Personal best on bench last night

[SS Junk]

I disagree completely. Safety and good form should always be paramount, but you should absolutely be in the mindset to "kill" yourself with whatever weight is on the bar at the time. Rep range is important, so adjust as necessary to be in the specified rep range,with 100% intensity.

Form is understood. My apologies for not making that clear. I agree you should kill it which is why I stated to do heavy weight to the point of maybe two to three reps (assuming they are full reps and not "I was xxx inches off my chest). It's difficult to find a good spotter as well therefore it's almost always better to workout without one.

[stangin4lyfe]

I know, and I must say that muscle memory has been great in terms of increasing poundages every single workout, as long as I don't pay any attention to what the weight actually is. lol

Newbs don't know how good they have it!

Not saying you are a newb either oldtimer.

[BERT]

x2 took a few months off lost alot of my strength and mass. It was so pathetic when I started doing arms and chest

Also Bert hows your progression going? I fucking hate flat bench, but I love incline. I don't know why.

Coming along fine. Me and my brother decided to do 4 weeks of dumbell bench before going back to the barbell. This is week 4. Last week we did 80,90,100lbers. 8reps on the 80 and 90's and could only get 4 reps on the 100's, fuck those felt heavy lol

Incline we did 2 sets with 70's and then one with 80's. Was going to keep with the 70's but didn't want little brother to do more than me so i sucked it up and did 6reps with the 80's

For the first time last week, me and my brother are doing the same weight on every workout. I might should back it down on the bicep workouts but we'll see about that.

I've also learned to like back days somehow

[Big A]

Coming along fine. Me and my brother decided to do 4 weeks of dumbell bench before going back to the barbell. This is week 4. Last week we did 80,90,100lbers. 8reps on the 80 and 90's and could only get 4 reps on the 100's, fuck those felt heavy lol

Incline we did 2 sets with 70's and then one with 80's. Was going to keep with the 70's but didn't want little brother to do more than me so i sucked it up and did 6reps with the 80's

For the first time last week, me and my brother are doing the same weight on every workout. I might should back it down on the bicep workouts but we'll see about that.

I've also learned to like back days somehow

It's "my brother and I" dammit.

Back is my second favorite next to chest, I bet you'll start enjoying it more once your grip and biceps are up to snuff.

[BERT]

It's "my brother and I" dammit.

Back is my second favorite next to chest, I bet you'll start enjoying it more once your grip and biceps are up to snuff.

Shut up, Aaron


I like back cause i can see us slowly progressing in weight. MY BROTHER AND I were talking last night saying how much we've both gone up on seated rows and lat pulldown machines. Used to end up on 120 on both and now our third set is around the 200 range. I always feel like i'm doing seated cable rows wrong lol

[Big A]

I always feel like i'm doing seated cable rows wrong lol

Seated rows is one of those exercises where it is all to easy to "cheat," by swinging your entire upper body back and forth, which creates varying degrees of momentum.

There is nothing wrong with this per se, as long as you aren't so sloppy as to pull a muscle in your lower back, but it can make for a bigger swing in the weight and reps that you can lift. You could be focused on form one day, and keep your upper body mostly perpendicular, with all of the movement focused through your arms and back, which means you'll lift a bit lighter. The next time you may be consciously or subconsiously working out that ego, using all of the momentum you can to get up bigger weights.

Knowing the difference and using them both are all part of the game, again provided that you aren't so sloppy as to risk injury.

[BERT]

Seated rows is one of those exercises where it is all to easy to "cheat," by swinging your entire upper body back and forth, which creates varying degrees of momentum.

There is nothing wrong with this per se, as long as you aren't so sloppy as to pull a muscle in your lower back, but it can make for a bigger swing in the weight and reps that you can lift. You could be focused on form one day, and keep your upper body mostly perpendicular, with all of the movement focused through your arms and back, which means you'll lift a bit lighter. The next time you may be consciously or subconsiously working out that ego, using all of the momentum you can to get up bigger weights.

Knowing the difference and using them both are all part of the game, again provided that you aren't so sloppy as to risk injury.

most of the time i keep my back straight and never lean forward, just back a little. And i try to do this all the time, and if i can only get in 5-6 reps on the last one, so be it.

[BERT]

i catch myself leaning way back on lat pulldowns, not sure if this is right or not

[Big A]

i catch myself leaning way back on lat pulldowns, not sure if this is right or not

It's not, and very common poor form, that I'm guilty of on heavy days. When you lean back you are using alot less lats, and the focus turns to the upper back, which is totally different muscle group.

Look at it like leaning so far back when doing shoulder press, that the chest takes over most of the lift. In either case you aren't focusing on the target muscles.

It's always been my recomendation that for the first few months when first training, or after an extended hiatus, that the primary focus needs to be on close to 100% correct form. As long as you are giving 100%, you're still growing and gaining, while building a foundation on which to deviate from later on as needed. This gives the body time to acclimate to the new stresses, not just your muscles, but the connective tissue as well (see bicep thread).

I know that it's difficult, test production increases, as does the ego, and you're more concerned about besting your training partner or the guy on the next bench over before you know it, which is good for motivation in some respects but you can't rush progress no matter how hard you try. Cheating bigger weights simply isn't a good idea for an unseasoned lifter, as it helps to create bad habits, and greatly increases the chance of injury. After some time cheating is absolutely fine, as long as you are well aware that you are doing it, and doing so on purpose.

I don't mean to preach, take what's said with a grain of salt, if it fits fine, if not it's just general advice for anyoune that happens to read it. As mentioned before, I'm back at it after taking way too long off, and doing my best to practice what I preach. It is taking every bit of self control I've got to focus on form, and not rush trying to get back to lifting like I used to. A shoulder injury shortly after coming back reminded me all to well that there is alot more to growing than pushing big weights.

[BERT]

Makes sense

[BERT]

After a lackluster chest workout thursday (was expecting to get the 100lbers up more than 4 times), back to our normal schedule again and will see where i'm at on bench using the barbell once again after a month of doing just dumbells for flat bench.

Last time i did 245 twice and was pretty excited about that. I don't really want to put a number on what i want to get up today as i'm sure any number I say I will not reach lol Maybe i'll just say i want to do 245 4 or 5 times

I know my brother is wanting to get to the 300lb mark. And he should be able to, he was at 285 before and could've gotten more. I can't do that lol


and save me the "you shouldn't try maxing out cause you could hurt yourself" stuff. I know this, if i decide to try it's cause i want to not cause i think i need to. Plus, i like feeling how heavy the next step up is in weight before i actually do it. I know what i can and can't do and i'm not afraid to tell my brother to help me, at all lol

[stangin4lyfe]

and save me the "you shouldn't try maxing out cause you could hurt yourself" stuff. I know this, if i decide to try it's cause i want to not cause i think i need to. Plus, i like feeling how heavy the next step up is in weight before i actually do it. I know what i can and can't do and i'm not afraid to tell my brother to help me, at all lol

So basically... you are doing this for bragging rights?

[BERT]

So basically... you are doing this for bragging rights?

Hence the title of this thread

[BERT]

Not sure "bragging rights" is the right term to use here. Cause what i'm doing is nothing to brag about. I just like tracking my numbers on here so i have something to go back and see my progress written down.


and after rereading what i put up there, i'm not saying i don't enjoy y'alls information and help. I do enjoy reading that and i need all the help i can get, trust me

[stangin4lyfe]

I'm just giving you a hard time is all.


There are a ton of people on here who are willing to help you and others.
Keep up the good work and don't quit!