DCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[Renascent]

@Renascent, interested in your thoughts here as well as I believe you’re also a once a week bencher, albeit with some significant overhead work in between.

In my heart of hearts, I'd still be a twice-a-week bench presser, but the demands of life and my immediate physical requirements have altered my stance on my approaches towards the main lifts.

I've gradually leaned into @MarkKO's approach to the "main" lifts: I think once a week is fine if eating, sleeping, and overall recovery habits are properly dialed in. I think it's possible to make measurable progress if you handle things on the accessory front. I still think frequency is relevant, but a lot can happen with enough rest and consistent eating habits. You can get away with less-frequent benching if you take care of your benching muscles.

Ample work with front and rear delts, upper back/lats, and hips. I prefer a bodybuilding approach, i.e., high volume and low fatigue. Eat like you're aiming to max out, but use a sets-across approach to maintain your confidence and your recovery reserves. I have my best days when I prep muscle groups that'll aid with hip drive and a controlled (but not necessarily slow) eccentric a few days in advance. I think hip drive and lower-back health are related. Work your hip flexors.

I'd keep a lazy eye on Hanley's rep/set schemes. He's a math whore, but there's also an autoregulated intuition that makes sense if you stare at his load progressions long enough.

Lastly, everything's connected; energy leaks come from the oddest places. Take advantage of all the machines at your disposal that'll strengthen your ball-and-socket joints. Stick to your own timeframes, enjoy yourself, stay safe, and have some good metal on hand.

- Ended with sightly bent leg raises (not knee raises) in one of those fucking awful Roman chairs where the thing is angled back like 30 degrees, maybe more, presumably so that one can get a huge ROM but which really just forces one’s back into a giant arch.

I've rarely used an actual Roman chair (Captain's chair?), but I think you're right about the purpose of the obtuse back angle. More ROM for the abs, and more ROM for the hip flexors.

[MarkKO]

@Renascent, interested in your thoughts here as well as I believe you’re also a once a week bencher, albeit with some significant overhead work in between.

In my heart of hearts, I'd still be a twice-a-week bench presser, but the demands of life and my immediate physical requirements have altered my stance on my approaches towards the main lifts.

I've gradually leaned into MarkKO's approach to the "main" lifts: I think once a week is fine if eating, sleeping, and overall recovery habits are properly dialed in. I think it's possible to make measurable progress if you handle things on the accessory front. I still think frequency is relevant, but a lot can happen with enough rest and consistent eating habits. You can get away with less-frequent benching if you take care of your benching muscles.

Ample work with front and rear delts, upper back/lats, and hips. I prefer a bodybuilding approach, i.e., high volume and low fatigue. Eat like you're aiming to max out, but use a sets-across approach to maintain your confidence and your recovery reserves. I have my best days when I prep muscle groups that'll aid with hip drive and a controlled (but not necessarily slow) eccentric a few days in advance. I think hip drive and lower-back health are related. Work your hip flexors.

I'd keep a lazy eye on Hanley's rep/set schemes. He's a math whore, but there's also an autoregulated intuition that makes sense if you stare at his load progressions long enough.

Lastly, everything's connected; energy leaks come from the oddest places. Take advantage of all the machines at your disposal that'll strengthen your ball-and-socket joints. Stick to your own timeframes, enjoy yourself, stay safe, and have some good metal on hand.

- Ended with sightly bent leg raises (not knee raises) in one of those fucking awful Roman chairs where the thing is angled back like 30 degrees, maybe more, presumably so that one can get a huge ROM but which really just forces one’s back into a giant arch.

I've rarely used an actual Roman chair (Captain's chair?), but I think you're right about the purpose of the obtuse back angle. More ROM for the abs, and more ROM for the hip flexors.

It also means, at least for me, that the main lift can get pushed hard in some way every time it's trained.

Also hundred per cent agree that you absolutely have to take care of the benching muscles. I would even venture that this is as important as perfecting technique

[Zak]

@Zak, question - I noticed that you bench as infrequently as you squat. Did that work for you in building your strength, or if it merely your current approach because bench strength isn’t particularly useful in strongman so you’re sorta maintaining? I ask because unlike with squats (and deads) where higher frequency may be questionable, more frequent benching really does make a big difference for me, or at least did up to a point.

My best bench was 365 but I weighed around 210 when I did it. Best at under 200 lbs was 336 I think, so understand we're not talking Julius Maddox-level strength here.

