Westside Bencher

[Ruff Riff]

Your getting stronger EVERY week without the shirt Travis, you just gotta get that shirt "stuff" figured out (you know I don't know much about shirted benching), but what I KNOW is you have been getting stronger every single workout, every single week. Your next PR will just probably be a BIG one, because knowing you, once you get it figured out it will be on! Sorry to hear, but starting to see by the post here and the reading on this site it is just part of the game! No doubt in my mind you are just more focused to grind it out buddy!

See ya wednesday big man!

[Lones Green]

On to the next one. Still proud of you, my friend!

[Travis Bell]

Thanks fellas!

Monday

SSB Squat to low pins

worked up to 545 for a double

Pin 4 pulls

worked up to 500 for a triple

GHRs and Reverse Hypers and out. Pretty basic workout. Legs are pretty sore today.

[Travis Bell]

ME Bench

Football Bar Bench

worked up to 495 x 1 - PR

Pushdowns/ overhead rope extensions

4 sets 10 reps each

Chest Supported Row

4 plates x 10 x 4

Band Pull Aparts

4 sets 12 reps, slow reps

Seated Close Grip Row

4 sets 12 reps

Indian Clubs and stretching

Done. I hate the football bar but it's good to work on what you suck at.

PM Session

Paused 1brd with doubled minis

worked up to 505 x 2 after missing 495 lol.

DB Extensions

5 sets 10 reps

Paused Rope Pushdowns

5 sets 10 reps

bent Over Lateral Raises

4 sets 12 reps

Seated Ez Bar Row

4 sets 12 reps

Stiff Arm Pushdowns

4 sets 10 reps

Lateral Raises

4 sets 40 reps

Done. Well my raw strength isn't bad so at least I still have that going for me lol. Still aggravated about bombing. I really need to focus on the shirt when I'm using it and make sure I get something together soon.

[Travis Bell]

Friday did a bunch of light rehab stuff and stretching that was pretty boring so I didn't feel the need to log it.

DE Bench

using the staggered band setup we used minis and light bands

205 x 3 x 8 - all sets comp grip

Standing OHP

135 x 15 x 4

Skull Crushers with bands

2 sets of minis x 12 x 4

Band Pushdowns with lat bar

Average and monster mini x 15 x 4

Single Arm Ghetto Rows

70 x 12 x 4

Close Grip Pulldowns

175 x 15 x 4

Done. Kept a pretty quick pace today and was in and out in about an hour.

[joey54]

Squeezed a lot of volume in that hour session Travis. Some people won't do that much in a whole week.

[Travis Bell]

Monday

Sumo DL with monster minis and minis

worked up to 495 x 2

GHRs with bands 5 sets 8 reps

Reverse Hypers

5 sets 10 reps

Box Jumps onto 36"box

4 sets 3 jumps

Done. I really do suck at sumo deadlifting. But its good for bringing my hip strength up a little so I keep at it.

[Travis Bell]

ME Bench

Arch Bar bench with 150lbs in chain (all of it off the ground at the top)

worked up to 455 for a PR. Missed 495 just at the top. Got greedy

Tate Press

40 x 12
75 x 10
100 x 10 x 3

Back Bar Pushdowns

110 x 10 x 4

Back Bar Pulldowns

220 x 10
230 x 10
240 x 10
250 x 10
250 x 10

CSR

3 plates x 15 x 4

KB Shrugs (holding onto them with quaded minis - makes them bounce and harder to keep the shoulders shrugged that way)

4 sets 10 reps with 50lb Kbs

Band Pull Aparts

Light Band x 15 x 4

Done. Really feeling strong raw right now. If I could honestly figure a shirt out I really think I'd make a solid run at 900. Just takes patience I suppose.

[Travis Bell]

Friday I did some light rehab stuff. Nothing interesting.

Saturday

Everyone wanted to test their benches this weekend being Memorial Day weekend and all. We've done this in the past so we decided to give it a go again this year just for kicks.

Worked up to 570lbs for a new PR. I think if I were to legitimately train for another raw meet I could give 585-600 a good run.

DB Extensions

40 x 15 x 5

Face Pulls

115 x 10 x 4

Parallel Grip Pulldowns

235 x 15 x 4

Single Arm Ghetto Rows

80 x 12 x 4

Done. Just wanted to get a little accessory work in before I shut it down. All in all I was pretty happy with the 570 considering I hadn't deloaded for it or anything.

[joey54]

Vid?

[vdizenzo]

570 sweet! Race to 600 at 275! But first make sure you got a shirt to touch 700 in. It will be a shame if I'm the only one who can hit a 7 and walks away with the cash

[Travis Bell]

Vid?

Yep. One of the guys from my gym took it on his iPhone. I'll upload it later.

570 sweet! Race to 600 at 275! But first make sure you got a shirt to touch 700 in. It will be a shame if I'm the only one who can hit a 7 and walks away with the cash

haha! I'm not sure if I could beat you in a race to 600 at 75. You have already benched more than that at two weight classes! I might consider giving at a go this fall. We'll see. I've really got my mind set on 900.

I do have a shirt that I can touch 700 in. It's 800 that will actually be a little sketchy lol. I'm big enough that I have a real struggle touching 800 in my current overkill. We'll see what Rudy sends me.

[Brian Hopper]

Great job Travis!!!

[GazzyG]

B?enching blows my mind, both raw and shirted.

[Coke]

Everyone wanted to test their benches this weekend...
Worked up to 570lbs for a new PR.

Wow man, excellent!

