Author Topic: Magoo: The Quest for a 405 bench (Read 107913 times)

danielson · « **Reply #775 on:** January 04, 2009, 09:18:49 AM »

If want to bench 405 stop dieting and eat like a pig. Weight is easy to lose, just drop the pounds after you bench it.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #776 on:** January 04, 2009, 09:29:47 AM »

i think i'll do just that, actually. get myself up to 240 pounds or so. i got some McD's in front of me right now.

Zach Trowbridge · « **Reply #777 on:** January 04, 2009, 10:45:44 AM »

Have you tried adding a couple of extra workouts through the week? The Westside "jumpstretch pressdowns for 100 reps 3 times a week" seems to work for a lot of people. I personally have been doing 1-3 sets of upper back or lat work almost daily and it's helped bring my bench up. Then again my vertebrae are still visible in places so I'm just too fucking small in general.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #778 on:** January 04, 2009, 05:11:01 PM »

i'm going to do some reading. curious what the best "bench specialist" routine is that doesn't neglect the other muscles. i don't want to ignore my lower body, i'm just seeing better progress on my bench and would like to push things.

ripitupbaby · « **Reply #779 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:22:16 PM »

Kick some ass magoo. 405's just around the corner.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #780 on:** January 05, 2009, 02:12:26 PM »

the new program starts!

MONDAY

box squats: under parallel (lower than the bench in my videos)
135x12
225x5
275x5
315x5
365x5
385x5 - five "work sets". it's fun stuff.

rack pulls: bar at knee height. pause at the bottom.
225x5
315x5
405x5
495x3 - could have done five, but rep three was starting to slow. didn't want to fail out.

pull-throughs: cable
50x15
60x15
60x15

some leg extensions

abs

weight: 221

notes: i like the feel of doing all sets of five. manages to placate my desire to move heavy weight but also doesn't leave my joints screaming for mercy like my old style of doing one rep at 365 to "feel the weight". hopefully this'll keep me from burning out.

also, no more benching the day after lower body. other way around now. lower body on monday and thursday, bench workouts wednesday and saturday.

QuakerOats · « **Reply #781 on:** January 05, 2009, 03:59:15 PM »

thought you were gonna lay off the leg work for awhile.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #782 on:** January 05, 2009, 04:44:56 PM »

Quote from: QuakerOats on January 05, 2009, 03:59:15 PM

thought you were gonna lay off the leg work for awhile.

done killing myself on leg work and no more singles. none of the sets i did were enough to KO me, after the rack pulls i felt like a million bucks. my rule was "if a rep starts to grind, end the set". next week i'll probably ratchet the weights down even more, i was just trying to guesstimate what i could hit for 5 without too much trouble.

QuakerOats · « **Reply #783 on:** January 05, 2009, 04:47:05 PM »

Quote from: MisterMagoo on January 05, 2009, 04:44:56 PM

done killing myself on leg work and no more singles. none of the sets i did were enough to KO me, after the rack pulls i felt like a million bucks. my rule was "if a rep starts to grind, end the set". next week i'll probably ratchet the weights down even more, i was just trying to guesstimate what i could hit for 5 without too much trouble.

good theory, you should try giving up barbell squats for awhile while you specialize on the bench and see if it adds anything, i remember reading Ed Coan saying something about how much stress regular squats put on the shoulders.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #784 on:** January 05, 2009, 04:57:24 PM »

Quote from: QuakerOats on January 05, 2009, 04:47:05 PM

good theory, you should try giving up brabell squats for awhile while you sopecialize on the bench and see if it adds anything, i remember reading Ed Coan saying something about how much stress regular squats put on the shoulders.

hm. i might have to try that out. though i'm not really sure what i could replace it with. leg press? $:-\$

this is why i'm doing box squats, though. i can't use as much weight on a below parallel box as i can freebar or slightly higher, so i'm not as wrecked after the set. for pulls... i'm not sure yet. chances are i'll just do them regular, but for paused sets of 5 so i'm not working beyond ~455 (405 or 425 this week, 455 down the road).