That said, I hit the 365 training the bench on average 1.5 times per week and pressing with the same frequency. So 1 week BP M/F and MP W, then the opposite the following week. Top set of 1-5, then light higher volume backoffs, limited assistance. The 336 around 195 or so I had been benching 2x per week, one bench session and then a close variation plus pressing the second session. Then about 8-12 weeks or so of benching 3x per week with virtually no pressing assistance to peak.

In retrospect, I think sticking with the 1.5-2x/week would have been better than over-specializing. Think the frequency and lack of variety caused me some shoulder fragility and was not worth it so I would not train that way again.

As for now, yeah, benching performance isn't a priority for me and training for strongman I don't see a lot of room for frequency on anything since you're responsible for a wider range of abilities.

Bottom line, if competitive bench performance is the goal and I had to pick one long-term approach, I like one session per week of the comp bench, some kind of scheme where you touch heavy weight and also bag some volume, and a second session done with a close variation that suits you, e.g., closegrips, longer pauses, maybe even inclines. I would not ditch pressing overhead because my shoulder health goes to shit when I don't press. Obviously not the case for everyone. So day 1 - Bench, Incline, assistance; day 2 - Press, Closegrip, assistance.

[DCR]

Thanks, @Renascent and @Zak. Duly noted and appreciated.

(Captain's chair?)

You’re right - I think Roman Chair is a kind of sit up, not a piece of equipment.

6/7/23

Barbell Curls 45x10 75 x3s x7r
Pullups x4,5,6
One Arm DB Rows 85s x4,4,6
Squats 50 x3s x5r
RDLs 50 x3s x5r
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats BW x3s x5r
Captain’s Chair Leg Raises x3s x12r

Session Notes:

In order to not walk around aimlessly again, I wrote out an actual plan before walking in today, which appears below. It’s just a push/pull upper body set up, sets are set, rep ranges depending on how I feel, provided that the trend is getting stronger. (I may even just cut all the sets and do DoggCrapp work.) Legs each day because for the moment I’m weak af. Once I’m squatting 135, that shit will be dialed back to every other session, and at 225 will be dialed back to once a week per all the discussion above. Gonna be awhile, but hopefully I’ll have massive arms by then. No overhead work or unsupported back work until further notice.

Session was all fine / frustrating, the only thing of note being the elevated split squats, which I never actually have done before with any seriousness. The immediate issue was that my knees, on the back leg, hated it. As a rule, my knees dislike anything that involves my lower legs being outside of my knees. I’m going to have to play with the set up to see if there’s any way to avoid that positioning, and I will, because I’d like to keep these. Just with BW they were legit hard, and I felt the feels in places that I never do.

Metal rec of the day: Sermon / Of Golden Verse. I’m not a big clean singing guy, but this is the biggest of exceptions.

Set up, lifting every other day, until squatting 135 again:

Day One
Bench Press on pyramid progression
Incline DB Bench Press x2 sets
Incline DB Flyes x2 sets
Pushdowns x2 sets
Squats x3s x5r
RDLs x3s x5r
Choose from: Step Ups/Bulgarian Split Squats/Leg Press/Smith Squats
Abs

Day Two
Barbell Curls x3 sets
Pullups x3 sets
One Arm DB Rows x3 sets
Squats x3s x5r
RDLs x3s x5r
Choose from: Step Ups/Bulgarian Split Squats/Leg Press/Smith Squats
Abs

Day Three
Incline Bench Press x3 sets after work up
DB Bench Press x2 sets
DB Flyes x2 sets
Dips x3 sets
Squats x3s x5r
RDLs x3s x5r
Choose from: Step Ups/Bulgarian Split Squats/Leg Press/Smith Squats
Abs

Day Four
Pullups x3 sets
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows x3 sets
Incline DB Curls x3 sets
Lateral Raises x2sets
Squats x3s x5r
RDLs x3s x5r
Choose from: Step Ups/Bulgarian Split Squats/Leg Press/Smith Squats
Abs

[Renascent]

(Captain's chair?)

You’re right - I think Roman Chair is a kind of sit up, not a piece of equipment.

I thought they were both pieces of equipment, but I legit get them mixed up.

[DCR]

6/9/23

Incline Bench Press 45,95,135,155,165x10
DB Bench 50s x2s x12r
DB Flyes 35s x8,10
Dips x3s x6r
Squats 55 x3s x5r
RDLs 55 x3s x5r
Step Ups (third box) x3s x10r each side
McGill Crunches x2s x6r (three reps each side, a rep being a ten-count)

Session notes:

First time I incline benched on an actual incline bench in around twenty years. I did a bit of “inclines” last year, but in a rack with an adjustable bench up maybe 15 degrees. This was the standard 45 degree contraption, was hard this first time, and set my chesticles on fire. Enjoyed it.

