I Benched 107.5 kg in Competition 3-16-08

[trab]

You must check with the rules of your bench contest before hand.  If you wrap that high, you might get disqualified.  I've done local bench contests where the wrist wraps could NOT touch the palm of the hand.  Generally the thumb loop must be removed too. 

Yeah, you guys better help w/ all them rule details.  But that is one solid wrap.

[Vet]

Yeah, you guys better help w/ all them rule details.  But that is one solid wrap.

LOL.  rules schmules. 


I really think thats a key thing for any powerlifting competition.  Take the time to sit down when you are thinking of entering the contest and read the rules for the organization sanctioning it.  Then reread them the night before the contest.  You dont' want some stupid shit keeping a PR from happening.   

[ripitupbaby]

LOL.  rules schmules. 


I really think thats a key thing for any powerlifting competition.  Take the time to sit down when you are thinking of entering the contest and read the rules for the organization sanctioning it.  Then reread them the night before the contest.  You dont' want some stupid shit keeping a PR from happening.   

Will do.  I think I will be competing in the APF...haven't heard anything about rules on wrist wraps but I will be sure to check. 
I am SUPER sore from that workout on Weds btw.   

[trab]

Your RAW bench will go up fast just from handling the heavier iron on the bar, and the new form.
 Tell it to all the shirt haters when you add 50-70 to your raw bench.
As if all them top shirt pressers cant bust out sets of 10-20 reps w/ a weight that blows away all the
"Purists" hating on them.

[The Squadfather]

Your RAW bench will go up fast just from handling the heavier iron on the bar, and the new form.
 Tell it to all the shirt haters when you add 50-70 to your raw bench.
As if all them top shirt pressers cant bust out sets of 10-20 reps w/ a weight that blows away all the
"Purists" hating on them.

i just have to seea picture or video of this cage fighting monster benching.

[Stubborn]

This thread is great! I too wish to bench 225 soon.



But seriously, it sounds like you will hit well over 225 when you get used to the shirt and power form.

[ripitupbaby]

This thread is great! I too wish to bench 225 soon.

But seriously, it sounds like you will hit well over 225 when you get used to the shirt and power form.

Hey, thanks man! 

I'm sure you too can get to 225 one day if you work really, really hard at it.   

[ripitupbaby]

Heavy week workout #2 today...

Close grips...
3 sets 135 pounds x 5
1 set 140 pounds x 5

tricep rope pulldowns 4 sets x 10

No board work yet, but soon!
No one was in the gym...not a spot to be found, not even a shitty one.  I do not know how my gym stays in business.

I did abs too.   

[danielson]

Heavy week workout #2 today...

Close grips...
3 sets 135 pounds x 5
1 set 140 pounds x 5

tricep rope pulldowns 4 sets x 10

No board work yet, but soon!
No one was in the gym...not a spot to be found, not even a shitty one.  I do not know how my gym stays in business.

I did abs too.   

That was your whole workout? 8 sets? Were you in there for like 10 minutes?

[Al-Gebra]

That was your whole workout? 8 sets? Were you in there for like 10 minutes?

ripitups a blonde mike mentzer.

[Hedgehog]

Heavy week workout #2 today...

Close grips...
3 sets 135 pounds x 5
1 set 140 pounds x 5

tricep rope pulldowns 4 sets x 10

No board work yet, but soon!
No one was in the gym...not a spot to be found, not even a shitty one.  I do not know how my gym stays in business.

I did abs too.   

Looking very solid.

Good volume.

[ripitupbaby]

That was your whole workout? 8 sets? Were you in there for like 10 minutes?

I did a warmup set with 95 pounds first, stretched some, and also did a pretty good ab workout, so it all took about an hour.  Plus, 135/140 is some heavy-ass weight for me to close grip, esp with no lift off or spot.   

On another note, I burned my right forearm pretty bad yesterday putting something in the oven.  It's about the size of a small egg, and it's close to a third degree burn, so I won't be putting the shirt on for a few days until the pain goes away and it scabs over.   

Thanks, Hedge.   

[ripitupbaby]

Weds. workout....

LIGHT WEEK, WORKOUT #1

-4 sets bench, 125 pounds x 5, practiced form and pauses.  piece of cake.   
- 3 sets incline DB press, 50 pounds x 5, piece of cake.
- 3 sets DB lateral raises...1 set 20 pounds x 12, 2 sets 25 pounds x 8
- 3 sets rear delts, pec deck machine

 

[trab]

Weds. workout....

