JasonDB's Wall of Text, Rantings and Hatred of the Iron.

[JasonDB]

Think I figured out why your regular bench is so close to your cgbp. Bounce bench, cgbp, rollouts... no chest work. Unless you are planning on competing shirted, gonna need to load them pecs at some point.

Probably so, but my chest just massively overpowers my arms in terms of size and I have always keep my chest work to a minimum for balance purposes so I tend to avoid chest work outside of basic pressing/dips like the plague. I feel like if anything my sticking point is starting to become more and more my midrange so I am going to have to find a way to do floor presses with dummbbells. Although you are right, at some point I am going to have to actually do some chest work, I just worry that if I do chest work I am going to need a bra to hold my pecs and will be stuck with lagging biceps. When I do pause bench with 245 off the chest the bar doesn't slow till past mid-range so for now it isn't a big deal. I'll address it as the problems start to come into sight I suppose. For now though given my torso to arm size, and the fact that 90% of people's bench is limited by tricep strength, I'll probably keep the heavy tricep focus. Although, some dumbbell work for a short while in the near future might be useful in helping break through a plateau.

[Vitek92]

Box squats looked really good and 12 reps on 2pps bench? Nice!

A quick question, Jason. How so I prevent my hips from shooting up too fast while pulling which turns it into stiff legged sumo deadlift?

[joelash302]

Box squats looked really good and 12 reps on 2pps bench? Nice!

A quick question, Jason. How so I prevent my hips from shooting up too fast while pulling which turns it into stiff legged sumo deadlift?

Stronger hams.

[JasonDB]

Tired of this push pull so tinkering with C&P using some WSBB stuff etc tossed in. I'll be doing some type of squat, pull and press (normal stuff, speed work, pause work etc to keep changing things up a bit, box squats will be a constant though due to my depthissues) every day + accessory work.

Today's workout went well.

Box squat
315x3x3

Deadlift (this was very hard after box squating)
405x2
495x2 (videoed but have not reviewed video yet just got home... bar speed was a lot slower than my last 495, the box squats really fatigued me... I could have done 3-4 reps fresh I think)

CGBP
225x5
245x4
245x2
225x8

Face Pulls
205 (stack) x3x10

Rolling tricep extentions
#45x2x10

Incline curls
#40x2x10

Farmer's walks

Standing abe work

Chest, delts and tris on fire but I did a lot of pressing yesterday so not unexpected. Might take tomorrow off.

[snrygo]

lol@ the guy just sitting on the bench gawking in the bacground

[JasonDB]

lol@ the guy just sitting on the bench gawking in the bacground

I saw that later when editing and commented on my ******** that he is looking at me going "is this real life?"

[snrygo]

I saw that later when editing and commented on my ******** that he is looking at me going "is this real life?"

haha yeah.

solid effort on those pulls btw

[joelash302]

Took me a few views, but you are initiating your pull up instead of back. The bar is moving away from your body on the initial drive. Although part of me wants to say who cares since once the slack is removed it's a solid pull anyway, that swaying could cause a hammie tear on high weight.

[JasonDB]

Took me a few views, but you are initiating your pull up instead of back. The bar is moving away from your body on the initial drive. Although part of me wants to say who cares since once the slack is removed it's a solid pull anyway, that swaying could cause a hammie tear on high weight.

Yeah I had drive issues out of the hole because of it and slow as hell bar speed... I think the issue here was heavy box squats first though, as my same set last week was faster and cleaner. My hips were a couple inches higher than I normally like (again the think the box squats were giving me some issues) which gave me a bit more slack than I like... normally I get them set correctly and all the slack rolls out when I hit my shines with the bar on that roll I do and BAM off the floor. Instead there was slack so I had to muscle it up with no speed. LoL

[Vitek92]

Strong pulling and also lold@ the kid haha.

[phozosado]

CGBP numbers are inspiring here. Freaking 225 for that many reps - MONSTROUS.

[JasonDB]

haha yeah.

solid effort on those pulls btw

Strong pulling and also lold@ the kid haha.

Thanks.

CGBP numbers are inspiring here. Freaking 225 for that many reps - MONSTROUS.

CGBP is coming along nicely but I do it very often as it can help with bench lockout and I happen to love the lift... CGBP has always been one of my favorites, so I tend to do well on it. I was shocked that I got 10 the other day with 225.

[phozosado]

Do you have access to chalk for this? ^^^

One issue I have when I'm doing 225 is that my hands relentlessly slide together towards the end of the sets.

[JasonDB]

Do you have access to chalk for this? ^^^

One issue I have when I'm doing 225 is that my hands relentlessly slide together towards the end of the sets.

No, clean commercial gym they don't allow chalk or dropping weights, everyone deadlifts with straps because of the two (combined with no deadlift bars). I use a bar with curling near the middle for my CGBP (so I have some actual grip and I just squeeze it hard). Actually today I would have tried for 10 on that backoff set but on the 8th rep my ass slipped a bit on the bench and messed up my tightness. I wish I had videoed the 245x4 CGBP. I'll get a video next time I try them heavy.

[johnpagnolo]

you have a blog here!?

SUBED!

[JasonDB]

Was going to take the day off but decided to go in and do some lighter technique work on bench.

