I Benched 107.5 kg in Competition 3-16-08

[ripitupbaby]

I am setting out to bench 225 with a shirt in a competition in February 2008, and I am looking for some feedback on my training and help with my form.

A few general tidbits about me:
---Last bench competition I did was February 2007, and I weighed in at 137.  I didn't pay attention to the weigh-ins, as I didn't think weight would matter, so I hate a big breakfast, kept my sweats on, and kept my shoes on when I weighed in.  I was probably more like 133 if I had tried to weigh less.  I benched 180 RAW with relative ease on my second lift, and I failed at 190 on my last lift.  After all the weight conversions, etc., I ended up losing by 0.75 pounds to a woman who benched with a shirt.

---I have NEVER used a bench shirt before, and I want to use one this year for sure.  I have no idea how to use one, how to train with one, and I don't even know which one I would get.  I have talked with Hedge about it a little, and I will be looking for suggestions when the time comes.  I plan on ordering a shirt within the next couple of months.

---I am a Bodybuilder first, and I have always trained for BB.  I have never tried to train for powerlifting before.  This kind of training is completely new to me, and it is very different than what I am used to.  I usually lift 5 days a week and do different things every day, hitting pretty much everything at least once throughout the week.

---I am pretty clueless on form and technique right now and need alot of help in that department.  The 180 I pressed was with a flat back and a relatively narrow grip.  I would like to learn how to bench properly this year, and also with a shirt.

---I weigh somewhere around 130 right now and plan on staying under 135 for this meet if possible.

---I'm slightly concerned about maintaining my physique for BB, but I am not competing until later next year (Sept 2008), so I have decided to go for it and train for this bench meet in February, and try to get at least 225 with a shirt.  I am a little worried about making sure I get adequate shoulder, back, and arm training in along with my bench training.  I do not have to diet prior to the meet in February, and I will have time afterwards to focus my training on any weak points, if I develop any.

I will post my training plan separately.

 

[danielson]

How much does first place pay?

[ripitupbaby]

I have gotten some help setting up a training program from Hedgehog (THANKS!) and this is where I am at right now based on his advice...still trying to refine everything.  I would like to start in the next couple of weeks, but I am lifting alone till mid-October.

SO I won't be really into it until then, but I am taking the time now to refine the training and get the basics under my belt.

I have been slacking a bit this summer, taking some down time after my last BB competition...and I am still a bit "off" in terms of my numbers right now.  So for the purposes of starting off this training program, I am going under the assumption that my ONE REP MAX right now is about 160 pounds.

I am going to lift FOUR DAYS a week in the evenings.  This is a reduction for me.  
I also plan on doing 30 minutes of light cardio in the morning, 3-4 times a week.

Day 1 - Back/Bis (6 sets max for bis)
Day 2 (Tuesday or Weds) - Chest Workout #1
Day 3 - Legs
Day 4 (Friday or Sat) - Chest workout #2

I've incorporated a LITTLE bit of shoulder and tricep work into my chest training, but not much.

I will post the workouts as I have them now.  I am interested in any relevant feedback.

WEEK 1 HEAVY (140 pounds for starters)

Workout #1 - 3 sets x 5 bench heavy, 2 sets x 3 negatives (10-20 pounds over 1RM), 3 sets x 6 incline dumbell press

Workout #2 - 3 sets x5 board presses heavy, 3 sets x 5 close grip bench press, 3 sets x 6 tricep rope pulldowns


WEEK 2 LIGHT (120 pounds for starters)

Workout #1 - 4-5 sets x 5 light bench press, 3 sets lateral raises, 3 sets rear delts with dumbells

Workout #2 - 3 sets x5 board presses heavy, 3 sets x 5 close grip bench press, 3 sets x 6 tricep rope pulldowns


WEEK 3 MODERATE (130 pounds for starters)

Workout #1 - 4-5 sets x 5 moderate bench press, 3 sets lateral raises, 3 sets rear delts with dumbells

Workout #2 - 3 sets x5 board presses heavy, 3 sets x 5 close grip bench press, 3 sets x 6 tricep rope pulldowns



---How does this look?  Anything missing?  
---Too much of anything?  Too little?
---Enough shoulder work in there?  That is one of my concerns, but I understand the importance of not overtraining with this program.

[ripitupbaby]

How much does first place pay?

As usual, I am doing this for the love of the sport, not for money!   

