I Benched 107.5 kg in Competition 3-16-08

[ripitupbaby]

This is just the way it goes when you don't have a GOOD coach or spotter there in person.

Just keep pressing on and if you don't feel comfortable just go a little lighter, it takes YEARS to get all this stuff down to where you are comfortable and smooth with each press.

Sounds like your spotter isn't very educated in powerlifting, most people have no idea how to spot someone for a real bench press attempt. the arch and elbow tuck can makes things get messy real quick. like I've said before i know what it's like to catch a barbell on the neck and it sucks ass, but you have to get past it.

Just keep practicing and don't get frustrated, it is a learning process and you are still a beginner...just stay focused and positive.

One thing is that i believe you are overtraining, just training too frequently. your layout is great but if your arms and shoulders are hurting like that you are overworking them. external rotator cuff exercises may help but i think you need more rest between bench sessions. this is just my opinion and i always think about the "long run". if they are bothering you now, what's it going to be like in 2-3 years? just my .02, i've had my share of aches and pains over the years, now i try to prevent them as much as i can so i can lift the rest of my life...

Good luck, you are doing great!

Thanks, I'm a total beginner LOL, and I am learning ALOT.  I tend to get frustrated because I like to make progress pretty much every time I train, even though I know that can't happen for a lot of reasons.  The shirt is frustrating to work with anyway, nevermind that it's my first time trying to use it.  And I don't think that the Titan F6 is exactly a "beginner" shirt.   

I'm doing the rotator cuff exercises at least once a week.  I think I missed them last week, but I'm gonna throw them into my next workout.  The rest thing is weird for me because I am training SO much less frequently than I do when I prep for a BB show, and the workouts are shorter.  I'm down to four times a week MAX, and that includes whatever back and leg work I manage to squeeze in.  It took me a while to get out of the BB mindset too.
Rest between chest workouts is like 2-3 days, and then the workouts themselves are much shorter than I used to do, even though the weight is heavier and the sets themselves are harder.  That's why it seems strange to me to start feeling aches and pains now as opposed to when I am prepping for a BB show and I am in the gym six times a week and doing a ton of cardio on top of the lifting.  But I guess it doesn't take much when you got the heavy weight working the joints and tendons.  I'm also getting old, which doesn't help.   

Do you have a power rack available?  Seriously, if you are that worried about the spotters, get someone to give you a lift off and then dump the weight if you can't get it.  There is little difference in my mind about dropping the weight on the pins of a rack or someone grabbing it and pulling it off of you if you fail on the attempt except for the safety issue.  The rack will protect you.  Then use a regular bench when you've got a reliable spotter. 

No power rack at either of the two gyms I train at right now.  I would love to use one when I train alone!

[ripitupbaby]

Tonight I was supposed to work with the chains, but another foot of snow put a damper on me dragging 80 pounds of chain into the gym by myself.  I did, light explosive reps instead, and I managed to get in a little back/bi work.

-6 sets 135 x 2, pause at bottom, explosive.  I widened my grip a bit, index finger on ring instead of ring finger, and I liked it. 
-4 sets Hammer Strength lat pulldown 70 pounds per side x 10
-4 sets light DB bicep curls x 15
-3 sets rotator cuffs, with the cables and 10 pounds x 12 reps per side.  These burn, but in a good way. 

It was a good workout, 135 felt light, and nothing hurt.   

[thewickedtruth]

my advice to you right now... take at least until the 26th off and give your system a rest. I gaurentee you'll come back strong as fuck from giving your CNS a break. DAMN you loev to bench..but you're stalling out it seems.  Sounds like you need to do a lil deload or stay out of the gym for a good 4-5 days...

[trab]

2nd that.

[ripitupbaby]

LOL I hear ya.  I swear, I'm resting more than I ever have in my life!  I am taking multiple days totally off, which used to make me mental!   

The only thing I will be doing between now and Christmas is working with the shirt one day...I can't skip that!

[thewickedtruth]

LOL I hear ya.  I swear, I'm resting more than I ever have in my life!  I am taking multiple days totally off, which used to make me mental!   

