jwp008
12-01-08, 9:04 pm
Nov. 8th I smoked the RAW Bench Press record of 276 with a new weight of 281.5. at 165lb weight class. Also setting 3 other State Records. Not bad for my first powerlifting meet ever!! I love bench pressing i love powerlifitng. I am somewhat of a bodybuilder. I do bodybuilding excersises as well as powerlifting excersises. I encorporate powerlifts along with my bodybuilding routines. I have always been naturally strong espically on the bench press. Although i would like to say if you are a new comer to powerlifting and are wanting to do it, its alot different then what you think it is. Its a very technical and strict lift. The pause at the bottom when you bring the bar down and pause it at your chest.. and press from a dead momentum position is really tough... espically if your not use to that type of lifting. Just takes alittle time to get use to... but its a real test of strength and an awesome feeling being up on stage gettin after it. I prepared for the competition for about 5weeks. I caught wind of the competition on an internet site and didn't know about til about 5weeks out. So right then and there i decided i was gonna do it and start periodization. As interms of trainging and how my sets would be. I started out doing 5sets of 5 my first week going pretty heavy. Week 2 i went up to 6sets of 4reps. 3rd week i went to 8sets of 3reps. The 4th week i started doing board presses. Something i just really found out about. Thats why i started it late. I got ahold of the Ryan Kennelly Road to the Arnold DVD. Its a fantastic movie shows his training sessions leading up to the Arnold. Is a real bad ass movie i recomend it to all. The 4th week i started doing 2 board presses at 315 and stayed there the 5th week as well. Then i lifted that monday and had the meet on saturday Nov. 8th. Had a pretty decent showing. I wasnt at where i wanted to be at. I was doing about 315 in the gym doing a regular bench press, bouncing the bar off the chest. When i would pause the bar i was at about 280's so i had an idea of what i would be at. i tried 292.5 at the competition almost had it.. the bar came back towards my face and it was just to much weight to try and press when the bar is that high on your chest. I learned alot from the contest and really how it works, the rules. I def have been bittin by the iron bug, the powerlifitng iron bug... its an amazing feeling and experince. Right now i'm really getting my squat and deadlift alot bigger. Getting prepared to do the full 3 lift this next meet. In Febuary. I am also bodybuilding still. The week after the competition i had some shoulder problems just some wear and tear the rotator cuffs were soar from going heavy that many weeks in arrow espically not being used to doing that... so i switched it up and did DB Flat bench presses... doing sets at about 10-15reps... i got great results my shoulders healed i dont have problems with them.. and one thing that people under estimate about DB bench is the stabilization it has on the ligaments in the shoulders and arms.. i notice it in my bench i'm currently up around 340 on regular bench and 305 competition style. So i would def stress the importance in switching up routines every 3-4 weeks.. you get great results it takes pressusres off those certain muscles groups works them abit differently. AND PLEASE SQUAT!!!! AND SQUAT RIGHT!! BELOW PARALLEL!!!! STOP DOING THIS HALF SQUAT SHIT!!! you dont gain shit from doing half squats, half squats and all that shit are for fucking pussys that dont know shit about squating, get your fucking ass down there!!!!! Weighted dips really helped my bench as well and close grip bench... i did those on the days i did triceps for strength and i noticed at great increase on bench as well.... PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THESE POWERLIFTING EXCERSISES THEY ARE KEY IN GAINING MASS!!!! THERES NO EASY WAY AROUND IT!!!! YOU HAVE TO SQUAT YOU HAVE TO DEADLIFT!!! THOSE ARE KEY TO BUILDING MASS AND GETTING SOLID GAINS IN NOT ONLY MUSCLE MASS BUT IN STRENGTH!!!! Thanks guys i hope this article helped some what and was a good read i'd love feed back. KEEP THE DEDICATION!!!! ANIMAL FOR LIFE!!