Frank gets strong.

[Frank.S]

ME bench

mid range pin press
(I use 2 settings for these, one for mid range and one for lockout.)
60kg x 3
100kg x 2
120kg x 1
140kg x 1
160kg x 1
180kg x 1 pr
full ROM
100kg x 14

DB press
70lbs x 10
x10
x10
x10

Facepulls
4 sets

Rolling DB press
3 sets

Panora pushdowns
3 sets

notes
- no training parners so had to make due.
- wrist hurt like hell thoughout the whole workout, i may have re-fractured it or something. It just needs to hold up for a couple more weeks.
- the pin presses suck, they are very hard on me. I do feel they help, but they really beat me up more then just about anything. I have only used this pin against bands (purples) and managed to hit more in straight weight then I hit at the top of the banded lift so im counting it as a PR.
- 2 heavy workouts left until the meet. Going to get in shirt next weekend and if it feels good that will be it for shirt work for the meet.. if it feels like shit, i can do another week or two in the shirt without worries.
- training today instead of tomorrow as i have to help parents move, will be squatting on sunday.

[Matthew]

Do you do the pin presses the same way you regular bench (does the bar follow the same path) or do you have the bar higher up towards your head and press the bar straight up?

I found the second way makes me feel like shit but if I press it like any regular bench rep I feel much better and get more out of it aswell.

[Frank.S]

elbows are flaired and i lockout at the same point as a regular bench. For my regular bench i tuck and the bottom but bring my elbows out at the top.. i try to mimick the top.

[Matthew]

One thing I did was set the hooks where I would normally unrack from and set the safety pins at the point I wanted to press from. I unracked the bar and lowered it like I was doing a full rom bench, so the bar hit the pins at the same point it would if I were doing a regular bench. Then I just pressed it from there. Takes out the guess work, and you can't mimic your bench better than that.

[Frank.S]

that sounds like a really shitty board press I cant/wont unrack 225lbs by myself anyway.

sq/dl accessory

warmups
chuck v pulldowns

DB rows
100 x 10e
150 x 20e (+2 reps)

Pullthroughs
4 sets x 10reps

bb shrugs
100kg x 10
140kg x 10 (double overhand pr)
160kg x 10 *tweaked something in my lat

notes
- Early AM workouts suck, only time I could get it in today.
- DB rows are progressing nicely, up 5 reps in 3 weeks. Upperback strength is almost where it needs to be for the contest.
- shrugs sucked, I suck at shrugs because i'm more worried about getting castrated then moveing my traps haha. Tweaked something im my lat and went home, got what i wanted to done.
- All this deadlifting against bands is really smoking my traps, i suck at shrugs, but i can usually shrug more then 350lbs.

[Frank.S]

**NOTE i did this yesterday somehow it didn't get posted on here, this is sundays training and above is todays.


squats

*after we arranged for training to be moved 2 hours later for one training partner, he didn't show, phoned me later and claimed his hip was sore. I don't know about you guys, but when you are one month out from a meet and there are only 3 of you, you need the help with training. Hes done, i'm not helping him out anymore, he can go train by himself again.

That being said we did rig up a redneck monolift setup (a light band was pulling the pins) and it worked pretty well.

box squats
60kg x 3
100kg x 3
140kg x 2
add briefs
180kg x 1
220kg x 1
add suit straps down
240kg x 1
270kg x 3
280kg x 3
add reverse minis
290kg x 1
300kg x 1 (661lbs) *smoked

conventional deads
raw
bands: quaded minis
60kg x 1
100kg x 1
140kg x 1
x1
x1
x1
x1
x1
x1
x1
x1
x1

notes
- bar we used today may have been a 22.5kg bar, just counted it as 20kg.
- This week was triples to the box, I hit my goal of 270kg x 3, then surpased it with 280kg x 3. Squats felt really good today.
- Used the reverse minis to get some weight on my back again, 661lbs I could have likely had for 3-4 reps. Next week I will squat 661lbs/300kg with no bands, then work to 710ish with the minis (710 is my planned opener).
- I know it seems funny that im working with such light weights in comparison to my opener, but once I take away the box, put my straps up and add knee wraps my opener is going to be a joke like it was last meet.
- accessory tomorrow.

[Frank.S]

also - wrist is fucked up bad. I need to somehow recover it by meet time. I'm not sure if I re-fractured it or what... but it hurts constantly now. I think if i wrap it up real tight it will hold up for an attempt or two though.

[Matthew]

No no, you only do that once to see where the bar hits the pins in relation to your body.
So you have the bar in the proper groove rather than pressing it straight up because you have it too far towards your head.

[Frank.S]

here is vid from the last week or so:

[Frank.S]

de bench

bench
bands: doubled minis
67.5kg x 3
77.5kg x 3
x3
x3
82.5kg x 3
x3
x3
87.5kg x 3
x3
x3
add 2 board
102.5kg x 1

facepulls
5 sets

pushdowns
2 sets

side bends
2 sets

notes
- bench speed was way up today. Fastest ive ever been.
- wrist is totally fucked. hurt like hell throughout all the benches and pretty much had to call it a day after that. Supposed to shirt up on saturday but may push that until tuesday if things don't improve. I am getting some 3 foot long strangulator wraps so they may help some too.
- hopefully wrist heals up as I need a PR bench at the meet, which I know I am strong enough for right now. I put my shirt on last night and its tight as hell, ive put lots of size on my arms this training cycle.

