Advise for a 43 year old fatty fat intermediate who wants to bench a milion pounds

[Calgacus]

Hi,
Starting tomorrow night I am going to start the novice program just for the hell of it and see how it goes. I've been doing a modified version of it for about 9 weeks and it has actually gone well but my bench press seems to be stalling. My other lifts are improving weekly but the last improvement in my squat (to 275) and deadlift (to 295) were successful but really hard and I suspect another increase will be a failure.

I started doing a modified program 9 weeks ago rather than by-the-book for two reasons -
1) my tendency to get lower back strains of the sort that leave me hardly able to walk for a couple weeks at a go (hence I only do squats on Mondays and Fridays and deadlifts only Fridays) and
2) for the previous year for bench press I had been doing a 5x5 method on Mondays, I started at 245 last summer and as of September this year hit 300. I followed my own rule that I would increase the weight by 5 pounds only after getting all 25 reps for at least 2 consecutive weeks.

If no one's interested they can see all the sordid details in my log at: Calgacus' crazy lifter log.

So, I gotta change something at least for my bench and figured I may as well give the novice program a try just for the sake of giving it a go and bringing my training in line with the coaches methods so when I eventually advance to the texas method it might be easier to program.

So, all that said, should I deload a little to start? if so by how much?

Also, is it time to start using a belt? I've been avoiding it as I'm cheap and also I wanted my core to toughen up - to that end when I started doing this program 9 weeks ago I set my squat and deadlift at only 185.

As for my eating and sleeping - I sleep as much as I can but need more and I eat about as much as 5'6" 270 pounder ever should. My weight might have gone down just a few pounds in the last 9 weeks but my waist line has definitely shrunk. But my main interest now is getting stronger anyway, after I reach some good numbers there I'll think about cutting down to maybe 170 or even 150. Not really sure what good weight for me will be but that's a long way down the road anyway.

My 1RM bench is 345 and I'd like to someday do something crazy like a raw 3xBW at whatever bw I can.

So, diving into the novice program tomorrow, should I deload much or just go in at my current numbers?



PS: Yes, you are right, this is a better place for this post.

[cyhulhupun]

Jack Lalanne on how to lift 1,000lbs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-c-bFLtcM

[veryhrm]

i don't understand what you're saying exactly. What strength level in what lifts are you aiming for before cutting?

Also do you mean you're going to try the novice program for your bench? I don't imagine that would be particularly useful given where you are already ...

[Calgacus]

The novice program for all. Exactly what strength level, not really sure yet but something really good and far removed from now anyway.

[Calgacus]

Jack Lalanne on how to lift 1,000lbs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-c-bFLtcM

OK, that might work for 1000 pounds but I don't see how it would work for a million.

[Les Hahn]

If you are going to start the novice program, you will have to deload to make it through any sort of lifting cycle. I personally think that you should not do the novice program given your age and current lifts. You could squeak out some linear progression on squats/DL's, but since they are starting to get hard and you suspect failure, it might not last very long.

I would recommend some sort of 4 day split routine (upper/lower). If you look in Rip's forum, he actually recently recommended something like this to another lifter. I would also do extra tricep/upper back work as it will only help your bench continue to go up. I actually started to stall a little just doing main compound lifts. My bench was somewhere around your current max. I listened to strong benchers, changed up my routine a little (4 day intermediate split routine), and added in quality assistance lifts. Since then I have added near 100 more lbs to my bench, and it still hasn't peaked.

[BarbellJunkie]

You're going to need a bar with reaaaaaaaaallllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long sleeves.

[Calgacus]

If you are going to start the novice program, you will have to deload to make it through any sort of lifting cycle. I personally think that you should not do the novice program given your age and current lifts. You could squeak out some linear progression on squats/DL's, but since they are starting to get hard and you suspect failure, it might not last very long.

I would recommend some sort of 4 day split routine (upper/lower). If you look in Rip's forum, he actually recently recommended something like this to another lifter. I would also do extra tricep/upper back work as it will only help your bench continue to go up. I actually started to stall a little just doing main compound lifts. My bench was somewhere around your current max. I listened to strong benchers, changed up my routine a little (4 day intermediate split routine), and added in quality assistance lifts. Since then I have added near 100 more lbs to my bench, and it still hasn't peaked.

I was reading that post but I think that guy was after doing the TM for a while first. I think the split is good but just for kicks I want to do the TM first as it looks more fun in its third day. I'm going to try the spend maybe a month or two milking the SS routines just to try it out and at the end of the year at least I'll have given it a go and if no more can be gained a switch to the TM will be appropriate. To at least have a couple weeks ion the first SS routine I will knock enough weight off to get me the room to improve I need to at least this week, so tonight
squats at 255 and by friday i'll be back at 275, BP at 290 then 300 again on friday but only for 3 sets now and deads at 280 and 295 again on friday. Presses at 135. No cleans, LTEs or curls for two weeks anyway just to keep it by the book.
But what about a belt? would I be a total wuss to use a belt at these weights?

[Les Hahn]

I don't think so. I would use the belt a little to get used to wearing it. Once you are comfortable with it, then you can drop it for the lighter sets.

[Marine]

"Advise for a 43 year old fatty fat intermediate who wants to bench a million pounds"

LOSE WEIGHT FAT fucko

and

FYI Dicks don't get bigher nor harder from heavier bench press..


jsut a thought