Dsher10’s BodyBlog

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.