Bench 3 Cycle 1

6/29/11

Bench

205 x 3 @ 8

215 x 3 @ 8

225 x 3 @ 9

235 x 3 @ 9+

245 x 2 + 1 FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFail

Floor Press

205 x 5 x 2

205 x 3 then my wrist wrap fell off and my bicep starting killing so I stopped

Dumbbell Bench

70 x 5

80 x 5

85 x 5

85 x 6

Shrugs, Cable Row, Abs

6/28 Cycle 1 Bench 2 BEST BENCH DAY EVER

I LOVE BENCH PRESS XOXO

Bench 5x3
115x3
120x3 (previous max)
125x3
130x3x2 <---- WIN WIN WIN

Floor Press 4x5
105x5x2
115x5x2

Dumbbell Bench
35x8
45x8
45x7
45x6

Superset (3 sets)
Lat Pulldowns (100) + Shrugs (215)

Superset 2 (3 sets)
20 Abs (V-Ups) + 30 sec handstand taps

Bench

3/1/11

Bench

205 x 5

215 x 5

225 x 4 + 1 fail (I flared too early and had no driving power)

205 x 5 with press calls

3.5 Board Press

235 x 5

245 x 4

235 x 5

Dumbbell Bench

70's x 6

75's x 6 x 2

I was pretty tired at this point, the weight didn't feel heavy at all, my shoulders were just shot at this point.

Wide-Grip Pullups + Shrugs + Abs + PNF

Bench. Tuesday, 12/28/10.

Bench (belted)
155x1
155x1
155x1
145x2
155x2

Decline Bench 4x5
135
150
150
150

Dumbell Bench 5x8
-> all with 45s

Wide Grip Pullups 4x6 BW

One Arm Rear Delt Flys 3x12
-> all with a 15 lb dumbell

Cherry Pickers 4x20
-> all with a 40 lb dumbell

Banded Rotator Cuff Exercise 3x8

Forearm Wrist Flips 2x20
80
100

Recovery Week. 11/8-12/2010.

---- Tuesday ----

Dumbell Bench 4x8
-> all with 50s

Stability Bench
10 reps with a 15lb and 10lb dumbell hanging off each side
10 reps with a 20lb and 10lb dumbell hanging off each side
9 reps with a 20lb and 15lb dumbell hanging off each side

Super Close Grip Bench 3x12
-> all with inner grip on 70lb preset bar

Shoulder Press
60x7
60x6
60x7
40x12?

---- Wednesday ----

Power Cleans
135x4
135x4
135x2+f+f
135x4 (good, better form)

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts Off Blocks 3x8
-> off a 4inch box, narrow stance
225
225
225 (tough)

Wide Grip Pullups
7 BW
7 BW
6 BW

Weighted Situps 3x10
-> all with 10lb plate behind head

Calf Raiss 3x10
-> all @ 160

Shrug Machine 3x10
-> all @ 3 plates each side

Cable Abs 3x12
-> all @ 60

---- Friday ----

Close-Grip Incline Bench 5x5
115
115
115
105
105

Shoulder Press 4x5
75
85x4+f
75
80

Bodyweight Dips 4x8
--> FIRST TIME I'VE TRIED TO DO DIPS IN 4-6 MONTHS!! ELBOWS FELT ALRIGHT!!

Hammer-Chin Pullups 4x7 BW

Preacher Curls
50x7
50x7
50x9+f
Negatives: 80x3

DB bench

Dumbbell bench

60 x 5

65 x 5

70 x 5 x 3

Close grip incline bench

135 x 3 x 6

Tricep pushdowns

4 sets of 8 on a weird pulley that made 70 kind of hard for that many reps

Bent-over row

205 x 5

205 x 6 x 3

I don't know how to ME bench

But I think I have DE bench down

Standing press

95 x 3

105 x 3

125 x 1

135 x 1 (PR)

DB bench

60 x 4 x 2

65 x 4 x 2

70 x 4 x 2

75 x 3 (PR)

65 x 4

Planned on 2 sets of 4 for 75 but I was drained. Also, this is about 15 lbs off from my BB single PR so I don't know what the hell

Dips

BW x 15

BW x 12

BW x 10 x 2

Bent-over rows

95 x 8

115 x 8

125 x 8

135 x 8

Speed Bench and Deadlift Update

12/19/09

Deadlift, Good-Mornings, Lunges

Since I haven't deadlifted in a while, nothing felt good. I have to make sure to deadlift continuously until the meet.

