Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - Bench Press

Bench Press
45x12, 95x5, 135x5, 145x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x6 (PR - 225x6 = 261 1RM)

Floor Press - Total of 53 reps
185x10, 185x10, 185x8, 185x6, 18x6, 185x4, 185x5, 185x4

Dumbbell Rows
95x10, 95x10, 95x10, 95x10, 95x10, 95x10

Below is a great article written by Josh Bryant and found at www.elitefts.com. I copied it here so I can have the information to incorporate the Dead Bench into my 5/3/1 program as an accessory lift on bench days.

The World at Large

The Dead Bench
By Josh Bryant

If your goal is to develop overwhelming starting strength in the bench press, can you simply pause the bar for one second on your chest and circumvent the whole stretch shortening cycle? The answer to this question is both yes and no. A recent study by the Physical Education Department at the Josef Pilduski University in Warsaw, Poland, in conjunction with the Biomechanics Department at Somelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, found that a one second pause at the bottom of the bench press movement causes a 55 percent disruption of the benefits derived from stretch-shortening during the bench press. That means that 45 percent of the stored elastic energy is still present after a one second pause. Pausing will help develop starting strength, but it still does not completely bypass the benefits of the stretch reflex. How is this paradox remedied?

I would like to introduce you to a GREAT exercise for developing starting strength. The exercise I’m referring to is something that I call the “dead bench,” and it’s a great way to make your bench gains come alive! The dead bench has helped me improve my explosive power during that crucial initial period of clearing the bar off my chest. The lift is performed by pressing dead weight off your chest (as shown in the video below). There’s no eccentric motion to store elastic energy, which is why the dead bench is a superior exercise for building blasting power in the initial phase.

The dead bench should be performed for single repetitions only, because, as the study indicates, even after a pause in the bench press motion, almost half of the stored elastic energy remains. For higher volume, lower intensity training, rather than pumping out rep after rep, you can use multiple singles followed by shorter rest intervals.

Proper progression is where most strength programs fail. One can know the science of training front to back, but if you do not understand the art of progression, you’ll be lost in a sea of missed gains. Some variables to increase intensity in the dead bench are: shortening rest intervals, adding more singles with the same weight, and adding more weight. Focusing only on increasing bar weight is a good prescription for running yourself into the ground of failed progress. However, you can consider lengthening the rest intervals and decreasing the number of singles as the weight increases. An example of this would be starting out with eight singles with a one-minute rest in between lifts, and by week six, performing four singles with three-minute rest. Obviously, the weight would increase each week during this hypothetical cycle (excluding deload weeks).

If your starting strength in the bench press is what’s holding your numbers down, then give this exercise a try. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Now start blasting!

Some points to remember
Start the weight at chest level, but no more than two inches off the chest
To maximally develop starting strength and rate of force development push the bar as hard and fast as possible
In regard to hand placement, use your raw competition bench press grip for the greatest carry over
Foot placement is the same as a normal bench press
Use singles not reps

Here is a video of Jeff Lofton working up to a 435 Dead Bench.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - Active Rest Day

Spud Inc. Yoke Work
26x15, 26x15, 26x15, 26x15, 26x15

Ab Wheel Rollouts
15, 15, 15, 15, 15

Monday, September 27, 2010 - Deadlifts

Deadlift
135x5, 155x5, 155x5, 195x5, 235x5, 285x5, 325x5, 365x10 (PR - 365x10 = 487 1RM)

Romanian Deadlifts
245x10, 245x10, 245x10, 245x10, 245x10

Good Mornings
185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10

Sunday, September 26, 2010 - Overhead Press

Overhead Press
45x12, 65x5, 80x5, 95x3, 125x3, 125x3, 140x9 (PR - 140x9 = 180 1RM)

Dips - Total of 71
12, 7, 5, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 8 (rested talking to someone), 4, 3, 3, 3, 4

Lat Pull Downs
110x12, 110x12, 110x12, 110x12, 110x12, 110x12

Jim Wendler the man behind 5/3/1 and John Sheaffer (aka. Johnny Pain) from Greyskull Barbell.

