James' Journal *New pic page 7*

If ya wanna get stronger benching mate, increase your direct assistance like shoulders and triceps.
Close grip benching heavily, and overhead pressing will help tons.
Make sure you go heavy though, but keep your form spot on.
I'd also increase bench pressing sets - try pyramid schemes.
e.g 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 8, 1 x 10

Thanks for the tips mate!

It sounds daft but I think my grip has been letting me down. I noticed today doing shoulder presses that my wrist was hurting and when I looked it was bent right back, dunno how I never noticed before!!

I think it must be the same when I bench as well.

Yeah technique is also key. Your grip/wrists will get stronger as you keep going.
Just have a look at a couple of benching videos, if your wrists are off, it will decrease the amount of weight you can push.

Will be paying a lot more attention to how I set my wrists in future, would explain why some of my benching sessions have been crap.

Hoping for a 130kg deadlift this afternoon!

Good luck with the dead-ing
...course it's probably easier to load 3plates a side, less confusion, looks much neater

Cheers buddy!

How heavy is a plate?

I train at home the heaviest I have is 25kg.

Sorry mate.
Was just assuming you'd be using 20kg plates.
3 a side = 140 (assuming a 20kg Oly bar)
Nice round number for a deadlift

Ah I see, I was going to upgrade to Oly weights but decided that my 1" will do me for some time then I'll look to join a gym.

Well that was ****, no chance of 130kg so dropped down to 120kg which was last weeks best and same problem. Dropped again to 115kg and managed 4 reps which is +15kg on last weeks repping weight and then 5 reps at 105kg which is also up on last week so I don't understand why there was no maximum increase????

Also had a problem with my BOR's, had to drop the weight right down and even then couldn't touch the bar to my stomach. I tried after with an empty bar and still couldn't get it all the way up, nothing to do with weight its a range of motion problem in my traps/shoulders which wasn't there a month ago!

Sorry for the long update

Deadlift 25kg x8
Deadlift 75kg x3
Deadlift 115kg x4 (+15kg for reps)
Deadlift 105kg x5

Negative pull up x8
Negative pull up x8 (+2)

BB row 40kg x8 (-5kg)
BB row 37.5kg x8 (-7.5kg)
BB row 35kg x8 (-10kg)

Incline bench row 21kg x8
Incline bench row 21kg x8
Incline bench row 21kg x8

Its gotta be in your mind!
Be nice to see a more thorough warm up too mate, more warm up sets would help more.
But who cares, its not the end of the world, of course its annoying but theres always next week, or the week after.
It'll come soon enough!

Owen


Its gotta be in your mind!
Be nice to see a more thorough warm up too mate, more warm up sets would help more.
But who cares, its not the end of the world, of course its annoying but theres always next week, or the week after.
It'll come soon enough!

Which bit?

Guess I should've done more warm ups.

Never mind mate, it happens sometimes. Was it grip? or could you just not get off the ground?

Strange about the BOR problem? have you changed the distance of your grip on the bar? something must have been different if you done them with no probs previously though.

First off I went for 140kg just to see how I got on and couldn't get it off the ground. 130kg I got up a few inches but I knew it wasn't going to happen as I was starting to use my back to get it up so put it down. Grip was fine.

You have to think that you can do it mate
not just hope.

Took a picture of my back, much work needed!

Owen


You have to think that you can do it mate
not just hope.

You're totally right mate, I think it beat me before I even gripped the bar.

Will be more positive next week.

Thats it, get a bit psyched up, and see yourself doing it, and it should go. No matter how slow it might be

Skullcrusher


Never mind mate, it happens sometimes. Was it grip? or could you just not get off the ground?

Strange about the BOR problem? have you changed the distance of your grip on the bar? something must have been different if you done them with no probs previously though.

Think my grip may have been wider, you reckon this would cause the problem?

Owen


Thats it, get a bit psyched up, and see yourself doing it, and it should go. No matter how slow it might be

To be honest I feel like having another go tomorrow!

Yes mate. If your grip was wider, it will certianly make a difference!
Grip should be just a little more than shoulder width - I make sure mine is just to the outside of my legs.

Personally, I would wait until next week before you attempt the lift again mate, although I know it is tempting to try it!

Cheers dude, don't know whats happened this week. had problems with my shoulder press on Thursday with my grip not being right, just a getting a bit sloppy.

Yeah I'll wait, would be even worse if I injured myself.