Blonde will make you STRONG

[EvilPie]

barbell bench 21st century pb alert!   Banged out 102.5kg on flat bench today for 2 reps with no spot after a very easy 8 reps warm up set at 90kg.  Chest coming along nicely (mainly due to the solid tricep work)

Smashing it Arb. Any new xmas targets now you past 100kg for bench?

By xmas i want to be benching at least 120kg 1 rep max and 50kg dumbells for at least 6 reps.   Deadlift want to be pulling 200kg for a few reps with one rep max maybe 210/215.   The bench is all down to an incredible upturn in tricep strength i think plus i have started a creatine cycle 2 weeks ago which will last 3 months til xmas.  I think i need to improve shoulder strength to partially assist benching as well.   Would like to be shoulder pressing high 30kg dumbbells by xmas as well.

Tricep power is quite amazing improvement wise last few weeks.

Love to see these big bench improvements especially as you'd almost given up a few months ago. Targets seem a bit optimistic to be honest as you'd need linear progress to get there. I remember a while ago making a few regular PBs and suddenly thinking I'd be at 160kg before long but then I hit a plateau and have hovered around 140kg ever since. Would love to see you hit these numbers but don't be disheartened if you don't make it as they're incredibly tough.

I'll be back to it fully a week tomorrow going for a 3 x 5 + AMRAP routine for a few weeks  then running a programme up to Christmas hopefully for a PB attempt for me and my mate.

Recent high volume work has really improved both of our chest definition so hopefully the added muscle will carry through to some decent numbers.

[Marky147]

Not trained this week, but have been going 3x for last month, and finally ended with PT now.

Gonna try and get half a dozen sessions in before Glasgow on the 12th, and  same before Malta at the end of October.

Once I'm back from there will just try to keep training consistently until Xmas, whilst keeping my weight quite stable.

Might try getting up to the WSOP at DTD end of January, if any of you boys are having a dabble?

[arbboy]

Deadlift update today.  Did the usual warm up with 170kg expecting 4 reps did 7 easily and banged it up to 190kg and smashed out 1 rep twice.  Pretty solid as well.   Looking forward to getting to 200kg very soon.  Big barrier to smash through.  Got a video of today but no idea how to post it up.

Did 190 again today same as last week.  Tried 200kg but couldn't get a full rep out got half way.  Next week ftw!

[EvilPie]

Deadlift update today.  Did the usual warm up with 170kg expecting 4 reps did 7 easily and banged it up to 190kg and smashed out 1 rep twice.  Pretty solid as well.   Looking forward to getting to 200kg very soon.  Big barrier to smash through.  Got a video of today but no idea how to post it up.

Did 190 again today same as last week.  Tried 200kg but couldn't get a full rep out got half way.  Next week ftw!

Skip the 190kg and go straight for the 200kg perhaps?

[arbboy]

Deadlift update today.  Did the usual warm up with 170kg expecting 4 reps did 7 easily and banged it up to 190kg and smashed out 1 rep twice.  Pretty solid as well.   Looking forward to getting to 200kg very soon.  Big barrier to smash through.  Got a video of today but no idea how to post it up.

Did 190 again today same as last week.  Tried 200kg but couldn't get a full rep out got half way.  Next week ftw!

Skip the 190kg and go straight for the 200kg perhaps?

That's exactly what i wish i had done and will do next week.   I felt not quite 100% either so happy i could still shift 190. 

[arbboy]

Big big flat bench PB today.  Did 6 clean reps with 100 then banged out 2 clean reps with 110kg.  Felt really strong today after eating 400g of chocolate last night whilst watching the football!  Apart from that the diet (strength wise) has been going really well.  Look forward to chest day nowadays!

[EvilPie]

Big big flat bench PB today.  Did 6 clean reps with 100 then banged out 2 clean reps with 110kg.  Felt really strong today after eating 400g of chocolate last night whilst watching the football!  Apart from that the diet (strength wise) has been going really well.  Look forward to chest day nowadays!

Jesus mate that's huge!! Confidence must be sky high at the moment. Looks like I was way of the mark thinking 120kg was maybe an overly optimistic target.

