Magoo: The Quest for a 405 bench

[MisterMagoo]

FRIDAY - bench assistance

close-grip bench:
135x10
225x8
275x8
275x5

standing behind the neck press:
135x8
135x6
135x6

cable rows: weights given in pin level.
8x15
11x12
14x12
14x12

a set of 15 chins

standing arnold presses: controlled reps, easy shit
40x10
45x10
50x10

nosebreakers:
75x12
95x10
95x10

21's:
95x21
95x21
95x21

weight: 232

notes: i think i'll keep up the mon-tue thur-fri schedule. i like the feel of it, and it leaves my weekends easier to just lay around, do some cardio, and recover.

since the meet i -wanted- to do was no go, i'm looking at MAYBE doing one this month, but ABSOLUTELY doing the pittsburgh kumite meet on may 24th. i can definitely get into the 220s by then, and i'm running out of time to be able to compete as a junior. 

[MisterMagoo]

bad day for lifting.

MONDAY - pull day

deficit pulls: again, no belt
225x5
315x5
405x5 - on rep 5 my finger blew up. i'd cut a piece out of it saturday, tried to lift anyway. bad idea.

pause squats: ass on my calves, 2 count
135x5
225x5
275x5
275x5

back raises:
3x15

squat press machine: weight given not counting the carriage
470x12
560x10
650x8
650x8

some more back raises

lot of ab work

weight: 231

notes: dammit. that hurt. i was really hoping to hit 455x3 this week, too. 

[thewickedtruth]

bad day for lifting.

MONDAY - pull day

deficit pulls: again, no belt
225x5
315x5
405x5 - on rep 5 my finger blew up. i'd cut a piece out of it saturday, tried to lift anyway. bad idea.

pause squats: ass on my calves, 2 count
135x5
225x5
275x5
275x5

back raises:
3x15

squat press machine: weight given not counting the carriage
470x12
560x10
650x8
650x8

some more back raises

lot of ab work

weight: 231

notes: dammit. that hurt. i was really hoping to hit 455x3 this week, too. 

wtf did you do to your finger?

I almost my damn pinky off while changing my front end out about two months ago and was still able to lift..only my pinky stuck straight out during all of it! HAHA

[MisterMagoo]

wtf did you do to your finger?

I almost my damn pinky off while changing my front end out about two months ago and was still able to lift..only my pinky stuck straight out during all of it! HAHA

haha, i was closing a switchblade knife and my middle finger got in the way. there's a nice little divot where the piece used to be. 

[thewickedtruth]

haha, i was closing a switchblade knife and my middle finger got in the way. there's a nice little divot where the piece used to be. 

HAHAHA!

trust me.. been there done that but not with a switch blade..damn man!

didn't hurt until you started looking at it did it HAHA

[MisterMagoo]

HAHAHA!

trust me.. been there done that but not with a switch blade..damn man!

didn't hurt until you started looking at it did it HAHA

dude, NO JOKE, it never hurt until today. it's a military-grade thing so it's sharp enough to cut without any pressure, and it just went RIGHT through. wasn't until today when it started healing that it got sore. bled like a guy, too.

[The Squadfather]

the worst cuts you barely even feel when you do it and then WHAM a river of blood, it's like when you break out a brand new Mach3 razor, smooth as silk on your face when you shave and then 30 seconds later your face looks like a mine field.

[tonymctones]

good shit on the close grips bro, LOL wtf are you doing with a switch blade? at least you kept training

[MisterMagoo]

bleh, shitty workout today. might have been because i was in too much of a rush to eat until about 12:30.

TUESDAY - bench

flat bench: thanks to the finger, i couldn't grip the bar right. still did okay.
135x8
225x8
275x5
315x3
330x2
315x3

incline bench:
135x10
185x8
225x6

standing military:
135x10
135x8
135x8

front raises: one at a time
45x10
55x8
55x8
40x10

weighted dips:
0x12
55x8
75x10
75x10

weighted chins:
0x12
30x10
30x10 - yeah yeah, a 30. not huge, but pretty good.
0x10

chest press machine: light stuff, just to get blood flowing.
4x20
12x12
12x12 - pin level 12.

weight: 229

notes: man that benching SUCKED. still, did all right elsewhere.

[thewickedtruth]

but look at how much work you do man..holy shit!

at least you're consistantly strong throughout the day during it all!

[MisterMagoo]

but look at how much work you do man..holy shit!

at least you're consistantly strong throughout the day during it all!

think i should ratchet it down? i have the damndest time figuring out where to crank my volume back, especially since i dove into metal militia early on which advocates some insane amount of sets.

