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Phineas decides to move north of vag with 5/3/1

Mesocycle C, Week 3: Bench Press

Warmup Sets:

5 x 95 lbs
5 x 115 lbs
5 x 135 lbs

Working Sets:

5 x 170 lbs
3 x 195 lbs
> 1 x 220 lbs = 3

Bar Dips:

8 x BW + 45 lbs
7 x BW + 45 lbs
5 x BW + 45 lbs
5 x BW + 45 lbs

DB Bench Rows:

8 x 100 lbs
8 x 105 lbs
8 x 110 lbs
8 x 115 lbs

*4 sets calves

------------------------------------

3 fucking cycles and not a single increase on bench. I'm pissed off. It's been my pain in the ass because I just couldn't get my legs secure. Tonight I actually succeeded in that, but I just didn't have it in me for 4 reps.

I stopped trying to do leg drive like all the pros. I used to have my legs pulled way under the bar and on the ball of the feet. I had no stability. It looked all technical but as soon as I unracked anything heavy I had no control of my legs which basically made it a chest movement and not a proper full body bench.

Today I put my feet out further apart and further away from my torso. Still less than 90 degrees so I was able to get some arch in my back but far enough that flexibility issues didn't keep my heels from touching the ground. For the first time I was actually able to push with my legs.

Because the weights in my next cycle are starting to get pretty challenging I decided for my cycle D to repeat all the rep outs from cycle C so that I can see how my strength does in month 2 of my cut relative to month 1. Also, I have my 10k race on May 1 but because of where this cycle will end (on Monday..I have 2 more workouts, deads and military) it would be too soon to deload, as I planned on deloading around the race to have time before and after the race to let my body rest. This gives me 4 free workouts before my deload will start to prepare for the race and cycle D. So, what I'm going to do for the hell of it (because tonight I was so close to that 4th rep..seriously the smoothest reps I've benched ever not sure why I missed 4) I will repeat week 3 of this cycle for a bonus week. This means I'll have another shot at the 220 bench. I also want another stab at the 250 squat.

Wendler wouldn't approve but whatever.
 
I hate bench press too. I would be killin that shit if I could push it up with my legs haha.
 
^Me three. We should form a club. LOL


Phineas said:
I stopped trying to do leg drive like all the pros. I used to have my legs pulled way under the bar and on the ball of the feet. I had no stability. It looked all technical but as soon as I unracked anything heavy I had no control of my legs which basically made it a chest movement and not a proper full body bench.

Today I put my feet out further apart and further away from my torso. Still less than 90 degrees so I was able to get some arch in my back but far enough that flexibility issues didn't keep my heels from touching the ground. For the first time I was actually able to push with my legs.
Click to expand...


I have the same problem. The only way I could get my legs to help me lift is to do incline bench press. It sucks not being able to do the same for flat bench. :wits:
 
If flat bench is sucha a sticking point, why not go for the incline bench for a while instead and try and make gains in that. Just a thought?!
 
davegmb said:
If flat bench is sucha a sticking point, why not go for the incline bench for a while instead and try and make gains in that. Just a thought?!
Click to expand...

Because I'm not bodybuilding. I'm not using bench for muscle development. I'm trying to get stronger on the four main lifts. I'll never abandon bench, or squats, deads, military press. I'll add other supplementary lifts but never replace those four mandatory lifts.
 
Is there any specific point in the bench that you find is a sticking or weak point?
 
Gazhole said:
Is there any specific point in the bench that you find is a sticking or weak point?
Click to expand...

Not really. When I fail it will be in the bottom of the lift but prior to the fail rep all the other reps are the same pace from bottom to top. So, I don't think I'm weak at the bottom or the top. It's more that I'm just having trouble maintaining full body tightness.