[danielson]

As usual, I am doing this for the love of the sport, not for money!   

My suggestion is don't put on too much weight. Also I think you should concentrate more on your figure career as opposed to BBing and benchpressing, you made one hell of a figure competitor!

[ripitupbaby]

My suggestion is don't put on too much weight. Also I think you should concentrate more on your figure career as opposed to BBing and benchpressing, you made one hell of a figure competitor!

hahahaha thank you, but I just won the LWs at Junior Nationals, so I think that I make a pretty good bodybuilder.

And pound for pound, I think that I would make a damn good powerlifter too.   

[danielson]

hahahaha thank you, but I just won the LWs at Junior Nationals, so I think that I make a pretty good bodybuilder.

And pound for pound, I think that I would make a damn good powerlifter too.   

But how do you think you would have fared doing figure?

[The Squadfather]

i just hit 23 reps today with 225 as my back off set.

[ripitupbaby]

But how do you think you would have fared doing figure?

I did not place at all in 2006 at Figure Nationals.  I was one face out of 200+ girls that all look similar, and I wasn't even noticed.

Let's talk about powerlifting now.   

[danielson]

I did not place at all in 2006 at Figure Nationals.  I was one face out of 200+ girls that all look similar, and I wasn't even noticed.

Let's talk about powerlifting now.   

You looked good though Powerlifting is boring. The weight goes down and the weight goes up. I don't see the allure. The owner of my gym benched 405 for 12 the other day and other than his spotter and me I don't think anyone really noticed. I think you should just keep your focus on being a hot piece of ass

[The Squadfather]

You looked good though Powerlifting is boring. The weight goes down and the weight goes up. I don't see the allure. The owner of my gym benched 405 for 12 the other day and other than his spotter and me I don't think anyone really noticed. I think you should just keep your focus on being a hot piece of ass

holy shit 405 for 12? did you see this?

[danielson]

holy shit 405 for 12? did you see this?

Yeah, he told me right after that he was going light cuz he was recovering from a sore shoulder The guy is a beast for sure, the biggest 'roid dealer in my area and always on, about 6'2" 280ish. I was still pretty impressed though.

[BFP]

I have gotten some help setting up a training program from Hedgehog (THANKS!) and this is where I am at right now based on his advice...still trying to refine everything.  I would like to start in the next couple of weeks, but I am lifting alone till mid-October.

SO I won't be really into it until then, but I am taking the time now to refine the training and get the basics under my belt.

I have been slacking a bit this summer, taking some down time after my last BB competition...and I am still a bit "off" in terms of my numbers right now.  So for the purposes of starting off this training program, I am going under the assumption that my ONE REP MAX right now is about 160 pounds.

I am going to lift FOUR DAYS a week in the evenings.  This is a reduction for me.  
I also plan on doing 30 minutes of light cardio in the morning, 3-4 times a week.

Day 1 - Back/Bis (6 sets max for bis)
Day 2 (Tuesday or Weds) - Chest Workout #1
Day 3 - Legs
Day 4 (Friday or Sat) - Chest workout #2

I've incorporated a LITTLE bit of shoulder and tricep work into my chest training, but not much.

I will post the workouts as I have them now.  I am interested in any relevant feedback.

WEEK 1 HEAVY (140 pounds for starters)

Workout #1 - 3 sets x 5 bench heavy, 2 sets x 3 negatives (10-20 pounds over 1RM), 3 sets x 6 incline dumbell press

Workout #2 - 3 sets x5 board presses heavy, 3 sets x 5 close grip bench press, 3 sets x 6 tricep rope pulldowns


WEEK 2 LIGHT (120 pounds for starters)

Workout #1 - 4-5 sets x 5 light bench press, 3 sets lateral raises, 3 sets rear delts with dumbells

Workout #2 - 3 sets x5 board presses heavy, 3 sets x 5 close grip bench press, 3 sets x 6 tricep rope pulldowns


WEEK 3 MODERATE (130 pounds for starters)

Workout #1 - 4-5 sets x 5 moderate bench press, 3 sets lateral raises, 3 sets rear delts with dumbells

Workout #2 - 3 sets x5 board presses heavy, 3 sets x 5 close grip bench press, 3 sets x 6 tricep rope pulldowns



---How does this look?  Anything missing?  
---Too much of anything?  Too little?
---Enough shoulder work in there?  That is one of my concerns, but I understand the importance of not overtraining with this program.

