Pumping Iron with Zemekone and Icehog3

[DavenportESQ]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

Drop the weight back and learn how to properly bench. A lot of it is technique. Then work your way back up. Like Daven said, heavy tricep and upper back / lats cannot be ignored for a big bench.
But this would be for powerlifting or pure strength. Think you need to be a little more precise about it. Hard to serve more than one master in the Iron game.

Good Point Frank. I didn't learn to really bench till college. When learning and adjusting my bench dropped 25 lbs. But now that I know how to bench, I like to think I will never bench under 405...But thats just me being cocky..

A couple pointers on technique that worked for me. I always thought about "making a big chest" as if you were posing and pushing your chest out. This tightens your lower back and your lats. Then I think about bringing my elbows in and lowering the weight in an arc. Then when you drive up pushing back towards the rack

[BigFrank]

I always used to mental image of pushing something away from me. Helps me keep upper back tight and driven into the bench.

[Chris.]

the hardest part of the bench is form. Especially keeping the elbows tucked in. I find that wrapping the thumbs over the bar instead of under it, helps tremendously with tucking the elbows.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by zonedar

Looking at the following (got it off Bodybuilding.com):

Chest Day
*Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps *
*Flat Bench Press: 6 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 reps *
*Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps *
*Flat Dumbbell Flyes: 2 sets of 25 reps *


Back Day
*Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps *
*Bent Over Barbell Row: 6 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 reps *
*Close-Grip Pulldown: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps *
*Dumbbell Shrug: 2 sets of 25 reps *


Leg Day
*Leg Extension: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps *
*Squat: 6 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 reps *
*Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps *
*Leg Press: 2 sets of 25 reps *


Arm Day
*Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps *
*Skullcrusher: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps *
*Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps *
*Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps *
*Cable Curl: 2 sets of 25 reps *
*Triceps Pushdown: 2 sets of 25 reps *

Thoughts?

Great for one time through, then you have to alternate exercises, order, reps, something. The body grows tolerant of the same stress quickly...so in other words, if you did that same chest routine every chest day, you would soon grow stale again.

Second time through, maybe alternate the order....do the dumbbell inclines before the flat bench. Or switch exercises....do incline barbell and flat dumbbells. Or do the higher rep sets with less weight on the flat bench, and heavier lower rep sets on the incline dbs. The point is, keep switching it up to keep your body (and mind) fresh.

I also don't see any shoulder (deltoid) work, you don't want to neglect that.

Good advice. I'll try and mix it up a bit each week. I'll add in some arnolds and bent over DB delt raises to the back day.

Thanks!

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by zonedar

Good advice. I'll try and mix it up a bit each week. I'll add in some arnolds and bent over DB delt raises to the back day.

Thanks!

Good luck....kick some azz!

[elderboy02]

On Friday, I did some time on the treadmill and then my boss (physical therapist) showed me some exercises to try.

[PeteSB75]

Originally Posted by DavenportESQ

If It were me I would do something opposite..Like if you are going to have a big push day also work a pull. This helps balance in your body, and helps you so you do not get really tight, prevents injuries etc. On your big bench days I would add Pull ups.

I would also say don't flat bench twice a week or back squat twice a week.

Maybe on your heavy chest day do lighter front squats? On your heavy back squat do a light military or incline press..I would def work Rows on one upper press, and pull ups on the other. No reason to do hang cleans and power cleans on the same day. Why not have one day where you do your power cleans and maybe do less reps heavier weight from the floor. and work up so when you get too heavy you can just work them into deadlifts?

People forget that Cleans are suppose to be quick explosive movements, so on these days you want to start with them and make them priority of the day. Everything after should be a supplement because they are so "complex"

here is what I might do

Day 1
Power Cleans (pull)
Overhead Press(Light and explosive)

Day 2 (heavy Upper body Press, light lower body press, but high rep pulls as your supplemental lifts)
Bench Press
Front Squat
Supplemental lifts include pull ups, dips, rows etc.

Day 3
Hang Cleans(light and explosive)
Seated Presses(I would have a heavier overhead press workout, Seated military DB)

Day 4
Back Squat(Heavy)
Incline Press(lighter)
Supplemental lifts include Leg curls, maybe good AM's, Glute ham raises. Another pull, trying to think

just a quick idea add in your auxilary lifts Day 4 kinda sucks because its 2 presses, but im trying to think about what else you could do Ijust through this together quickly, sorry hope it helps

Thanks for the input. I'm going for strength rather than hypertrophy, so I'll likely stick with lower reps at any given time, just varying between 5 reps at 85% 1RM heavy days, 5@70% medium and 5@55/60% light days.

