable video. I have now amassed a small pile of powerlifting videos plus some books (most recently Ryan Kennelly’s The Kennelly Method) that keep reminding me that I should review them in order to give my Squatting Secrets review some much anticipated company. So don’t think I’ve forgotten. Just busy. The patient ones among you will be rewarded. Eventually.

Da bench program based on da Prilepin’s table begins. I’m quite busy at the moment, but will write a script for it either of these days and also need to update the training routine page. Meanwhile, you will need to be content with this tiny look into the routine and a video clip of the JM Press (2.3M). I took this snippet so that I could see how well it stacks up to JM Blakley’s form as shown on his XTM video. Haven’t reviewed it yet, but even with this form the movement hits my lower triceps like no other.

But back to the bench. Today called for three sets of two reps at 89% of my max, i.e. 3x2 @ 87 kg. A good opportunity to grab the tiny 0.5 kg/1.1 lbs plates! I locate three of them in the gym, then it turned out that there were some more lying around in a box in the storage room along with a bunch of 0.25 kg/0.6 lbs and 1.25 kg/2.8 lbs plates. Having done mostly singles, I had no idea whether doing doubles with 89% would be easy or too hard. Turned out to be the perfect balance; got all the three sets without too much trouble. I got really tight and lowered the bar pretty slowly on all reps, which gave me a real sense of control. Benching twice a week will probably do wonders for my technique!

If I remember, I will take a clip of the Bradford presses next time. Today was the first time I tried this movement, that at least Jim Wendler swears is one of the best movements for building a big raw bench. The barbell is pressed from the chest just slightly over the head to behind the head and then back again (this is one rep). Effectively takes much of the triceps out of the movement and puts all the stress on the shoulders. Also trains lateral movement of the shoulders in an original way. On the downside, Bradfords are a good way to take your own scalp as the bar has a tendency to travel closer and closer to your head as you get tired. This warning says it all…

you must do these carefully, it can damage your
head.

After the workout it was time to replenish my protein and maltodextrin supplies as my 1 kg/4.9 lbs box of Eiselt’s Fastway was alarmingly empty (oh dear, panic strikes!!). Bought a 1.5 kg/3.3 lbs box of Eiselt’s Protec. The bigger proportion of casein in the latter made the vanilla flavor pretty thick. After a few sips I was already beginning to long for the good old strawberry Fastway. If I can’t take it, I guess I will just have to buy another box of Fastway and mix them 50-50… of course I can take it, but you know how nice a good tasting postworkout shake is… Mental note to self, next time use a pair of scissors when opening the bag…

Should also mention that I seem to be coming down with another flu. Am raising the standard defenses, but we will have to see if they are enough.

Finally put together a script for the bench program I began on Friday.

The flu broke out. I think I will still be able to continue training as normal unless it gets worse.

Blogs are usually about spilling your soul beans out in public. Catharsis and all that stuff. In that respect this blog is not worthy, and should probably be retired. Not that this will save it, but let me tell you that I have never trained in a tank top at a public gym before out of fear that someone will think that I’m trying to show off goods I don’t have. Let me further brief you on the fact that my social consciousness would probably have rebelled big time if I had tried taking clips a few years ago. I mean, it is kind of embarrassing filming a 130 kg/287 lbs deadlift when the guy next to you is repping with weights above 200 kg/440 lbs. If I can handle that, I can surely also train in one of the MuscleTees Sanna’s aunt graciously sent me for Christmas from the States without even having met me. I must be getting old, or then I’m just getting used to being in the spotlight whether lecturing, exposing myself on a public web site or pulling small weights in a tank top in front of a camera besides the next Ed Coan. I guess that must be why I didn’t flinch today when one guy at the gym asked, only half-jokingly, whether I am filming the next Dorian Yates training video. Go figure.

Or perhaps it all boils down to different attitudes towards clip taking. I suspect powerlifters in general understand clips in terms of technique feedback and camaraderie, while bodybuilders will naturally look at what muscle happened to land on the dude standing in front of the camera. If there is none, it is kind of embarrassing to them even if the weights are on the heavier side (real heavy and even a rhino will take notice). Guess this proves that I have succeeded in becoming a powerlifter at heart; not too hard a transformation when you have uncut arms and a stomach protecting your six-packs. Perhaps I should shave my head and get a tattoo. Perhaps not.

Now back to the regular program. Played around with some heavy deadlifting for the first time since my back injury. Tried pulling without bending the legs as much as I normally do, which turned out to look darn ugly on the video (4.1M). Went up to 130 kg/287 lbs, the same weight I had pulled back in June after one month of powerlifting training (in November I pulled 145 kg/320 lbs). I freely admit fearing that this lift might cause me to tear my ligament again, but since I have been able to do Zercher squats fairly comfortably I decided to give it a go and let it drop if things started feeling bad. Not wanting to risk an explosive start, I pulled it off the ground quite slowly as a feeler with the result that it slowed down severely at the knee. That felt dangerous enough and I was thinking I am pretty stupid still holding on to it. Pulled it all the way and felt grateful I still had my back intact. Basically, I fear that I have some scar tissue at the injury site which could cause the ligament to tear quite easily (in this regard Sanna’s massage did wonders - for the first time, the injury spot did not feel cold during the workout!). Did some easy ham work after that and finished off with standing lat pulley ab crunches.

After the workout I concluded that maxing out on singles fearing that the back will snap is neither nice nor very clever. Zercher squats are one thing, deadlifts quite another. I decided that the best thing to do is give it some more time and play it safe. As Westside has me pushing the envelope every workout, I am going to drop that for a while instead doing a 12 or 16 week moderate percentage based program. Ideally, it would have both a squat and a deadlift day, which would give me an opportunity for honing my vulgar form. Assistance work could be quite heavy for both the hams/erectors (heavy pull-throughs I can handle) and the abs. After three or four months of this I should be ready to go and in the meantime I would probably make some decent gains without putting my back health on the line. I figure I have another good twenty years in me for improving my squat and deadlift, and I don’t want to become a bench expert (I am already feeling like one). If this isn’t good sense I don’t know what is.