Who Says Powerlifters Have to Be Fat! Bigben198s training log

[MITCHAPAL00ZA]

Are you gonna run smolov jr for your bench again during the next phase?

[MITCHAPAL00ZA]

Bumping to new page

Final day, did what I had to

Squat
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x1
475x1
add belt
520x3x10

Bench
225x1
275x1
295x1
325x3x10

Pullups
10x5

All in all this program was just what I thought it would be, really hard and very effective. Deloading this week then I shall prep for the intensive phase the journey continues!

[ehlisl]

I pretty much stalk your vids everywhere Ben, but just have to say again that you motivate the hell out of me Its been awesome following your progress, keep it rolling!!

[Bigben198]

Are you gonna run smolov jr for your bench again during the next phase?

I am not sure what I am going to do bench wise for the intense cycle, I will see how it tests out in the mock meet and probably decide from there what I need to do.

I pretty much stalk your vids everywhere Ben, but just have to say again that you motivate the hell out of me Its been awesome following your progress, keep it rolling!!

Thanks Luke I really appreciate your continued support, it is nice to know there are some other people in the area that share the passion.

[Bigben198]

Been about 6 weeks since I have done a sumo deadlift and I am doing a mock meet later this week so I figured I should at least make sure I remember how =) the rest of the session was just some fun BW stuff to loosen up and deload

Deads
135x1
225x1
315x1
405x1
495x1
add belt
605x8

Pullups/dips
BWx10/10x3

Box jumps
doubles up to
48.5"x2x4

Muscle ups BWx6

today was fun, the mock meet should be fun, relaxing after will be tolerable.... smolov intensive cycle will likely not be fun.... but that is why it will make me better!

[Anthonyxavcx]

Enjoy it. Amen to that brother.

[Bigben198]

I recently had the pleasure of doing an interview for Lift.net about life, lifting, and some other things it was recently posted on their website and I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out. If you have time please hop on over and check it out to show your support =)
http://www.lift.net/2013/03/07/ben-rice-interview/

[Bigben198]

Possibly the best gym session of my life! my consistency seems to have caught up to my effort and today was incredible. I still have a long way to go but this was a very good start!

Squat:
warmups
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x1
add belt
495x1
555x1

1st attempt: 590 good lift
2nd attempt: 615 good lift
3rd attempt: 625 good lift

Bench press:
warmups
225x2
275x1
315x1
335x1

1st attempt: 355 good lift
2nd attempt: 365 good lift
3rd attempt: 375 butt came up no lift

Deadlift:
Warmups
265x1
355x1
445x1
add belt
535x1

1st attempt: 625 good lift
2nd attempt: 715 good lift
3rd attempt: 735 good lift

total: 1725 PR no wraps total PR gym total

625 Squat was a 20 lb all time no wrap PR
365 Bench was a 10 lb all time flat footed PR I got 375 but the butt lift was too extreme
735 Deadlift was a 2 lb all time Raw PR, and was a 20 lb PR on a regular bar.

I have very high hopes prepping for my June meet now. It is too early to start calling out numbers but I will say that I am going to run the smolov intense phase to prep my squat that I will be wrapping for the meet. I will likely switch my bench back to a tucked foot position which traditionally makes my press much better, and I haven't worked my sumo pull for 6 weeks with the exception of 605x8 earlier this week, and then came back to hit an all time PR on it (small as it may have been) I am fired up and ready to do big things in the next few months!

[perfektion]

Nice vid and PRs, looks like your set up to have a great meet come June!

[Bigben198]

New ******** athlete page
http://www.********.com/pages/Ben-Ri...page_new_likes

Start of the switching phase which I am writing myself to last 3 weeks

Conventional deadlift
225x1
315x1
405x1
495x1
add belt
615x4

High bar sqat
135x1
225x1
315x2x3
405x2x2

Bench press
for speed
225x3x8

Hanging leg raises
10x4

Called it a day, everything felt pretty good and I intentionally left quite a bit in the tank

[calmlikewind]

that total, MIRIN HARD! inspiring as always!

[Bigben198]

It's hard to keep intensity up when the weights I'm using are light but this is what my body needs during this 3 week period and I'm sure I'll miss it when everyday feels like a max during the intensive cycle

Bench
225x3
275x1
295x1
315x6 (felt really easy)

Front squats
135x2
225x2x3
315x2

military press
135x3x6 (30 sec rests periods)

Deficit pulls
225x1
315x1
405x2x8 (30 sec rest periods)

Session was very quick, still trying to lock down a good flow for all this light speed work, I'll get it figured out though.

[Bigben198]

With so many people becoming easily offended these days the fitness community has become a platform for many people to argue, fight, and disrespect eachother over details that really do not matter. I hope that the community can find a way to fight back against this trend but all I can control is my own reactions and so I will continue to try and lead by example.
Been eating really consistently the last few days and am already feeling significant difference.

Squats
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x1
455x1
add belt
500x8

Bench
225x2
275x2
295x2
315x2x5

Speed pause squats
225x1
315x1
405x2x5
switch to high bar
405x2x3

Short simple and to the point. feeling great today and still really excited to get into the intense phase of smolov. Time to recover and do it all over again tomorrow

[CharlesSwann]

Great topic today. Especially the emphasis on things that feel like they work and 'feel good' being good for you. Feeling good seems underrated in lifting sometimes, but it goes a long way in itself.

Do you have your bench programming planned for the intense phase?

