LiE's Log Part 2
- Thread starter LiE
- Start date
I figured it was easier to deadlift the 220 and put it in the rack to remove the plates. Additional gains!
Planned to do legs tomorrow but it's going to be a busy day so last minute decided to go for a 'quick' workout. Rest periods were about 90s + hot = topless squatting.
Squats
BARxlots x2
70x10
100x10
120x6
160x5 x5 - smashed these out with short rests, so good.
DBSS
15x10/10
20x10/10
20x10/8 - right leg couldn't take anymore, esp with short rests.
High Bar Squat
60x8 x3
Put some plates under my heals which helped, but still plenty of tightness limiting me at the bottom. As you can see from the video as I get deep my tightness pulls my hips under. Still work in progress, need to find time to really hammer mobility then try these.
Squats
BARxlots x2
70x10
100x10
120x6
160x5 x5 - smashed these out with short rests, so good.
DBSS
15x10/10
20x10/10
20x10/8 - right leg couldn't take anymore, esp with short rests.
High Bar Squat
60x8 x3
Put some plates under my heals which helped, but still plenty of tightness limiting me at the bottom. As you can see from the video as I get deep my tightness pulls my hips under. Still work in progress, need to find time to really hammer mobility then try these.
Caporegime
I find it bizarre how you can butt wink on high bar but not on low bar 
I could quite easily butt wink on low bar, but that would be doing it wrong. The butt wink on high bar is mainly due to the fact my knees can't go forward enough to keep me more upright. If I did front squat with the plates under my heels I doubt I'd have any butt wink 
Caporegime
More ankle mob required maybe?
More everything needed, but yea lots of ankle range needed.
OK so update on the bench press comp stuff. Firstly strong date fail, I miscalculated the number of weeks prep, meaning my prep has been pretty crap. The comp is on Sunday 12th, so less than a week now and I thought I had an extra week. My work schedule has changed also which meant a less than stellar chest workout last week. Basically I was in two minds about going, so went to the gym today to see where things are.
Paused Bench Press
BAR
60x6
80x3
100x2
120x2
140x1
150x1 - felt nice and stable when I took the weight. Plenty of control and an easy press.
157.5x1 - very nice 157.5, massive confidence boost to not have any drama here.
100x4
After the 157.5 I was pretty confident I can put in a good performance on the day.
My weight has been all over the place the last week, ranging from 83.9kg to 82.3kg. So in order to get that under control I'm eating clean this week. I'm hoping that come Friday I will sit around 82.5kg giving me plenty of leeway for a good breakfast on Sunday morning.
My initial feeling for my weights look like this.
1: 145
2: 157.5
3: 160
Lift 3 is the risk lift. Lift 2 should be fine on the day which would still give me a +2.5kg comp pb and a competitive number. 160 I feel I should be able to get.
Plan now is to take it easy this week, and potentially do a couple 145kg doubles on Wednesday. Ice/Dom, thoughts on this?
Paused Bench Press
BAR
60x6
80x3
100x2
120x2
140x1
150x1 - felt nice and stable when I took the weight. Plenty of control and an easy press.
157.5x1 - very nice 157.5, massive confidence boost to not have any drama here.
100x4
After the 157.5 I was pretty confident I can put in a good performance on the day.
My weight has been all over the place the last week, ranging from 83.9kg to 82.3kg. So in order to get that under control I'm eating clean this week. I'm hoping that come Friday I will sit around 82.5kg giving me plenty of leeway for a good breakfast on Sunday morning.
My initial feeling for my weights look like this.
1: 145
2: 157.5
3: 160
Lift 3 is the risk lift. Lift 2 should be fine on the day which would still give me a +2.5kg comp pb and a competitive number. 160 I feel I should be able to get.
Plan now is to take it easy this week, and potentially do a couple 145kg doubles on Wednesday. Ice/Dom, thoughts on this?
That's a big jump from 1-2.
If you're not 100% confident with 157.5, then it would be a shame to only walk away with 145kg. If you ARE confident with 157.5, the 145 becomes a little redundant.
A huge part of this is personal preference though, so if you're happy with your set up then do that
If you're not 100% confident with 157.5, then it would be a shame to only walk away with 145kg. If you ARE confident with 157.5, the 145 becomes a little redundant.
A huge part of this is personal preference though, so if you're happy with your set up then do that
My thinking is 145 is no problem and allows me to get the first lift done easily and used to the bench/build confidence. Then I can move up to a weight which I've done twice without any issues. If I hold back on the 2nd lift and go for 155 it may give me a bigger chance of 160 but if I fail 160 then 155 is what I did in feb comp. Choosing weights makes me go cross eyed!
