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Monday, March 5, 2012

Training - Bench with a PR

Bodyweight - 242

Close Grips -
barx40
135x10
185x5
225x4
275x3
315x2
345x1
355x1
375x3 all reps paused

Incline -
225x5
315x10 <- PR

Db Curls - 3 sets of 20
Upright Rows - 3 sets of 12

Notes - FINALLY hit the 315x10 on incline, and it was done AFTER bench.  So pretty happy about that.

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28 comments:

  1. BenjaminMarch 5, 2012 at 4:17 PM

    Way to go dude! I've been waiting to see that 315 x 10! Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JarrettMarch 5, 2012 at 4:23 PM

    Congratulations on your PR. I know you are big on being strong and well conditioned. Outside of meet prep do you perform interval training year around or just during conditioning training blocks. I am really curious if you still do 1-2 sessions during strength and bulking blocks to try and maintain somewhat of a conditioning base. Thanks for all of your help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 5, 2012 at 4:26 PM

      Yes I do interval work pretty much year round. If I am prepping for a meet like now, it's only once or twice a week at most. I will do steady state 3 days a week.

      Delete
    2. JarrettMarch 5, 2012 at 4:57 PM

      Also, do you feel training beltless helps avoid injuries? Thanks again for your help I am thinking about throwing the belt out.

      Delete
    3. Paul CarterMarch 5, 2012 at 5:02 PM

      That's not really a black and white question. If your technique is fucked up, it really won't matter one way or the other. I've had plenty of injuries with both. I basically just never strain my lower back anymore, or don't mess any of that shit up. MY IT band and hip flexors give me issues now and then, but a belt has nothing to do with that.

      I think that's going to be a very individual thing.

      Delete
  3. bruiserMarch 5, 2012 at 7:21 PM

    that, my friend, was awesome! great job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 5, 2012 at 7:22 PM

      I refuse to use any overdone Ronnie Coleman phrase........

      but thanks man.

      Delete
  4. bruiserMarch 5, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    huh? what phrase is that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 5, 2012 at 7:35 PM

      Any of them.....

      "light weight baby!!!!"

      "aint nuttin but a peanut"

      etc, so forth and so on.......

      Delete
  5. bruiserMarch 5, 2012 at 7:40 PM

    oh got ya. when and where is the meet you're training for? i'm five weeks out from my next one, it's in Ithica NY...IPA.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AbeMarch 5, 2012 at 8:58 PM

    Hey now. "Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder. But nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weight".

    ReplyDelete
  7. Adam BMarch 5, 2012 at 9:58 PM

    Awesome man. Was meaning to ask - did you not increase your top set on squats this week because of your IT discomfort?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 6, 2012 at 3:16 AM

      Hey dawg, yeah I just stuck with 530 and programmed back a little bit. I have a lot of wiggle room with the way I programmed which is why I always tell people to program light.

      I don't really need to hit anything major for another 4 weeks or so.

      Delete
  8. CarlMarch 6, 2012 at 2:26 AM

    Awesome job, Paul. Think you're able to do 315x20 on bench now?

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMarch 6, 2012 at 2:49 AM

    Congratulations on the PR. I really appreciate the video too! It's great seeing you actually doing the programs you suggest. To reference a past article from you I have too often fell into Matty Douchebag mode pushing singles week after week. I'm ashamed thinking back but no better time to change. Jamie wrote an article called, "Train to failure is training for failure". That is exactly the matty douchebag training I was doing. 2 questions.

    To keep out of Matt Douchebag training is that why you have such emphasis on programming? Going to the gym without a written plan or at least a well thought out one I think it's easier to just be like ok, I'm going to try this heavy single and fail or forced reps. I think muscle and fitness is what turned me on the forced reps. Which I think is a horrible idea.

    #2. Have you seen www.mobilitywod.com ? that dude has this cool california style. But he really emphasizes keeping mobile to get stronger. Whether its keep your shoulder firmly in the back of the socket during bench or his 10 minute squat test.

    Thanks as always. Sam (aka Matt Douchebag)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 6, 2012 at 3:25 AM

      Everyone is digging the mobilitywod, eh? Yeah I finally checked him out and have been trying some of the stuff for my hip flexor.

      As far as programming goes, I like programming for my meet training for lots of reasons.

      Last week a guy wrote in, that felt he had under programmed his max, and said screw it, and walked into the gym and hit a 20 pound PR.

      So how is it, that you under programmed and trained for weeks and got stronger?

      Because that's what getting stronger is. For the strong-15 program you shouldn't be grinding out rep after rep to failure. It's about moving weights explosively for the first 4-6 weeks then grinding now and then the last 3 or so now and then.

      As Ed Coan said, save the big ones for meets. Gym lifts don't mean shit and all it does it hurt your recovery.

      Delete
  10. TDMarch 6, 2012 at 5:22 AM

    Hey Paul,

    Quick Question. How would you incorporate pause squatting into a 5-3-1 template?

    I'll run "boring but big" for a few more cycles so I was thinking-
    Squat 5-3-1
    Squat 5x10
    Pause squats (light, but not sure reps and sets?)

    Or Do some pause squats on my deadlift day?

    Thoughts?

    I am from Iowa, keep your head down in the dirty dubuque....haha

    This is quickly becoming my favorite daily reading. Good work on the 315 for 10!

    -David

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 6, 2012 at 5:35 AM

      I wouldn't do pause squats for 10. Ever. 5 at the most. They really zap you and you have to hold your breathe in the bottom.

      If you're already doing the BBB template, I wouldn't add more squatting to that. I'd run 531 and do pause squats after with what you used on your first set.

      So on the 5 week use 65%x 5

      On the 3 week use 70% x 5

      On the 531 week use 75% x 3

      that's how I would do it.

      Delete
    2. NealstarMarch 6, 2012 at 6:42 AM

      Paul, meet prep aside, is there any reason not to run 531 with Pause Squats as your squat movement? I've personally been thinking about down the road doing some cycles of 531 myself with paused squats and paused inclines as two of my mains.

      Delete
    3. Paul CarterMarch 6, 2012 at 7:15 AM

      Sure you can. I don't see why not.

      Delete
  11. biglifterMarch 6, 2012 at 6:17 AM

    Damn, that's impressive.

    ReplyDelete
  12. BradRunsMarch 6, 2012 at 7:42 PM

    Holy shit! That was bad ass!

    ReplyDelete
  13. daveMarch 7, 2012 at 4:51 AM

    Awesome pics. Great size. Look thick. Solid. Tight. Keep us all posted on your continued progress with any new progress pics or vid clips. Show us what you got man. Wanna see how freakin' huge, solid, thick and tight you can get. Thanks for the motivation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 7, 2012 at 5:32 AM

      It's about time I got one of these.

      I remember the first time Jim got trolled with this. Pretty awesome.

      Delete
  14. JeffMarch 8, 2012 at 11:27 AM

    Hey Paul do you have any general guideline of what sort of incline transfers over to what sort of raw bench? Or is that too heavily dependent on the individual? Just curious if your experience had served as any guide here.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul CarterMarch 8, 2012 at 11:31 AM

      I think it's going to be an individual thing. I do well with incline and overhead stuff.

      Delete