Westside Bencher

[tylerrc55]

Sounds like you need a bit larger variety of max effort exercises, like mixing up your grip positions on your lifts.

Also your volume is too low. You need another triceps exercise. I'm not sure what shoulder complex means but if that doesn't mean you're pounding your rear delts you should be.

Thanks for the response man. Ill definetly throw in another tricep exercise from now on, and yeah when i said complex I just meant like a big superset of all different types of rear, side and front delts. Ill make sure to change grips and rotate more exercises right now. I thought the problem was that I had too much and needed to focus more on basic movements, but ill take your word for it.

how much volume do you think I need on my work up sets for a ME benching day? Say I was working up to 225 for a single, do you think I would be better off with something like:

135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
165 x 3
175 x 3
185 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 1
215 x 1
225 x 1 or.... something with less volume like:

135 x 3
155 x 3
175 x 3
195 x 1
215 x 1
225 x 1

On your accessory work, do you just go in and go by feel that day? or do you kind of keep it all logged and try and beat each set from the previous week etc.?

[tylerrc55]

or maybe more triples with my benching?

[Travis Bell]

I just go by feel on accessory stuff. The first set model would be good.

Saturday DE Benching

worked up to 225 x 3 x 8 with monster minis

70 x 20
90 x 20

Band Pushdowns with lat bar

average and monster mini x 15 x 4

Overhead Rope Extensions

70 x 15
85 x 15 x 4

Seated Parallel Grip Rows

200 x 15 x 4

Face Pulls

55 x 20 x 4

Band Pull Aparts

MM x 20 x 4

Done.

[Travis Bell]

Monday

SSB Goodmornings with choked monster minis pulling forward

135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 5
275 x 3
295 x 3
315 x 3
345 x 3
365 x 3
385 x 3
405 x 3

GHR

bw + mm x 10 x 5

Rev Hyper

5 sets 10 reps

Barbell Lunges

185 x 12 x 4

Prowler

5 trips 80yds each.

Done. My back is pretty trashed after yesterdays GM's. Equipped benching tomorrow is going to be interesting.

[joey54]

I would think that would provide quite the thrashing. Sounds brutal.

[Travis Bell]

ME Bench

Reverse Blue Bands

worked up to 685 x 1 - PR

DB Incline Bench

100 x 12 x 4

Pec Deck

150 x 15 x 4

KB Extensions / Pushdowns

24K x 10 / 100 x 10 x 4

Wide Grip Pulldowns

250 x 10
270 x 10 x 4

Seated Close Grip Rows

180 x 10 x 4

Done.

PM session

*skipped main bench movement

Close Grip Pulldowns

205 x 12
220 x 12
235 x 10 x 2

Seated Parallel grip Row

200 x 12
220 x 12
240 x 12
250 x 12

Bent Over Lateral Raises

40 x 12 x 4

DB Extensions

40 x 12
40 x 12
60 x 10
60 x 10

Overhead Rope Extensions

70 x 15
70 x 15
85 x 10
85 x 10

EZ Bar Pushdowns

85 x 10
100 x 10
70 x 20 x 2

Done. Not sure if that good morning was still feeling me or what this morning but I still felt pretty wore out and everything felt pretty heavy so I figured this close to the meet it's time to just back off the PM sessions a little bit. Louie was out of the gym this morning and for whatever reason I don't like putting on a shirt when he's not there. So I'm going to put it on next week, hopefully touch 800 to a 1brd and that will be good enough.

[Coke]

ME Bench - Reverse Blue Bands, worked up to 685 x 1 - PR

Ever exceptional Travis!!

[Travis Bell]

Thanks Coke!

Friday was a bunch of rehab stuff for about 45min. Shoulders feel great, elbows feel good as well.

Saturday

DE Bench

bar x warmup
added doubled light bands (+200lbs tension)
bar x warmup
135 x 3
185 x 3 x 3 - thumbs from the smooth
205 x 3 x 3 - pinkies on the rings
205 x 3 x 3 - comp grip

Standing OHP

135 x 15 x 4

V-Bar Pushdowns

85 x 15
85 x 30
100 x 20
115 x 20

Rack Pushups

bw x 20 x 4

DB Rows

80 x 15 x 4

Parallel Grip Pulldowns

205 x 12 x 4

Done. Speed felt good. Man that was a ton of tension. Next two weeks I'll go back to straight weight. I'm looking forward to this meet (provided all goes well this wednsday lol)

[Travis Bell]

Sunday I got pretty sick. Even closed the gym Monday and I never do that. I haven't been sick in quite awhile so I guess I was due but this timing is just terrible.

I feel better but I'm still struggling to breath right. My lungs got super congested. Still, I really need to get in my shirt tomorrow so I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens.

If this crap were easy everyone would do it!

[Travis Bell]

Did not make it down to Westside this morning. As the day progressed I got much worse to the point where I was completely out of breath just crossing the room. Went in to the doc and he said I have pneumonia. Just great. I've lost 10lbs since Sunday.

So he put me on a lot of drugs and we'll cross our fingers that I turn a corner soon. Not exactly perfect timing for this meet

[Brian Hopper]

Damn bro, that sucks, I hope you get better soon.

[Coke]

Sorry to hear you fell ill that way, wish you the best in healing up.

[Travis Bell]

Thanks guys. One of the things he gave me was prednisone and man that stuff really opened up my lungs big time. I feel so much better.

I'm still pretty congested and coughing up a lot of stuff but still a ton better than wednsday. I'll be good to train tomorrow.