Friday, September 24, 2010 - Squats

Squat
135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 225x3, 265x3, 295x3, 330x10 (PR - 330x10 = 440 1RM)

Wide Stance Box Squat - 2" Above Parallel
225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x10

Hamstring Curls
110x10, 110x10, 110x10, 110x10, 110x10

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - Bench Press

Bench Press
45x5, 95x5, 125x5, 145x3, 165x3, 190x3, 215x7 (PR - 215x7 = 258 1RM)

Floor Press - Added 1 set of 1/2" chain.
135+ x 12, 135+ x 12, 135+ x 12, 135+ x 12, 135+ x 12, 135+ x 12

Supine Ring Pullups
12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Monday, September 20, 2010 - Deadlifts

Deadlift - Added Monster Mini Bands. I figure about 60 pounds on the top.
135+ x5, 155+ x5, 190+ x5, 230+ x3, 270+ x3, 305+ x3, 345+ x4 (PR 345+bands = +/- 442 1RM)

Romanian Deadlift
235x10, 235x10, 235x10, 235x10, 235x10


Good Mornings - Safety Squat Bar
165x10, 165x10, 165x10, 165x10, 165x10

Saturday, September 18, 2010 - Overhead Press

Overhead Press - False Grip
45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 105x5, 125x5, 135x9 (PR - 135x9 = 174 1RM)

Ring Dips
Double Micro Mini Band - 10, 10, 10, Single Micro Mini Band - 8, 8, 6

Spud Inc. Yoke Work
35x10, 35x10, 35x10, 35x10, 35x10

Friday, September 17, 2010 - Squats

Squat
45x5, 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 225x5, 245x5, 275x5, 315x10 (PR - 315x10 = 420 1RM)

Manta Ray Squats
185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10

Wide Stance Box Squats - Below Parallel
185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10

Thursday, September 16, 2010 - Active Rest Day

Straight Bar Curl
45x10, 45x10, 55x10, 55x10, 65x10, 65x10

Sled Drag Sprints - 25# + Greta - 8 x 1 acre laps

Spud Inc. Yoke Work
35x10, 35x10, 35x10, 35x10, 35x10

Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - Bench Press

Bench Press
45x5, 95x5, 120x5, 145x5, 155x5, 185x5, 205x8

Incline Barbell Bench Press
135x10, 135x10, 135x10, 135x10, 135x10

Dumbbell Rows
80x10, 80x10, 80x10, 80x10, 80x10

Monday, September 13, 2010 - Deadlifts

Deadlift - Used 1 strand of 1/2" chain up to 285.
135+ x5, 155+ x5, 190+ x5, 230+ x5, 250+ x5, 285+ x5, 325 x 13 (PR - 325x13 = 488 1RM)

Romanian Deadlift
225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x10, 225x10

Good Mornings - Safety Squat Bar
160x10, 160x10, 160x10, 160x10, 160x10

Spud Inc. Yoke Work
35x10, 35x10, 35x10, 35x10, 35x10

Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - Deadlift Day

Just took an easy day with the new deadlift routine. I liked it a lot. The RDLs and the Good Mornings are a good accessory.

Deadlift
135x5 HG, 155x5 HG, 190x5, 230x5, 250x5, 285x5, 325x5

Romanian Deadlift
185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10

Good Mornings
135x10, 135x10, 135x10, 135x10, 135x10

Tuesday, September 07, 2010 - Accessory Work

I just spent the night at the Aurora and did a little "fun" accessory work.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
65sx10, 65sx10, 65sx10, 65sx10, 65sx10

Towel Tri Pull Down
40x10, 40x10, 40x10, 40x10, 40x10

Preacher Curls (machine thing)
80x10, 80x10, 80x10, 80x10, 80x10

Monday, September 06, 2010 - Korte - 5/3/1/ BS

I had a decent day at the gym. Was tired and wiped out but made it in there anyway. New found goals in mind I just need to figure out how best to meet them. I thought I would come up with some hybrid Korte 3x3/Wendler 5/3/1 program. What I need to remind myself is that those fine gentleman are a hell of a lot smarter than I am at programming. I am going to leave it at that and not mess with programs anymore. I am going to finish out the week and then starting Monday 09/13 will start a strict 5/3/1 progam.