I'm pretty certain it's a matter of technique and not strength. My back-dominant exercises have all increased, as have deadlifts (back strenght..bottom phase of bench push). My military press and dips have increased (tricep strength...lockout). All my lifts have gone up except bench, but my numbers haven't dropped either. I just need to keep working on technique. It will happen. The thing is I never feel very fatigued after my bench rep out, like I have more in me, whereas the military rep out floors me (but my military technique is amazing).
 
you're just weaker on bench vs your other exercises...
a guy from years past was a top bodybuilder and did 140 dips non stop.. i seen him.. but.... his max on pullups was only 22.. not everyone is a beast on all exercises.
sure, your poundage will eventually increase, but the bench will probably always be your weak link..
 
You still cutting, right? What's your weight at now? You seem to be maintaining strength very well.
 
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ihateschoolmt said:
You still cutting, right? What's your weight at now? You seem to be maintaining strength very well.
Click to expand...

My pre-cut weight including water weight was 191 lbs.

Today is a refeed, so I was heavier than normal from the water weight of hundreds of grams of carbs. Today I weighed 186 lbs. So, considering this is with water weight I think it's safe to assume an approximate drop of 5 lbs after 3 weeks as of today, so a little over 1.5 lbs a week.

I was a bit lighter during the week when I had less water weight. At this point I've noticed more shape in my body. More separation in my quads, glutes, and calfs. Lats are visibile much further down. Love handles diminishing. Chest much tighter. Rib cage much tighter. And torso overall much tighter.

Once I get to 180 with water weight I should start looking pretty damn good. And ya the strength is going up so far! My running is also improving. I have the 10k race on May 1. The training has been interesting being several pounds lighter.

It's been a very comfortable cut all because of fewer meals where I actually can feel satisfied. I'm probably going to go keto soon because I find that even on no carb days my energy is no different, so I might as well go keto and cut more efficiently. I basically understand the diet, I just don't know if you cycle the calories on training days. Like, if I would add 300 calories to compensate for calories burned...only instead of from carbs like you do in carb cycling it would be extra fat or protein.

Ohhh Built???!!!....
 
Sounds like you are making great progress, I am starting to research cutting because I want to do a very short cut right before the transformation contest is over. Trying to see what everyone thinks is the best. So you think Keto is the way to go for fast fat loss? I will have to read up on that.
 
davegmb said:
If you include the warm ups and RDL's thats 10 set of deadlifts, must have been a tough session
Click to expand...

Well, the warmups are absolutely no effort..just getting the blood moving. Even the first two working sets aren't really challenging. They're meant to just get you prepared for the rep out. It's not like conventional bodybuilding type training where every set is taxing.

So, really it was like 5 sets of deadlifts, but romanians don't take as much out of me as from the floor deads.
 
ihateschoolmt said:
Sounds like you are making great progress, I am starting to research cutting because I want to do a very short cut right before the transformation contest is over. Trying to see what everyone thinks is the best. So you think Keto is the way to go for fast fat loss? I will have to read up on that.
Click to expand...

Built is the one to talk to about cutting. There are many approaches but I think keto is one of the better ones for people to do as they lean out. I'd imagine it's harder to drop fat below 10% on carb cycling or, worse, a general calorie deficit diet. A lot of people in the bodybuilding.com mentality tend to just drop calories but follow the idiotic 40/40/20 crap, or some other fractions approach. They end up with very little fat, moderate carbs and moderate protein. It will work, but nowhere near as well as other methods.

Some people carb cycle heavier than I do, with days of carbs upwards of 200g. I carb cycle basically like it's keto just that on gym days I have one serving of a grain, which I do as 300 cals, 60g carbs (usually gives an additional 7-12g protein depending on the source..either bagel, pasta, or potatoes).

It's oddly comfortable living carb free, though. You get used to downing hundreds of grams a day when bulking that it seems necessary for those brutal gym sessions but as you've seen in my diary I've gotten stronger and 2/3 of the workouts (refeed once a week on Saturday) have been with only 60g carbs in my system for the whole day, AND a calorie deficit.
 
Built told me to do PSMF and IDK what that means but shes gonna send me more spreadsheets haha. I'm already below 10% body fat though, so I guess I won't be cutting like a normal person.
 
Looking good, man! Your numbers have gone up really well since you started 5/3/1. Great work! :)
 
Is benching tough after military press or is it not that bad?
 
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