[Travis Bell]

DE Bench

bar x warmup
135 x warmup
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3 x 10

Pin Press

315 x 12
365 x 12
385 x 12
405 x 12

DB Extensions

40 x 15
50 x 15
60 x 15
60 x 15

Bent Over Lateral Raises

40 x 10
40 x 10
50 x 10
50 x 10

Lateral Raises

10 x 35 x 4

Seated Face Pulls

70 x 15 x 4

Stiff Arm Pulldowns

85 x 12 x 4

Done. Felt great. Endurance is still down but it'll come back.

[joey54]

Way to bounce back. Work that cold out of you.

[Travis Bell]

Monday was DE squats up to 315 straight weight off the low box, some GHR's and Reverse Hypers and out

ME Bench

bar x warmup
135 x 10
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
450 x 1
500 x 1 - 3brd
added shirt
590 x 1 - 3brd
625 x 1 - 3brd
720 x 1 - 2brd
800 x 1 - 1brd

Power Press

4 sets 12 reps

Reverse Pec Deck

120 x 12 x 4

CSR

3 plates x 10
4 plates x 8
5 plates x 6 x 2

Seated Parallel Grip Row

220 x 10 x 4

MM Band Pushdowns

100 reps

Done. Being 10 days out I hate to get in my shirt, but I hadn't worn this one yet and I needed to know if I could open with it. Fortunately today it worked out and the 800 touched and locked out easily. I'm going to train tonight since I goofed up last week and didn't train all week and then that'll be just about it for the meet.

[vdizenzo]

Keep up the good work Trav. You look ready.

[Travis Bell]

Thanks buddy!

PM Session

3brd with monster minis - worked up to 555lbs bar weight pinkies on the rings grip and a couple down sets

Standing OHP

135 x 8
185 x 8
205 x 8
225 x 8

Overhead Rope Extensions

85 x 12 x 5

Band Pushdowns with Lat Bar

Average and light bands 5 sets 10 reps

Band Pull Aparts

MM x 12 x 5

Parallel Grip Pulldowns

220 x 10 x 5

Standing Low Rows

130 x 12 x 4

Done. Triceps and shoulders are pretty sore today. Great way to end the training cycle.

[Travis Bell]

DE Bench

Arch Bar
bar x warmup
added mini bands
bar x warmup
135 x 10
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3 x 7

DB Bench

100 x 20 x 3

DB Extensions

40 x 15
55 x 15
55 x 15
60 x 15

EZ Bar Pushdowns

85 x 20 x 4

Stiff Arm Pulldowns

70 x 12 x 4

DB Rows

100 x 12 x 4

Done. That's all folks. Just some light rehab and recovery stuff this week and then it's time to show up and bench next Saturday. Body feels good and a week of deloading always leaves me feeling very good. BW is sitting around 265-270 which is pretty much where it's been for the last 5 months. I've been pushing the prowler twice a week, eating cleaner etc for the last couple months and it's still right there so I'm not worried about it. So long as I can train hard and still perform the way I need to (I do tree removals on the side) I'm fine with weighing whatever.

[vdizenzo]

Training has looked great. You are certainly ready. Just have some fun and SFW! my friend.

[Travis Bell]

Thanks Vin!

If I were being completely honest, this training cycle has been a complete crap shoot with the shirts lol. However I ended on a solid note and honestly sometimes I perform well when I know I have to focus completely. Nothing is given on Saturday. Little pressure does the body good.

[Travis Bell]

Well the meet turned out to be a bust.

Arrived at Powerstation gym Saturday morning and weighed in right on target at 265.

Warmups were kinda goofy. The benches for warmup were pretty much right in the middle of the spectator area which made it pretty crampt. They used an older EFS bench for the competition bench, which wasn't too bad, but the thing had seen better days to be sure.

It was what it was. Warmups went seemingly well. Worked up to 725 to a 1brd, opener was 800 and I blasted it right up but couldn't lock it out. Repeated on the second and the same thing happened. Nothing at all at the top. Jumped to 840 on a third because I wanted a PR and the shirt I was using was so jacked I couldn't touch.

I made the mistake of switching shirts at the end of this training cycle and it was a mistake. My double Overkill that I benched 835 in had become small enough that I would have needed to open very close to that for it to be successful. That's just what I should have done.

Bombing really pissed me off, but I'll come back next time. Might have to do another meet before the last man standing meet at the end of july. Meet conditions aside this weekend, I still should have been able to put together a PR.

[joey54]

Minor setback for sure. The ebb and flow of it.

[vdizenzo]

Well the meet turned out to be a bust.

Arrived at Powerstation gym Saturday morning and weighed in right on target at 265.

Warmups were kinda goofy. The benches for warmup were pretty much right in the middle of the spectator area which made it pretty crampt. They used an older EFS bench for the competition bench, which wasn't too bad, but the thing had seen better days to be sure.

It was what it was. Warmups went seemingly well. Worked up to 725 to a 1brd, opener was 800 and I blasted it right up but couldn't lock it out. Repeated on the second and the same thing happened. Nothing at all at the top. Jumped to 840 on a third because I wanted a PR and the shirt I was using was so jacked I couldn't touch.

I made the mistake of switching shirts at the end of this training cycle and it was a mistake. My double Overkill that I benched 835 in had become small enough that I would have needed to open very close to that for it to be successful. That's just what I should have done.

Bombing really pissed me off, but I'll come back next time. Might have to do another meet before the last man standing meet at the end of july. Meet conditions aside this weekend, I still should have been able to put together a PR.

You'll figure it all out. That's the one thing that happens with gear, you hit slumps. It happens, you just have to minimize them. I did not hit a shirted pr for 5 years at one point. Just didn't give up and figured stuff out.

[Coke]

No doubt man, get ready for the next meet and overcompensate for that shit.