At your size, with your current numbers elsewhere you really should be ahead of me soon enough. I might have to hit the 400g of chocolate myself

Got my first session tonight after a two week lay off barring one crappy session last Tuesday. Could be quite tough but need to get back in to the swing and really looking forward to it.

Not expecting any big numbers of course but just want to get the movements going again then hopefully be half reasonable on Saturday for bench day.

We're going to be doing 3 x 5 + AMRAP and I'll be starting at 100kg. 8 or more and you go up next week, 5 or less you drop back. Should be easy enough to hit 8 despite the break but we'll see......

[arbboy]

Big big flat bench PB today.  Did 6 clean reps with 100 then banged out 2 clean reps with 110kg.  Felt really strong today after eating 400g of chocolate last night whilst watching the football!  Apart from that the diet (strength wise) has been going really well.  Look forward to chest day nowadays!

Jesus mate that's huge!! Confidence must be sky high at the moment. Looks like I was way of the mark thinking 120kg was maybe an overly optimistic target.

At your size, with your current numbers elsewhere you really should be ahead of me soon enough. I might have to hit the 400g of chocolate myself

Got my first session tonight after a two week lay off barring one crappy session last Tuesday. Could be quite tough but need to get back in to the swing and really looking forward to it.

Not expecting any big numbers of course but just want to get the movements going again then hopefully be half reasonable on Saturday for bench day.

We're going to be doing 3 x 5 + AMRAP and I'll be starting at 100kg. 8 or more and you go up next week, 5 or less you drop back. Should be easy enough to hit 8 despite the break but we'll see......

Confidence is high at the minute but i was more pleased with the clean reps at 100kg (and how easy the first few were) than the one rep max pb.  Tricep strength is the key to my bench improvements.  I did 55kg on the ez bar lying tricep curls to foreheads.  I was only doing 40/42.5kg a few weeks ago.  TRiceps were always a strong area for me years ago and the strength there is definitely coming back very quickly.  Tricep push down as well on the cables have improved massively recently as well.  Overhead dumbbell press 46kg dumbbells now as well for 6 reps.

Want to leg press 500kg tomorrow for a couple of reps.  Been doing 450kg for 3/4 reps last few weeks.

[EvilPie]

Confidence is high at the minute but i was more pleased with the clean reps at 100kg (and how easy the first few were) than the one rep max pb.  Tricep strength is the key to my bench improvements.  I did 55kg on the ez bar lying tricep curls to foreheads.  I was only doing 40/42.5kg a few weeks ago.  TRiceps were always a strong area for me years ago and the strength there is definitely coming back very quickly.  Tricep push down as well on the cables have improved massively recently as well.  Overhead dumbbell press 46kg dumbbells now as well for 6 reps.

Want to leg press 500kg tomorrow for a couple of reps.  Been doing 450kg for 3/4 reps last few weeks.

Dumbbell shoulder press? If it is then that's massive. If it's tricep press it's just decent..... Sorry

Got my 8 out today on bench AMRAP so up to 102.5kg next week.

It was pretty tough after the 2 week lay off especially as the reps were all paused which I've not done for a while. Fun session though.

[arbboy]

Confidence is high at the minute but i was more pleased with the clean reps at 100kg (and how easy the first few were) than the one rep max pb.  Tricep strength is the key to my bench improvements.  I did 55kg on the ez bar lying tricep curls to foreheads.  I was only doing 40/42.5kg a few weeks ago.  TRiceps were always a strong area for me years ago and the strength there is definitely coming back very quickly.  Tricep push down as well on the cables have improved massively recently as well.  Overhead dumbbell press 46kg dumbbells now as well for 6 reps.

Want to leg press 500kg tomorrow for a couple of reps.  Been doing 450kg for 3/4 reps last few weeks.

Dumbbell shoulder press? If it is then that's massive. If it's tricep press it's just decent..... Sorry

Got my 8 out today on bench AMRAP so up to 102.5kg next week.

It was pretty tough after the 2 week lay off especially as the reps were all paused which I've not done for a while. Fun session though.

Yes triceps sorry.  Shoulders are only around the 32kg mark which is pretty poor i reckon given my build.  Working on it currently to improve.  What should you be doing roughly on shoulder dumbbels as a % of chest dumbells?  70%?

