Domination Tour

[DOM]

I'm going to start keeping a bench press training journal with this thread. The Springfield Crew and Asylum numbers have helped me out a lot -- hopefully this can help somebody else out -- and help my bench.

Some background info:

19 year old west-sider
5 foot 7 and about 160-165 lbs
Going to college at UW-Madison
No competition experience.

I've been benching on and off for about 4 years, and my most recent run at the weights started in June 2002 -- so I've been lifting for about 4 months straight now. I have just started training squat/deadlift in July and am still very inexperienced. In June I weighed in at 140 lbs and benched 245. By mid august I was up to 160 lbs and a 295 bench.

My best lifts in the gym are
295 Bench <--- This was in mid august. Coincidentally I was also benching this mid august of 2001 before a long break from the weights. Since then I took 295 as a heavy single after speed day last week and blew it away.
295 Squat
Have never maxed on deads, probably around 250.

I'm just going to keep the journal for my bench because
1 -- I love bench pressing
2 -- My other lifts aren't as advanced. My routine is only beginning to take shape.

Goals are a 315 bench when I test max in two weeks, and to get at least one bench competition in before my weight goes above the 165 lb class (I think I could set a state record if I got a shirt). And I really want to break the 2xbodyweight barrier.

 

[DOM]

October 10 ME Bench

Tried a new exercise today, medium grip incline with doubled minis. The incline was low, probably 40 degrees, and the minibands were anchored to dumbells at the floor. At lockout I'm estimating the tension was 120 lbs.


Medium grip incline band press

No previous record
New record of 205. I had a stupid spotter who touched the bar on 225 so I have to count it as a fail. I don't think I would have gotten anyway though.


Strict elbows in barbell extension to forehead

3 x 5 @ 85


Wide grip elbows out bench press (bodybuilder style)

3 x 5 @ 135 with compensatory acceleration.
It's hard to stick your elbows out! It used to be natural and now it takes a lot of conscious effort.


I just started bodybuilder benches today, as a little chest regimen that I'm adding on my ME days. One point I disagree with westside bench theory is that you should 'let the pecs take care of themselves.' I'm also going to use ultra-wides and cambered bar presses for this purpose.

I like the high band tension ME days. I need more bands though so I can keep the percent tension equal on all my warmup sets. For example, warming up with the empty bar and 120 lbs bands when they are 70%, the bar will fly all over the place, but with 205 and 120 bands, when it is only 35% tension, it's relatively stable -- this almost makes it easier as you add more free weight to the bar. Band tension should either increase or stay the same -- but I don't like this effect of it getting easier the more free weight you add.

 

[DOM]

Mon. Oct. 14 DE Bench

Going to include my training partner when he train with me. I'll call him G, he doesn't post here. He just started lifting 2 months ago and his max is 215 done about a month ago. He's a big guy and if he sticks with this he'll have a 300 bench in a few months.

Speed Benches w/ straight weight
Me: 9 x 3 @ 155
G: 9 x 3 @ 115
Very fast for both of us. This was our second week off bands (I started to get tricepetal tendonitis), and we're going back on next week.

G went on to do a heavy single while I did some ten second static holds
Static holds for me: 315, 365, 365 <--- Have no idea if these are helping.
G's heavy single: 155 x 3, 185 x 1, 205 x 1 <--- Got this easily.

Barbell extension to forehead
Me: 3 x 8 @ 85
G: 3 x 10 @ 65

Seated overhead dumbell presses on stability ball
Me: 3 x 8 @ 45s
G: 3 x 10 @ 35s

Face pulls 3 x 10 @ 50

Lat pull downs
Me: 3 x 10 @ 120
G: 3 x 10 @ 100

 

[DOM]

Thurs. October 17 ME Bench

3 inch board press + doubled minis
No previous records
DOM: 255 x 1, 275 x miss
G: 185 x 1, 195 x miss

Bodybuilder Bench with compensatory acceleration
DOM: 3 x 10 @ 145
G: 3 x 10 @ 135

French Press
DOM: 45x8, 65x10, 75x6, 75x7
G: 45x10, 50x8, 50x8

Plate raises
DOM: 3x15
G: 3x10

We didn't have records to break for banded board press so we weren't quite as pumped as usual. I really wanted to get 275, I think 265 would have gone if I'd gone back down to it. I practiced better form trying to stay tight throughout the lift -- worked out pretty well except the bench was really slippery so I couldn't set up very well.

