Slapshotz' SST journal

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I put these two quotes together because they both address the same thing. I know one thing, the closer grip/elbows in approach was VERY tough to get used to. At first, my bench press actually dropped @50 pounds. My trainer told me to stick with it, and I'm glad I did, b/c my previous bench high prior was about 245.

As to the mechanics of why it works, I'll ask him on Saturday and report back what he says. Of course, anyone can jump right in and say so, if they know. But the closer grip, elbows in approach does put more emphasis on the pecs, whereas the wider grip puts more emphasis on the delts (which is why bench causes so many rotator problems for those that bench that way). That much, I do know
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I have been leaning towards a closer grip. I wish I could find a nice spec of a barbell so we can point out the spot we grip the bar at!
 
I could be completely wrong but I thought tucking the elbows in actually brought the shoulders and the triceps more into the movement...gironda used to recommend neck presses (which obviously means very wide grip) to isolate the pecs more.

I remember Aaron saying that this puts the shoulder much more at risk of injury but I don't think it means it's being utilised more in the lift...

Stand ready to be corrected though!

Cheers

Rob
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Stand ready to be corrected though!</div>

Maybe we should start a new thread on this instead of hijacking Slapz log?
 
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(colby2152 @ Jun. 28 2007,10:05)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Stand ready to be corrected though!</div>

Maybe we should start a new thread on this instead of hijacking Slapz log?</div>
I don't mind the different comments in my journal
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There's certainly different means to the end, and by &quot;end&quot; I mean a bigger bench press, but the elbows in approach does seem to yield bigger numbers.  I also had rotator cuff issues in the past, and (knock on wood), they're all but gone since I made the swich to this method all those months ago.

MS Overload Week V, Workout III

Incline Bench Press:  165 - 5 (MS)
Squats:  255 - 5 (MS)
Shrugs:  365 - 5 (Normal reps, 2 sets)

15 mins cardio

NOTES:  Getting a tad weaker, right on cue.  Is it insane enough to call it planned overreach?  Nah.  But I'm definitely using the same principle.

Tomorrow will probably be even worse, but then I'll take a nice break and hopefully come back and nail a new pullup PR on Monday, and crank up the flat bench a bit.  If my thinking is right, the week off from those lifts will have me come back stronger.  

Then, next week, I'll skip incline &amp; squats altogether, and come back stronger the following week.  Boo-yah!
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Shrugs: 365 - 5 (Normal reps, 2 sets)</div>

Nice weight... My traps miss shrugs a lot. Do you them on a assisted dip machine, DB's, barbell, or trap bar?
 
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(Slapshotz @ Jun. 28 2007,19:50)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">NOTES: Getting a tad weaker, right on cue. Is it insane enough to call it planned overreach? Nah. But I'm definitely using the same principle.</div>
I wouldn't have thought you could overreach on such an abbreviated routine.
 
Colby wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Nice weight... My traps miss shrugs a lot. Do you them on a assisted dip machine, DB's, barbell, or trap bar?</div>
Tks, Colby! It's far from my all time high, but I plan on working my way back up. I use a plain ol' barbbell.

Liege wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I wouldn't have thought you could overreach on such an abbreviated routine.</div>
It all comes down to diet. On such a low carb diet, it doesn't take much to put me over the top. Before I switched things up to blast each muscle group repeatedly, like I'm doing now, I would only train once every 3 days or so. In a lot of ways, my diet holds me back...but in others, it's helped tremendously. I still have decent power, just not a lot of reserves
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MS Overload Week V, Workout IV

Incline Bench Press: 155 - 5 (MS)
Squats: 245 - 5 (MS)
No shrugs

NOTES: Fried...not from working out, but the workweek was totally draining, mentally. Next week, I have some neat tricks for my bench/pullup combo. Should be fun! Tomorrow is the final installment of my bf/lbm analysis. We'll know for sure how my plan has been working these last 3 months.
 
LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN...SLAPZ' CUTTING PROGRAM IS COMPLETE!!!!

Had my final bf analysis done today with my trainer, and it came in at...drumroll, please....

7.75%
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, bodyweight 159.

Now, the fun begins. I plan on staying under 8.5%...pretty much forever...but he wants me to crank up my protein by 40 to 50 grams per day, and to start taking creatine, which I plan to do. I'm still going to maintain my low carb lifestyle.

We figure it will take about 6 months for me to meet &amp; surpass my previous strength feats, since I'm at a much lighter bodyweight. When you weigh 220, a drop to 215 isn't all that significant, but 5 pounds on my already lean frame is quite a bit to give up and still lift what I was lifting at 164. I've embraced that fact, and will just have to work on bringing those numbers back up...slowly.

It took the better part of a year to get here. The lesson: there are no shortcuts for the drug free bodybuilder. Progression can be painstakingly slow, but as long as you can stick it out for the long haul, any goal is possible!
 
Congrats on hitting your goal slapz. I hear ya about staying lean. I'm doing a slow cut now, I want to lost 10 pounds of fat by the end of the year. I figure by doing it that slow I should still be able to increase strength.
 
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(liegelord @ Jul. 01 2007,01:26)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Congrats on hitting your goal slapz.  I hear ya about staying lean.  I'm doing a slow cut now, I want to lost 10 pounds of fat by the end of the year.  I figure by doing it that slow I should still be able to increase strength.</div>
tks, liege...10 pounds on your frame? piece of cake. still plenty of PBs left, that's for sure.
 