Dropped weight / upped reps on the other chest stuff to avoid heavier DBs with which I was concerned that I’d fuck up my injured back.

Dips done with legs slightly forward, avoiding extension.

Moved step ups to the next box size, which is as far as my 5’7 self is gonna get, so will need to get nuts with the reps or start weighting them.

Back a little annoyed, but today was exactly a week since it went out and it’s a hell of a lot better in relative terms.

Metal rec of the day: Xenobiotic / Hate Monolith. When I rec deathcore, you know it’s solid, because fuck this stuff mostly. This EP rules. They called it an LP but it’s five recorded tracks and then five live tracks from the prior record. Sorry, that’s an EP that you tacked shit onto. Oddly, thus far I’m not real into the actual LP that preceded it and got rave reviews, but I’ve got all weekend to have my mind changed.

[mbasic]

This was the standard 45 degree contraption, was hard this first time

Most of the fixed angle bench units I've seen at globo-gyms for the last 15-20 years are about 30-35 degrees off of horizontal (slightly inclined).

A true 45 degree incline absolutely sucks, in that you can't do much weight .... and IMO, its way too delty, and not enough booby.

We had 2 of those 45-units in high-school....they absolutely humiliated everyone.

[DCR]

6/11/23

Pullups x3s x6r
Chest Supported T-Bar Row (angled handles) 60x10,10,12
Incline DB Curls 25s10,10,12
Lateral Raises 30s x7,6,8
Squats 65 x3s x5r
Good Mornings 20,30x10
Ab Coaster BW x3s x15

Session notes:

Was super sore from the last session and so this was unpleasant to start. @mbasic, you’re right - I took a look at that incline bench and it’s prob 35 degrees, not truly one of the old 45 degree nightmares. Felt higher, but it had been a long minute since I’d used one.

Got crazy and added ten lbs to my rehab squats, which I also widened a bit per @Hardartery’s suggestion upstairs. The lack of ass to grass feels like cheating, to the point where I’m thinking stuff like, if I squatted in the mid 3s ATG without bracing for shit, maybe I can run this to 405. I’m an idiot.

Really did not feel like doing RDLs so tried good mornings for the first time ever. I was surprised to find that I may like them better, at least currently, because having the bar on my back gave me more opportunity to practice the same brace that I’m working on for squats. I also felt it in my hamstrings much more easily. Go ahead and laugh at my weight selection.

Did not do any other leg work because they were trashed from the other day’s step ups.

I may be the first person at this gym ever to use the Ab Coaster. It’s like a reverse crunch done upright. Kind of loved it, especially when compared to that awful captain’s chair.

Metal rec of the day: Entheos / Time Will Take Us All. I guess this isn’t remarkable Meshuggah-core, but I was really enjoying it last night after I finally gave up on that Xenobiotic record, which frustratingly failed to land. Guess all they’ll ever be to me is that EP.

[Hardartery]

6/11/23

Pullups x3s x6r
Chest Supported T-Bar Row (angled handles) 60x10,10,12
Incline DB Curls 25s10,10,12
Lateral Raises 30s x7,6,8
Squats 65 x3s x5r
Good Mornings 20,30x10
Ab Coaster BW x3s x15

Session notes:

Was super sore from the last session and so this was unpleasant to start. @mbasic, you’re right - I took a look at that incline bench and it’s prob 35 degrees, not truly one of the old 45 degree nightmares. Felt higher, but it had been a long minute since I’d used one.

Got crazy and added ten lbs to my rehab squats, which I also widened a bit per @Hardartery’s suggestion upstairs. The lack of ass to grass feels like cheating, to the point where I’m thinking stuff like, if I squatted in the mid 3s ATG without bracing for shit, maybe I can run this to 405. I’m an idiot.

Really did not feel like doing RDLs so tried good mornings for the first time ever. I was surprised to find that I may like them better, at least currently, because having the bar on my back gave me more opportunity to practice the same brace that I’m working on for squats. I also felt it in my hamstrings much more easily. Go ahead and laugh at my weight selection.

Did not do any other leg work because they were trashed from the other day’s step ups.

I may be the first person at this gym ever to use the Ab Coaster. It’s like a reverse crunch done upright. Kind of loved it, especially when compared to that awful captain’s chair.

Metal rec of the day: Entheos / Time Will Take Us All. I guess this isn’t remarkable Meshuggah-core, but I was really enjoying it last night after I finally gave up on that Xenobiotic record, which frustratingly failed to land. Guess all they’ll ever be to me is that EP.