[Bigben198]

Great topic today. Especially the emphasis on things that feel like they work and 'feel good' being good for you. Feeling good seems underrated in lifting sometimes, but it goes a long way in itself.

Do you have your bench programming planned for the intense phase?

thank you, I haven't completely figured out my benching just yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to make it fit

[Bigben198]

Some days you go to the gym feeling tired, sore, or generally run down. These days you have the choice to feel bad about your situation or look forward to what you want to do. It doesn't matter how you feel today because the only day that counts is the day you are training to get too! keep that in mind

Military press
45x5
95x5
135x3
155x1
185x4

Clean+2 front squat
135x2
225x2
245
275

front squat
135x3
225x2
315x5

Close grip bench press
225x5x5

FB athlete page
http://www.********.com/pages/Ben-Rice/342688512519584

[CharlesSwann]

Not sure if anyone mentioned in the comments, but I notice on the heavier sets you start in the rack position with your elbows pointed in (closer than perpendicular to your body) but allow them to drift out (slightly outside perpendicular) as you descend. You might feel a lot better about front squats if you emphasize elbows in throughout, since it's less natural to drop the elbows from that position.

[Bigben198]

Not sure if anyone mentioned in the comments, but I notice on the heavier sets you start in the rack position with your elbows pointed in (closer than perpendicular to your body) but allow them to drift out (slightly outside perpendicular) as you descend. You might feel a lot better about front squats if you emphasize elbows in throughout, since it's less natural to drop the elbows from that position.

A just and well deserved critique haha I will remember it

[NeonDeon21]

Ben have you ever had any knee problems? My left knee crakcs sometimes when I squat recently. I haven't always Had this probelm. I layed off the squats for a while and when I came back after my squat workout I got the same pain. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do for this?

[snrygo]

Ben have you ever had any knee problems? My left knee crakcs sometimes when I squat recently. I haven't always Had this probelm. I layed off the squats for a while and when I came back after my squat workout I got the same pain. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do for this?

I'm not ben, but I had te same problem and it turned out to be my it band being knotted as heck.

This diagram helped me understand that there was a lot more to the it band than I thought. It goes almost all the way up to the iliac crest

[adamsz]

Hey Ben, I just did a write-up on running Smolov Meso for Squats and Smolov Jr. for Bench simulataneously in the powerlifting section, and decided to include your results in the thread. I hope you don't mind, and definitely feel free to stop by and chime in if you want!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1045070963

[Bigben198]

When something happens in your life that disappoints you, there are two options. You can sulk around and think "this sucks," or you you can find joy in the things that you do have, and try to share that joy with others. Fight on! and make the world a better place to live!

conventional deadlift
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x2
495x1
add belt
605x5

Bench press
225x2
265x2
295x2
315x2x8

High bar squat
225x2
315x2x2
405x2
225x3 no hands
315x3 no hands

Today was more therapeutic than actual training focused. sometimes that's all you really need to do. Tomorrow is still coming and the world keeps spinning

[Jericoe]

Hey Ben I have a question

I noticed that when you were doing sheiko you were always pulling from the ground and never from boxes or a deficit. Did you take anything off the percentages since you just pulled from the ground? I wanna run sheiko but I am interested in just pulling from the ground.

[Bigben198]

There is more to success than a desire for it. the work still has to be done

Bench press
225x3x2
275x2
295x1
315x6 (misgrooved rep 2 and was doomed for the rest of the set)

Sumo Deadlift
135x2
225x2
315x1
405x1
495x1
add belt
605x2x8 (60 sec. rest periods)

Pullups
10x5

dips
10x5

Toes to bar (hanging leg raises)
10x3 will be adding more sets each workout hopefully

All in all things are going well and I still have a ways to go. I look forward to continuing this journey.

[Bigben198]

Squats
135x2
225x2
315x2
405x1
475x1
add belt
520x5

bench
225x3
275x1
295x1
315x6
315x5
315x7

Squats
405x5x2 3 count pause
405x10

Dip/ Leg raises
10x6

Hanging leg raises
10x4

[Bigben198]

Opera tech week is here which means time is pressed and workouts are going to have to be made as efficient as possible until the weekend

Convetional deadlifts
135x2
225x1
315x1
405x1
495x1
add belt
605x2
605x3
605x4

Bench press
225x2x2
275x1
300x9
275x8
275x5

Muscle ups
5x2

Stairs
2 doubles
3 singles

off to rehearsal I'll be hitting bench hard either wednesday or thursday

[snrygo]

Hey Ben, I remember you saying a whole ago (when you were on sheiko) that you refused to to block pulls as they had very little carryover to actual dead lifting so you just did pulls from the floor instead. Did you modify your %s?

[Bigben198]

Hey Ben, I remember you saying a whole ago (when you were on sheiko) that you refused to to block pulls as they had very little carryover to actual dead lifting so you just did pulls from the floor instead. Did you modify your %s?

depended on the day, If I could do the original weights from the floor I would, and if I couldn't I would bring the weights down to something I could hit for that same rep range

[Kentisc]

Hey Ben
Hitting the weights hard as always, keep it up!
Good luck with the rehearsals and the show, sounds like one hell of a week

[Bigben198]

Hey Ben
Hitting the weights hard as always, keep it up!
Good luck with the rehearsals and the show, sounds like one hell of a week

Thank you, it is definitely the craziest week of this quarter, but afterwords life should feel so much less busy haha