Shirt work in Springfield with Benchmonster!

[AnimalMass1]

11/30/02:

Shirt Training with Benchmonster, Chris, and Myself.

Benchmonster came down for some good ole shirt training with GeneMachine and AnimalMass.

Chris has put on 20 lbs since the meet and I shrunk the crap out of Hannibal's old double denim that he have Chris.

Benchmonster really helped Chris on his form and setup for the bench, getting him tight like he needs to be, and helping him take several inches off his bench stroke.

Chris benched 275 at the meet one week ago today. Today he almost got 405 with a pause on a 3 board. He blew up 365, and barely missed the 4 plates. Awesome progress!

I am suffering horrible tendonitis in both arms (especially my left arm - it's almost unbearable). So I got me some Capaiscan (sp?) cream, and put it on about 20 minutes before workout, and had an allergic reaction to it. It turned my arms purple and they felt like they were on fire! The joints were nice and warm, but the skin was severally burned, so to say the least, I wasn't going into this workout in the best shape.

Anyway, I worked up to an easy 435 on the 3 board, but had to stop because of the severe pain in my forearms.

I would have liked to have gone up, but the it would have done more harm than good.

Benchmonster got an easy 495, but stopped after popping a seam on his shirt. (Didn't wan't to see what happened to Hannibal happen to him).

Then we did 5 board band press. (Well, I didn't because of the tendonitis). Except I did 135 with doubled light bands and doubled minis for a triple just to show Benchmonster I could.

Then I finished up tris with some Jm presses because they didn't hurt my arms too bad.

We finished with rows, pulldowns, some rotator cuff work, and some curls for my tendonitis.

All in all a good day.

Thanks to Benchmonster for coming down to Springfield to train!

AnimalMass

 

[spatts]

Sounds like a great time! I can really admire those 3 board numbers. I think 3 board is my worst. It's right there at my sticking point...you know, the sticking point I so generously demonstarted with that 60 second static hold on my 3rd bench attempt.

Good work, everybody !!!

Animal...do you have a sports med physician you see in Springfield? I go to one here that used to be the team physician for the NY Giants. He's great with shoulder and elbow problems. Let me know if you want his number.

 

[AnimalMass1]

Actually, Spatts, I am trying to find an ART specialist. I have never been to one, have you?

What do you know about it (ART)?

AnimalMass

 

[benchmonster]

The pleasure was all mine, I assure you. Thanks so much to AnimalMass and Genemachine for having me over to do a workout, and to break up the insanely long car trip I was on.

I did not have the best day, was feeling pretty beat up, won't go into the reason's why here, see the Elite Between the Sheets forum for details, he he.

In my opinion, both Genemachine. and Animalmass are stronger than they have thus far been able to showcase. We probably put 40 lbs or more on Genemachine's bench by improving his form, and setup, and also by getting him into a better shirt. Big thanks to Hannibal for Genemachine's new shirt, it is a big help to him.

I worked up to around 405 raw doing close grip 3 board presses before throwing on a shirt and doing 495 down to a 2 board. I was planning on going heavier than this, and maybe trying one down to the chest, but my seems started popping, and I did not really want to blow a shirt, nor have a quarter ton of weight tattooing my chest, so I said that was enough. Will have to send the shirt back to Karin for some reinforcements on those seems.

Animalmass impressed the Hell out of me by doing the 135 plus doubled lights plus doubled minis. I estimated the band tension to be 75 for the doubled minis and about 175 for the doubled lights the way we had them set up. That makes for 250 lbs of band plus the 135 on the bar for 385 or so which Animal smoked for an easy triple.

Genemachine is also very strong, tho very light in the ass for his height, but they are both very young, and are going to be true monsters if they continue training as they are. Animalmass has a really good home gym setup, and his lovely wife and Genemachine's lovely fiancee were both very nice and friendly to me. Wonderful midwest hospitality.

After our workout I showed off my deadlift prowess by deadlifting the bar we were using for bent rows. Pretty impressive stuff. Genemachine could not believe where the bar ended up at the end of my deadlift. You know, all of us great deadlifters end the lift with the bar above our roots. Good stuff.

Thanks so much to Genemachine and Animalmass for letting me come to train. I would like to get together on a regular basis. We can all learn from one another.

 

[spatts]

Animal, I am going to see my sports doc this Tuesday and planned to ask him for a referral for someone that does ART and/or ROLFing. I will ask him about your area too.

 

[genemachine]

Thanks Benchmonster! I still can't believe how tight I felt once pulled my shoulders further back. You probably took 2 inches off my stroke. I think I had 3 dreams last night about 405. I think this sport is leaking into my blood; can't stop thinking about it. Anyway, thanks again BenchMonster! We got to do combined crew training more often.

For those who are keeping track, I'm 205 today. That's 25 lbs in 8 days (No gear, just Turkey)!

 

[AnimalMass1]

Thanks Benchmonster for the kind words. It's so nice having "guest lifters" in to train with us. You always learn something new.

I will be doing more of those curls for my tendonitis. I really think they will help alot.

Also, as far as GeneMachine is concerned, I can aatest to his eating. This guy put away food this holiday like I've never seen before. Today, at our last Thanksgiving meal, he had a huge plate of turkey and mashed potatoes and biscuits, and then literally put it all in about 4 inches of gravy! He ate every bite and then had about 3 or 4 pieces of pie with ransid whipped topping (it sucked, but we both went ahead and stuck with it for the extra fat and calories) and then he went back for another huge plate of turkey and potatoes and gravy again!

He then proceded to take a huge ass dump in my aunts new bathroom, which pleased her to no end.

AnimalMass

 

[natural-mike]

Animal,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if its tendonitus its most liekly here to stay, I've been to the best in New York, had all the tests done, taken all the medications, in the end it always comes down to rest and ease back.

My only suggestion that works for me. Capsicain and Inzer knee wraps.

If its your forearms, you'll have to have someone wrap them with the knee wraps tight as shit around your area of pain between each set. Its the only way I can train with heavy weights.

Of course my problem is bicep tendonitus, we may have very different problems and pain levels. One thing I can say is, after I train and go home my pain is gone, if you have something lingering for days after, get that shit checkd out pronto. My problem does not worry me too much because when I leave the gym its as if I leave the pain in the gym too.

Good luck, I hope you get over it/.

Mike

 

[AnimalMass1]

Mike,

Have you ever had Active Release Technique or Rolfing done though? I refuse to accept the fact that it is here to stay, as I got this about three years ago bodybuilding, and let it rest and heal, and have hit the weights heavy and hard in powerlifting for almost two years and haven't had any trouble at all until just recently.

I just need some rest, ice, anti-inflammitories, beer, and find a good ART guy.

AnimalMass