Dsher10’s BodyBlog

I have been trucking on with my training and utilizing a wide variety of bench training techniques. They include board presses (1-4 boards), band benches, floor benches and reverse-grip benches. I have found that can now rep weights fairly easily that I had difficulty with previously. I’m not sure what my max competition bench is right now, but I suspect it is much higher than it was even just two months ago.

On my non-bench days I have been pushing heavy dumbbell work, including up to 100 pound flat dumbbell benches and up to 140 pound dumbbell French presses. I’m also hitting my back hard. I’ve noticed a definite improvement is my lats.

My plan is to keep on this program and see where it takes me.  

It’s been nearly two weeks since my first power lifting meet and I’m now back in training. Monday’s will be light bench day, with speed benches @ 60-65%, DB presses and some triceps moves. Thursday’s will be my heavy bench days, pulling out all the stops, using all the tools at hand, including boards and bands. Friday’s I’ll KILL my back/lats (it looks like my weakest area, particularly my lats, so I’ll be hitting them HARD)! My rotator cuff is feeling a bit better, so I’ll also be doing therapy for that on Fridays. I’ll work in some legs and biceps on the off days. Cardio Mon-Fri.

I am improving my form and locating my groove. It takes time to form the proper muscle memory, but it’s critical for me if I am to perform at my max.  I’m confident I will see great improvements over the weeks ahead. and those improvements will indicate my goals for my next meet in the spring of 2009.

Well, I set the records I was after at my very first lift meet, but fell short of registering my personal bests. I was so psyched-out by everything, the meet, all my months of training focused on just 3 to 4, 30 second lifts, that I “lost the bubble” on the platform (some of the other lifters there told me they “go blank” on the platform too). My plan had been to open with 225, an easy lift for me and a record breaker. Lift two would be 235, another (self) record lift, then 245, another (self) record breaker. That would allow me a fourth attempt, and I would go for 265.

On my very first lift, I was so over-psyched that I FORGOT to wait for the press command! Now how dumb is that? Of course, I easily made the 225 lb lift, but got three red lights. Boo! I just blew an entire lift! And there goes my 225, 235, 246 and 265 record lift progression; now I’m down to three lifts at most, 225, 235 and 245. On my second attempt, I really focused on that PRESS. Man! It seemed like AGES before I heard that command. Then I was so focused on the command that when it came and I pushed, my butt left the bench slightly for a second, and got two red lights. Now I was down to two only lifts at best, and could probably only hit a wimpy 235 for a max. But MOST troubling was the possibility of actually bombing! NO WAY! Lift three was a MUST!

I forced myself to calm down, slow down, and FOCUS. On PRESS I pushed the weight straight up, got three white lights, and heard the announcer voice over the PA: “Lift is good! New regional and state record!” Phew! Then I got a fourth attempt, and went for 235 (I probably should have gone higher). On the lift I was still too anxious, and was slow on the press. The ref pulled the lift. It was over.

So, I got my records, but with only a measly 225 on the books. I wanted much better. But everyone was very complimentary and supportive. I was the oldest guy there, and many said it took a lot of guts for me to have even have attempted to do what I did. I learned a lot! Now the first –time pressure is off, and I know what it’s like. I can also see mistakes in my training, like waiting too long to insure making weight and having to diet/cardio for a week before the meet (I came in at 217.6).

I plan to do a meet somewhere local in the spring, just for practice. I’m not focused now on setting any records, just on setting PB’s, and feeling good about what I can accomplish. I can’t wait to start training! Then back for the 2009 Regionals next September.

It’s a week off, then back to the gym. I’m unsure of what type of training program I will begin until I discuss everything with my trainers.

Well, I pushed out a personal best strict competition bench on Tuesday, and had a light, form-only training on Friday before resting a week prior my meet on September 26th.

I am surprised at how MENTAL the lifting has become! I KNOW, a does my trainer, that I have the physical strength to competition-press more than I sometimes do. Over the last few weeks I would sometimes get a mental block and get "stuck" at a lighter weight. Where I could punch out a given weight fairly smoothly, adding a mere five pounds would give me a challange. I think some of the "doubt" is related to aprehention regarding my first competition.

I have had to chill-out a bit, and learn to REALLY get my mind around the weight, and KNOW, with sure confidence, that I can accomplish the lift. I will then stay in the "groove" and slide the weight right up. But if I allow doubt to creep in, all the peices don’t always fit together, and I can falter. SO, from this point onward, I am only thinking confident thoughts, with the sure knowledge I CAN, and WILL, hit my lifts!

My bench press chart indicates a sudden drop in weight. This is the result of beginning to do ONLY strict RAW competition beches, with a "pause-press", and it is taking me some time to get used to the strict competition form. But these are the only style benches I will do from this point onward. I am excited about  moving the weight up again as I train with this style. My goal is to get back into the 260’s - 270’s by the time of the meet in late September.

Decided to take a week off for recovery prior to my last five week push of pre-contest training. Have been hitting it pretty hard for six weeks, and my body feels like it need a slight rest. I plan to hit it again hard starting next Monday.

Well, I did it. Today I met, and exceeded, my 150 lb barbell curl goal! My trainer had me try my max with the straight olympic bar, and I did the 150 smoothly. Then I added 10 lbs and brought the weight up again! Kind of satisfying. Now I’m aiming at 175!

I have been focusing on proper competition form the last three weeks. It’s one thing to slop out a 300+ lb bench in the gym, another thing entirely to properly punch out a competition bench – each time. I have had to lower the weight some in order to experiment and discover what my “style” is, what works for me and what doesn’t. My right arm injuries (triceps and rotator cuff) force me to perform my bench is a particular fashion, and it has taken time to find that “groove”. With that now accomplished, I am training my muscle memory to follow that grove instinctively so I own the weight and can push out a perfect bench each and every time.

Next my trainer and I will begin moving the weight back up, while still maintaining proper form, so each attempt is an acceptable competition lift. The challenge is to see just how high I can get the weight before the meet, which is the third weekend in September.

Today was my first session focusing on bench pressing employing competition form. I worked on un-racking the weight, holding, then lowering the bar to touch my chest, then pushing, then re-racking. I tried to do this a cleanly as possible. I noticed as I reached my limits (I worked up to 320lbs, with the trainer spotting) my right arm and shoulder, which suffers from both a detached medial triceps lobe and a nagging rotator cuff injury, would lag just a bit, causing me to twist my shoulder slightly to compensate. Of course, this would not fly with the judges, so I had to back down a bit and concentrate on straightening out my form. Without the right arm/shoulder handicap my trainer feels I could press 350 – so much for injuries. What I need to do is work through the injuries, pushing my limits out farther so I don’t favor my right shoulder at my target weight. I am aiming for clean 320lb bench as soon as possible.

I’ve decided to enter a power lifting contest. I am searching for a relatively local meet where I can compete in the Masters III class at 100kg BW. As my back precludes any squatting of dead lifting, I would enter the bench-only competiton and do my lifting entirely “raw”. I have checked a number of previous meets and looked at the results for lifters in my age and weight category, and have found that had I competed, I would have placed very well, sometimes even first with what I am presently benching in the gym. So, with some goal-orientated training, I think I have a decent chance at accomplishing something. In light of this, my training will change, focusing more directly on benching. I begin my new cycle on Monday.