Vincent Dizenzo Training Log

[lennyspero]

Congrats Vin . Are you going to stay at 275?

[vdizenzo]

Thanks guys. Yeah Lenny, probably one more year at 275, then it's down to the 242's.

[vdizenzo]

Sunday

Warmup - 5 minutes airdyne
SSB box squat 165/205/265 x 5
Trap bar dl 165/205/265 x 5
Physio ball crunches 2x10

Body feels pretty good from the meet. I made sure to ice my pecs and shoulders. I'm excited to get back to the process. Looking forward to playing with my new 62 Jack Shirt this Friday.

[Brian Hopper]

Good job Vin!!!

[vdizenzo]

Wednesday 4/4/12

40 minute walk with 40 lb weight vest

My body actually feels great. I am kind of just doing what I feel this week. Keeping the diet clean during the day and throwing in a fun snack here and there in the evenining. My weight is 287. I'll clean the diet up soon and will get myself to 280 by the end of May.

I think I am doing tacos tonight. A dozen sounds about right.

[April Mathis]

570 is still a huge raw bench at 275 and going down a weight class. Nice job.

So do you think overall this last training program was a good idea or not? And would you do it again for another raw meet?

[vdizenzo]

570 is still a huge raw bench at 275 and going down a weight class. Nice job.

So do you think overall this last training program was a good idea or not? And would you do it again for another raw meet?

First, thanks April. It was a good day. Regarding the training, I have already expressed how I feel it necessary to change a few things up. I really liked the volume of block, but did not find the value in the accumulation work. If I recall, you said something about that. If you did, you were definitely correct. Presently, we are working on marrying the concepts we like from conjugate style training with the intensification and realization blocks.

I will be using this program for my equipped work and then decide if it will be a worthy program for my next raw training.

[April Mathis]

First, thanks April. It was a good day. Regarding the training, I have already expressed how I feel it necessary to change a few things up. I really liked the volume of block, but did not find the value in the accumulation work. If I recall, you said something about that. If you did, you were definitely correct. Presently, we are working on marrying the concepts we like from conjugate style training with the intensification and realization blocks.

I will be using this program for my equipped work and then decide if it will be a worthy program for my next raw training.

Yeah I said I think it takes awhile to get used to heavier weights again before you can peak to hit a bigger number. It makes sense farther out from a meet I think. And another 4-8 weeks longer from the end of the accumulation part till you do a meet.

[vdizenzo]

4/6/12 Friday-Bench

10 minute upper and lower body warmup

Bench:
Worked up to 405 raw

62 Metal Jack
2 board 500x2
2 board 600x2
1 board 700x1
*To chest 800x0

64 Metal Ace
2 board 500x1
1 board 600x1
To chest 700x1, 750x1

Floor press pinkies on ring + 4 chains:
315/365/405x3, 455x2

Incline Tate Presses:
40x12, 50 3x12, 60 2x10

Seated pulley rows w/fat v-bar:
200x15, 250x15, 300x10

This was a boatload of work and it felt great. I love training! It was good jumping back in with heavy weight. My conditioning and recovery must be pretty good considering I competely less than a week ago. The 800 in the 62 Jack was coming in perfectly, but then it got a little squirrelly in the bottom so I just told them to take it.

I am really getting tired of tight shirts f'ing with my groove. That's why I jumped into my 64 Ace. I just wanted to move weights (Plus I need to have a loose shirt for the Last Man Standing Bench Contest in Lancaster, PA in July). All of the sets felt awesome. I hovered a hair from touching on the 700 and 750. I just don't need to snug the shirt down at all in the future for those weights. I was pleasantly surprised how well I benched in a shirt I have not worn in years. Plus I have not been in a shirt in almost 6 months.

I have watched guys put shirts on for years that take a team of lifters to help them get on. So I always feel like the fact I can get a shirt on with just a little tug, the shirt must be fine. Man, last night was liberating. The 64 slid on and off without any help. I was really able to groove in the shirt. I was much more technically proficient when I wore bigger shirts. Hence why I am getting a 64 Metal Jack. That's also the reason I did not fight with the 800 in the 62. I alredy knew what the next step would be.

My plan early in the evening was to just play in the shirts and then call it quits. However, I was feeling too good to do that. So I went along for the whole ride.

I really like the new program that we have worked up. I can't wait to run it through its course. I feel confident it will yield the results I am looking for.

[vdizenzo]

Saturday

30 minutes of raking (yes I am counting that as conditioning)
Contrast shower

Sunday

10 minutes upper and lower body warmup
SSB box squat worked up to 605x1
Trap bar deadlift worked up to 675x1

Wow, I need work on my squat and deadlift. However, I am going to have to get a bigger trap bar. Mine was full at 675. Man, my form was terrible on the squat. I looked like I was leaning forward. Gotta fix that. Plus, the box looks a bit high so I am going to take a layer of foam away

I mean, I don't have to go crazy as they are afterall ssb box squats and trap bar dl's, not exactly competition lifts. I just want to work them harder so I can get stronger all over. My lower body is healthy so now it's time to work.

So now I have some numbers to work off for programming. I am going to run 3 weeks of 5/3/1 squat along with a 3 week wave of speed dl. Then after those three weeks I will swap them. That's my plan and I'm sticking ot it-for now at least.

[Travis Bell]

I've done some of my best benches in gear that was considered "big" I just jacked it a little more as the attempts went on. You might be surprised that you could get as far as 850 with that shirt.

I just sent rudy some measurements the other day so I'm excited to see what he sends me for this meet.