QuakerOats · « **Reply #785 on:** January 05, 2009, 04:59:40 PM »

Quote from: MisterMagoo on January 05, 2009, 04:57:24 PM

hm. i might have to try that out. though i'm not really sure what i could replace it with. leg press? $:-\$

this is why i'm doing box squats, though. i can't use as much weight on a below parallel box as i can freebar or slightly higher, so i'm not as wrecked after the set. for pulls... i'm not sure yet. chances are i'll just do them regular, but for paused sets of 5 so i'm not working beyond ~455 (405 or 425 this week, 455 down the road).

yeah actually i read it in Judd Biasotto's book The Bench Press, Craig Tokarski said he gave up squats entirely to focus on his bench and did hacks and presses instead, i'm not necessarily saying to take it that far but it does make sense at least for small periods of time.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #786 on:** January 08, 2009, 12:55:13 PM »

WEDNESDAY

bench:
135x10
225x8
275x5
315x3
335x3
315
315
325
325
325 - i just did a bunch of singles to feel it out. nothing felt right.

incline BB:
135x15
185x10
185x10
185x10 - quick 'n' easy. hey, a pump!

5 sets of pullups

H-rolls:
20x15
20x15
20x15

ez-bar curls: with that biceps blaster thingy that an older powerlifter at my gym loves
95x10
95x10
95x10

some easy pushdowns

THURSDAY:

pulls: pause on the floor each rep
135x5
225x5
315x3
365x3
405x5
435x3 - nothing hard, although after doing beltless touch and go pulls for a while starting from a standstill is REALLY awkward.

leg press: weight given in plates per side
4x10
5x10
6x10
7x10

pendlay rows:
135x12
185x10
185x10
185x10

two sets of quick pullups

abs

weight: 218?!?

notes: i ate like nuts this past week. now i'm lighter? what the hell??

anyway, QO, i think i'm just going to really avoid going balls heavy for a while. stick around 365 on my squats and 405 on the pulls unless it gets way too easy. definitely going to do more leg pressing and such. just need to really decide on what i'm going to do on my assistance days. torn between rep work, close-grip heavy, and bands.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #787 on:** January 09, 2009, 12:50:42 PM »

did assistance today so i can bench on monday. if i start my week benching i think things will go easier. i dunno, it's a mental thing.

FRIDAY

close-grip bench:
135x15
185x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
315x3 - a little bounce off the sternum here. once again, my new foot placement is keeping my ass down. good stuff.

bench
225x20 - quick and easy, just 'cause

standing shoulder press: ring fingers on the rings
135x8
135x8
135x8

cable rows: big stretch
160x12
170x12
170x12 - here i remembered i did pendlay rows yesterday

dead hang pullups:
10
10

some light shoulder/tricep/bicep stuff.

weight: somewhere between 211 and 222 according to the two scales I used.

notes: that 315 went damn smooth. i think not annihilating myself on the lower body lifts is going to go quite well.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #788 on:** January 12, 2009, 09:07:38 PM »

quick one today. yes, benching on a monday. my intention was to shift to monday benching that way i go heavy on bench after a weekend of rest. that's why it's a fast one.

MONDAY

bench:
135x15
225x6
275x3
315x3
345x2 - fuck me this felt heavy.
335x2
335x2

DB bench:
105x10
105x10
105x10

dips and chins superset:
12
12
12

weight: 222

notes: just a bad workout in general. thursday will be REP DAY, not speed work, not heavy close-grip. REPS. i'm doing the coan theory.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #789 on:** January 13, 2009, 02:24:41 PM »

fuck me.

TUESDAY

squats:
135x10
225x8
275x5
315x5
365x5
365x5 - set was harder than it should have been. i just couldn't get into position. $:-\$

high pulls:
135x5
225x3 - third rep, i forgot to chalk up before the set and when i had the bar at about sternum height or so, dropped the fucking thing. i squatted down a little reflexively and the bar landed straight on my right knee. it's gonna be ugly as hell tomorrow. $:-\$

db swings:
80x8/8
80x8/8
80x8/8 - each side

face pulls:
70x12
70x12
70x12

abs

box front squats:
135x12
185x10
185x10 - these were WEIRDLY hard. the weight was easy, but the endurance sucked.

weight: 219? i've been eating double lately. $:-\$

notes: my knee is not gonna be in good shape tomorrow, i don't think.

calves: yep, calves!

Zach Trowbridge · « **Reply #790 on:** January 14, 2009, 01:33:36 PM »

Have you thought about working in safety bar squats or belt squats to get some stress off the shoulders? I've done belt squats a few times when my low back has flared up and they work well with a dip belt standing on 2 flat benches. I would get a longer chain for the belt though, it's not real comfortable having the plates up in your business when you're squatting like that.

ripitupbaby · « **Reply #791 on:** January 14, 2009, 06:49:15 PM »

How's the knee? Anything picture-worthy?