Next week we're test maxing raw on bench.

 

[DOM]

Mon. October 21 DE Bench

Speed Bench w/ straight weight
DOM: 3 x 10 @ 155
G: 3 x 10 @ 115

Ten-second static holds
DOM: 2 sets at 385
G: 2 sets at 275

Close grip incline barbell press (index on smooth)
DOM: 3 x 4 @ 185
G: 3 x 5 @ 145

Lat pull downs
DOM: 3 x 10 @ 130
G: 3 x 10 @ 110

Face pulls
DOM: 3 x 10 @ 60

Good speed today. Almost fucked myself up bigtime on static holds. Went straight from speed sets with 155 rightup to 385, and when I unracked, it started falling forward. Luckily we were keeping really close spots and no harm done.

Still have no idea if static holds are benefitting us. We may discontinue them after this week. I've been adding 10 or 20 lbs a week though, and they finally got difficult and painful this week. I see two possible benefits. 1 -- you don't have to think "holy shit this is heavy" when you unrack the weight while maxing on bench. And 2 -- it's hard to stabilize the weight for ten seconds so it'll help for gaining the control and strength to keep the weight in the right groove. But these are just speculation.

If anybody else has tried static holds, leave a note and say how they worked out.

 

[t3c]

good work dude...i dunno why nobody has replied...pretty messed up

good work

 

[DOM]

good work dude...i dunno why nobody has replied...pretty messed up

good work

Thanks t3c. You're doing great too for being a teen. You know more than most people ever did at your age. You're a little guy just like me -- I weighed about 120 before I started lifting. Just eat big (you should be able to gain about 15-20 lbs a year if you're eating right) and stay in the gym. My number one mistake in the last 4 years was taking breaks. Shit comes up in high school and sometimes you'll lose the will to train -- but you just keep that determination to keep learning and keep lifting, and you'll get stronger. It's that simple.

 

[DOM]

Thurs. Oct. 24 ME Bench

Raw Flat Bench
DOM: 315 x 1 (20 lb PR)
G: 235 x 1 (20 lb PR)

Elbows out extensions
DOM: 3 x 8 @ 40
G: 3 x 10 @ 30

Side dumbell raises
DOM: 3 x 10 @ 35

Overhead dumbell ball press
G: 3 x 10 @ 35

Great day. My first time with 3 plates, and G's first time past 2 plates. I weighed in at 160 so I'm still shy of the double bodyweight bench. G added 20 lbs to his bench in only 5 weeks!

Barbell speed was a little better today -- my max attempt probably took 5-6 seconds. Still longer than I'd like though.

 

[DOM]

Mon. October 28 Speed bench

Speed Bench w/ doubled minis
DOM: 3x3@125, 6x3@115 w/doubled minis
G: 9x3@105 w/choked minis

Elbows out extensions
DOM: 3x9@40s
G: 3x10@30s

Side raises
DOM: 3x10@35s
G: 3x10@20s

Chest supported row
DOM: 3x10@105
G: 3x10@85

Speed sucked today for me -- I've been much faster, but G was fine. Was feeling weak in general today. After speed bench I was going to do close grip bench for triceps -- but failed on what I usually get as a warmup set. So I said fuck it and went to the dumbells. Next week we're going onto chains for speed bench and gonna stick with it fora while.

On a good note, we checked out a new gym today. They have everything there -- all kinds of bars, chains, power racks, dumbells to 130, reverse hyper, glute ham raise, deadlifting platform, all sizes of boards and squatting boxes, and 3 different chest supported rows. They even had weight releasers! My new home. If anybody in WI is looking for a serious powerlifting gym, this is the place. Ford's Gym in Madison. Check it out.

 

[dg21]

Good work DOM. Getting close to 2x bodyweight is awesome. Put on a shirt and you got it easy. So do you think the static hold are helping? Let us know how that goes for you.
That gym you found sounds like a great place indeed. I wish there were more like them out there.