LIGHT WEEK, WORKOUT #1

-4 sets bench, 125 pounds x 5, practiced form and pauses.  piece of cake.   
- 3 sets incline DB press, 50 pounds x 5, piece of cake.
- 3 sets DB lateral raises...1 set 20 pounds x 12, 2 sets 25 pounds x 8
- 3 sets rear delts, pec deck machine

 

Have you got any jump stretch bands? Nice versatile , relatively inexpensive &  portable equipment.
Can be hard on my shoulders, but its a good way to mix it up...

Great feel on shoulder Laterals and rotations too... Keeps the tension on where you want/ need it.

[ripitupbaby]

Have you got any jump stretch bands? Nice versatile , relatively inexpensive &  portable equipment.
Can be hard on my shoulders, but its a good way to mix it up...

Great feel on shoulder Laterals and rotations too... Keeps the tension on where you want/ need it.

I don't but I should get some just for the portability factor!  I have a little cardio room in my house with some light dumbells...the bands would be a good addition.

[Vet]

Have you got any jump stretch bands? Nice versatile , relatively inexpensive &  portable equipment.
Can be hard on my shoulders, but its a good way to mix it up...

Great feel on shoulder Laterals and rotations too... Keeps the tension on where you want/ need it.

In my opinion, shes not at a level to begin using bands on anything other than rehabilitative/conditioning exercises like shoulder rotations/laterals, pushdowns etc.  Chains would be much more appropriate

I personally love band presses----especially for my speed work on the bench and for overload with reverse bands, but I made a big mistake when I started to introduce my wife to them.  She basically jumped in at the level I was doing and fried her anterior delts and pecs big time.   Her benchpress divebombed as a result.

[trab]

In my opinion, shes not at a level to begin using bands on anything other than rehabilitative/conditioning exercises like shoulder rotations/laterals, pushdowns etc.  Chains would be much more appropriate

I personally love band presses----especially for my speed work on the bench and for overload with reverse bands, but I made a big mistake when I started to introduce my wife to them.  She basically jumped in at the level I was doing and fried her anterior delts and pecs big time.   Her benchpress divebombed as a result.

I dont use them much and need tailor them just so when I do. I learned They can be fierce on the shoulders.

But, like you say for rotations etc, they are great. I step back/ forward to the rack to tailor the resistance/ stretching
right where I want it.

Nice for pushdowns too for what they are worth...

I love the  way chain builds up also, best trick in the book IMO. To bad most GYMs wont allow.
If we got chains, board press and box squats down into the HS Phys Ed programs we'd build a nation of ass kickers
instead of keyboard clickers... 

[ripitupbaby]

Okay, I don't know what you guys are talking about.   

Other than stretching and basic exercises, I am not sure what you would do with the bands, and I definitely don't understand the chains at all.  How do you use the chains and what do they do?  Any good video links?

[Vet]

Okay, I don't know what you guys are talking about.   

Other than stretching and basic exercises, I am not sure what you would do with the bands, and I definitely don't understand the chains at all.  How do you use the chains and what do they do?  Any good video links?

Its the idea of accommodating resistance.  Basically bands provide differing degrees of tension depending on how tightly they are stretched.  Say for instance in a box squat, at the bottom each strong band will provide approximately 100 lbs of resistance or 200 lbs total.  At the top of the movement they provide 160 lbs of resistance or 320 lbs total.   I've been typically box squatting this training cycle with between 315 and 405 on the bar.  Add in the bands on a day I'm doing, say 405, I've got 605 lbs of resistance at the bottom and 720 at the top.   In order to lock out the exercises, you have to develop enough speed off the box to overcome the added resistance from the stretching band---in other words you have to generate in excess of 720 lbs of resistance.   The way to do this is "exploding" or rapid muscle recruitment off the box.  basically the bands make you move heavy weight faster.   

The same basic thing happens with chains, except you arrange the chains so links are resting on the floor.  As you lock out the movement, you will lift in increased amount of weight--say for speed benches, you use 1 chain, thats roughly 40 lbs at the top, and depending on how its arranged, can be as little as nothing to 5 lbs at the  bottom when the chain is resting on the floor. 

The difference between chains and bands is really speed.  You have to move a band exercise faster to generate the same degree of force to overcome the band.  With chains, its more of a brute power as you lift the weight.  You aren't fighting anything but gravity.  Bands can also make you excessively sore---like in my wife's case, so sore you can't move your arms or even walk (yes it was funny, but i felt bad).  I think its relatively easy to overdo it with band if you don't watch yourself. 