12/21/09

Band-Resisted Bench

135 x 3 x 6 (3 reps, 6 sets)

Neutral Grip Dumbbell Floor Press

55 x 6 x 3

Tricep Extensions

Not stack x 3 sets

stack x 3 sets

Seated Shoulder Press

55 x 5 x 3

Band-Resisted Pushups

Bench

5/13/09

Military Press

worked up to

135 x 1 (PR)

145 x fail

140 x fail

135 x 1

Close-Grip Bench

2 second pause each rep

155 x 5

165 x 5

175 x 3 + 2 fail

165 x 5

One Arm Tricep Extension

22.5 x 8 x 4

Dumbbell Bench

65 x 5

70 x 5

75 x 5

previous PR 75 x 0

80 x 5

85 x 1 + 1 fail

got some leg drive into it for the next set

85 x 5

90 x 2 + 1 fail

Bench

1/17/09

no spotter, no confidence

Bench

135 x 8 x 2

185 x 4

175 x 5

165 x 6

155 x 7

135 x 7

Arnold Press

35 x 8

40 x 6 x 2

Dumbbell Chest Press

50 x 8

55 x 8

60 x 6

Tricep Pulldown

100 x 8

120 x 6 x 2

Lateral Raises

25 x 6 x 3

Close Grip Chin Ups

2 sets

Core Work

The Devil's Lair: Ringing in the New Year

4 board (w/pinkies on ring): 195x3
215x1
235x1
255x1
265x Miss x 2 (Dumped the first one too low, and lost tightness at the bottom on second)

Once again, my main issues here are losing tightness at the bottom and not enough leg drive. I also need to bring the bar down faster.

DB Bench: 60x5
75x5, 5
85x5, 5

T-bar Rows: 2plates + 25 x 10
3x10
3+25x10, 10, 5

It turns out that our way of doing T-bars is not the best for building your bench. I tried to do the last set properly at the same weight and failed. Hillary and Ted told me that I needed to be more over the bar, and not using my legs.

Rear Delt Flies: 35x10/10
40x10/10, 10/10

Forearms and Other stuff to finish

I really feel like my back has gotten larger over the break. I lost some size on my quads, but I think that all went to my lumbars lol. Before coming to Diablo I never really realized how much you use your back in benching.

The Devil's Lair: ME Bench 2

3-board: 195x3
215x1
225x1
235xfail

These were done with much better technique. I am starting to get the hang of things. Hillary even said that my 225 looked good. Gasp! I am still losing tightness at the bottom, which can be fixed by stronger lats. If I build up my lats and upper back, I should be able to bench much more.

DB Bench (palms in): 60x5
75x5, 5
80x5, 5

T-bar Row (these are done with minimal leg drive): 2plates +25 x 10
3x10, 10
3+25 x10, 10

Rear Delt Raises: 30x10/10
35x10/10, 10/10

Ted told me to not dick around on the rear delt stuff, and really try and push the weight. He said that a lot of the guys will go up to the 115's for these.

Today I met more of the guys there, including George. George came to Diablo at 225lbs. After one summer, he left Diablo at 270lbs. 55lbs gained. His advice was eat all the time, drink protein shakes when you aren't eating solid food, and don't fail. Ted apparently comes up with hellish punishments for failure.

The Devil's Lair: Bench (Post #600)

2-Board: 185x1
205x1
225xMiss

DB Bench (palms in): 55x5
65x5
75x5, 5, 5

T-bar Row (machine): 2 plates x 10
2+25x10
3x10, 10
3+25x10

Rear Delt Raise (1 arm): 25x10/10, 10/10
30x10/10

Forearm Hammer Thing: 2x4 exercisesx10 reps

Ted was coaching my bench today. We really hammered the setup of the bench, which turned out to be very, very helpful. The 205 went up pretty fact for me, and he showed me a trick for keeping my elbows in. Never thought my back could get that tired just benching.

On the food side of things, I lost weight during finals week. I weighed in at 200lbs today. Ted told me I had 100lbs to gain, but that I needed to go back to UCLA at 215. Wonder how long it will take him to make me into a SHW?