[vdizenzo]

Monday 4/9/12-Bench

Upper and lower warmup
Bench, medium grip to 2" of foam, paused each rep 135/225/315/405x4 390 5x4
Incline bench thumbs from smooth 135/225/315/365/355x4
Seated dbl ohp 50/60/70/80x8
Fat bar pulldowns 150 2x12
Band assisted neutral grip pullups 2x12

Iced pecs/shoulders 20 minutes
Contrast shower

What the "F" I know it does not look heavy, but this was brutal. It also sucks becasue I was training alone and doing my own liftoffs. Looks like I am going to be having two tough bench days a week now. One raw and one equipped.

I made sure to ice and contrast after training. I almost cried while contrasting. It sucked. Sometimes that cold water is just brutal.

On a high note, the wonderful people at EliteFTS are getting out my 64 Jack. I hope it gets here for Friday's training.

[Coke]

Impressive vids, awesome with all lifts!

[vdizenzo]

Tuesday Conditioning - Inspired by Jim Wendler

Foam roll upper and lower
14 minutes jog/walk program

Contrats shower

I have wanted to start running again. I have not run on a regular basis in over two decades. I knew I could not just enter into running or jogging or whatever from nowhere. So I planned to start a run/walk program, but I have been putting it off for a while. Anyway, I saw Jim's letter to himself and I was inspired. It was just the kick in the a$$ I needed.

So after some foam rolling and a light stretch I hit the pavement. I just walkded to the first telephone poll on my road and then jogged to the next. I repeated this until I got to the end of the road and came back. I don't know how far I went and I am not going to measure it. I did it 14 minutes and my heart rate finished at 136. So I have numbers to improve upon. I'll eventually lengthen the trip as I get better at it. I promised myslef I would add it to my conditioning at least one time per week if not more.

My shins took some good impact and my legs definitely tightened up quickly. The one thing is, I felt very accomplished when I finished. I know it's no big deal, but it was a first step into a something new. I sure liked it a lot more than the treadmill or airdyne.

[joey54]

Way to branch out. As long as it doesn't affect the overall goal it will be a good thing.

[Alex.V]

Get some good shoes to run in, man. So critical for those of us not built like Kenyans, exponentially more important at your size. Even 15 minutes a week of jogging on bad shoes can cripple you.

[vdizenzo]

Thanks guys. I do have a good pair of Nike running shoes. No pain in the shins or calves since the run. I'll probably go out again Saturday. Don't want to do it today with shirt benching tomorrow.

[joey54]

Vincent just so you know we are going to have a lot of WBB'ers at the meet in July. You are in charge of the WBB group photo.

[vdizenzo]

Vincent just so you know we are going to have a lot of WBB'ers at the meet in July. You are in charge of the WBB group photo.

When people ask me to take a photo for them I usually just point the camera at myself and snap away. I tell them they made out in the deal.

[Murderous]

Vince I got a question. How come you don't get much out of gear? I know a lot of powerlifters don't bench anything near 600 raw but some get over 900 out of their gear. Is it that you haven't had enough time to work with your gear or is it because the triceps and shoulders of the other lifters are more developed than their chests where your chest is closely as good developed as your triceps and shoulders?

[vdizenzo]

Vince I got a question. How come you don't get much out of gear? I know a lot of powerlifters don't bench anything near 600 raw but some get over 900 out of their gear. Is it that you haven't had enough time to work with your gear or is it because the triceps and shoulders of the other lifters are more developed than their chests where your chest is closely as good developed as your triceps and shoulders?

This is an excellent question. I think my biggest problem is that I have tried to follow the crowd instead of going with what works for me. Over the years I have tried to work in increasingly tighter shirts. I have watched guys take 10+ minutes and even much longer to get shirts on and off. Back in the day I used to wear a loose shirt and adjust it quite a bit. However, I figured if I tried to get tighter shirts my bench would go up. Mind you, mine are never that tight. I have never had a shirt that took more than 10 seconds to snug on.

For the past two weeks I have been working in a shirt that I can completely put on by myself. Last night I wore it and hit 590 for 8 sets of 2. Meanwhile the week before I adjusted it a bit and hit an easy 750 after a lot of other work sets. So, in a long winded answer I have not been working in my wheelhouse. I thought wearing a loose shirt meant I was not pushing myself. Meanwhile I think it's what has been holding me back. I have been working in a 64 Metal Ace the last few weeks. Next week I am going to start breaking in a 64 Metal Jack. If I have the same adjustability in that Jack with that new material that I do in my Ace, I think it's going to be the key to bringing my bench to the next level.

[vdizenzo]

Wednesday

Assistance day

Dbl shrugs 2x20
TKE's 2x20
Seated dbl cleans 2x20
RDL's 2x20
Dbl curls 2x20
Calf raises 2x20
Rev plate curls 2x20
Planks 2x30 seconds

1 hr of ART
Contrast shower

[vdizenzo]

Friday-Equipped bench

Upper and lower warmup
Bench 64 Ace 590 8x2, 680x1
Bench w/pinkies on ring w/dbld mini bands 225/315/405/410/390x5
Incline Tate presses 60 5x8 1x15
Fat bar D rows 170 3x15, 200 1x15

Iced pecs for 20 minutes

It was a great shirt night. Did 590 for 8 doulbes. Touched just about every rep. It was pretty much speed work in the shirt. Took a nice easy single with 680 after that. I am glad to know this shirt will be perfect for my first 2-3 reps at the Last Man Standing Bench Meet this summer.

I am excited to get my 64 Jack and get some work in that next week. I think the loose shirt thing is really going to work well for me.

Finsihed up strong with the rest of my work. Making every rep count.

[Tim K]

Nice session Vinny!

[Murderous]

Thanks for the clarification Vince. Are you focusing on raw this year or are you going to go with the gear? Good luck at the Last Man Standing Bench competition.