When is the meet? The benching should occur on Tuesday/Saturday.  How tall are you?  Depending on height, your board presses will have to be adjusted.  Drop the negatives completely.  Do rack lockouts or Tate presses instead.  IMHO, you should only do 1 pressing exercise per day, no need for the inclines after the benching in week 1, etc.  Train everything with a grip no wider than pinkys on rings.  Do the pushdowns for higher reps, 15-20.  The second workout of the week should be lighter, concentrating on form work, and explosiveness.  This is vital, as a shirt bench is different than a raw bench.  You can still do heavy stuff after the form work on workout 2. You should try to get into the shirt once every other week until you are used to the groove and feel of the shirt. I apologize for this being all over the place, but I think it will help.

Jason

[Hedgehog]

When is the meet? The benching should occur on Tuesday/Saturday.  How tall are you?  Depending on height, your board presses will have to be adjusted.  Drop the negatives completely.  Do rack lockouts or Tate presses instead.  IMHO, you should only do 1 pressing exercise per day, no need for the inclines after the benching in week 1, etc.  Train everything with a grip no wider than pinkys on rings.  Do the pushdowns for higher reps, 15-20.  The second workout of the week should be lighter, concentrating on form work, and explosiveness.  This is vital, as a shirt bench is different than a raw bench.  You can still do heavy stuff after the form work on workout 2. You should try to get into the shirt once every other week until you are used to the groove and feel of the shirt. I apologize for this being all over the place, but I think it will help.

Jason

No offence,

but how can you have any kind of opinion on her workout when you don't know when the meet is?

[ripitupbaby]

The meet is in the middle of February 2008, so just a little over five months.  I am not sure of the specific date yet but it's usually right in the middle of the month.

I am just under 5-2.
How would I have to adjust the board presses?

I don't know what Tate presses are, I will look them up.

[danielson]

The meet is in the middle of February 2008, so just a little over five months.  I am not sure of the specific date yet but it's usually right in the middle of the month.

I am just under 5-2.
How would I have to adjust the board presses?

I don't know what Tate presses are, I will look them up.

You should ask for a bench press video from everyone who wants to help you and whoever can bench the most for their weight should be your mentor and you follow their advice to a t!

[ripitupbaby]

You should ask for a bench press video from everyone who wants to help you and whoever can bench the most for their weight should be your mentor and you follow their advice to a t!

Not a bad idea.  You first since you have offered more "advice" in this thread than anyone else so far, and since you are training the next Mr. Getbig.   

[danielson]

Not a bad idea.  You first since you have offered more "advice" in this thread than anyone else so far, and since you are training the next Mr. Getbig.   

No, you set a date for all the people to have them in by. We send them to you, on that day you can post them. But if I win, you have to follow my directions. I can bench 132 pounds over my bw right now. But I can get that up a bit if need be.

[danielson]

No, you set a date for all the people to have them in by. We send them to you, on that day you can post them. But if I win, you have to follow my directions. I can bench 132 pounds over my bw right now. But I can get that up a bit if need be.

Ok, I am actually sandbagging a bit. I can honestly do more than 132 over my weight. Not too much, but at least 147 over my weight. I just did it last week. Who else is in?

[ripitupbaby]

Ok, I am actually sandbagging a bit. I can honestly do more than 132 over my weight. Not too much, but at least 147 over my weight. I just did it last week. Who else is in?

You should express your numbers as a % over your body weight....and if you are not at least 100%, then I doubt you stand much of a chance with the PLs on this board. 
Although wait.....maybe your numbers ARE close to 100%....

[danielson]

You should express your numbers as a % over your body weight....and if you are not at least 100%, then I doubt you stand much of a chance with the PLs on this board. 
Although wait.....maybe your numbers ARE close to 100%....

I weigh 168 right now. I know all about how strong some of the people are on here, but I am willing to bet I will finish respectfully as far as the people who are wanting to help you out. It's not like helping you break some shitty state record is going to get people lined up around the corner. What do you say? Do you want advice from someone who can prove they can move the iron or from someone who can prove they can copy and paste?

[ripitupbaby]

I weigh 168 right now. I know all about how strong some of the people are on here, but I am willing to bet I will finish respectfully as far as the people who are wanting to help you out. It's not like helping you break some shitty state record is going to get people lined up around the corner. What do you say? Do you want advice from someone who can prove they can move the iron or from someone who can prove they can copy and paste?