I think you might reasonably have the 405 once the core is sorted and you can not wreck yourself every few weeks. I believe in you.

[mbasic]

I may be the first person at this gym ever to use the Ab Coaster. It’s like a reverse crunch done upright. Kind of loved it, especially when compared to that awful captain’s chair.

that thing is pretty awesome IMO.

Once you put weight on it, its hard not to let the swinging motion dominate the movement....but it works
You really got to squeeze it in the top of the ROM, but there is no way you can hold it up there for any amount of time.
....and then to try to not let it bang in the bottom, with your muscles, trying to stop the decent.

[DCR]

I think you might reasonably have the 405 once the core is sorted and you can not wreck yourself every few weeks. I believe in you.

Thank you – I appreciate that.

I may be the first person at this gym ever to use the Ab Coaster. It’s like a reverse crunch done upright. Kind of loved it, especially when compared to that awful captain’s chair.

that thing is pretty awesome IMO.

Once you put weight on it, its hard not to let the swinging motion dominate the movement....but it works
You really got to squeeze it in the top of the ROM, but there is no way you can hold it up there for any amount of time.
....and then to try to not let it bang in the bottom, with your muscles, trying to stop the decent.

It’s great.

I found a snarky Consumer Reports video about it from twelve years ago. They start with the proposition that it does in fact do what it claims to do, buuuuuuut that a bunch of their testers couldn’t figure out how to do it, it caused a few of them lower back pain, and that one could get the same results from crunches without spending the money for the machine.

The first item is a concern for people who don’t do this shit. The second struck me as weird because my lower back is fucked right now and I had no problem.

About the third item, though – I disagree with whatever EMG or whatnot shit they did. I’ve read a million times about the alleged inability to focus on lower or upper abs. Bullshit. I feel crunches directly in my upper abs, and reverse crunches directly in my lower abs, and this machine is a hell of a lot more convenient than getting down and actually doing reverse crunches, which are really hard to control.

Stay in your lane, Consumer Reports.

[DCR]

6/13/23

Bench Press 45,135,170x10 197.5x8 210x6 225x4 197.5x10
EZ Pushdowns 130 x3s x10r
Squats 75 x3s x5r
Good Mornings 45 x3s x5r
Smith Machine Squats sled x5,5 20,40x5
Ab Coaster 20 x5r w/ three count holds

Session notes:

As an overall issue, I already dislike the split that I set up. I’m gonna rethink it into a 6-day period rather than an 8-day period. Anyway, the bench pyramid left me fully pumped, tired, and ready to move on. It just takes too long to then spend another half hour on chest, when I currently have other shit that I need to get to in order to fix my back.

I always hated tricep pushdowns, but these continue to feel great. Gym has a thick EZ handle that I love, and for everything about which Rip is wrong, he could not be more right about not pinning your elbows to your sides / holding your elbows in place for arm work. Huge pump.

Legs still sore af, which I was surprised to find when I began the rehab squats, so instead of hitting step ups again I went and played with the Smith machine for the first time in memory. Honestly not sure that I ever touched one post college and I really can’t recall using it there, but am assuming. Kept legs way out in front of me, felt fine. Will keep working them.

Metal rec of the day: Burial Hordes / Ruins. Holy shit. Had never heard of this band but it turns out that they’ve been pretty prolific and share a guitarist with Dead Congregation, whose dormancy for nearly a decade has been one of metal’s most frustrating waits. This is no frills Greek death metal that sounds legit evil; none of the cartoony American gore here. I was hooked in the first minute and it never stopped.

[xng]

for everything about which Rip is wrong, he could not be more right about not pinning your elbows to your sides / holding your elbows in place for arm work. Huge pump.

does that mean that you _should_ pin your elbows or you should let your elbows move? I did skullcrushers there for a while according to a Rip video I saw where the shoulder goes through the full ROM, and those felt pretty good to me.

[DCR]

for everything about which Rip is wrong, he could not be more right about not pinning your elbows to your sides / holding your elbows in place for arm work. Huge pump.

does that mean that you _should_ pin your elbows or you should let your elbows move? I did skullcrushers there for a while according to a Rip video I saw where the shoulder goes through the full ROM, and those felt pretty good to me.

You should not pin your elbows. That skull crusher video is one of the several places that he says as much; I applied it to pushdowns and the difference is tremendous.

I always had done French presses permitting as mucb elbow movement as I wanted, and historically they were the only tricep movement to not light my elbows on fire.

[xng]

You should not pin your elbows. That skull crusher video is one of the several places that he says as much; I applied it to pushdowns and the difference is tremendous.