MS Overload Week VI, Workout I

Flat Bench:  Max Lift - 245 (2 MS reps)
Weighted Chins:  Max Lift - BW+105 (1 MS rep) ***NEW PB

15 mins. cardio


NOTES: Okay, here's how it works.  I will try to work out 3 days on/4 days off.  The first day will most likely be my strongest, though there may be days where I pull off a 2nd in a row.  But I'm not doing my job if I don't see a serious decline in strength by the third day.  

After that, 4 days off.

Then the following week, I focus on two different lifts (next week, incline &amp; squat).  That way, I'm overtraining one set of muscle groups, giving them a full 10 days to re-group, then going for a higher number when I come back to them.

Each exercise will be 8 to 10 MaxStim-style reps.  Obviously, the weight drops as I make my way through the rep scheme.  I'll only post the highs for that particular workout.

Pretty pleased with the chin effort.  It's been over a month since my last PR, and it will probably be another month b/4 I get another one
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(liegelord @ Jul. 03 2007,02:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Congrats again there slapz, I think you've got the top 1RM chin now.
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Have you stopped doing clean &amp; jerks?</div>
Yeah, it was good to hit another PB. I hate the fact that they're so infrequent now
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As far as the jerk movements, I'm kind of alternating them in every other month or so...but since you brought it up, now I'm wondering if either the clean &amp; jerk or split jerk should be done next week in lieu of my incline presses? What do you think?
 
MS Overload Week VI, Workout II

Flat Bench: Max Lift - 245 (1 MS rep)
Weighted Chins: Max Lift - BW+70 (1 MS rep)

15 mins. cardio


NOTES: I managed to get a pretty poor single rep out of 245 b/4 decending back down, and my pullup numbers are down drastically from yesterday. All part of the grand plan. Tomorrow, when I hit these msucles for the 3rd day in a row, they'll be even weaker.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Now, the fun begins. I plan on staying under 8.5%...pretty much forever...but he wants me to crank up my protein by 40 to 50 grams per day, and to start taking creatine, which I plan to do. I'm still going to maintain my low carb lifestyle.</div>

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I managed to get a pretty poor single rep out of 245 b/4 decending back down, and my pullup numbers are down drastically from yesterday. All part of the grand plan. Tomorrow, when I hit these msucles for the 3rd day in a row, they'll be even weaker. </div>

Is your diet going to change to maintenance or even a slow bulk to support your strength goals?
 
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(Slapshotz @ Jul. 03 2007,06:29)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">As far as the jerk movements, I'm kind of alternating them in every other month or so...but since you brought it up, now I'm wondering if either the clean &amp; jerk or split jerk should be done next week in lieu of my incline presses? What do you think?</div>
Definitely keep doing C&amp;J; jerks are pretty technical and you should still do them to improve form. Jerks, split or push, will strengthen the shoulders and should carry-over to the bench. As I wrote in another thread, all the olympic lifters I know have big benches without training the bench often.
 
Colby wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Is your diet going to change to maintenance or even a slow bulk to support your strength goals?</div>

Yessir, as of now, I'm on maintenance. If I should start to feel like I'm dropping weight, I'll increase cals. Not doing a bulk, per se, but I may find myself a pound or two heavier in the next three months.

Liege wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Definitely keep doing C&amp;J; jerks are pretty technical and you should still do them to improve form. Jerks, split or push, will strengthen the shoulders and should carry-over to the bench. As I wrote in another thread, all the olympic lifters I know have big benches without training the bench often.</div>

Good points, Liege. It's going to be a tough decision, because the jerk movements take a lot out of you, and my focus right now is getting my bench &amp; squat up. Since I'd be doing jerks with squats, it may detract from my squat numbers. I guess for now I'll stick with my incline/squat combo until my squat is back around 300.

MS Overload Week VI, Workout III

Flat Bench: Max Lift - 225 (2 MS reps)
Weighted Chins: Max Lift - BW+70 (3 MS reps)
Shrugs: 405 - 5

15 mins. cardio

NOTES: Pretty lousy weather this 4th of July, so not much to do other than do some errands with the wife &amp; work out. Definitely feeling &quot;overtrained&quot;, and clearly my strength dropped over the last 3 days, which is exactly what I wanted. Next workout will be next Monday, where I'll be going for bigger numbers on incline &amp; squats.
 
Big congrats on the PR's and cut results. Quick question.. how are you deciding what weights to use on your 2nd and 3rd days? I know you are always going to assume you are weaker on those days than your first, but how do you know how much to drop the weight down to?

Our body comps are pretty similar right now, but I couldn't even imagine getting those chin and shrug numbers.. good job man!
 
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(UFGatorDude30 @ Jul. 05 2007,11:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Big congrats on the PR's and cut results.  Quick question.. how are you deciding what weights to use on your 2nd and 3rd days?  I know you are always going to assume you are weaker on those days than your first, but how do you know how much to drop the weight down to?

Our body comps are pretty similar right now, but I couldn't even imagine getting those chin and shrug numbers.. good job man!</div>
Tks, UFG!  Unfortunately, when you get to be my age, losing fat takes a lot longer.  This is why I'm not a big proponent of the &quot;bulk up, fat be damned&quot; philosophy.  Sure, it's okay when you're young, but I'd rather see people add a couple pounds of lbm per year throughout a lifetime of lifting than to add useless fat.

Also, and this is just me, what really matters is what I look like with my shirt off!

That said, I was young once, too!
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As far as deciding what weights to use, it's all by feel.  When I lay down on the bench, I kinda know what I have in me.  Sometimes I underestimate, but not too often.  As long as I'm weaker by day III than i was on day I, I'm doing it right.

Another suggestion, if you want to improve on your pullups &amp; shrugs, start working on your hand strength &amp; grip.  A decent gripper is $20, and it never hurts to have one in the car.  Hope this helps!
 
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