BP 315 Competition: Paulie_G & Trev71

[trev71]

Paul and I bumped into each other in another bench press 315 thread... and this friendly competition started.

Our personal goals are to BP 315 x 1 by our birthdays in April/May, among other things. So, we are fairly certain that our competition will get pretty tense in late March/early April.

Feel free to jump in and offer words of encouragement, thoughts on programs, ideas, Q&A, notes on form, etc...


Competition Rules
- First to show a video of a single 315lb BP
-- Butt on the bench
-- Unrack, down, touch chest, press up and rack
-- No bouncing
-- No spotters touching the bar (spotters are welcomed but, no touch, hands off)
- Regular bench pressing videos of our working sets
- Friendly sparring of words encouraged....
- We'll discuss our programs/routines, diets, successes and failures along the way

Rewards
- Winner gets a bench press related t-shirt, winner's choice
-- Under $25 ( open for suggestions !! )
- Bragging rights

About Paulie_G (fixed)
Name: Paul
Age: 41
Best lift: Probably Dips or deads...or bench. OK, lets say weighted dips.
1RM BP: 279
Current Lifting Program: Linear Progression 3x5
Hobby/Sport: Lifting heavy things. Building and modifying computer systems, hand guns
Job/Career: Vocational Evaluator

About Trev71
Name: Trev
Age: 41
Best lift:
1RM BP: 280
Current Lifting Program: 5/3/1 +BBB, older version, some assistance work
Hobby/Sport: Mountain Biking, Computers
Job/Career: Systems Administrator --> Totally representing the computer nerds here.. !!

It's On

[Paulie_G]

Damn it Trev. At least get my member name right. Who the hell is "Paul_G"? LOL. Let me be first to lay down some smack. Look for me to take this thing, long before your birthday. . Go big, or go home...

[trev71]

Damn it Trev. At least get my member name right. Who the hell is "Paul_G"?

Little testy there eh? lol

LOL. Let me be first to lay down some smack. Look for me to take this thing, long before your birthday. . Go big, or go home...

See you at the finish line, remember second place is really just the first loser.

Vid tomorrow...

[Paulie_G]

Little testy there eh? lol



See you at the finish line, remember second place is really just the first loser.

Vid tomorrow...

My video should be up Monday night or Tuesday morning. Revamping my workouts specifically for a bigger bench. Bodyfat be damned. I can get back to a cut after we finish this. Time to start eating big and break out the chains...

For the record, I hope you hit 315...just a few days later than me.

[trev71]

Again, doing 5/3/1

I am on my second cycle, this will be my second week of that cycle
This is my 333+ week..

Today 333+
Warmup:
Bar x 10
135 x5

Working Sets:

180x3
205x3
230x10 -> previous cycle week #2 was 225 x7 reps
140x10 x5 sets

The rest:
Some inclinded DB and light DB flies..
Tricep work...

[trev71]

My video should be up Monday night or Tuesday morning.

You're up !

[Paulie_G]

Again, doing 5/3/1

I am on my second cycle, this will be my second week of that cycle
This is my 333+ week..

Today 333+
Warmup:
Bar x 10
135 x5

Working Sets:

180x3
205x3
230x10 -> previous cycle week #2 was 225 x7 reps
140x10 x5 sets

The rest:
Some inclinded DB and light DB flies..
Tricep work...

Nice set! I'll try to get one up by tomorrow evening. Tonight is bench night, but I don't think I'll have time to post afterwards.

[-=FLEX=-]

Good luck to both of you. You're both darn close.

Seems anytime I get close toa 3 plate bench my shoulder craps out on me. Got 305 this time last year, wrecked my shoulder again, and haven't gotten near there again. Not even doing flat barbell presses these days.

[Getsum]

Good deal and good luck!

[trev71]

Good luck to both of you. You're both darn close.