"Powerlifting is boring," "Go back to figure," and "focus on being a hot piece of ass" do not qualify as relevant and useful advice.   

[danielson]

"Powerlifting is boring," "Go back to figure," and "focus on being a hot piece of ass" do not qualify as relevant and useful advice.   

I got nothing against HH, in fact I am sure he knows 10 times more than I do about PL. But i know about benchpressing and will prove it on video. You will bench 225 easy if you listen to me and keep your sexy body while you are at it. No more of this bulking in the winter shit, not on my watch! Just tell me who has the stones to post the video and when i have to have mine in, unlike you i got some lifting to do today!

[Overload]

Hedge gave you good advice for RAW training.

if you plan on using the shirt you need to use it every week from now up until the meet. you can do workout #1 as you have it already but your workout #2 needs to be shirted board presses with a WIDE grip. i'd do 2 board presses with about 20 pounds over your RAW max for starters. do 3 sets of 2 reps off the boards and try to add 5-10 pounds every shirt session until you hit a wall. then you know where you are at. as the meet gets closer you can do 1 board presses. DO NOT try to touch in the shirt until the meet, this is very important and i'll explain later.

does anyone at your gym who can help you have shirt experience?

what type of shirt do you plan on using? i like the Titan F6 single ply for beginners. you need to get a chest and arm measurement in order to get the right shirt. you want the shirt to be REALLY tight and snug. in my opinion you really need someone with experience to help you put it on and get it set correctly, if the shirt is on wrong you will dump the bar on every lift. you also need some good wrist wraps, i use the THP wraps from titan.

another thing is you MUST learn to arch and tuck your elbows with a wide grip. if you bench flat with a narrow grip you will not be able to use a shirt correctly. you can practice this arch on workout #1 for a few weeks before you try the shirt. this is very important if you want to lift in a shirt, your form must be perfect.

my training partners wife has the state record for bench in her weight class, i'll see if she will come here and give you some pointers.

you can learn the arch and elbow tuck at www.westside-barbell.com

i've been using single ply shirts for years and done several WABDL and APF meets with shirts. they are hard to get used to but once you find the groove you will be blasting up 225 before you know it. i have benched 590 pounds at 220 with a basic titan F6 in competition and drug free(clean).

i'll type some more later, i'm about to go into a meeting.

[Hedgehog]

Hedge gave you good advice for RAW training.

if you plan on using the shirt you need to use it every week from now up until the meet. you can do workout #1 as you have it already but your workout #2 needs to be shirted board presses with a WIDE grip. i'd do 2 board presses with about 20 pounds over your RAW max for starters. do 3 sets of 2 reps off the boards and try to add 5-10 pounds every shirt session until you hit a wall. then you know where you are at. as the meet gets closer you can do 1 board presses. DO NOT try to touch in the shirt until the meet, this is very important and i'll explain later.

does anyone at your gym who can help you have shirt experience?

what type of shirt do you plan on using? i like the Titan F6 single ply for beginners. you need to get a chest and arm measurement in order to get the right shirt. you want the shirt to be REALLY tight and snug. in my opinion you really need someone with experience to help you put it on and get it set correctly, if the shirt is on wrong you will dump the bar on every lift. you also need some good wrist wraps, i use the THP wraps from titan.

another thing is you MUST learn to arch and tuck your elbows with a wide grip. if you bench flat with a narrow grip you will not be able to use a shirt correctly. you can practice this arch on workout #1 for a few weeks before you try the shirt. this is very important if you want to lift in a shirt, your form must be perfect.

my training partners wife has the state record for bench in her weight class, i'll see if she will come here and give you some pointers.

you can learn the arch and elbow tuck at www.westside-barbell.com

i've been using single ply shirts for years and done several WABDL and APF meets with shirts. they are hard to get used to but once you find the groove you will be blasting up 225 before you know it. i have benched 590 pounds at 220 with a basic titan F6 in competition and drug free(clean).

i'll type some more later, i'm about to go into a meeting.

My plan is for her to add the shirt ten weeks out of the meet, and use it once a week from then all the way in to the meet, with a slightly different routine, throw out a few supplemental excersises, more hardcore competition benchpress, lower reps, et al.

You know the drill.


Agree on the F6 single ply.

And very true about the grip. A wide grip is almost necessary to even be able to lift with a shirt.

BTW, you've seen Wade's latest clips?