Mike Wolfe Bench Press Training Log

[bigbadwolfe]

Hey guys gonna start posting my bench training on here twice weekly. I do all my Max Effort work on Sundays at Westside and all my Dynamic/Tri work at BreakAway RecPlex here in my home town. I will also occasionally add some pics from my training sessions.

I have made a few changes to my diet. I have been hovering in the 325-330 area for about 3 months now. I have not been doing my cardio as I should be and have kind of gotten laxed on the weekends.

So now we will be tightening up my whole program, using Three 75 gram Nitrean Shakes, plus 2 solid meals, and one single serving of Opticen for my Post Workout Shake. This will have my total Protein in take at around 400 Grams per day. Which is about 100 grams more then I have been using. I have also added Two 5 gram servings of Creatine 500 back in to the mix. I'm taking 5 grams in the morning and 5 grams in the evening.

Here is my Workouts this week ~

8/20/07:

I trained my ME day on Monday this week due to being at the Cincy Pro Am meet all day on Sunday.

Bar ~ 10 reps
135 ~ 10 reps x 2 sets
225 ~ 3 reps
275 ~ Single off 3 brd
315 ~ Single off 3 brd
365 ~ Single off 3 brd
405 ~ Single off 3 brd
495 ~ Single off 3 brd
585 ~ Single off 3 brd
635 ~ Single off 3 brd
675 ~ Single off 3 brd
All sets done Raw

Flat Dumbbell Extensions ~
75 lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps

Flat Dumbbell Presses (palms facing each other) ~
75 lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps

Rope Pushdowns ~
3 sets of BO's

[bigbadwolfe]

8/22/07

DE Bench Day/Triceps

Close Grip 4 Brd Presses ~
Bar full range ~ 10 reps
135 full range ~ 10 reps
225 full range ~ 10 reps
315 ~ 4 brd 3 reps
365 ~ 4 brd 3 reps
405 ~ 4 brd 3 reps
455 ~ 4 brd 3 reps
495 ~ 4 brd 3 reps
585 ~ 4 brd 3 reps
635 ~ 4 brd 3 reps (only got the 635 for 2 reps last week)
(All work done Raw)

365 plus single purple bands for speed off of 1 board
4 sets of 3 reps

Straight Bar Pushdowns ~ 3 sets of 10 reps with 100 pounds just for feel

[Stumprrp]

you own all mike, a guy at my gym said he is friends with you, chuck...last name starts with an S, italian name, hes an APF chair and goes to Ocean State Gym in johnston, strong bencher.

[redFury]

Awesome... looking forward to reading your workouts.

[IZich]

^^ Ditto. Thanks for taking time to post up here Wolfy!! We'll all learn from you.

[KevinStarke]

Hot damn, crazy strong pressing big man.

[bigbadwolfe]

you own all mike, a guy at my gym said he is friends with you, chuck...last name starts with an S, italian name, hes an APF chair and goes to Ocean State Gym in johnston, strong bencher.

Stump, that would be Chuck Scherza, crazy dude. He is a great guy him and Lou are friends.When we came to Mass for the NERB meet last yr we were on our on no team so Lou had Chuck and his boys come over from RI to help us out. Great group of guys and they helped myself and Nick Winters out alot.

He is a good guy to get to know very knowledgable about the sport.

[bigbadwolfe]

8/26/07

Crappy Day at Westside!!!! Just did not have it today I think benching relatively heavy 3 times in a 6 day time period was kind of dumb. I'm feeling real wore down and beat up right now. But this is what I did:

Flat Bench:
Bar ~ 12 reps
135 ~ 12 reps
225 ~ 8 reps x 2 sets
275 ~ 3 reps
315 ~ 1 rep x 2 sets
405 ~ 1 rep x 2 sets
455 ~ 1 rep x 2 sets
(This was all raw warming up to jump under some serious band tension with shirts on)

Foam Presses with over 400 pounds of Band Tension at top:
225 ~ single
275 ~ single
315 ~ single
335 ~ sinlge
365 ~ single
405 ~ single *miss* (Got cocky with George ate my words)
405 ~ single *miss* (learning to not talk trash to George Hahaha)

Decide to take Straight Weight to Foam without 400 plus pounds of tension
825 ~ single *miss* but just at the top
825 ~ single *miss* floated out of my groove

Lesson for the Day? Dont talk smack to George Halbert unless you can back it up!!! Got my ass handed to to me today and now it is sore

[chris mason]

8/26/07

Crappy Day at Westside!!!! Just did not have it today I think benching relatively heavy 3 times in a 6 day time period was kind of dumb. I'm feeling real wore down and beat up right now. But this is what I did:

Flat Bench:
Bar ~ 12 reps
135 ~ 12 reps
225 ~ 8 reps x 2 sets
275 ~ 3 reps
315 ~ 1 rep x 2 sets
405 ~ 1 rep x 2 sets
455 ~ 1 rep x 2 sets
(This was all raw warming up to jump under some serious band tension with shirts on)

Foam Presses with over 400 pounds of Band Tension at top:
225 ~ single
275 ~ single
315 ~ single
335 ~ sinlge
365 ~ single
405 ~ single *miss* (Got cocky with George ate my words)
405 ~ single *miss* (learning to not talk trash to George Hahaha)

Decide to take Straight Weight to Foam without 400 plus pounds of tension
825 ~ single *miss* but just at the top
825 ~ single *miss* floated out of my groove

Lesson for the Day? Dont talk smack to George Halbert unless you can back it up!!! Got my ass handed to to me today and now it is sore

Geez, you are killing yourself! Take it easy!

[bill]

Always nice to see your workouts. Do you think there will be much benefit at 10 grams on creatine? I was considering that also.

[Fuzzy]

Definitely will be looking in.

What exactly is your lower body training like?