Cool, I'll try that next time I do pushdowns!

[DCR]

6/15/23

Barbell Curls 45x10 75x8 85 x3s x4r
Pullups x3s x7r strict x5
One Arm DB Rows x3s x6r
Squats 85 x3s x5r
Step Ups 10 lb KB x2s x10r
Lying Leg Curls (strict) 40,45x10
McGill Crunches x10 (five reps each side, a rep being a ten count)

Session notes:

Those rows were way too heavy, lucky I didn't tweak more shit. Back a took a step in reverse today from the minute I got out of bed, so skipped a hinge movement. As mentioned elsewhere, I'm convinced said bed is part of the problem.

Interesting how my squats show no hip shift or angled bar whatsoever with bracing versus arching. Those two things were constant problems.

Metal rec of the day: Lamp of Mumuur / Submission and Slavery

[DCR]

6/17/23

Incline Bench Press 45,95,135,175x10 185 x3s x5r
Squats 95 x3s x5r
DB Bench Press 60s x2s x13r
Standing BTN Press 45,55x10
Squats 105 x3s x5r
Dips x2s x7r
Ab Coaster BWx6 (six count holds)

Session notes:

Missed my flight to New York thanks to an accident shutting down the causeway when I was ten minutes from the airport. Drove all the way back, made a crawfish sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on po boy bread, had a beer, and headed for the gym.

Yes, I squatted twice, because I was pissed. (About my back / the joke weights, not the flight.)

I wanted to gently introduce something overhead and BTN presses seemed like the ticket. I figured that the motion obviously would preclude the bar bar drifting forward and fucking with my back, and also because I hadn’t done them since a college (a recurring theme in my log of late) I could start with the empty bar, i.e. super light weight. They went fine.

Took the additional weight off the Ab Coaster because I had been doing it sitting up. Tonight I sat back on my heels per what the instructions actually say to do, and holy shit that was harder. I’m not doing the full “coast” on these because I don’t want to be in extension at all; rather, I’m beginning each rep from neutral, and from a dead stop, no momentum.

An odd thing - when I’m dead on incline bench, I can hold the weight locked out, get a breath, and get one more rep. Or three more reps. Reason it’s odd is, that doesn’t work (for me) even a little bit on flat bench. If I have to pause at lockout on flat bench, I’m just fucked and need to rack it and call the set.

Metal rec of the day: Covenant / Nexus Polaris. Been listening to a new record, for another day, that reminds me a lot of this old and very awesome record. Melodic and odd black metal adjacent stuff from Nagash, without whom Dimmu Borgir immediately became a joke (now over twenty years ago). Of course then he renamed this bamd The Kovenant and they immediately became a joke as well, so perhaps a broken clock twice a day thing in terms of his seeming magic touch.

[DCR]

6/20/23 (back in New York)

Barbell Curls 45x10 75x9 90 x3s x4r
Neutral Grip Pullups (strict) x4,4,3
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows (angled grip) 65x15 75x12 85x6
Lateral Raises 30s x3s x8r
Squats 115 x3s x5r
Goblet Squats 25,35x10

Session notes:

Didn't get to abs today but am legit sore from bracing so many damn times on all of the other movements.

Metal rec of the day: Akercocke / Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone. One of my favorite album titles, as well as one of my all time favorite records. A very rare example of a band going all in on Satan and actually making it sound as if they're dead serious.

[KarlM]

I'm convinced said bed is part of the problem.

Dude, the most important decision you can make regarding back health is your damn bed. Wife and I have different sleeping needs, and it took some work be we did find a mattress that works for both of us. We paid a billion dollars for the damn thing but it's so worth it.

[hector]

6/15/23

Barbell Curls 45x10 75x8 85 x3s x4r
Pullups x3s x7r strict x5
One Arm DB Rows x3s x6r
Squats 85 x3s x5r
Step Ups 10 lb KB x2s x10r
Lying Leg Curls (strict) 40,45x10
McGill Crunches x10 (five reps each side, a rep being a ten count)

Session notes:

Those rows were way too heavy, lucky I didn't tweak more shit. Back a took a step in reverse today from the minute I got out of bed, so skipped a hinge movement. As mentioned elsewhere, I'm convinced said bed is part of the problem.

Interesting how my squats show no hip shift or angled bar whatsoever with bracing versus arching. Those two things were constant problems.

Metal rec of the day: Lamp of Mumuur / Submission and Slavery

You gotta go to the mattress store. Try a bunch. Maybe Even bring your own pillow if you have a particular pillow you like and use. Please do this.