Seems anytime I get close toa 3 plate bench my shoulder craps out on me. Got 305 this time last year, wrecked my shoulder again, and haven't gotten near there again. Not even doing flat barbell presses these days.

Yea, I hear ya there.. hurt my anterior delt a while back and I am just getting back into the swing of things here. I used to press really high.. learned to push the bar down a bit (my last couple of reps you can see it floating back up)..

Anyhow, I think we are closer than we thought we where... using calculators and not real weight, yesterday has me at 305ish.. when I did my 1rm for the 5/3/1 program I am doing, I had 280x1 (with a spotter, who had her hands on the bar..)

Either way... we aren't competing with calculators

[trev71]

Nice set! I'll try to get one up by tomorrow evening. Tonight is bench night, but I don't think I'll have time to post afterwards.

Thanks, looking forward to seeing what your doing.

What's your routine like tonight, what are you expecting ?

Good deal and good luck!

Thanks !

[Paulie_G]

Yea, I hear ya there.. hurt my anterior delt a while back and I am just getting back into the swing of things here. I used to press really high.. learned to push the bar down a bit (my last couple of reps you can see it floating back up)..

Anyhow, I think we are closer than we thought we where... using calculators and not real weight, yesterday has me at 305ish.. when I did my 1rm for the 5/3/1 program I am doing, I had 280x1 (with a spotter, who had her hands on the bar..)

Either way... we aren't competing with calculators

I am constantly on the edge of injuries detering progress. Ironically, it has nothing to do with lifting. I have a desk job, so I'm dealing with Repetitive stress crap in my shoulders, wrists and elbows. I just push through the BS. It just doesn't matter. I won't let it slow me down.

What calculator are you using? I'm using the one at Exrx. It has me at 279 doing 225x8, which is where I was last week on my 3rd set after doing 225x5 on the first 2 sets.

Thanks, looking forward to seeing what your doing.

What's your routine like tonight, what are you expecting ?

Thanks !

I'm making some adjustments. Tonight, I'll be working with 235 on bench. Right now, I'm doing linear progression, working with the same weight for 3 sets. First 2 sets are 5 reps, and the last set is 5+. So, what I'll be posting is my 3rd set of 235. I'll follow up with some chain work on BP, then close grips and dips. I'll also be doing Trap bar deads tonight.

My routine in general is a linear progression 3x5, but with the 3rd set always to failure. Focus is primarliy on compounds, with 1-2 assistance exercises per muscle group. Lifting just 3 days per week.

[Paulie_G]

So, how the hell do I post videos? I've posted pics, but I've never tried to embed a Youtube video. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[-=FLEX=-]

So, how the hell do I post videos? I've posted pics, but I've never tried to embed a Youtube video. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Use the video tags:

[ video] [/ video]

(but remove the spaces)

Then just copy and paste the url from youtube for the video.

[Paulie_G]

Use the video tags:

[ video] [/ video]

(but remove the spaces)

Then just copy and paste the url from youtube for the video.

Thanks! Appreciate it. You would think that I would know how to do this, being a PC tech, and moderator for another forum. I just never had a reason to post video before.

[trev71]

What calculator are you using? I'm using the one at Exrx. It has me at 279 doing 225x8, which is where I was last week on my 3rd set after doing 225x5 on the first 2 sets.

I'm making some adjustments. Tonight, I'll be working with 235 on bench. Right now, I'm doing linear progression, working with the same weight for 3 sets. First 2 sets are 5 reps, and the last set is 5+. So, what I'll be posting is my 3rd set of 235. I'll follow up with some chain work on BP, then close grips and dips. I'll also be doing Trap bar deads tonight.

My routine in general is a linear progression 3x5, but with the 3rd set always to failure. Focus is primarily on compounds, with 1-2 assistance exercises per muscle group. Lifting just 3 days per week.

Interesting, seems like a big jump 10lbs in a week..... very interested in seeing the reps for your final set.