[EvilPie]

32kg for a DB shoulder press isn't poor at all, I very rarely see anyone push more than 30kg. It may feel weak but trust me vs the majority of people it's really good. Nothing wrong with holding yourself to higher standards of course.

I wouldn't know about percentages, it's going to be very different for everyone dependent on where their strengths lie.

Angle of the bench will also make a huge difference, if you have it dead vertical and sit tight in to the bench I doubt you'd do half what you can with a little bit of an angle. I have a bit of an angle so it makes it easier and takes a lot of what feels like bad strain off the shoulders for me.

For me personally I can do about 50kg on the flat and 40kg over head so 80% These aren't maxes as I don't go for 1RM on and DB movements. I'd be at about 5 reps for these but I don't know for sure as I don't push them.

My mate finds 60kg on the flat pretty tough but he does 54kg for 6-8 over head albeit at a bit more of an angle than me.

Loads of variables I guess but yeah al in all somewhere between 70% and 90% seems about right.

[arbboy]

My gym has those annoying benches that don't go vertical for shoulder press so you always have a slight incline.  Much prefer a fully vertical bench for shoulders to iso them more.

[EvilPie]

Arby. I've just had a read back through the last page or two and I wonder if you're putting too much emphasis on your triceps? You're saying that they've been a huge contributor but maybe they've now overtaken everything else and need to be drop back in volume a bit.

It may have been that your triceps were holding you back because they were weak. Now you seem to have them strong enough to keep up with everything else but are struggling a bit with pressing. Maybe it's time to put the direct triceps work on the back burner and put in some focus on shoulder development.

Your triceps are vital to pressing of course, particularly for locking out but compared to your shoulders and chest they're minor. You seem to be enjoying triceps which is understandable as you've made huge gains recently but at what cost? If you have limited gym time then maybe it's time to drop off them and give something else a go. They'll still get worked on every single pressing movement you do but rather than isolation exercises I'd put more focus on compound movements. Strength is your ultimate goal so although the accessories are very important they shouldn't take away too much time from the main movements.

[EvilPie]

My gym has those annoying benches that don't go vertical for shoulder press so you always have a slight incline.  Much prefer a fully vertical bench for shoulders to iso them more.

Isolation isn't best for strength though. The more upright you go the more you'll hit rear delts but that's only if you have good form. What happens with most people is they don't have the shoulder mobility so they have to bring everything forwards anyway making it effectively a slight angle but in an awkward seating position.

If you want some shoulder isolation maybe try some behind the neck press in the smith machine. My physio has me doing this at the moment and it's really helping my shoulder mobility and strength in what was a weak area of my shoulders. I only put 10kg on the bar and with smith machines being light anyway it's pretty much nothing but as long as I focus on the contraction it hurts my rear delts more than any other exercise I've known.

[arbboy]

Arby. I've just had a read back through the last page or two and I wonder if you're putting too much emphasis on your triceps? You're saying that they've been a huge contributor but maybe they've now overtaken everything else and need to be drop back in volume a bit.

It may have been that your triceps were holding you back because they were weak. Now you seem to have them strong enough to keep up with everything else but are struggling a bit with pressing. Maybe it's time to put the direct triceps work on the back burner and put in some focus on shoulder development.

Your triceps are vital to pressing of course, particularly for locking out but compared to your shoulders and chest they're minor. You seem to be enjoying triceps which is understandable as you've made huge gains recently but at what cost? If you have limited gym time then maybe it's time to drop off them and give something else a go. They'll still get worked on every single pressing movement you do but rather than isolation exercises I'd put more focus on compound movements. Strength is your ultimate goal so although the accessories are very important they shouldn't take away too much time from the main movements.

I only do 5 sets of tricpes twice a week so 10 sets total over a 4 work out rotation.  Biceps similar so def not over training them.  Just fit into the routine well.  Just feel like the strength has increased quickly on them recently.  There hasn't be a major effort to do so.  I am going to increase shoulder work though like you suggest and throw in a few more sets.  Think i have been doing too much shoulder iso work/shaping exercises rather than just heavy lifting.