The Latest....

I'm going to set up another training log and migrate this one over there soon, but in the mean time here's a few notes from the past year.

I initially was planning to compete in this years nationals bench champs, but my real target this year was to bench 200kgs. I was also planning to compete in the Rotorua tough guy challenge (12k course with obstacles and mud) but I sustained a torn calf pulling a heavy sled without warming up, then ended up with a secondary tear a couple of weeks later which f**ked me and put me out of full 3 lifts as well. Along with this I also reinjured my back due to poor mobility which set me up as a pure bench specialist for the rest of the year.

My raw target was 155 -160kg bench, but with the super katana arriving in march and things going so well I decided to focus as much as I could on that, with pleasing results when I pressed 205kgs successfully on my second attempt at the Eastside benchpress qualifier in September. I did manage a 150kg bench at an Eastside club lft as well which I also take a lot of pride in.

With the focus being on equipped benching I reduced the direct raw bench press training a bit, but I dint lose much (if any) strength. Tightness and my set up were a bit off though.

After benching the 205kgs I took some time off the shirt work. But my approach to the next competition was too relaxed. I only put the shirt on once, the week prior to the best of the south / sth island champs and lowered 205kgs only to a 1 board. The result was that on meet day the 205 felt heavier then a month earlier and I struggled to press it (although I did get the lift). A bad set up (combined with not actually practicing setting up on the ufammiliar comp bench) resulted in a nasty back spasm which knocked me out of the comp (I still managed first place in my group).

At the Eastside open a couple of weeks later I bombed on 205, then 207.5. I had not put the shirt on more then once (again) before this competition and it showed. Although I'm very happy with my results this year, I learned some very good lessons.

1. Respect the weight, and train with it leading up to a meet. Especially when there is such a big difference between my raw training loads and my equipped ones.
2. Practice the set up. Ask for feed back from others - Graham Cook noticed that I was dipping to one side at the Eastside open. This was from being loose on the chest and not having tight legs. I forgot to thank him for that because despite missing my next attempt, I came away knowing what happened.
3. Take note of variables and factor them in. The bench in Greymouth (best of the south) was higher then normal so when I set up my shoulders werent back enough. The effort it took to touch knocked me around and beat up my body. I knew it was high but I didnt get in and practice my set up before hand OR take notice of my body duing the comp. If I had, I would have felt my shoulders sitting in the wrong spot.
4. Drive with your legs the whole time you are on the bench.
5. It takes maturity and brains to deload. (I need to work on both

The rest of the year will just be a few weeks of building up volume with heavy weights,and gradually working my way back to heavy singles and plenty of speed work (I did some the other night and with longer then normal rests, got some really good feeling sets in).

I also got a tip that I believe may help my squat and reduce the pressure in my back. By pressing the floor away with my legs, rather then levering through with my hips and back (its hard to describe), I felt tge tension and pressure transfer from my back and hips into my legs and hips. It felt great and I banged out a bunch of reps without the normal tightness that comes in my lower back (which is ecsaserbated by arching in the bench). I hope a similar switch of thinking helps me protect my back in the deadlift as well.

I have also thown in some core work twice a week which I am enjoying a lot. The new method of progressing ( a simple sort of pyramid) seems to be going well too. I would like to shorten the time it takes complete further.

All in all a great year. A trip to Disneyland might make next years goals a bit weird looking but I think I'll be back doing some full 3 lifts next year which I am lookin forward to!

Back In The Bench Shirt

I meant to train posterior chain, but ended up jumping into the shirt instead. Actually felt pretty good and managed to work up to 215kgs of 2 boards and felt pretty comfortable. Hopefully this is a good sign for the Eastside Open next week.

Heavy shirt work was followed by triceps, which consisted of lots of close grip floor pressing, some dips, dumbell extensions and band work. I strung together a few good sessions this week, and the body is feeling a bit stiff and sore. I did some cardio at home - skipping, KB swings, and short runs for time (10mins) then went to Sumner for a swim. Good way to finish off, but also got in an easy stroll with Jonah in the evening.

Saturday morning was speed deadlifts - I still find I get so much more form these by approaching them as practice - camber bar goodmornings, only workign up to 80 kgs though as the back was feeling a bot rusty, and heaps of GHR. I keep the reps low on these as my knees start feeling it a bit much (in the range of 5-8). Then lo and behold I actually did some abs. Hanging straight leg raises up to the bar, and some roll outs. Definitely feel better for having done them.

Tomorrow might be a good day to swing the hammer and do some farmers walks.

Of Late

I've had a hard time trying to string together good training sessions over the last couple of weeks since my last post. It wasn't ideal as I was trying to get ready (in my head as well as my body) for the Best Of The South/South Island bench champs held in Greymouth last weekend.

I managed one rough shirt session the week prior to the meet, but that was the first time I had put it on since the meet in September. I didnt feel great about it, but after an ugly 1 board effort I figured I'd be able to mongrel it down if I had to. I was never going to touch with anything lighter then 205kgs, and although I certainly wasn't pressing as well as in September, I figured I'd probably be able to mongrel that up as well.

come the day of the meet and after a long drive I weighed in at 100.25kgs .05 heavier then Sept. We didnt have our comp bench, and the one we used was higher then normal. I stupidly didn't have any practice setups before my opener, which set me up for an ugly day of lifting.

On my opener I didnt get my shoulders back properly. This was due to the high bench and me not paying enough attention. I have to say that the hand out was rough too, but again that's something I should have accounted for and gone over with the spotter. While waiting for the start signal I could already feel the shirt tightening up, and it felt like it took 10 minutes to reach my chest. I got stuck for a bit at what felt like 2cm from touching and nearly decided to flag it and press it, miss the lift and go on to my 2nd attempt. But I decided to give it a bit extra and manged a touch. The press felt slow, wonky and ugly but I got 2 white lights.