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #792 on:** January 15, 2009, 12:19:38 PM »

Quote from: ripitupbaby on January 14, 2009, 06:49:15 PM

How's the knee? Anything picture-worthy?

i snapped a shot, but all the yellow blended in and it looks like nothing at all aside from the thumb-sized purple spot in the middle. rest assured it's a pretty ugly knot when you see it in the flesh.

THURSDAY

bench: feet up, flat back
135x12
185x10
225x10
225x10
225x9 - balance went out

standing militaries: middle finger on the rings
135x6
135x6
135x6

set of DB standing presses:
55x12

cable rows: wider grip, overhand
160x12
160x10
160x10

2 sets of pullups

upright rows: stretching out
45x15
65x12
65x12

cable curls and light DB skullcrushers for bloodflow

weight: 222

notes: this felt AMAZING. i'm definitely going to keep it up. no more maxing out on something bench-y twice a week.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #793 on:** January 17, 2009, 10:29:44 AM »

total bullshit workout.

FRIDAY

pulls: pause on the floor.
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x5
405x5
405x3 - i dunno what happened, i was just all set up wrong.
405x3 - fast reps. much better.

leg press:
5x15
6x15
7x15 - plates per side

shrug/rows: think supine shrugs done on the cable row. hard to explain.
70x12
70x12
70x12
70x12

ab work

weight: 222

notes: i notice a LOT of these entries mention my lack of sleep or food. starting to fix that now, might get my weight moving in the right direction.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #794 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:10:38 PM »

MONDAY

bench:
135x12
185x8
225x5
275x5
315x3
345x3 - help on 3
345x1 -

345x3 - see notes below

decline: pinkies on the rings
225x8
275x5
295x5
315x5

pulldowns: wide-ass handle with the neutral grip
140x12
160x10
180x10
180x10

DB shoulder press:
75x8
85x6
85x6

2 sets of chins

weight: 224

notes: i have been lowering WAY too low on my chest. i'm tightening my arch too far and touching too low. eased up a big and 345 flew up for the first two reps, but i was kinda shattered from before. i need to touch right about at the sternum from now on.

secondly, this looks like a lot of pressing, but i'm going to do it like this from now on. then thursday will be all auxiliary/isolation aside from feet-up benching. tuesday will be lighter squats, friday will be good mornings or something. i dunno. and i need to eat way fucking more. if i'm not 230 by next week (willing to bet i've been a bit "starved" lately) then i'm not eating enough.

Stubborn · « **Reply #795 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:31:20 PM »

Heavy work, Magoo! You cant be far from a 405 bench. Maybe 2 months?

Curious to hear how you feel about the declines. I have never felt them to be advantageous.

QuakerOats · « **Reply #796 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:34:04 PM »

yeah i was kinda wondering about the declines myself, never saw much use for them, inclines always helped me more.

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #797 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:41:04 PM »

eh, i dunno. the metal militia guys recommend them. i figure i'll just alternate. next week i'll do inclines.

one thing i do like about the decline is it lets me go heavy, but no leg drive. plus with the alternate grip it's a lot of work for the triceps and shoulders. i do use a fairly soft decline, i'm not one of those toolboxes that puts the thing up on an eight inch block so they're almost upside-down and the ROM is two inches.

i think it also has kind of a board press effect in that you can use heavy enough weight and get adjusted to it. when the only time i have over 3 plates in my hands is when i'm doing heavy benching, it makes the weight feel like a million pounds when i unrack it and that screws me up, i think.

Ursus · « **Reply #798 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:45:30 PM »

why do feet up benching?

maybe if you dropped that would giv you etra rest/re couperation time.

also my 2cents feel free to ignore them.

Stick to a progressive routine on shoulders. My bench increased so much woith my shoulders getting stronger. stick to one exercise and be patient

MisterMagoo · « **Reply #799 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:47:54 PM »

it's gonna be the DB's for me. i feel a lot less discouraged.

coan's bench program suggested doing sets of 10 with 60% of your max, feet up, for assistance. it really isn't that hard at all and feels amazing afterwards. my aim is to have easy stuff to do on assistance day because i know damn well that killing myself with bands or close-grip is hurting me.

i'm up for suggestions, though!