[ripitupbaby]

Its the idea of accommodating resistance.  Basically bands provide differing degrees of tension depending on how tightly they are stretched.  Say for instance in a box squat, at the bottom each strong band will provide approximately 100 lbs of resistance or 200 lbs total.  At the top of the movement they provide 160 lbs of resistance or 320 lbs total.   I've been typically box squatting this training cycle with between 315 and 405 on the bar.  Add in the bands on a day I'm doing, say 405, I've got 405 lbs of resistance at the bottom and 720 at the top.   In order to lock out the exercises, you have to develop enough speed off the box to overcome the added resistance from the stretching band---in other words you have to generate in excess of 720 lbs of resistance.   The way to do this is "exploding" or rapid muscle recruitment off the box.  basically the bands make you move heavy weight faster.   

The same basic thing happens with chains, except you arrange the chains so links are resting on the floor.  As you lock out the movement, you will lift in increased amount of weight--say for speed benches, you use 1 chain, thats roughly 40 lbs at the top, and depending on how its arranged, can be as little as nothing to 5 lbs at the  bottom when the chain is resting on the floor. 

The difference between chains and bands is really speed.  You have to move a band exercise faster to generate the same degree of force to overcome the band.  With chains, its more of a brute power as you lift the weight.  You aren't fighting anything but gravity.  Bands can also make you excessively sore---like in my wife's case, so sore you can't move your arms or even walk (yes it was funny, but i felt bad).  I think its relatively easy to overdo it with band if you don't watch yourself. 

Gotcha.  I've always wondered...that totally makes sense, thanks.
I would never have even thought to use the bands like that.   

I feel your wife's pain, I've been there a few times (not with that exercise, obviously) and it's awful!!

[trab]

What vet said; and only your imagination limits their use, (chain and bands)

eg:Some guys hang them over the cage and suspend the barbell in the heavy bands....
Ok, when you press this, you have a boost @ first, but it gets heavy real FAST! So, again, we learn to increase velocity out of the bottom....
 
If you reverse all the ways you've learned to make a light weight feel heavy, you'll lift more and IMO hit different muscle fibres.

I dont know if thats the technical/ scientific explination, but just handling that heavier iron w/ increased velocity at the start, to the point of near stall does something different to the muscle.

Elitefts has lots of band set-ups and chain video clips on that U-Tube page of theirs.

I like the feel of the chain as it builds up, Im gonna hit my local Tractor dealer sometime for some bigger stuff. 

[The Squadfather]

"Raise your mental horizons, use the power of your mind to push you to handle poundages you once only dreamt about"

[Vet]

What vet said; and only your imagination limits their use, (chain and bands)

eg:Some guys hang them over the cage and suspend the barbell in the heavy bands....
Ok, when you press this, you have a boost @ first, but it gets heavy real FAST! So, again, we learn to increase velocity out of the bottom....
 
If you reverse all the ways you've learned to make a light weight feel heavy, you'll lift more and IMO hit different muscle fibres.

I dont know if thats the technical/ scientific explination, but just handling that heavier iron w/ increased velocity at the start, to the point of near stall does something different to the muscle.

Elitefts has lots of band set-ups and chain video clips on that U-Tube page of theirs.

I like the feel of the chain as it builds up, Im gonna hit my local Tractor dealer sometime for some bigger stuff. 

Like I said, I like working DE days with bands.  The one thing is I've learned to not work more than 2-3 weeks at a time.  Typically I'll do straight weight for 3 weeks, bands for 2 weeks, straight weight for 3 weeks, chains for 3 weeks (haven't been doing lately because of chain issues), straight weight for 3 weeks, bands....etc  That will give your joints and muscles  a chance to recover from the bands.   


Bands are good because most gyms won't care about you using them.  Chains on the other hand will seriously piss off some commercial gym managers.  Not only that, but finding the correct size and weight (5/8 inch galvanized where 5 foot=20 lbs) is sometimes difficult.  Lighter weight chains require more feet of length, which means they won't necessarily work depending on your height.   Topper Supply out of Columbus will mail order them for a reasonable price, the same as Elitefts.  If you have a large industrial supply depot close by, then you might be able to get the right size. 

[The Squadfather]

bump for some inspiration, check it out Rip.

[Vet]

bump for some inspiration, check it out Rip.

jeeze thats from half a life time ago.....


I can still to this day not figure out how Anthony Clark was able to hold that much weight with a reverse grip without stress fracturing his wrists.  The torsional forces on the lateral bones of the wrist had to be unbelievable.