[thewickedtruth]

think i should ratchet it down? i have the damndest time figuring out where to crank my volume back, especially since i dove into metal militia early on which advocates some insane amount of sets.

yeah..only TWO chest exercises tops.. and the second one should be considered your tricep work. If you plan on doing other tricep work then skip the second chest exercise. Do ONE Shoulder exercise..you're already bombing the living shit out of them when you're pressing..no need for standing presses and laterals both..pick one. I'd say do the standing presses if you're doing a light tricep exercise like pressdowns or extentions or do the laterals to go lighter on them if you're doing  asecond pressing movement. JUST WAY too much on the accessory muscles it seems man. I had to manipulate mine abit as well.

If you want to do more back work...do a heavy back exercise followed up with 3 sets of like face pulls or something. Just WAY to omuch work and not seeing hte progress we both know you should be making.

[MisterMagoo]

sounds good. so for my main bench week next week, i'm thinking...

flat bench
incline
side raises
chins

and that's it. then on friday or saturday:

close-grip
military
rows
light chest work or pushdowns depending on what i feel is lacking.

done. maybe some bicep work on each day, but something really light and only a few sets.

four exercises per day. i think that'll be my new mode. example pull day:

pull of some kind
pause or low box squats
GHRs
shrugs

squat day:

squats
SLDLs or something
lunges (fuggoff, i like these)
back raises

abs on both days.

how's it look?

[thewickedtruth]

much better..new know until you try so definately give it a run for sure!

[thewickedtruth]

also..ify ou're really wanting more pure power out of your lifting...

start doing pyramid doubles or heavy singles at or around 92-94% of your 1rm on your presses. I LOVE doubles for overall power but heavy singles help too when you don't have the juice on aparticular day to get it done.

like inclines..

i'll do bar for two sets
135x10x1
225 for a few reps...
then jump into doubles...for no more than 5 sets to smoke my incline presses out. Any more than that and you're doomed to fail it seems.

I may be switching up to the conjugate method on my upper body again just because i would like a nice change.

[MisterMagoo]

bad day. baaaaad day.

THURSDAY - squat day

squats: just for reps, didn't feel like going heavy. again, no belt.
135x10
225x8
315x8 - PR. damn, sunk each rep too.
315x7 - not quite.

SLDLs: on a block.
135x12
225x10
245x10

hang cleans:
135x5
185x5 - on the fifth rep, my left lat cranked HARD. i was laying on the floor trying to breathe. even now it's tough to move. so, went home.

weight: 232

notes: so, that sucked. but hey, i hit a pretty nice PR. 315x8 ass to calves beltless squatting's nothing to sneeze at, i don't think.

[Stubborn]

I dont care who you are, 315x8 ATC is awesome!

[MisterMagoo]

haha, thanks man. i think now since i'm going beltless and not training for singles strength on the squat and pull (for now), i'm going to set my goals as reps with a given weight.

short term, i'd like to get 365x6 a2c, and 455x5 pulling off a block. i think it should be doable in none too long.

[thewickedtruth]

sick work broheim! and don't set those goals TOO high now! Don't want to end up disappointed! 

seriously though..smart move on ditching the belt..and the easier and longer you can move x-amount of weight..the easier it'll be to handle heavier numbers above it longer!

[MisterMagoo]

all righty, i put the Results! to the test. can magoo have a good workout training first thing in the morning with ONLY a serving fo Results! in his belly? we'll find out!

FRIDAY - bench assistance

close-grip:
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
290x5 - not bad!

seated DB shoulder presses:
75x6
90x8
90x6

BB rows:
135x12
225x8
225x6 - my lat was cramping up like CRAZY

pulldowns:
12x12
14x12 - just to try and "work" it out.

hammer curls:
40x8
50x8
60x8
60x8

a set of 25 dips.

weight: 232

notes: this workout took around 45 minutes as opposed to my normal 80. i consider it four exercises, putting the two back exercises together (since i did four "work" sets) and not counting the dips at all. i felt pretty focking strong, and i think i'll stick with this protocol for a while.

[MisterMagoo]

i'm stressed and studying for finals, so here's a random picture of me i took today. it sucks and i look like hell, but hey. there it is.

weighing probably 230 there.

[tonymctones]

DAMN bro looks like your making good progress, thats insane on the close grips , good shit on the shoulder press and hammer curls too i seem to be stuck at 55 on the HC.

[thewickedtruth]

yeah good workout changes and solid progress..you'll start seeing more for sure since you've made those changes

when is that meet you've got going on?

[ripitupbaby]

i'm stressed and studying for finals, so here's a random picture of me i took today. it sucks and i look like hell, but hey. there it is.

weighing probably 230 there.

Looking real good magoo... good luck with Finals!   

[MisterMagoo]

wedged in a fast workout.

MONDAY - pull day

deadlifts: off the floor, no belt, paused.
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
455x1
475x1 - ouch. NOT a good lift.

box squats: box about halfway up my shins. so, pretty low
135x5
225x5
275x3
295x3
315x3
325x2 - i kept getting the weight, felt like doing more!

db snatches:
90x3
100x3
110x1
120x1/0 - got it on the right side but not the left. argh!

weight: 230