Imnotdutch

[solidj55]

Hey bro, nice talking to you earlier today. Ok I saw where you said you train like a lot of the (I hope this correct) European Powerlifters do. Now I have seen some things on these guys where they will bench like twice per day two and three days per week but of course they keep the intensity low and never go close to failure. I was wondering if this is what you do or what? I am just curious because I am an old school style lifter like Freak19 or Teen Myth. Right now I am doing the "Freak System" for my bench but I am always looking for new options. Just curious if you minded telling me about your workout, that is if you have time and dont mind talking about it. Thanks man.

[Imnotdutch]

I just typed a long ass post and I lost it.........sheesh. So I'll try again....I feel all special now that I have my own post lol.

BTW, please bear in mind that I dont think this is the only way of doing things.....far from it. I'm always after new ways of training.......my lifts need the help!!

Ok first off, let me say that I recently trialled PLJ's raw workout and it gave good results (in 10 weeks went from a hard raw 352 to a reasonably easy 385 raw). However, I change things up every 2-3 months else I tend to stagnate.

Regarding what is normal over here.....well it isn't Westside . Normal means one of two things. (i) Bench (yes really benching!) heavy twice per week....heavy means in the 80+ % of 1RM range. The first day you are working with sets of 5....I do 2 sets after warmups.....some do more. You aim to improve the weight each week. The second day you are hitting triples.....again aiming for an increase each week. Eventually you hit a point where you cant add more weight......so you start working down to a new 1RM or a competition (something that I havent started yet......now that I've settled down in one location it is an option). On each day you do exercises for shoulders and tris. The idea of using auxillary exercises that specifically address the competition lift doesnt seem to have hit over here yet........but I've been playing with this idea for a while now.

(ii) You do a heavy day.....again start working with 5's and work down to a new PR over a couple of months. the second day is a light day......rather than a speed day. The point is to get some blood in the muscles to aid recovery. The 'light' means 3 sets of 8 for bench. Both days you work shoulders and tri's........picking 2 exercises for each and working on sets of 5-8.

Notice the lack of back work?? Thats because back gets hit very hard on deadlift day. Also, these routines are quite straight forward- which is a bonus for people like me hehehe.

Finally, the two methods I outlined (very briefly....but I can expand if necessary) are what I have done mostly. However, the experience with PLJ's routine is making me try new exercises and ways of fitting things together.......

[Imnotdutch]

I hope that helpsd some Solid.......dunno if it is what you were after.

[powerlifterjay]

Guys, here is not just my style, its my mind set. No matter if your doing speed, or raw benching, both are fine. I have just come to a time where i am needing to try new things. But .....No matter what you do your focus should always be over loading the lockout. raw benching will make yoru pecs strong, somethin you must have. BUt if you dont have bands you need them. Not for westside, forget westside. Point is if your doing board presses (the most crucial movement for shirt pressing) And you can push say 405 off the bottom of the board, well i know you can push 450 at the top. Everyone can lockout more then they can bench. So why lockout whats on the board? Add resistnace on everything. If i got 600 on the 4 board, you can bet i got 660 at lockout. Floor presses, Jm, Flat bench raw, Choked , suspended whatever, over load the top. Using bands down alot will give you tremendous speed power. When i trained my style i used bands down alot. It got me to 600. Now i am gona try this and see. BUt when you bench and you got 250 on that bar , push that bitch like theres 450 on it. Always push with 100% of what you got. Do your bench routine, whatever reps your doing will keep you strong, but on the accessorys over load the top. You HAVE to get stronger. You just do!

[solidj55]

Yea I believe I grasp what you are saying. I am assuming it would be similar to this.


Monday
Bench Press-2 sets 5@80%(or so)
Military Press
Tricep Pushdowns.

Thursday
Bench Press-2 sets of 3@83-85%(or so)
?
?

Not sure about using different exercises on the other day. I am also not sure about the second workout you gave me. Thanks again man.

By the way, I too did Powerlifterjays routine of raw benching. I started at 285lbs on bench, went up to 315 in about 5 weeks, then about 6 weeks later I hit 330. These are all raw numbers and they are all at the same bodyweight, actually when I hit the 330 I was about 5 pound lighter than I was at the 285 bench. Anyway, thanks again.

[solidj55]

Powerlifterjay-good advice man, I am going to order a set of all the different bands out there. Right now I am not able to lift exactly how I want but I am hangin in there for now. Once everything settles down I will be adding the bands to my benches, boards, or what ever I am doing at the time.

[powerlifterjay]

If anythng just get the big greens. Then get big blues. Since yoru not doing speed and the goal is to overload the top you want tension. At this stage of the game i would rather add bands then weight.

[solidj55]

This is kind of off the wall but what exactly do the bands feel like, I mean does it make the lift itself feel strange or just more pressure right at lockout or what? I have often wondered about where you feel the bands kick in and all.

[p03t1c]

the bands feel really strange the first few times out. you unrack it then watch your body try to adapt to the feeling. they drive you into the ground and you have to totally outrun them at the top. if you stop in the middle you can forget it.

[solidj55]

Thanks P for the band info, Ill keep that in mind when I start to use them.

[IrishPower]

If you use enough band tension, it will feel like someone is driving the bar down into your chest. anyone can lower 100lbs more than they can press, but try adding 2 doubled minis on instead of raw weight on a board movement. just lowering it will be an exercise.

also, driving up requires that you constantly accelerate or you will stall whereas momentum from a lift will usually carry you through a raw lift.

bands = more work all the way through the movement

got bands?

[solidj55]

Thanks Irish, sounds rough, I am excited about trying it.

[BigArnie]

Have you ever noticed when somebody who's never trained with bands battle to stabilize the bar when using them for the first time? We were busy warming up the other day and had the green bands doubled-up which feels like a truck is parked on your chest, even with an empty bar. A good bencher that I know (484lb) came up and asked if he could give it a try. Man, you should have seen that! It almost looked as if he was deliberately trying to shake the bar and simple could not keep still. It shows you how much the bands help your stabilizers.