After I posted, I thought about the squat thing as well, and figured I could do front squats instead of back one day, so nice to see that coming from you as well.

Interesting point about doing pushing and pulling in one workout, and one I hadn't realized, so thanks I'm taking a week off for vacation after shack, so I'll probably start this then.

As for this weekend, I was lazy on Saturday and went to the beach instead of the gym... Spin on Sunday.

[DavenportESQ]

Originally Posted by PeteSB75

Thanks for the input. I'm going for strength rather than hypertrophy, so I'll likely stick with lower reps at any given time, just varying between 5 reps at 85% 1RM heavy days, 5@70% medium and 5@55/60% light days.

After I posted, I thought about the squat thing as well, and figured I could do front squats instead of back one day, so nice to see that coming from you as well.

Interesting point about doing pushing and pulling in one workout, and one I hadn't realized, so thanks I'm taking a week off for vacation after shack, so I'll probably start this then.

As for this weekend, I was lazy on Saturday and went to the beach instead of the gym... Spin on Sunday.

No problem! Good luck with everything...Just a little FYI you can build strength by doing high rep work. A good pyramid scheme would be something like 12-10-8-6-12 The last set is more of a failure set than a work set, I think you need to have more volume than just 3 work sets at a certain weight/percentage, I would do at a minimum 5 sets of 5 and if you going to just do 3's prob. close to 10 sets...Those would each give you an approx 25-30 reps at work weight. This would still be considered a strength builder

[Starchild]

Did our Crossfit WOD this morning:

Good warm up, then
Body weight deadlift ladder (1st min-1 rep, 2nd min-2 reps,.....)
When you can't complete the reps for that minute, run 1 mile.

I went a little light on the weight at 185 (I'm closer to 195), and finished the 7th rnd. I got half way through the 8th, and my lower back said no more. Total of 30 reps in 7:30.

I'm sure I'll feel this getting out of bed tomorrow.

[The Professor]

did legs today to start off the week. super-sets of stiff-legged deads (from 135 to 275) and leg presses (from 2p to 12p). followed that up with some leg extensions (haven't done those in about a year), pull-throughs, and pull-down abs. followed with a bunch of stretching.

[Chris.]

I tried those pull down abs during my last workout and didnt like it. It didnt feel like it was targeting my abs much.

[The Professor]

They involve a lot more stabilizers, which is why I like them -- they're a functional, complex ab exercise that helps the squat and dead. As far as really targeting the abs, something like a cable rope crunch or leg raise is probably better.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by DavenportESQ

Just a little FYI you can build strength by doing high rep work.

Absolutely.....my maxs at 2-3 reps has gone up considerably since adding a lot of high rep work on alternating days a couple years ago.....helped me out big time, and cut down on shoulder and elbow injuries too.

[BigFrank]

High Rep? I can't count past 5 =(, but I could tell you what 85% of my 3rm is including light bands =(

[BigFrank]

405 x 5 for Bench tonight, did some dips then some kaz extensions. 20 min cardio then bounced. GF was mad I was only at the gym an hour

[PeteSB75]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

405 x 5 for Bench tonight, did some dips then some kaz extensions. 20 min cardio then bounced. GF was mad I was only at the gym an hour

She wanted you out of the house so she could watch shark week alone?

Good workout this morning. Squat 320x5 3 sets (tie PR), Press 135x5 (tie PR) and Dead 305x2 (PR).

[BigFrank]

Originally Posted by PeteSB75

She wanted you out of the house so she could watch shark week alone?

No idea, I've stopped trying with women. I just work, not hit them, and avoid the bar. I figure that's asking enough...

Pulled tonight
550x2 felt like a ton, crap bar at commercial gym. Real deadlift bars spoil me.
Pull ups good mornings rows and abs.

Rolled out of the gym. Felt kinda lazy because I skipped cardio.

[The Professor]

Felt strong (for my weak ass) today. Hit two personal records today: DB flat bench 70s x 4 & DB 1-arm row 115s x 6. Did some other stuff, too (incline DB, hammer strength declines, 204lb dips, overhead triceps extensions, etc.) ... all icing compared to the bookend PRs.

[icehog3]

Congrats on the PRs, Dokk!

Off day for me, back for a double-dose tomorrow.