14inch grip bench moves up 1 rep :)

Diet and Nutrition
1

14inch Bench PR clip from today 225x5 - definitely no leg drive here :slight_smile:

Old PR was 225lbs x4 on the 25th November last year. But that was a bit messy and not under control on the eccentric, bounced slightly on the chest. Today under control on eccentric and gently touched on chest, plus one extra rep. So stronger I guess, but I didn’t really push as explosively as I should have except on last rep.




Right click on link and save before watching to avoid errors!



http://www.members.optushome.com.au…5x5_14Jan04.mpg

5th rep slowed down a lot, I was that close to giving up on.

2

Workout

Tuesday 14th January - Strength- Week 13 - Day 2 - Upper - Afternoon

Good workout today, slightly too long for my tastest, but not too bad.

Workout time - 1 hour 15mins
Workout rating - 9/10

Warmup

Did my general warmup - dynamic swings etc, and 10 reps with 25lb in various exercises - pull, press, oly goodmorning, snatch grip BN press, hang powerclean for a few

(in Chucks)
Lowered to 2inches below the knee
Hang powerclean 45lbs x 8, 89lbs 2x5

14inch Grip BenchPress

Warmups - 14inch grip Bar - 3 static holds for 6 secs each on the way down then x8
Pushups on High bench - 3 static holds for 6 secs each on the way up then x5 plyo style
95lbs x5, 135x5

Tempo - 10X0 Rest - Alternating with rows 1.5 mins between each

175x3, 205x1, 225lbs x5 New PR!! + 1 rep

Tempo 92X0 - 2 second hold above chest then slightly bounced
180lbs x2, 155lbs 2x2

While my PR on this is 225x4, that was done quite fast with a slight bounce on the chest. Today the eccentric was udner control and just a slight touch on the chest, concentric felt much more zippy. So I’m stronger for sure. Guess those miniband dive bomb benches complexed with ISO Hold plyo pushups I did last week helped :slight_smile:
5th rep was slow as hell at the top, I was that close to giving up but gritted it through. 2 more reps from my short term goal of 5 explosive reps.
Definitely no leg drive here, my feet were skimming the floor, and no pysche up

Single Arm Dumbell Rows

ReverseGrip
warmup - 6kg - 3 position ISO hold for 6 secs each then x5,
Tempo 2010 - 35lbs x5, 55lbsx5, 75lbs x5

Tempo 30X0 Rest - alternating sets with bench 1.5 mins rest between each

95lbs x5

ParellelGrip
Tempo 52X0 - put back on floor for 2secs between reps - starting strength

80lbs 3x2

Bits and pieces

Military Press in Chucks

Warmups - 45x8, 95x3
Tempo 32X1 rest - alternating sets with Chins/Rows 1.5 mins rest between each

125lbs 2x3 - 2 sec pause at bottom of each rep, 3 sec lockout hold on last rep of each set

Shoulder Width Chins
Tempo 52X0 rest - alternating sets with Press 1.5 mins rest between each

3 inch Square Bar - FullGrip thumbs around bar - 2 sec pause at the bottom
BW x3, x2

45 degree Chest Supported Rows - Palms down grip
Warmup - x5, 45x5, 70x1

Tempo - 56X0 - 6 sec ISO hold at bottom
70lbs 2x3

Forearm killer!!!

Dumbell Bent Arm Cuban Snatch Raise
Tempo - 30X1 rest 1min
6kg 3x6

Low Pulley L-Flyes on Free Motion Machine
Tempo - 5011 rest - alternating arms
15lbs 3x6

3

As predicted Col starts the year off with another PR!

Pretty impressive considering that you had done statics and work before that.

Definetely no leg drive there, you’re right there.

4

i mean no disrespect, but youve gained 1 rep in 2 months?

progress is progress, but 1 rep?

maybe im missing the point here, but claiming that the “miniband dive bomb benches complexed with ISO Hold plyo pushups” from last week are the reason for your 1 rep gain in nearly 2 months is a little ridiculous

sorry
just my 2 cents.

5

Cool
What are your goals with regard to the bench press?