Pause Bench
245x3x3



Then thought I would try some CGBP while I had 245 on the bar
CGBP
245x5
225x9

Packed up and called it a day, my triceps and delts are cramping now.

[psychodiver9]

Always impressed by your cgbp and how close it is to your reg bench

[JasonDB]

Always impressed by your cgbp and how close it is to your reg bench

Probably again because I train my triceps so much and I don't have my bench technique down. Breaking down that pause video:

1) traps need to be set in harder.
2) I need to bench even lower and down onto my stomach for the way I am built, to get my forearms/elbows completely under the bar for the entire set
3) my leg drive is non-existant.

I need to get my feet spread further apart so that I can get some actual leg drive... this entire time trying to bench flat heeled I have not had any leg drive without my ass coming off the bench... I need to spread my legs further.

[SimonThePieman]

Probably again because I train my triceps so much and I don't have my bench technique down. Breaking down that pause video:

1) traps need to be set in harder.
2) I need to bench even lower and down onto my stomach for the way I am built, to get my forearms/elbows completely under the bar for the entire set
3) my leg drive is non-existant.

I need to get my feet spread further apart so that I can get some actual leg drive... this entire time trying to bench flat heeled I have not had any leg drive without my ass coming off the bench... I need to spread my legs further.

Its hard to tell from the angle, but your forearms don't look perpendicular to the floor either

[JasonDB]

Its hard to tell from the angle, but your forearms don't look perpendicular to the floor either

I could not tell either. Then again if I move the weight further down the alignment will change anyway, and that will require some grip adjustments. I will probably need videos from the side and from the bottom to get that sorted perfectly. Given what my pressing power is using CGBP as an idea, if I can get all my setup sorted, forearms perfectly under the weight and proper leg drive, I may actually be a lot stronger of a bencher than the numbers I am currently working with.

Also as Erick pointed out I do not have any leg drive deadlifting right now and am basically doing a RDL sumo stance. I am going to start training a mix of conventional and sumo, and sort the leg drive. He is right though, if I can RDL 500, if I can sort my technique I may be close to a 600 deadlifter already.

This is the issue I am having, I am big, and I am brutally strong now... but I do not have my technique down on any of these lifts and I have had hell making my body feel right post-Meneire's disease with no sense of body orientation or balance. I think with the help of this video camera, I am going to be able to sort through these issues. The raw strength and size are already there... I need to learn to use it effectively on these lifts again.

[phozosado]

Interesting that you mention the traps as well, which are probably the most overlooked muscle on the bench press. I'm no expert, but I'd say that the little bit of play a the bottom of the lift indicates that lack of trap involvement that you mentioned. Am I reading this right?

[JasonDB]

Interesting that you mention the traps as well, which are probably the most overlooked muscle on the bench press. I'm no expert, but I'd say that the little bit of play a the bottom of the lift indicates that lack of trap involvement that you mentioned. Am I reading this right?

Yeah I think that is lack of back involvement in general... I have play in the bottom and if you watch the 275x4 bench video the weight drops hard on the last few inches of my eccentric if I do not really control it. My whole back needs to be set harder.

Honestly looking at my bench and deadlift vids the raw power is there, I just am not using it correctly. I'm not making the most of my leverages, leg drive etc. I could be moving a hell of a lot more weight on both lifts.

[phozosado]

OH raw power is there, alright.

[ErickStevens]

I think we're very similar in benching strengths/weaknesses. Our paused bench numbers are almost identical and just like you my CGBP is very close to my regular bench.

Keep practicing those pulls. I think the only thing separating me from a 600lb DL is tighter technique.

[JasonDB]

I think we're very similar in benching strengths/weaknesses. Our paused bench numbers are almost identical and just like you my CGBP is very close to my regular bench.

Keep practicing those pulls. I think the only thing separating me from a 600lb DL is tighter technique.

I need to get the leg drive down on my pulling for sure, I only started deadlifting again in December. Once I get my technique right I think the numbers will explode again. Going to play with a mix of conventional and sumo every week until I can figure out which one seems to be best for my leverages.

Yeah I noticed too how close we are in strength on bench: tng, pause and CGBP.

I think sticking with box squats is my best squat solution for now, as depth is my huge issue there atm.

[SimonThePieman]

I did conventional for the 1st time after 6 weeks of sumo. 5rm+5kg went up easy. I think rotation is the key

[JasonDB]

Workout went well, I did not press or do direct arm work as my left bicep really hurt a couple days ago, and am having some inflammation in my left tricep tendon from so much pressing this week, so letting it heal for a day or two.

Box squats
315x3x3 felt really good going to start increasing these 5 lbs at a time until I can box squat 405

Deadlift tried conventional again, it feel really weird but the weight felt so light.
405x5 felt like 315 so went for a PR
505x2 faster bar speed had more than 2 reps but still getting used to conventional again so cut it short. Got video.

Barbell row, went back to higher angle wide grip, didn't feel right so used lighter weight
275x3x5

Good morning
225x5
295x3 too heavy
275x5

Face pulls
whole stackx3x10

Farmer's walks

Standing ab work

[Vitek92]

5 plate deadlift!

[JasonDB]

5 plate deadlift!

[snrygo]

im considering switching back to conventional for a couple weeks to see how it feels. i can never seem to get much leg drive on sumo but can stil pull so much more.


any tips on getting dat leg drive