Besides the 3x5+ on your bench press, do you do any other bench press reps/sets?

I am doing my warmup, followed by my working sets (3), followed by 5 sets of 10 (currently 55% of my calculated 1rm -- this will go up to 60%, and continue climbing as time goes on here). Again, I am only on the second cycle (month) of 5/3/1 but damn, results are great thus far... across the board.

Tonight is deadlift...

[Paulie_G]

Interesting, seems like a big jump 10lbs in a week..... very interested in seeing the reps for your final set.

Besides the 3x5+ on your bench press, do you do any other bench press reps/sets?

I am doing my warmup, followed by my working sets (3), followed by 5 sets of 10 (currently 55% of my calculated 1rm -- this will go up to 60%, and continue climbing as time goes on here). Again, I am only on the second cycle (month) of 5/3/1 but damn, results are great thus far... across the board.

Tonight is deadlift...

Here we go. You can clearly see why I was going to start a cut. I carry about all of my fat in my gut. Looks worse than it is though, due to the arch. Anyways, this isn't too bad. However, this is my new training partner, and he needs work on his spotting. He is way too "gun shy". I was perfectly able to do a 7th rep, but he grabbed the damn bar when he saw me pausing on the last rep.


I do 2 light warm up sets, then a couple of acclimation reps. Following my 3 working sets, I'm working 50% of 1RM with a set of 2x 30lb chains for 3 sets, then finish with 3 sets of weighted dips (BW+45lb) to failure. I'll work chest again on Friday. It will be Incline bench, close grip press, and again finish with dips.

[trev71]

However, this is my new training partner, and he needs work on his spotting. He is way too "gun shy". I was perfectly able to do a 7th rep, but he grabbed the damn bar when he saw me pausing on the last rep.

I do 2 light warm up sets, then a couple of acclimation reps. Following my 3 working sets, I'm working 50% of 1RM with a set of 2x 30lb chains for 3 sets, then finish with 3 sets of weighted dips (BW+45lb) to failure. I'll work chest again on Friday. It will be Incline bench, close grip press, and again finish with dips.

Fix the video permissions.

If he did jump in too early that is only taking away from your progression .. I'd beat him with a stick or.. maybe the Olympic bar..

So, you jump up another 10lbs for your next session ? or do you stay at 235? or what? what gauge do you use to increase weight? is it a rep count or do you do this each time and always end up with a 5,5,7-8 rep set?

[Paulie_G]

Fix the video permissions.

If he did jump in too early that is only taking away from your progression .. I'd beat him with a stick or.. maybe the Olympic bar..

So, you jump up another 10lbs for your next session ? or do you stay at 235? or what? what gauge do you use to increase weight? is it a rep count or do you do this each time and always end up with a 5,5,7-8 rep set?

Video permissions? Not sure what you mean there. I'm kind of new to uploading video around here.

Jerry (spotter) is a good guy, but he is kind of new to freeweight training. He was a machine/P90x guy for a long time. He is getting better with spotting, but is still a work in progress. He is reliable, and it doesn't require me to drive 40 minutes each way to train with my old training partners. Not to mention, he really wants to learn, and is motivated to get stronger.

I'm doing Linear progression. So, I usually increase 5lb each workout, as long as I can complete 3 sets of 5 reps. The last set I do is 5+. I must get at least 5 reps to increase weight for my next workout. Any additional reps are a "bonus", and help me predict success with the next workout. If I get 8+ reps on my 3rd set, I may choose to increase 10lb. instead of just 5. That was what happened from last week to this week. I was able to hit 225x8 during a week that I was feeling really sore and sleep deprived, so I felt like I could push it 10lb. Turns out I made the right decision this week. As for next week, I'm just planning on a 5lb increase, since I only hit 6 reps.

Overall, I'm feeling really good right now. Some of my RSI/joint issues are starting to subside with the help of additional fish oil and some Volteran gel that I just started using. I'm thinking that my numbers my start going through the roof. I just need to figure out how to maintain my weight < 180 throughout the competition, which may be hard to do.