[Frank.S]

sq/dl

box squat
bands: blue
low box
67.5kg x 3
107.5kg x 3
147.5kg x 2
x2
x2
x2
x2
x2
1 inch higher box
157.5kg x 2
167.5kg x 2

conventional deads
bands: doubled minis
60kg x 1
100kg x 1
140kg x 1
add suit
180kg x 1
220kg x 1
230kg x 1
240kg x 1 (529lbs)

side pushdown abs
1 set

notes
- squat felt solid, form getting better and im not collapsing in the hole as much.
- deads felt solid as well, I have no idea how much tension was at the top of the lift - but 529lbs was a grinder and I didn't think 551lbs would go so I stopped it there. Clean lockout though, help it for a few seconds at the top. The bands where giving tension at the bottom of the lift as well.
- wrist still messed up so I am not going to bench on saturday, shirt is in for some modifications and hopefully tuesday I can see where I am at in the shirt.

[Frank.S]

actually, the bands on the dead where quaded minis.

[Alcoholiday]

Originally Posted by Frank.S

side pushdown abs
1 set

STRONG assistance work.

[Frank.S]

My wrist hurt way to bad to push down the handle, i'm 99% sure i fractured it now. i broke the same wrist a few year ago. Ill just wrap is extra tight and see what happens at the meet. I mean, if i bench 500lbs, thats only 250lbs per hand.. and I can support myself in a 1-armed pushup position I think.. thats pretty close.



now i present the best video on youtube, lol i forgot about this one, i think i was around 17-18 at the time

[Alcoholiday]

dude, you know they make straps for pulldown abs where you don't use your arms, right? I think spud makes them?

[Frank.S]

that sounds like a waste of money haha.. plus i was doing side bends so they wouldnt work.

[Frank.S]

yesterday - ME bench - no training, giving the wrist some time to recover. hopefully tuesday i will shirt up.

today - me squat

box squat
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 1
180kg x 1
add briefs
220kg x 1
240kg x 1
add suit straps down
260kg x 1
290kg x 1
300kg x 1 (661lbs)
add reverse minis
310kg x 1
320kg x 1
330kg x 1 (727lbs)

*then pretty much a 340kg zercher squat when another lifter missed an attempt and i pulled him back up LOL.. was 100% max effort haha.

notes
- took forever with 3 of us squatting, 2 hours to get through squats.
- accessory work tomorrow.
- hit all my goal weights for this squat cycle, squat is feeling good.
. all the heavy attempts are done, next week I will do some free squats with my straps up to figure out where they need to be for my opening attempt (710lbs). Will use reverse light bands though, which will make the squats nice and easy.
- was keeping my air in the hole much better today and not caving in.
- unsure if im going to go 220lbs or 242lbs at the meet, around 233lbs right now. Likely 242 because i just want to hit the biggest lifts possible, but we will see.

[Frank.S]

todays squats

[Frank.S]

sq/dl assistance

conventional deads
bands: quaded lights from group (400lbs at top)
bar x F hahaha
bar x pick the rack up off the ground and realize i need to weigh it down
50kg x 1
x 1
70kg x 1
x1
80kg x 1
x1
90kg x 1 (198lbs)
x1
x1
x1

pullthroughs
4 sets

hanging abs
3 sets

notes
- "Hey I don't have mini bands, ill just use these purple ones"
- deads where brutal. I measured the tension and it was 400-420lbs at the top.. every single one was a bitch to lockout.
- tried something new, I'm not sure ill stick with it - but it sure did hit my lockout hard where I am weak.
- might bench tomorrow, wrist is still shitty but we will see.

[Simon C]

Originally Posted by Frank.S

bar x F hahaha

LOL

[Frank.S]

I just bent over to pick it up thinking "its just the bar" but it was infact 400lbs at the top LOL. Then I go at the bar with force and pick up the whole cage almost flipping the thing over.. glad nobody saw that one

400lbs tension sucks.. But think how strong ill be if I can pull 600 + all that tension ahhahaha

[Matthew]

That's funny as hell.
That's sig line worthy.

[Frank.S]

[NorthernWisco]

315x1 + quaded monster minis i did from mid shin last night

[Frank.S]

me bench

bench
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg x 3
120kg x 1
140kg x 1
add shirt
160kg x 1 no touch
180kg x 1 nt
200kg x 1 nt
210kg x 1 nt
200kg x 1 nt
200kg x 1 nt
200kg x 1nt
add 2 board
220kg x 1

notes
- shitty bench day, but that was almost to be expected given my recent forearm and wrist problems and lack of bench training.
- i'm not to worried about touching, every rep was less then 1 inch from touching i just wasn't commiting. my wrist feels pretty messed up still and that was not helping.
- 2 more sessions in the shirt before the meet, i will get it sorted out for sure. if I have to i'll wet the shirt.

[Matthew]

Wraps not helping?

[Frank.S]

somewhat, it just dislocates very easily. it wasn't as bad as it has been the past 2 weeks, but not great.

[Matthew]

Tried wrapping it different ways?

[blooey]

Hah! I was wondering where your sig came from. I wish you had made a video so we could all enjoy it =).

[Frank.S]

tried wrapping it different ways, i think it will be alright.

been slacking on the videos lately lol

sq/dl

box squats
60kg x 3
100kg x 3
147.5kg x 2
x2
x2
x2
157.5kg x 2
x2
167.5kg x 2
177.5kg x 2

rack pulls
below knee raw
140kg x 1
180kg x 1
220kg x 1
260kg x 1
280kg x 1
300kg x 1 pr
sumo
220kg x 1
240kg x 1

notes
- everything felt strong today, pr for the squat is 180kg but i didn't use a box, and the weights today where still speed weights at the end.
- nice DL pr, 700 may have been there, but just over 2 weeks out now imo is not time to push something like a rack pull.