Bombed for the first time!

[powerlifterjay]

Out of 20 to 25 meets this weekend was my first bomb. But i guess it wasnt a bad bomb. Before i go into detail i have to say i learned more bombing to day then any other bench meet i have been too. #1 If a shirt is almost too tight at 235 to 240 its gonna be tighter at 250. #2 Staying in your groove is really harder then just getting the weight down. Meaning when i was benching mid 500's i could let the bar flop a little forward on my upper abs instead of lower chest, ya know really a inch or 2 out of groove, But on the press comand i could recover my groove line. Today i opend with 600lbs. And every thing felt light as hell. But teh first attempt would not go down but i was determined to get my opener. So i let hover for almost 8 seconds (got film) before i decided to let it go a little forward (out of MY groove) and land lower, basically i dumped it on my stomach. Mistake. Oh well on my second i should have gone 615 or 620 but decided my shirt probably stretched enough to repeat. This time it was going to stay in my groove (the tight one). No go, 10 seconds on the decend. Would not touch at all. So instead of wasting my energy i aborted there. Last attempt my handlers said i need to go 635 in my shirt but i was determined to use a new shirt i got that has never been used before. So attempt 3 was 635lbs less time wise to come down but the last 3 inches wopuld not budge. BUT i shot it to lockout like it was 315lbs. So it felt good just too tight. My last in gym bench was 660lbs in that shirt and got easily but left it about 2 to 3 inches above my chest. Lesson learned. At the Nationals last Aug my opening shirt was tight as hell. I weighed 235lbs missed pener and 2nd, got 3 rd and ended up with 585lbs. Then at the WPO BBfor cash i weighed in at 220 lifted at high 230;s. Here i weighed in at 242lbs 24hr later lifted at 252lbs. So the shirt is NOT the same. I should have opend heavier. or went up 20lbs on my second. But the most valuable lesson was to stay in my groove only , dont lower my groove or just let it land low to get it down, like i did on my 1st attempt. Just stay in the ONE and ONLY groove of the shirt. The heavier the weight the less room for error. Next meet March 2 will have new game plan to go by. I feel bad, but without this bomb i would have not realized i was developing some bad habits that needed to be fixed. So good day and bad!

 

[Adam MacKinnon]

Dont worry Jay, almost everyone bombs once and they all say it was a good learning experiance. I almost bombed at my meet in Dec and it was only my second one. I learned alot from my mistakes there. Just wait for your next meet and hit it big!

 

[Screwball]

Cake weight...

Jay,

That weight is cake for you. I think your shirt(s) are holding you back. Hell man, you're strong enough to push the weight. In a shirt that is a little less restrictive or perhaps if your bodyweight is a little lighter (10 lbs. or so) you'll hit your numbers no problem. I suspect that we have another 700 lb. bencher in the making. Awsome numbers and I appreciate how honestly you report to the forum. Good luck with your March 2 meet.

- Screwball

 

[powerlifterjay]

Hey guys thanks for the words. Ya know Screwball i have been deciding on a size for a new shirt. It seems i am never satisfied with any of them. I actually have 2 more that are a little smaller. I think what i need is to strengthen my tri's more. Since my next meet is March 2 or mar 16th i will shirt up every other week till the last 2 or so. I am going to get used to the tightness. Its funny my wife said on the way home today i am not ready for my tightest one. Its a 675 plus shirt. And she's right. So we'll just get back to work and get ready for the next round! I am going to take my bodyweight up to 260 till late feb then drop to 242 again. And will proabaly throw in a looser shirt to open with. That will be a shirt for every attempt. Ya see complication is what i like to avoid. But it seems impossiable at this point. Any ideas?

 

[k1401]

Great job anyway! Learing something of value is better than kicking yourself in the ass for bombing.
I'd like to thank you for all of your informative posts, and this one is as good as the rest!

Thanks

 

[SouthPawSE]

That's why you can bench almost 700 Bubba, It's all about attitude and perception. Learning from mistakes not letting them kick you is the key to success. Sorry I missed your meet Bro, got the "flu". Hopefully I'll see ya one day this wk, need some training advice. Later Bro.

 

[brianmincher]

Condolences on the bomb, but congrats on the learning experience. If you see someone in your rearview mirror, that is me chasing your numbers.

B.

 

[Cubanito17]

Hey bro u mighta bombed and I'm sure that's not cool, but think of it the same way you've told me get back in the gym and train harder. If you think it's your tri's do one or two more reps to improve them. And shit if I was up to a 600lb open with or without a shirt I'd be throwing a party just for that. I'm sure by the end of this year you'll be posting.

New 700lb bencher. So keep it up, way to go. I'm stil lookin into that march meet up in st pete. Dunno if I can make it b/c of my meets down here I sure wouldn't want to overload.

 

[Screwball]

Constructive Input...

Jay,

I'd like to throw a few things at you. Hopefully, you'll pull something positive out of this brainstorm.

- I think having mutiple shirts is a good thing. The important thing is to be familiar with each and what each shirt will and will not allow you to do. The most important thing, as you stated in your previous post, is to maximize your shirt but not at the expense of your technique. You must hit your personal groove because that is where you are the strongest and most comfortable. P.R.'s are inevitable. A shirt that does not allow you to touch your chest is useless until strength levels (i.e. bar weight) complement the shirt.

- Perhaps you can tailor your body to specific shirts. A lot of effort and thought goes into the process of ordering the perfect shirt. I think it is important to order a shirt as close to perfect as possible and sometimes adjustments are necessary. This is all well and good but 5-10 lbs of bodyweight (too heavy or too light) and the corresponding body dimension changes can be the difference in a shirt performing at its' optimal level. It can be the difference between a P.R. and a failed attempt.

- I think that raw training is the best way to build strength. However, it is also necessary to train with equipment to optimize it's performance. Practice makes perfect perfromance. As you stated in your previous post, I think more prep time in your shirt can only help you on the platform.

- I think it is a good idea to push your body weight up. Your ability to gain strength will increase and with your knowledge and experience at controlling your weight you can maintain those strength levels when you decide to bring your bodyweight back down for competition.

- I think at your rate of progression you may eventually do the most damage at 275. I don't know if you have ever given any serious thought to moving up in weight class but I think you are destined to maximize your strength and total at 275. In the mean time keep kicking ass at 242.

- Complication is a relative thing. Use training to plan and familiarize yourself with every possible situation, equipment, preparation, etc... and you can minimize the unexpected.

Anyway, a lot of this has been said before and much of it is common sense for the experienced lifter, but sometimes rehashing things can spark new thoughts. You certainly know more than most and your accomplishments speak volumes about your dedication, knowledge and hard work. Somehow, I think that 700+ may fall sooner than even you think. Train smart, train hard and never convince yourself that you can't reach your goals.

- Screwball

 

[Screwball]

One more thing...

Jay,

I think Brian Mincher said it first but I think we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. This small set-back may allow you to take your future competitions to another level. Good luck!

- Screwball