[trev71]

Video permissions? Not sure what you mean there. I'm kind of new to uploading video around here.

http://support.google.com/youtube/bi...&answer=157177

I'm doing Linear progression. So, I usually increase 5lb each workout, as long as I can complete 3 sets of 5 reps. The last set I do is 5+. I must get at least 5 reps to increase weight for my next workout. Any additional reps are a "bonus", and help me predict success with the next workout. If I get 8+ reps on my 3rd set, I may choose to increase 10lb. instead of just 5. That was what happened from last week to this week. I was able to hit 225x8 during a week that I was feeling really sore and sleep deprived, so I felt like I could push it 10lb. Turns out I made the right decision this week. As for next week, I'm just planning on a 5lb increase, since I only hit 6 reps.

Makes sense.. and sounds logical with the 5lbs for next week.. 240.. nice nice nice..

I think my next routine, this coming Sunday, ends with a 235 set... then a deload weak.. and I am strongly considering skipping this deload, and doing one every 8 weeks vs every 4.. not sure yet.

Overall, I'm feeling really good right now. Some of my RSI/joint issues are starting to subside with the help of additional fish oil and some Volteran gel that I just started using. I'm thinking that my numbers my start going through the roof. I just need to figure out how to maintain my weight < 180 throughout the competition, which may be hard to do.

Balance the calorie intake. Bulking doesn't mean just - eat the world. Find the balance....

That said, I'm eating the world.... my numbers are climbing... across the board.

[Paulie_G]

http://support.google.com/youtube/bi...&answer=157177




Makes sense.. and sounds logical with the 5lbs for next week.. 240.. nice nice nice..

I think my next routine, this coming Sunday, ends with a 235 set... then a deload weak.. and I am strongly considering skipping this deload, and doing one every 8 weeks vs every 4.. not sure yet.



Balance the calorie intake. Bulking doesn't mean just - eat the world. Find the balance....

That said, I'm eating the world.... my numbers are climbing... across the board.

Diet is where I struggle the most. Not really because I eat poorly, because I generally eat quite well. My body just LOVES to store fat. So, even with calculating and following what seems to be appropriate TDEE, I still run into problems. For example, if I do what appears to be a clean bulk, and increasing calories just 500 calories over maintenance, I tend to gain a pound of fat for every pound of muscle I put on. Not to mention, I tend to retain water like crazy if I'm not really careful with salt intake. It takes a ton of work for me to get my diet right. Any and all suggestions on minimizing fat gain through this competition are greatly appreciated. .

[trev71]

Diet is where I struggle the most.
...
. Any and all suggestions on minimizing fat gain through this competition are greatly appreciated. .

I drink on the weekends, drink, not sip a couple, drink.
--( 4-5 stiff Barcadi and Diets... )
I eat chips and dip here and there.
I love cookies, had one this morning.
Subway for lunch or dinner, at least once per week..

I try to eat large, healthy meals.
I am very conscious of protein intake. ( lunch today is 3 chk breasts and a bag of uncle ben's rice.. lol.. )
I am also very conscious of NOT drinking calories (shakes and weekend drinking binges aside..)
I drink water, constantly, all day long, like it's part of my job.

Taking 2 protein shakes daily. ( Monster Milk ) (may have to trim this down actually... )
Creatine.

Not concerned with water weight, not over the winter at least.
Keeping weight gains to 1lb a week if at all possible.
No longer concerned with a 6 pack.. overrated. (may change my mind on that one.. lol)

4x week gym routine.

When I start gaining too much, too quickly, I slow down.
I do not weigh my meals, factor my macros, calculate my bites per minute or my chew time to available teeth ratio.

Lunch is always leftover from dinner... just make huge amounts.. and Tupperware it up

My cut usually involves protein shakes/chicken breasts/water and starvation... lol...