Your form looked better, the bar path seemed more straight up and down. Still travels a little toward the rack on way up but better. Do you do much tricep work in addition? Didn’t notice any in this workout. Looks like your sticking point is mid chest. Floor or 2/3 board presses would really help with that.
Wouldn’t have thought anterior delts were a prob for you 95kg x3 military press is pretty good.

As for your legs, well twice during your set the left foot was swinging around in the air! You could try and bring your feet more under you and then you’d add 5lbs straight off.

Is this representative of the normal volume of work you do for bench. I looked for some of your other workouts but couldn’t find them among your million and one workout posts. If so it seems a bit low. I guess you were working up to a max and kept it low but I still think that you’d do better with more warm up sets preceding. But a PR is still a PR, good job!

6

Davidian -
you see when I did the 225x4 6 weeks ago, it was not under control, I tried to go as fast I could, up and down like a piston and there was slight bounce on the chest.

here is the clip back then - you can hear the bar bang on the pins etc
right click and save to avoid errors
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj2/Movies/CCJ_14inchGripBenchPR_225x4_25Nov03.mpg

When I put things under control on the eccentric and kissed the bar on the chest, the reps dropped down to 3 a couple of week ago. So when you put that into perspective I have probably gain about 15 lbs overall in that time I think. 225lbs certianly feels much lighter than it did 6 weeks ago,
Also not bad gains for one bench workout a week, I can’t do anymore than that at the moment.

Creed -
95kg? Err nope I can’t military press that much, that was 95lbs for 3 for my warmup :slight_smile:
PR is 175lbs x2 early last year. Anyway yeah all the lowering of jerks and olys etc takes care of delt strength nicely.

No direct tricep work thus far, but lowering jerks is a bit like a negative JM press :slight_smile:
Yeah my feet move around a bit, since they just sit there, and the floor is rather slippery/glossy. I don’t use any leg drive.

Well volume fluctuates up and down a bit. If I do the slow eccentric paused stuff like I did today then I cut the volume right back as TUT is quite high per rep. When I do straight sets I usually do 3-8 sets of 3, or a bunch of heavy singles, depending on targeted quality and loads

All the long slow eccentric stuff has definitely increased my bar control strength.
Well since I can hit 5 reps, the last one a bit slow, although every rep was under control. 225 is now about 80% of my max, I have poor rep endurance, so I should be able to hit 275lbs. I’ll take a shot at it in 2 weeks time.

7

Keep your feet on the floor. You get no leg drive at all. Also your triceps are weak. You need to push straight up and down. The bar really flys back over your face. When you bring the bar out, you need to set it first, before you start to lower it. This will help to eliminate lowering in an arc and thus raising in an arc.

8

Coolcolj,

Do you not want leg drive for some reason? It’s good for you.

9

looks like your moving around on the bench, try driving your feet into the ground so all your weight rests on your upper back.

10

I push the bar from my sternum area back up to where my shoulders are.
I always find it odd that your supposed to push the bar straight up so your arms are angled forward like your doing a front raise?
I have done that before but it feels strange and weaker, and you can’t keep the bar there for more than a split second. Seems I do that on lighter speed benches, but not on heavier ones.
Why don’t you push the bar back up to where the shoulders are? I mean that’s where the arms are joined onto, that way the bone supports the weight and not the front delts.

I don’t find leg drive all that comfortable, and it’s pretty hard to do at my gym, due to the slick floor. Add chalk to the floor surface and it’s pretty much impossible.

Some of body movement maybe due to the bench, it doesn’t quite sit fully even to the floor. I do know on the last rep I moved slightly sideways on the bench due to the effort on pushing the bar :slight_smile:

11

If you’re pushing the bar more straight when you do speed sets then you probably have a strength deficit in your triceps and are tending to try and involve your strong delts more by going towards your head.

You want the bar going straight up and down because the bar path is shorter. So you can lift more weight. And because it is easier on the shoulders, less chance of injury.

As for the joint alignment of the shoulder at lockout well I don’t think thats an issue because you are not trying to statically support the load that long. Most of the time you are moving that weight up and supporting it with your musculature.

What about a rubber mat? You could take one with you if the gym doesn’t have one. If you dig you feet in more underneath you so most of your weight is on the balls of your feet and upper back then you shouldn’t move.

12

thanks

well I’ll add some tricep work and see how I go.