I of course messed with the program tonight and against my own better judgement I decided to go for a 1RM on Deadlifts. I was tired and knew it going into it but was optimistic. I pulled 405 VERY easily so I went for 435. I got it off the floor easily but stalled out around my knees.

Squat
45x5 OHS, 95x5 OHS, 135x5 OHS, 155x5, 190x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5

Bench Press
45x5 CG, 95x5 CG, 135x5 CG, 145x5 CG, 155x5 CG, 185x5, 205x5

Deadlift
135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x5, 365x1, 405x1, 435 x F

Sunday, September 05, 2010 - Scheduled Rest Day

Scheduled rest day today.

Arching your back in the squat. Here are a couple of questions that Marc answered on Elite FTS regarding squatting and maintaining an arch.

I'm having a tough time keeping my upper back tight with bigger weights when squatting. Do you have any exercise suggestions that might help remedy this issue?

Make sure you have your thumbs around the bar, and pull them in some if you can. If they’re lying on top, you can’t lock in the upper back as tightly. This will squeeze your shoulder blades tighter, and give you more to hold together.

On the big weights, you have to pick the bar up with the hips. If you trap it out, you never get the upper back set to begin with, and when you pick it up, there isn’t much you can do to tighten up or pull your shoulder blades tighter.

As you descend with the bar, arch even more so the bar stays in perfect sync with the hips. The more it stays with the hip, and the harder you arch, the more tension you generate, and the more power you’ll get out of your squat.

When I box squat below parallel, I can keep the arch in my lower back. I feel that this is because my lower back is weak. Should I focus on strengthening it? Should I lighten the weight and just work on my arch as I progressively work lower from parallel on a box? Or is this a technique issue, and would altering my stance help keep me in an arched position?

This sounds more like both flexibility and the inability to hold your arch below parallel.

I always arch harder and harder as I get to parallel and below. This keeps the bar closer to the hip and makes the squat easier.

On the second part, if you duck your feet out too much on your stance, this will make arching harder. The straighter you are, the more you can usually arch.


Here are a couple of videos of Marc "Spud" Bartley talking about arching your back while squatting and doing some box squats with 955.

Saturday, September 04, 2010 - Training Day

Overhead Press
45x5, 65x5, 80x5, 95x5, 100x5, 120x5, 135x8

Chinups (little jump) x 40

Rope Pull Over 5x8 w/75

Video by Mark Rippetoe teaching the Bench Press.

Friday, September 03, 2010 - Training Day

I felt a little better going into the gym today. I have REALLY been struggling with squats though. I can't find my groove at all and I am just weak, struggling with the 325. I feel a lot stronger in deadlifts though so I guess that is a trade off although an unfortunate one.

Squat
135x5, 155x5, 190x5, 220x5, 285x5, 325x6

Bench Press
45x5, 95x5, 120x5, 145x5, 155x5, 180x5, 205x8

Deadlift
155x5, 190x5, 230x5, 250x5, 285x5, 325x12 (PR - 325x12 = 468 1RM Max)

Thursday, September 02, 2010 - Scheduled Rest Day

Scheduled Rest Day. Got some pretty good rest today.

Here are some cool compilation videos from John Sheaffer (aka. Johnny Pain) from Greyskull Barbell.

Compilation 4/10 Part 2 from john sheaffer on Vimeo.

Training Compilation 6/10 from john sheaffer on Vimeo.

Compilation 6/10 Part 1 from john sheaffer on Vimeo.

Compilation 4/10 from john sheaffer on Vimeo.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - Korte 3x3 + 5/3/1 + Smolov

I am no expert but I think I know what my body responds to pretty well. Maybe I am just all screwed up. Who knows. I have modified a program based on principals from Korte 3x3, Wendler's 5/3/1, and actually a little Smolov. I am going to run several cycles of this and see how it works. I will also type more as I get it all clear in my head.

Squat
135x5, 155x5, 190x5, 220x5, 285x5, 325x5

Bench Press
45x5, 95x5, 120x5, 145x5, 155x5, 180x5, 205x8

Deadlift
155x5, 190x5, 230x5, 250x5, 285x5, 325x12 (325x11 = 450 1RM Max)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - Scheduled Rest Day

Scheduled rest day and ended up going to bed early. Still feeling this crud.