I ain't your diet helper

[Paulie_G]

I drink on the weekends, drink, not sip a couple, drink.
--( 4-5 stiff Barcadi and Diets... )
I eat chips and dip here and there.
I love cookies, had one this morning.
Subway for lunch or dinner, at least once per week..

I try to eat large, healthy meals.
I am very conscious of protein intake. ( lunch today is 3 chk breasts and a bag of uncle ben's rice.. lol.. )
I am also very conscious of NOT drinking calories (shakes and weekend drinking binges aside..)
I drink water, constantly, all day long, like it's part of my job.

Taking 2 protein shakes daily. ( Monster Milk ) (may have to trim this down actually... )
Creatine.

Not concerned with water weight, not over the winter at least.
Keeping weight gains to 1lb a week if at all possible.
No longer concerned with a 6 pack.. overrated. (may change my mind on that one.. lol)

4x week gym routine.

When I start gaining too much, too quickly, I slow down.
I do not weigh my meals, factor my macros, calculate my bites per minute or my chew time to available teeth ratio.

Lunch is always leftover from dinner... just make huge amounts.. and Tupperware it up

My cut usually involves protein shakes/chicken breasts/water and starvation... lol...

I ain't your diet helper

LOL. No, you are certainly NOT my diet helper. Our diets are similar. However, I rarely do any cookies or sweets in general these days, and I'll have 2-3 beers throughout the week, with Saranac Black and Tan being my favorite.

Years back, I was a ACE and ISSA certified personal trainer, and I often partnered with a local nutritionist. Cutting and bulking plans that worked for many of my clients, just did not work for me. For me to get and stay lean, I need pretty close to surgical precision with my diet. I ask for suggestions (from anyone following this thread) simply because over the course of 20 years, I've run out of ideas.

Now, don't get me wrong...I've been able to get lean, but in order to do it, I've had to sacrifice a significant amout of muscle mass. I'm not one to blame my lack of progress on genetics, but I will say that my genetics are not the best for lean mass. I need to fight hard to stay anything close to lean.

Not concerned with water weight? Well, if you retained water like I do sometimes, especially on creatine, you would think different...especially on a 5'7" frame. Doesn't take much water to take me from looking pretty good, to the Pillsbury dough boy. LOL

[Paulie_G]

OK. Finally had time to change the video from private to public. I had no idea that private was default for youtube uploads.

[Korr]

Nice clean benching from both of you.

GL guys and have fun.

315 is a great milestone.

[Jtbny]

Neat idea guys. Good luck to both of you.

[Paulie_G]

Nice clean benching from both of you.

GL guys and have fun.

315 is a great milestone.

Neat idea guys. Good luck to both of you.

Thanks guys! I know this competition is providing me with a bit of a spark. Really looking forward to hitting that 315 milestone.

[trev71]

Thanks guys! I know this competition is providing me with a bit of a spark. Really looking forward to hitting that 315 milestone, second.

I agree Paulie, you'll be second

[Paulie_G]

I agree Paulie, you'll be second

Go ahead and keep running that smack, and stay confident. It just fuels me. . Screw a 5 lb increase next week. It will be 10, and it will go up for 5+.

[trev71]

Here we go. You can clearly see why I was going to start a cut. I carry about all of my fat in my gut. Looks worse than it is though, due to the arch. Anyways, this isn't too bad. However, this is my new training partner, and he needs work on his spotting. He is way too "gun shy". I was perfectly able to do a 7th rep, but he grabbed the damn bar when he saw me pausing on the last rep.

Yea, I think you could have gotten a 7th up... at least you have a spotter

Fat in your gut, yea, I can see it clearly haha... seriously though man, you are far from needing to be seriously concerned with it. Hit your cut in Feb/March and come May you'll be fine.. I think that is my plan... ****.. I put on 10lbs in the last 8 weeks... /sigh...