The only thing I will be doing between now and Christmas is working with the shirt one day...I can't skip that!

hahah you need to suck it up and take it from someone that can't stand to NOT workout... stay out of the gym... until christmas is past..i PROMISE IT'LL WORK! If you don't come back stronger than ever I'll delete my account. That's how sure I am of this. I had to take 5 days off and get my shit back together and sure enough... I've done better this week than I hvae in months. DO IT DAMMIT!

[ripitupbaby]

I love to train!  But I didn't bench today!   

[Stubborn]

hahah you need to suck it up and take it from someone that can't stand to NOT workout... stay out of the gym... until christmas is past..i PROMISE IT'LL WORK! If you don't come back stronger than ever I'll delete my account. That's how sure I am of this. I had to take 5 days off and get my shit back together and sure enough... I've done better this week than I hvae in months. DO IT DAMMIT!

I'll second this! I love to get in and workout EVERY chance I get but with PL and Strongman, YOU JUST CANT! I have overtrained more times in Strongman than I ever did BBing and I only work it 3 days a week versus 5-6. I am back in Westside mode (4 days/week) and it feels great due to all the recovery time. You max once a week on Westside and there is good reason.

But I must say that what you have done previous seems to be working incredibly well for you! Just take a lil recovery time.

Good luck!

[ripitupbaby]

OK not so much by choice, but I did take your suggestions and haven't trained in quite a few days.  Gonna try to hit the gym tomorrow or Friday with the bench shirt...I skipped my shirt workout last weekend and haven't trained at all this week.  If I can get two chest workouts in this week (I'm out of town), it'll be board work and then shirt work.  If not, then I am just gonna do my shirt work and get back to my regular routine next week.

Wicked, no need to delete your account!
So there!  I feel fat and gross.   


OH, I got 80 pounds of huge chains for Christmas.   

[thewickedtruth]

OK not so much by choice, but I did take your suggestions and haven't trained in quite a few days.  Gonna try to hit the gym tomorrow or Friday with the bench shirt...I skipped my shirt workout last weekend and haven't trained at all this week.  If I can get two chest workouts in this week (I'm out of town), it'll be board work and then shirt work.  If not, then I am just gonna do my shirt work and get back to my regular routine next week.

Wicked, no need to delete your account!
So there!  I feel fat and gross.   


OH, I got 80 pounds of huge chains for Christmas.   

this means we better see 225 or better fall this next bench session..


now go get'em fatty!

[ripitupbaby]

OK!  I waited until yesterday (not really by choice  ) to do a chest workout.  So that was nine days.  I only went to the gym once during that time, to do a back/traps workout.

I did some work with the shirt, after I did a few sets of bench press just to get back into the swing of things. 

warmup
-135 x 6
-155 x 5
-155 x 5
I struggled with the last couple of reps on the sets of 155, which really surprised me. 

Then I put the shirt on and did five or six sets of 225 x 2 as low as I could go, with my husband spotting me.  The first couple of sets were rough, as I was struggling with the shirt and not really popping off the bottom.  I got it down to about a 3 board for the first couple of sets, and then probably about a 2-board for the last few sets.  The last set was pretty good...even though I didn't get the bar all the way down (I still had 3-4 inches to go), I pretty much moved the weight by myself, and it didn't feel terrible.  The shirt is still a total pain in the ass, and I haven't exactly figure it out yet.   
 
I also did three sets of rotator cuffs x 15, on the cables with light weights.

[Luv2Hurt]

Nice Rip!  your almost there.

[BFP]

OK!  I waited until yesterday (not really by choice  ) to do a chest workout.  So that was nine days.  I only went to the gym once during that time, to do a back/traps workout.

I did some work with the shirt, after I did a few sets of bench press just to get back into the swing of things. 

warmup
-135 x 6
-155 x 5
-155 x 5
I struggled with the last couple of reps on the sets of 155, which really surprised me. 