What are your thoughts on doing some doubles on Wednesday?
What are your thoughts on doing some doubles on Wednesday?
Yeah I'd be doing some very comfortable doubles on Weds to keep the groove greased. Very low fatigue though.
I think you need to really decide what your aiming for. If you want to beat Feb's bench, then your set up is going to be different to a perfect build to 160. To maximise your chances of either, you need to pick one.
Don't forget, the way you'll pick weights will be slightly different because you aren't trying to make sure you get a total or make that total as big as possible. This is why you see crazy things like people opening on record attempts so they get three cracks at it, they don't really care if aggressive weight choices mean they fail all three lifts because it's all about doing your biggest bench possible.
However, if you feel more comfortable keeping this fairly standard then do.
I think you need to really decide what your aiming for. If you want to beat Feb's bench, then your set up is going to be different to a perfect build to 160. To maximise your chances of either, you need to pick one.
Don't forget, the way you'll pick weights will be slightly different because you aren't trying to make sure you get a total or make that total as big as possible. This is why you see crazy things like people opening on record attempts so they get three cracks at it, they don't really care if aggressive weight choices mean they fail all three lifts because it's all about doing your biggest bench possible.
However, if you feel more comfortable keeping this fairly standard then do.
How would you structure it for 160? I really want 160 and feel if I can do 157.5 then 160 is there too.
1:150
2:160
3: another go at 160 or 162.5.
1:150
2:160
3: another go at 160 or 162.5.
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Balls to the wall
157.5
160
162.5
You've nailed 157.5 2 times in training and if that's your initial target just open with it and get it out of the way. Then you get 2 further attempts at 160.
I have no doubt you would nail a 157.5 opener, and I am pretty sure you believe that to.
157.5
160
162.5
You've nailed 157.5 2 times in training and if that's your initial target just open with it and get it out of the way. Then you get 2 further attempts at 160.
I have no doubt you would nail a 157.5 opener, and I am pretty sure you believe that to.
Caporegime
I guess he just wants to get a feel for the bench more than anything.
I don't want to open too heavy, for me it's about getting an easy lift in to build confidence and see where my strength's at, that's where 145 comes from. I chose 157.5 next because I've done it a couple times as mentioned. The problem comes when we look at lift 3. 157.5 is so very close to 160 that 157.5 could take too much out of me to complete a 160. If I can do 157.5, I'm pretty sure I can do 160.
1: 145
2: 155
3: 160
This is the safest option which pretty much guarantees 155.
I just need to decide if I'm happy to go out on a limb and try for 160.
1: 150
2: 160
3: -
1: 145
2: 155
3: 160
This is the safest option which pretty much guarantees 155.
I just need to decide if I'm happy to go out on a limb and try for 160.
1: 150
2: 160
3: -
Caporegime
Presuming there is a warm up area or something?
But it's a bench only comp you can build confidence in the warm up area and smash your opener at something you know your capable of doing as you've done it before.
If you warm up to 145 or even 150 then you can open with confidence at 157.5. Like ice said its very different to needing solid totals across 3 lifts.
Don't sell yourself short either, nail the 157.5 as your opener after a confidence building warm up then get 160 and 162.5 for lifts 2 and 3.....
If you warm up to 145 or even 150 then you can open with confidence at 157.5. Like ice said its very different to needing solid totals across 3 lifts.
Don't sell yourself short either, nail the 157.5 as your opener after a confidence building warm up then get 160 and 162.5 for lifts 2 and 3.....
Is my vote.
Opening with 157.5 creates the possibility of ruining 160. Lifting at 98+% for a few reps in succession is too tiring, especially given that you don't know how quickly the round will go.
Trust your gut, if you think you can get 160kg then believe it and give yourself the best shot at it.
Also, 150kg may well be good enough to win anyway
147.5
155
160
I would choose that. If you smash the 155 then you know you are good for 160+.
However if you are feeling joocy and you really want 160+ then I would do:
155
160
200
You want something on the board but imo 157.5 is a little too close to 160kg, it would bother me that I've just benched almost 160 now I have to do it again. Saves a little energy.
155
160
I would choose that. If you smash the 155 then you know you are good for 160+.
However if you are feeling joocy and you really want 160+ then I would do:
155
160
200
You want something on the board but imo 157.5 is a little too close to 160kg, it would bother me that I've just benched almost 160 now I have to do it again. Saves a little energy
.
Cheers guys. I'm leaning towards 150,160 for all kinds of gains. I'll have to structure my warm up well because I normally do 140 before I go near 150.
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