[Travis Bell]

Video

[Travis Bell]

ME Bench

2brd with 200lbs chain - worked up to 475lbs bar weight for a single

Skull Crushers

worked up to 135 x 10 x 4

Pec Deck

150 x 15
170 x 15
180 x 15
190 x 15

Seated Parallel Grip Row

200 x 10
220 x 10
240 x 10
280 x 10

Band Pushdowns

100 reps

PM Session

Arch Bar Bench with monster minis

worked up to 455 bar weight PR

Paused EZ Bar Pushdowns

115 x 10 x 5

Band Pushdowns with Lat Bar

Average and light bands x 10 x 5

Bent Over Lateral Raises

35 x 12 x 4

Seated Single Arm Rows

120 x 10
140 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

Close Grip Pulldowns

190 x 12
205 x 12
220 x 12
235 x 12

Done. Man I'm exhausted. My triceps are SHOT. Really trying to push up the triceps accessory work. I think that hitting at least two DIRECT triceps movements each bench workout is important.

[Travis Bell]

Friday was rehab stuff. ZZZZZ

DE Bench

mini bands - 225 x 3 x 8 sets

Tate Press

40 x 30 x 4

Overhead Rope Extensions

70 x 15 x 4

Face Pulls

85 x 15 x 4

Band Pull Aparts

MM x 12 x 4

Seated Parallel Grip Rows

170 x 15 x 2
170 x 20 x 2

Done. Kept the technique real strict today. It's easy to let things slip with the DE work. Felt like I needed to tune things up a little. Body feels good. I was pretty wore out Thursday but wasn't sore so much, just tired.

[Justin Randal]

Friday was rehab stuff. ZZZZZ

DE Bench

mini bands - 225 x 3 x 8 sets

Tate Press

40 x 30 x 4

Overhead Rope Extensions

70 x 15 x 4

Face Pulls

85 x 15 x 4

Band Pull Aparts

MM x 12 x 4

Seated Parallel Grip Rows

170 x 15 x 2
170 x 20 x 2

Done. Kept the technique real strict today. It's easy to let things slip with the DE work. Felt like I needed to tune things up a little. Body feels good. I was pretty wore out Thursday but wasn't sore so much, just tired.

It really is easy to feel like I dont need to think about form sometimes. I've watched some God awful training footage of myself. I guess its not just me that needs a tune up from time to time.

[Travis Bell]

Monday, wasn't able to squat. When school gets out in the summer my schedule always gets jacked up again and it takes me a week or two to figure out where to put my squat workouts.

ME Bench

worked up to 850 x 1 off a 1brd fairly easily. Wasn't a PR but I wasn't too concerned about it. I just needed to feel some weight in my hands.

Followed it up with just some rehab stuff.

PM Session

Close Grip Bench with minis - worked up to 445 x 1 - 10lb PR

Standing OHP

worked up to 245 x 6

DB Extensions

40 x 12
60 x 10
70 x 8 x 2

Overhead EZ Bar Extensions

115 x 10 x 4

Seated Parallel Grip Row

200 x 10
220 x 10
250 x 12
260 x 12

Stiff Arm Pulldowns

100 x 10 x 4

Band Pull Aparts

Light band x 15 x 4

Done. Not a bad day. Still playing around with shirts a little. Today I wore my old Overkill. while it's a great shirt, I am really too big for it. I think I could probably bench 850 in it, but nothing less. Touching 800 is pretty much out of the question. So right now I'm set for a shirt from 700 and 750, it's 800 that will be the catch. 850 and up I should be ok. Honestly if I bench 850 I'd be pretty happy.

[vdizenzo]

There is going to be a lot of strategy going on with this meet. I got my 700 and 750 shirt, it might even be good for 800. If not, I'm hosed. If I'm down to 275 my old Ace might be good for 800. My goal is to go 700, 750, and 800. I'd feel really succesful with that.

[Travis Bell]

haha boy ain't that the truth. I'll PM you in a bit

Friday

Speed squats, used 315 and average bands for 8 sets of doubles

GHR - 4 sets 15 reps
Reverse Hypers - 5 sets 15 reps
Box Jumps - 36" box x 3 jumps for 6 sets

Done. Trained with a bunch of my athletes today so the gym was pretty hectic but it was fun.

[Travis Bell]

DE Bench

235 (with minis) x 3 x 8

DB Bench

70 x 30
90 x 27

DB Extensions

30 x 15
40 x 15
50 x 15 x 2

Tate Presses

30 x 20 x 4

Rope Pushdowns

70 x 15 x 2
55 x 20 x 2

Seated Close Grip Row

230 x 12 x 2
180 x 20 x 2

Wide Grip Pulldowns

175 x 15 x 4

Done. Speed felt excellent today. I think the extra day off really helped me recover. Everything was firing on all cylinders. Great session. In and out in about an hour.

[Travis Bell]

Switched back to squatting on Fridays for awhile so Monday was rehab.

ME Bench

Floor Press with 3 sets of chain

worked up to 455 for a PR followed with 225 x 10 and 275 x 12 - both close grip and still with chains

JM Press with football bar (very strict)

95 x 10
95 x 10
135 x 10
185 x 10

Rope Pushdowns

70 x 12
100 x 12
100 x 12
110 x 12
120 x 12

Seated Rows

200 x 12
240 x 12
280 x 10
280 x 10

Band Pull Aparts

light band x 12 x 4

Band Pushdowns

MM x 100

Pec Deck

60 x 75 reps

Done. Man did we push things today. Josh handed my tail to me on accessory work for sandbagging. I'm going to have to step up my game a little.

PM Session

Tate Presses

60 x 10
70 x 10
90 x 10
90 x 10

Band Pushdowns with Lat Bar

5 sets 10 reps

GHR Rows (rowing the barbell while hanging from the glut ham raise)

135 x 8 x 5

Parallel Grip Pulldowns

205 x 12 x 5

Done. Going back to every other week for a couple weeks on the PM max effort stuff. Looking back I've done my best with that.

[joey54]

Good audible with the switch up.