Then I put the shirt on and did five or six sets of 225 x 2 as low as I could go, with my husband spotting me.  The first couple of sets were rough, as I was struggling with the shirt and not really popping off the bottom.  I got it down to about a 3 board for the first couple of sets, and then probably about a 2-board for the last few sets.  The last set was pretty good...even though I didn't get the bar all the way down (I still had 3-4 inches to go), I pretty much moved the weight by myself, and it didn't feel terrible.  The shirt is still a total pain in the ass, and I haven't exactly figure it out yet.   
 
I also did three sets of rotator cuffs x 15, on the cables with light weights.

Stop using the boards in your shirt.  It jacks your groove up.

Jason

[ripitupbaby]

Stop using the boards in your shirt.  It jacks your groove up.

Jason

You think?  I can't touch the bar to my chest yet, so the boards seem to come in pretty handy! 

[trab]

Im not sure if he thinks your puttin the boards under the Bench shirt... Too tight for that I thought?

Sounds like you need more strength/ control off the chest.
That and just get it to touch.

[ripitupbaby]

Im not sure if he thinks your puttin the boards under the Bench shirt... Too tight for that I thought?

Sounds like you need more strength/ control off the chest.
That and just get it to touch.

Yep, pretty much.
The boards definitely go on top of the shirt, not under. 

[BFP]

Yep, pretty much.
The boards definitely go on top of the shirt, not under. 

Thanks.  Ive never benched in a shirt before

Jason

[ripitupbaby]

Thanks.  Ive never benched in a shirt before

Jason

hahaha CLEARLY.   

 

[BFP]

hahaha CLEARLY.   

 

Oh brother

Jason

[Overload]

You think?  I can't touch the bar to my chest yet, so the boards seem to come in pretty handy! 

The boards are a must, just keep doing what you're doing.

[Vet]

You think?  I can't touch the bar to my chest yet, so the boards seem to come in pretty handy! 

It really depends on who you talk to about that.  Some people (like JPegg here) say don't use the boards with your shirt because it throws you off your groove.  Others say you have to use the boards to build top end strength.  I'm of mixed opinions about it.  For me, I'm breaking my new RageX without boards.   I just keep loading the weight on doing partial presses until I could touch.  I figure it'll take me about 6-7 weeks total (2 weeks with shirt work, 1 week off).  My wife on the other hand would be dead in the water if she didn't use the boards.  Its really differences in our bench styles.  I'm a thick bodied, long armed,  natural "belly bencher" and I'm finding out that my natural groove matches the Rage X's really,really well.  My wife is still learning with her long arms.

[BFP]

It really depends on who you talk to about that.  Some people (like JPegg here) say don't use the boards with your shirt because it throws you off your groove.  Others say you have to use the boards to build top end strength.  I'm of mixed opinions about it.  For me, I'm breaking my new RageX without boards.   I just keep loading the weight on doing partial presses until I could touch.  I figure it'll take me about 6-7 weeks total (2 weeks with shirt work, 1 week off).  My wife on the other hand would be dead in the water if she didn't use the boards.  Its really differences in our bench styles.  I'm a thick bodied, long armed,  natural "belly bencher" and I'm finding out that my natural groove matches the Rage X's really,really well.  My wife is still learning with her long arms.

Im all about board work...Just not in a shirt .  That is what I was saying.

Jason

[Vet]

Im all about board work...Just not in a shirt .  That is what I was saying.

Jason

Oh, I understand that.  I should have been clearer in my post----boards are pretty much a must do in my opinion for anyone to have a big bench. 

Just out of curiosity, how long are your arms?  It seems like the people I've talked too who were against using boards for shirt work were all taller, longer armed, but those who were for it were built like me, short, thick chested and short armed. 

[ripitupbaby]

I did a very light workout on New Years Eve...seven sets 135 x 2, worked on form, explosiveness, etc.
I'm planning on bringing the chains into the gym tomorrow and looking forward to it.

[Overload]

I did a very light workout on New Years Eve...seven sets 135 x 2, worked on form, explosiveness, etc.
I'm planning on bringing the chains into the gym tomorrow and looking forward to it.

Chains are awesome!

i bet you enjoy training with them, i always did.