So the pneumonia has past and the sinus difficulty that may or may not be polyps/deviated septum has improved dramatically... so back to lifting heavy!
What will my program be? Not sure yet, but I've been messing around with 2-board pressing and trap bar deadlifts this last 10 days or so. I hadn't done either in well over a year, so I figured it would be a nice change.
I was working in the 240 range for triples on the 2B, and in the 440 range for singles on the trap bar. I feel that that's ok, coming off a serious respiratory problem.
Chins as usual for me were a breeze a couple days ago... 8x3 at +50. Lat soreness but no problem.
I'll give it some more thought, but these will likely be my focus:
2board presses
trap bar deads
single-leg box squats
chins
I also did a few sets of standing ab rollouts... not the smrtest as I was sore for about 5 days. I'd like to include some more, but I should scale back to regular rollouts until I get back up to speed.
Eating? Hell, same as always: 180g protein, shitloads of nuts and fruit. Make sure I get my fish oil, green vegetables and olive oil in there too.
Come May I might go for a little weight gain (I'm 5'10", 175 lbs now), but I always seem to lose interest in 'bulking' pretty fast.
Main goals? This year I want to hit a 500 deadlift and if the shoulders hold up, a 300 bench.
*p.s. Matt (PMDL): feel free to comment in here if you want. I'll try to only delete about half of what you write.
Sorry for a dumb question but what's "2-board pressing"?
Good luck hitting 500 and 300...those are fairly amazing goals to me.
2-board press is a bench press with 2 slabs of wood strapped to your chest. It essentially limits your range of motion but gives you a definite end-point. It's easier on the shoulders and elbows (at least for me) than pin presses.
It tends to really hammer on the triceps, as it's mostly pressing in the lockout range, but with significantly higher weight than a normal, full-ROM bench.
* Forgot to mention that the 2B presses were close-grip (hands right at the inner rings)... i went out wide for a couple sets and the shoulders didn't love it. I don't mind if the 300 is with close-grip. The extra 20-30 pounds from going wide isn't worth the pain.
there really isn't that much of a difference in terms of numbers from the chest to a 2 board ive found with most people, where a 2-board starts is right at most peoples sticking point in the bench press.
i have a new love for board work lately. Its painfree, you get to crank your weaknesses and its fun.
there really isn't that much of a difference in terms of numbers from the chest to a 2 board ive found with most people
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
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there really isn't that much of a difference in terms of numbers from the chest to a 2 board ive found with most people, where a 2-board starts is right at most peoples sticking point in the bench press.
i have a new love for board work lately. Its painfree, you get to crank your weaknesses and its fun.
I actually meant the difference in moving from close-grip to wide-grip, not so much the 2-board down to chest. I can go chest up on close-grip, but not wide without shoulder issues.
Most people can get the weight a few inches of their chest with a proper set-up anyways because of the mechanics of the leg drive and usually half decent chest strength. Its right at that 2 board area that alot of max lifts are failed (raw, anyway).
If your stuck there, you got a couple options the way i see it. 1 get stronger off the chest and push through that sticking point (speed bench, DB work), Get stronger in the tris and hope for a carryover, or nail the area directly with a 2board press.. all will work to an extent.
That being said, my sticking point is about 4 or maybe 5 board height..
I actually meant the difference in moving from close-grip to wide-grip, not so much the 2-board down to chest. I can go chest up on close-grip, but not wide without shoulder issues.
Makes sense. I like to do almost all bench work close grip, I too find its less stress on things.
2-board press is a bench press with 2 slabs of wood strapped to your chest. It essentially limits your range of motion but gives you a definite end-point. It's easier on the shoulders and elbows (at least for me) than pin presses.
It tends to really hammer on the triceps, as it's mostly pressing in the lockout range, but with significantly higher weight than a normal, full-ROM bench.
With further 'splanation from RL, I now understand. I kept imagining them parallel to your arms, not perpendicular. No wonder I couldn't figure it out.
These went well, though switching to the rack (I didn't have a spotter today) meant using a different bench, one that's about 2 inches higher, kinda screwed with my arch. No biggie though.
Deadlifts, conventional, for speed (60 secs rest)
6x2 - 325
2x1 - 325 (moved to singles here because rep #2 on last couple sets was slowing up significantly)
2x8 - 275
Gironda Curls (60 secs rest)
4x12 - bar
Relatively quick workout in yesterday... went well, though piriformis left side is locked up today. Breakin' out the baseball! My biceps are ACHING too... funny how effective those are at nailing the bis... of course, I pretty much never curl, so that could be it too...
Ok, so I was told by someone close to me that I'm too young to be a curmudgeon.... so I need to loosen up and be "more open and friendly" in my training log. I GUESS they might be right... hmmm...
So for today's pressing, I've added a few new tracks to the ol' iPod:
I'm also going on a mission... to gain weight. 190 is my new goal. Why? I want to get into the 300/400/500 'club', and 15 more good pounds will only help that.
So I'm eating as I write this... spinach and Ben & Jerry's... a few fish oil caps and a cup of coffee... time to LIIIIFT!!!
These felt ok... the volume was good, but I'm not ready for the 275 yet. Tris are fried this morning, which is fine by me. Last set I slapped on one of those foam things for the bar that some people use for squats (on the neck). I got a little bounce out of it, which helped lock out the last couple reps.
Seated Rows:
10x160
8x160
Neck Pulls:
2x10-140
ERs: 2x12
Post workout I had 1 1/2 of Amy's Rice Crust pizza. 1100 cals. My biceps tendon, right side, is irritated from the curls the other day.
Breakfast: whole milk, protein powder, Hearty Morning cereal, peanut butter sandwhich, an apple, coffee. Approx. 900 cals.
so I need to loosen up and be "more open and friendly" in my training log. I GUESS they might be right... hmmm...
Only if you're interested in having sex with a woman sometime in the future. If not, you have every right to rock on with your closed and pissy self!
Nice work and I look forward to seeing how your little bulk goes. It's time for me to put on some good weight as well.
I had to google Gironda curls and it unfortunately took me to T-Nation. Now I know what they are, but I ended up buying $400 worth of supplements and when my neighbor asked what the time was I found myself telling him to "put it in her butt."
That was some serious weight on the face pulls.
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