Max Exhaustion Bench

(with Phil on Saturday)

I was in Austin, TX Sunday to Thursday, back in Boston on Friday and then back to LA with a 6am flight. Total sleep for the week: ~30 hours. I slept from 1:30-3am on Saturday morning, so this workout was awesome

Bench:
Warming up:
275 x 3
315 x 1

Reverse-bands quadded greens bench
315 x 5
335 x 2
335 x 2
315 x 5
315 x 4

(Phil did shirt work, and I did these when not spotting)
Dumbbell bench:
(done with feet up, for stability training)
95 x 8
95 x 11
95 x 11
95 x 10

Skull Crushers
120 x 10
140 x 10
150 x 8
150 x 6

(supersetted with:)
Chest-supported rows:
4 plate x 6
4 plates + 10 x 5
4 plates + 10 x 5
4 plates + 10 x 5

Cable Flyes:
(per arm)
50lbs x 15
60lbs x 12
60lbs x 10
50lbs x 15

Decline, band-resisted abs
2 sets w/ purples,
3 sets w/ greens

Bench

Bench Press:
135 X 7
185 X 5
225 X 5
255 X 4 (failed 5th rep)
255 X 4

Close Grip Bench:
205 X 5
225 X 5
235 X 5
245 X 3

Flat Dumbell Press:
85lb X 7
95lb X 6
95lb X 7
105lb X 3

Incline Skull Crushers:
35lb on each side X 10
45lb on each side X 10
50lb on each side X 8
50lb on each side X 6

Cable Press Down:
170 X 10 (4 sets)

Standing Ab Pull:
6 sets

bench day

Apparently, it was max effort day today.

Bench:
275 x 3
295 x 1
315 x 1 (PR)

5-board Press:
365 x 5
405 x 5
455 x 5

This is somewhat retarded. The guy who does 405 raw only hit 455 x 3 on the 5-board press. I need to get a stronger chest.

Dumbbell Bench:
100 x 10
110 x 8
120 x 4
110 x 4

Flies:
no weights labeled on the weigh stack?
5 weight x 10
6 weight x 10
6 weight x 15
5 weight x 20

A good chest workout. The lower back was still fried from those near-maximal deadlifts on Friday. I even slept too. Hopefully, it will loosen up in time for squatting tomorrow.

ME Bench

Woke up at 9:15 when I was supposed to be at the gym at 9. I made it by 9:30 but I was half awake for a while.

Bench Press w/ shirt:
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
375 x 1 (PR)

I felt so asleep for this, haha. 375 wasn't too bad but I think my butt may have come up a little. I'll need to practice for not doing that.

Floor Press:
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x fail
305 x 1

Perhaps my floor press max is about the same as my raw bench max. That's kind of sad :[

ultra-wide bench press w/ the fat bar:
225 x 5
275 x 5

This felt horrible on my wrists. I thought the fat bar would be easier (as it is normally), but the wide grip made my hand position much more awkward.

parallel-grip dumbbell bench press:

90 x 8
100 x 6
100 x 5
100 x 4


Finished with 4 supersets of preacher curls and those hanging reverse shrug for posture.

happy fun bench day

My 9am Sunday morning bench days with the guys are a mix of everything, so it's not speed or max or volume. I call them happy fun days. Warm-up sets are omitted.

band-assisted bench:
these were done with the blue band draped over a low pin. The bar was at full weight for the last 3", and probably 200lbs less at the chest.

225 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
455 x 1
475 fail
475 fail
465 fail (but i failed higher, haha)

dumbbell bench, feet off the ground:
100 lb. dumbbells x 10
110 x 8
110 x 4 (only 40 seconds rest)
110 x 6

close-grip 5 x 5's:
(These are where you to do 5 back-to-back sets, starting with the 1 board and adding a board each set. They are brutal at the end since your triceps get worked more with each board)

185 - failed on the 3rd rep of the 5board
185 (regular grip) - switched it up to hit the triceps a little different. failed on the 5th rep of the 4 board
155 - complete. this was exhausting

band-resisted decline abs:
green band, 4 sets til failure

We just got a prowler at the gym so I did a few laps with it. Most of the guys were almost dry-heaving after it. I've been doing cardio (ultimate frisbee) 3 days a week, so it wasn't as bad for me. That thing is a beast though. It feels a lot different than heavy sled work. Definitely a good workout for hard cardio.