All that time spent straining and arching caused a spasm in my right lat, low down about inline with my elbow. I couldn't stand up for a while so flagged my last 2 lifts. Luckily for me Alf (the guy who would have won) was reffing so I managed to win with my rude lift.

Craig (a close to 2x bodyweight raw bencher) and Alf (probably pound for pound the best bencher in NZ) both lifted in the Best of the South section (all the guys using bench shirts were in the Sth Is champs section that went first. Craig did 180, the 205, both quite easy, then got hurt (torn bicep I think) having a crack at 220kgs. He got the win though, and Alf cleaned up second with 140, 150 and 160, all of which looked easy.

There were a few giggles from the girls and frowns from the guys in greymouth when they saw me wearing my bench shirt, and the bloody shiny black softsuit that Alf lent me, but it was a good day and there were some good new lifters that had a go. Steve Barnes, a new comer who had to lift, then shoot off to fill in a grave (his job) managed to place 3rd in the Sth Is champs which was awesome. But all in all it was cool to see the Eastside guys dominate.

Training is feeling really good, and I think it has a lot to do with getting more sleep! And training more in the evenings. I think a few simple things like having water to drink on my work desk help as well.

I'll hopefully be able to make more consistent posts on here as well. In the mean time Craig has set up a blog at www.biggerstrongersmarter.wordpress.com which will be well worth looking at and Spida, a PT who works and trains out of Eastside has an up coming MMA fight. He's done some videos as he builds up - some training, some talking, - which are pretty cool too so look for him at www.ehpfitness.com.

Speed Deadlifts

Rather then root my back more then it already is I decided to stick to speed deads, and bring up my upper back. This saves me having to lift too heavy too often. I stick to sumo for speed deads as I get a lot more out of them even though they cause some pretty mean DOMS on the inside of my hamstrings. Followed this up with 4 sets of reverse hypers, single leg kettlebell deadlifts (I think they're gat but I defintely feel them) and added in some camber bar goodmornings. The GM's were an addition to last weeks workload as I a get healthier again (plus an extra set on the other movements).

Didnt go too hard but still had a hard time bending over the next day.

Did speed bench and shoulders the following day (Friday). I added an extra chain to the bar weight (of 50kgs) so was 50+4 chains at the top. I'm taking a break from the bands to give my elbows a rest, but I still feel like I'm getting plenty out of it (can't beat the bands for building the stretch reflex though - although I feel like dips might be a good alternative).
Shoulders was some military press, but my energy evaporated quicker then I expected and I only fit in 4 sets at 65kgs before following up with some presses in the machine. Followed 5 sets of that (which was tougher then I expected only 5 sets of 10 with 48kgs) with some lateral cable raises (not worth mentioning the weights and reps as these are all done light for the sake of getting a decent pump as well as some facepulls - 42 x 15 x 5 try and do a bit to counter all the benching I've been doing of late.

Still feels like a gradual process but I'm defintely heading back up to where I want to be. Might put the shirt on next saturday then make a descision about the best of the south. I feel like my might be at my best in the shirt, but I've also dropped a bit of size so that could factor in with how well the katana goes, although my triceps are feeling pretty good with my close grip being the best I've been for ages. Will wait and see next week. Looking forward to it.

Monday Chest

Managed to drag myself into the gym despite not feeling right up to it. Picked up where I left off yesterday and did a few sets of bench, dumbell incline bench, incline flyes and tricep rope push downs.

BP-100 x 10, 110 x 8, 130 x 5, 120 x 5, 110 x 8, 100 x 10
Incline Dbell Press- 30x10, 40x5, 32.5x10x2

Incline Flyes - 15x12, 17.5x12, 20x12, 25x10
Rope Push Downs - 42x15x3

Had some wicked pressure in my head due to a badly blocked nose, but reasonably happy with where everything is at the moment. Half thinking about putting on the shirt at the Eastside open, but not sure...

Sunday - Heavy Bench + Pause

Decided that while I'm nursing a bad head cold, that I wouldn't be doing much volume (or training for that matter). So I spent a few sets yesterday just working on pauses off the chest.

We can sometimes have suspect press calls so I was counting to 3, which showed me how loose on the chest I've been. I want to have a crack at 160 next month but at this stage I'll need to work hard to beat my 150 PR. But I'm sure the speed work will help as well as training in the pauses.

Bit of a slow boring session but by the end of it (I worked up to 140 for a single) I felt like I was tighter off the chest, especially when on the last double I did (130).

Just a ramble today really as I'm trying to get back into the habit of updating this log.

Numbers: 100 x 5, 110 x 4, 100 x 3, 110 x 3, 120 x 3, 130 x 2, 140 x 1 (no pause on the one 140 though).

Training Of Late

Since the bench meet a few weeks back I've been pretty lax about training and haven't had any real goals to focus on. Even though the Eastside Open is coming up in a few weeks I didn't set myself any targets for that day other then having a good time doing my first full 3 lift for ages.

I have been working on speed for the bench and deadlift though using bands and/or chains for 8 to 10 sets of 1 to 3 reps, followed up with work on either the triceps or hams n glutes. Nothing exciting, but it makes a good change from straight training, and I feel the difference. This time last year speed work made a huge difference to my bench.

I still feel slowish but when I manage to time my sets, the speed is building up gradually, and in the past couple of weeks, it's taken less sets to reach a good speed.

I've also been keeping tabs on my resting heart rate as I'm paying more attention to my fitness and overall health at the moment. Especially as I've had a pain in the ass head cold that has produced some of the greenist, most horrible gunk from my nostrils that I have ever cultivated.

I'll be looking to make the up coming week a good one in the gym.