
Originally Posted by
600@50
I've mainly been following the Westside template for the bench. 2 bench workouts a week - 1 speed day and 1 max effort day. I was feeling a little overtrained the last few weeks and spaced the workouts about 4-5 days apart rather than the 2 a week. I wasn't running a huge blast just 800 mg test c a week. I wasn't doing any deadlifts and only 1 leg workout a week. 1 or 2 back workouts depending on my work schedule. I am 51 years old so you're probably right on the overtraining. Got any suggestions? I primarily specialize on the bench due to my work schedule and want to do a couple of meets next year. Thanks a bunch Ronnie. Why don't you post your whole training program during reloads and let me take a look. I can tell you that 2 heavy sets on speed day for bench press once a week is all you need at your age. On the endurance phase for your second chest workout of the week you would want to focus on a different chest exercise and do 3-4 sets. Once you hit failure it's time to stop that workout!
Ok Ronnie here goes. I know from what you said above I'm overtraining. My workouts do not have scheduled days for bench and back and legs due to my work schedule. I would try to get 3-4 days between bench workouts. Back was 1-2 times a week and legs usually 1 a week to every 10 days.
Bench Dynamic effort (Speed) day
Bench with bands or chains 8-10 sets of 2-3 reps at 50-70% of 1RM. Currently 400 raw and 500ish with my shirt. Percentage based off raw max. Total weight was 210 to 280 for 8-10sets X 2-3reps
Some kind of shoulder work 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps (Exercises were always different. Shoulder presses, Hammer machine presses, Hammer lateral machine, etc)
Triceps 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps 1 movement (Tricep rollbacks, JM presses, cable work, etc)
Forearm work, Rotator cuff work and abs
Heavy Max Effort day
Heavy Bench work up to a heavy single, double or triple (Floor presses with chains, Reverse band bench or Bench with slingshot or loose shirt or heavy rack lockouts. Always a different exercise. This workout was sometimes replaced by DB bench)
Incline BB or DB 3 sets of 5-10 reps
Shoulder work 3 sets of 8 reps
Rotator cuff work, Abs
Back and Biceps day
Rows of some kind up to a heavy set of 5 (Seated machine, DB, BB, Hammer row machine)
2-3 sets of 8-12reps lat pulldowns (Not real heavy)
4-6 sets of curls (different movement each time)
Abs
Leg Day
Leg presses up to a heavy set of 5 then drop 180 pounds and do 1 set of paused leg presses for 5-6 reps
Leg curls 3-4 sets of 8-10 (Seated or lying)
Calf raises 3-4 sets of 10-15
Abs
Depending on my schedule I could sometimes get all 4 days in in a week. Sometimes the heavy bench day was Monday one week and Wednesday the next week. So that way I did get a day or 2 extra between bench workouts. Overtraining? [B]Definitely over-training for your age! Reduce heavy sets(speed training to only 2-3 work sets on that day. And only do 1 exercise for 2-3 sets on that heavy day. For example, on flat bench press do 2-3 heavy/speed sets and on light chest day do (dumbbell incline presses) do 4-5 sets using a weight that will allow you to do 15 reps for first set without hitting all out failure but close. After each subsequent set you should be down to around 6-8 reps to failure on 4th or 5th set. Only go to all out failure on last endurance set. Rest 4-5 minutes between sets on chest and even more on legs on heavy/speed day. On light/endurance days rest about1 minute between sets. Do not go below 2 reps unless you are peaking for a power lifting meet and that should be done the day of the show. Your deload volume should be your reload volume. You will get stronger doing as I have stated. I've had several people break new power lifting records using the technique above (two of which were new state records for their weight class) but they also had good genetics for power lifting.[/B]