They all seem like epiphanies to me, so I realize I oversell myself, but...bench press epiphany: if I just pause the first rep of each training set, that should prepare me to pause in a PL meet.
They all seem like epiphanies to me, so I realize I oversell myself, but...bench press epiphany: if I just pause the first rep of each training set, that should prepare me to pause in a PL meet.
What's everybody's setup routine for bench press? I'm thinking they are like fingerprints and snowflakes: no two alike.
I ask because I tinkered with mine today, on backoff sets. I can't do the eccentric part of a situp without hitting my head on the bar in the uprights. So, I hold the end of the bench with my left hand and the bar with my right as I lower myself under it.
But once laying prone on the bench, I have seen people reach out and grab the uprights to position their scaps underneath them, so I tried that. It did enable me to get my upper back further under the bar, towards the foot of the bench. Side effect: that made my self-liftoff a little more challenging.
I use the uprights to help pinch my shoulder blades together. Self liftoff, it helps me to position my elbows under the bar (as much as is possible) rather than just reaching my long arms back to do it - and I’m using legs, making butt and all tight before I lift it off.
In all of this, my biggest struggle is to not LOSE my setup-in lifting off, I try stopping between reps to try to retighten but find it is difficult, I try the “chest high as possible” cue it does help but my bench is still a work in progress.
2022 USSF Powerlifting Winter Challenge (virtual):
2/8/22:
SQ: Airx2, 45x2, 145x2, 205x1, 260x1, 288x1 (meet PR). My A7 shirt actually helped my squat, even though I bought it just for my bench press woes. I used to think the shirt would keep the bar in the wrong place on my shoulders, rather than the right place. For that reason, I used to squat in a regular cotton shirt but then change into the A7 if bench came right after that. But I noticed no bar rolling on my back with the A7, which I have to attribute to the stickiness of it. Also, cueing myself to keep my low back locked with my abs really made a difference with squat.
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2/12/22:
Light SQ: Airx2, 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2
BP: 45x1, 1, 95x1, 135x1, 171x1, 190x1, 194x1 (meet PR). A pleasant surprise.
DL: 240x1, 1, 315x1, 342xF. Some congestion and cough that started about a week ago didn't affect squat too much on Tuesday. But for whatever reason, 4 days later, I was gassed for deadlift, which resulted in this hard to watch fail. For the life of me, I wish I knew what caused the shakes.
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2022 USSF Powerlifting Winter Challenge (virtual):
For DL (and SQ), I feel like I'm only good for one 1RM attempt a day. That means in meets, my opener is usually 10% below my second attempt, which I want to be a modest PR.
When I missed DL 342 last week, I was prepared to leave it at that. But when I saw how favorable the Mcculloch (age related) coefficient would be to me toward the overall results, I decided to go for an additional attempt at 336, which would still be a meet PR (gym PR 341). After warming up with some singles, I realized I forgot to tape my thumbs (for hook grip). Even when I bent over the bar at 336, I wasn't sure it would go. I take my breath before I bend over, and I started to feel like I was blacking out as I squeezed up. When I got to just below my knees, I felt some slight quivers start. But I hung in there and locked it out.
SQ: Airx2, 45x5x2, 100x5, 140x3, 180x1, 200x5x3
P: 45x5, 4, 55x3, 65x1, 70x5x3
DL: 135x1, 225x1, 305x1, 336x1 (meet PR)
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DL: 336x1 (meet PR)...Nice pull!