[redFury]

Wow... way to push yourself! I've never heard of foam presses before... have to look them up.

[smokinHawk]

you're crazy for hitting it hard 3 times in 6 days, id tear something if i tried that..

[WillKuenzel]

What shirts do you use, Mike?

[bigbadwolfe]

Always nice to see your workouts. Do you think there will be much benefit at 10 grams on creatine? I was considering that also.

Not really sure I've always just used the normal 5 grams. Figured I'd give it a shot and see. I'll keep you informed.

[bigbadwolfe]

Definitely will be looking in.

What exactly is your lower body training like?

I just started my leg training again heavy for the first time in God only knows how long.

2 weeks ago when we started it I worked upto around 900 pounds for 8 reps on the leg press and pulled a 600 pound deadlift. Plus did some sets on the leg curls and extensions.

Skipped last week had a more important bench day to make up, thus the 3 Bench workouts in a week.

This week I did:

Legpresses ~ worked upto 1310 pounds for 8 deep reps
(this pissed off some of the BB'rs at my home gym cause as I said I aint trained them for ever and come in and smoke there 900 pound leg presses )

Leg extensions ~ 100 pounds for 12 reps x 4 sets
(these really make my knees grind badly Physical Therapist at the gym told not to do them but they dont hurt actually makes them feel good)

Leg Curls ~ same as extensions

Stiff legged Deads ~ 135 pounds for 12 reps x 4 sets

That is it and today I'm pretty stiff, making sure I get my ETS in me

[bigbadwolfe]

What shirts do you use, Mike?

Right now I am using a Inzer Double Ply Rage X

Upgrades include:

Size 57 with size 56 sleeves on it
Scooped Collar (1 and half inches)
Reinforced Collar
Reinforced Shoulder seams
3 inches off overall sleeve length(still gotta roll them got short upper arms)
2 inch Grid Stitch over entire shirt
Full open Back
Velcro on butt

That is it no secrets it is about $250-300 dollars with all upgrades

Wolfy!!!!

[bigbadwolfe]

Wow... way to push yourself! I've never heard of foam presses before... have to look them up.

Here is a pic of the Foam Presses except for we had over 400 pounds of band tension on the bar plus the weight. But then I took the bar with straight weight as in the picture. The foam totally decelerates the weight and makes it feel like it is just floating you really got to stay SUPER tight and blast it back up hard. Great exercise!!!

[chris mason]

I just started my leg training again heavy for the first time in God only knows how long.

2 weeks ago when we started it I worked upto around 900 pounds for 8 reps on the leg press and pulled a 600 pound deadlift. Plus did some sets on the leg curls and extensions.

Skipped last week had a more important bench day to make up, thus the 3 Bench workouts in a week.

This week I did:

Legpresses ~ worked upto 1310 pounds for 8 deep reps
(this pissed off some of the BB'rs at my home gym cause as I said I aint trained them for ever and come in and smoke there 900 pound leg presses )

Leg extensions ~ 100 pounds for 12 reps x 4 sets
(these really make my knees grind badly Physical Therapist at the gym told not to do them but they dont hurt actually makes them feel good)

Leg Curls ~ same as extensions

Stiff legged Deads ~ 135 pounds for 12 reps x 4 sets

That is it and today I'm pretty stiff, making sure I get my ETS in me

Good job on the leg presses Mike! Keep up the leg work!

Are we ready to dial-in a specific calorie count again?

[bigbadwolfe]

Good job on the leg presses Mike! Keep up the leg work!

Are we ready to dial-in a specific calorie count again?

Yeah we will need to come up with something. I'm hovering around 325-330 depending on how hot it is in the Weldshop that day. Today I was 331 I really wanna drop another 50. I think 280 would be a good weight for me.

[Sleepy Guy]

Foam pressing love it. May go on deaf ears but good to see you doing warm up sets. With the bar even. It seems a lost art for most.

[smokinHawk]

Yeah we will need to come up with something. I'm hovering around 325-330 depending on how hot it is in the Weldshop that day. Today I was 331 I really wanna drop another 50. I think 280 would be a good weight for me.

280 you would be ripped to shreds.

[bigbadwolfe]

8/29/07

Dynamic work on my bench. Made today a lighter day then I have been doing. My shoulders have really taken a beating the last week so we backed off a bit today and went more speed work then lockout work.

Speed Bench ~

Warmups:
Bar ~ 12 reps
135 ~ 10 reps x 2 sets
185 ~ 6 reps
225 ~ 3 reps
Working Sets:
315 ~ 3 fast reps off 3 board
315 ~ 3 fast reps off 1 board x 2 sets
315 plus 1 purple bands ~ 3 fast reps off 1 board
315 plus 2 purple bands ~ 3 fast reps off 1 board
315 plus 2 purples and 1 mini ~ 3 fast reps off 1 board
315 plus 2 purples and 2 minis ~ 3 reps fast off 1 board
315 plus 3 purple bands ~ 3 reps fast off 1 board
315 plus 4 purple bands ~ 3 reps fast off 1 board

Close Grip Bench ~ Thumbs length out from smooth

225 ~ 10 reps x 4 sets

Rope Pushdowns ~

50 ~ 25 reps x 3 sets

****Done****

I also started my 5am cardio sessions today. I went to the gym at 5 am did 45 minutes on the treadmill then some ab work. I then went to work then came back to the gym at 4 pm for bench day. This is my plan for the next few months or until I'm under 300 pounds and close to 280 pounds.

Wolfy!!!!

[bigbadwolfe]

The bands were stretched from plate to plate under the bench. We have no way of anchoring that kind of tension to the floor at my hometown gym.

[IZich]

Great work wolfie!

Are you still on Nitor? I remember following your progres s for a while, but then I stopped coming onto WBB for a while.