LtL's Training Log

[Squatter]

Originally Posted by LtL

Jim, the good morning overloads all of the muscles that are weak for me. I need a stronger posterior chain for equipped squats and all deadlifts.

Steve - Get on that plane!

LtL

Gotcha! Overloading - where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, right here when you did those insane box squats

Damn, I wanna come too!! Maybe we can arrange a UK meet for next year, during low season when plane tix are cheap. Are you going to go watch any of the lifting at the Oly Games in London?

[LtL]

MAX EFFORT BENCH PRESS WITH FAZC

Foam roll
Band stretch
Bench press against doubled super minis giving +40kgs at the top
Bar for a couple of sets
Add bands
Bar for a couple of sets
40kgs x 3
60kgs x 3
80kgs x 3
Add slingshot
100kgs x 2
120kgs x 1
132.5kgs x 0 missed at the top. Form was too loose.
132.5kgs x 1
135kgs x 1 better rep
137.5kgs x 1 even better
140kgs x 1
142.5kgs x 1 PB and beat Fazc by 2.5kgs
147.5kgs x 0 Wanted to really ram home the win but didn't have anything left

Seated cable rows
Narrow grip
75kgs x 10
100kgs for 2 sets of 10
100kgs x 15

Fat Gripz Tricep v bar pushdowns
35kgs for 3 sets of 12

Kelso shrugs
100kgs x 10
Dropped weight to nail form better
85kgs for 3 sets of 10

FIN

Awesome session with Big Fazc. Will give a full write-up later but had a lot of fun. Hazzard was there too and got some quality footage along with his patented commentary. Great times.

LtL

[markievicz]

Looks like a great session big Al , must be great to get in the odd session with fellow mab members

look forward to the footage

[BendtheBar]

Bring forth Hazz commentary.

142.5kgs x 1 PB

Big number.

You performed Kelso's before, or did Fazc convert you?

[LtL]

Further write-up from yesterday:

I'll start with some basic observations about Faz.

1. He's stacked. In his child-sized t-shirt he looked like a bodybuilder. Luckily his t-shirt was Westside so I knew he was down with the fatties
2. He's Northern so if anyone from across the pond ever meets him in real life, they'll need an interpreter.
3. He's very strong.
4. He knows a LOT about training.
5. He loves a pose before, between and after sets.

Things that Faz told me which helped me have a great session and will help me moving forward on the bench:

1. Get tight. When you think you're tight, realise you're not and GET TIGHTER. Specifically for me I was getting up on my traps more and when I slide my feet flat, do them one at a time and once they're set, push back against the bar to get tighter.
2. Make small jumps and do more sets. Get your >90% sets in by taking smaller jumps and not failing. Yesterday we both failed but because we were competing with each other on an exercise we didn't know.

After the benching we did some rows, Faz's favourite. Then some triceps Pushdowns and then finished with Kelso shrugs. These were new to me but are much better than face pulls for a powerlifter as you use more weight.

Yesterday was a great experience and I will make sure we repeat this later in the year. Hopefully Hazzard will have fixed his dodgy wing by then and can join in

LtL

[Fazc]

Hahaha love it and yes, I'm guilty on all charges. Especially number 5!

[Fazc]

I had a couple of thoughts on the Bench you guys use; if you look at the uprights they're angled back slightly. If you Bench like what is recommended, by pulling the bar out of the uprights with your lats you are going to have to set up very high up on the Bench. This is only exaggerated by the angle of the uprights. What inevitably happens (and did happen to us both) is that you have to press and move the bar a hell of a lot to be in the correct position. When that happens it makes it an impossible task for the lats to help. What happened yesterday was that we both ended up doing much more of a chest/tricep press and didn't really get our backs into the movement at all.

I think if you try Benching on the rack to the left, that might help as the upright seemed to be vertical or instead just accept that there will have to be some serious tea-bagging going on if you use the regular Bench station and your head will more than likely be close or almost completely off the top of the Bench.

Edit - In addition to that the uprights are fairly low, it requires a lot of pressing to get the bar out then taken out, then settled. That all takes a lot out of the lift. I reckon either the other Bench or two spotters would help.

If you can do that, then I think your Bench numbers will take another jump up.

[BendtheBar]

1. He's stacked. In his child-sized t-shirt he looked like a bodybuilder. Luckily his t-shirt was Westside so I knew he was down with the fatties

2. He's Northern so if anyone from across the pond ever meets him in real life, they'll need an interpreter.

3. He's very strong.

4. He knows a LOT about training.

Al, you should shut up and listen. You might learn something.

5. He loves a pose before, between and after sets.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 =

[LtL]

Interesting points. I agree with what you say about the difficulties unracking on that bench. Problem with the other one is that the bench finishes before the uprights so my head is off the end of the bench when I set-up. It's also a little higher but I could use plates under my feet to remedy that.

Not sure I understand why the unrack takes the lats out of the press though. Could you explain?

LtL

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by LtL

Not sure I understand why the unrack takes the lats out of the press though. Could you explain?

It's basically what Tate is saying here at about 1:40 or before. The low and angled back uprights make for a very difficult time in keeping maximum tightness as you press. I certainly felt it and saw it looking back at the videos. I was losing tightness and just wasn't getting my lats involved like I normally would.

T NATION | Dave Tate's Six-Week Bench Press Cure

For example compare the Benches we did with the way I set up and take out here and you'll see what I mean, far less elbow flexion to get the bar out and far less bringing the bar out: