Wanted 8 reps for an 8 rep max, but after bench pressing 320 lb for 5 sets of 3 reps, then 300 lb for 5 reps, 7 reps was all I could muster. I guess this is a 7 rep max!
Front Squat: 340 lb x 1 (Paused + No Belt PR)
It was easy, but I just wanted to fill in the empty box in my PR table.
Front Squat: 330 lb x 5 (5RM)
Testing out a wider stance for front squats. Can't get as much depth as my previously narrower stance, but I'm feeling more bounce out of my adductors, so it's easier coming up from the bottom.
REGULAR GRIP Bench Press: 350 lb x 1 (1 rep max by 10 lb!)
350 lb regular grip seems puny compared to my 395 lb reverse grip 1RM lol
Had to wear neoprene pads because I'm not used to the bar pressure on my palms yet :/
Front Squat: 405 lb x 1 (1RM)
LMAO4PLATE milestone, and +5 lb PR with no knee wraps.
Wore the Three Wolf Moon shirt though.
Pretty sure I would have missed this rep without harnessing it's mystical, performance enhancing powers.)
Deadlift: 500 lb x 1 (No Belt, Hook Grip)
1 rep max with no belt. Time to start tracking no belt deadlift PRs.
Tip: Track a variety of different exercises and variations of the same exercise through many rep ranges, that way there's more opportunities to hit PRs all the time and post something on 70's Big every PR Friday.
Deadlift: 500 lb x 5 (5RM with straps and +40 lb PR!)
Missed at 550 lb THREE times (first two times used hook grip, third time used straps, but gassed out).
This pissed me off so I went for a 5 rep max with 500. Had to re-adjust the straps mid set because it wasn't tight enough.
Other Stuff
Roundhouse Kicks
"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
I started tracking no-belt, paused and paused + no belt squat PRs, so my PR record table had gotten a little longer and has a lot more empty boxes.
PR's This Past Week
Beltless Paused Low Bar Squat: 460 lb x 1 (1RM)
I wanted to see if I could do a paused squat with 460 lb, and I did!
Paused Low Bar Squat: 500 lb x 1 (1RM)
I did this right after the 460 lb paused squat. I think I'll do this again and hold the squat a little longer, for an eye blink or two.
Paused Front Squat: 370 lb x 1 (1RM)
Decided to continue on with the paused PRs
Missed on the first try because I wasn't committed to giving it the real ultimate power coming out of the hole.
Got it the second try though 🙂
Other Stuff
Barbell Row: 230 lb x 8 (Hook Grip)
Tried out some hook grip barbell rows on Tuesday, mainly to punish my thumbs, and get a thicker and lumpier back.
I set the bar on top of a bunch of mats so I didn't have to bend over so much before rowing.
I'd rather save my bending over strength for squatting and deadlifting.
I may try out some other barbell row variations, like the Pendlay row, before deciding on what to stick with.
Training Schedule Change
I'm going to change my training schedule so that everything is pushed back one day. Meaning my "volume" days are now Sundays instead of Mondays, "recovery" days are Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays, and "intensity" days are on Thursdays instead of Friday.
Today is Sunday, so I should start getting warmed up!
After 10 reps it felt like my heart was going to explode. I was exhausted and couldn't think straight for the next 10-15 minutes.
Some people on Facebook talked about 20 reps at 405 lb (LMAO4PLATE Widow Maker). The most I've ever done with 20 rep is an empty bar!
I think I'll probably end up squatting 500 lb x 10 before 405 lb x 20.
Heavy Bag: Kicks, Punches, Knees & Elbows
Tuesday's are turning out to be heavy bag and neck day. I think punching the heavy bag might be affecting my OHP's the next day. Couldn't even press 230 lb! Usually that weight is no problem.
But I think I'll stick to hitting the heavy bag, mostly because it's fun, and punching & kicking stuff just feels good and makes me feel like a bad-ass.
PHUNG-ctional "cardio", too 😉
I think I'll start using the Bas Rutten MMA/Muay Thai/Boxing workouts (which are pre-recorded drills where Bas shouts out various combos) next week to step it up a notch.
The awesome thing was, it was my first time submitting an article to T-Nation!
The original article I submitted tipped the scales at a little over 4000 words. The one that's on T-Nation's website is roughly 2100 words. So I guess I need to figure out what to do with the rest of the stuff I wrote that wasn't published!
There has been some mention of the reverse grip in previous articles on T-nation, mainly talking about how the RGBP is a shoulder-friendly variation of the bench press:
"Reverse-grip bench press — Basically the same as the standard bench press set-up, but turn your hands so that the palms are facing towards your head instead of your feet. This will externally rotate the whole arm, which puts the shoulders in a much more favorable position for the lift, decreasing injury potential without compromising range of motion"
However, there is no step-by-step, "how to" tutorial on how to execute the lift on T-Nation (or anywhere else online that I could find, at least with pictures and how to do the RGBP without spotters).
Until now.
You're welcome, internet 😉
Other Notes
Header Picture: The image they chose for the article was interesting. I was kinda-sorta expecting someone more oiled up and shirtless. Maybe I'll submit a pic of myself shirtless, pumped and oiled up next time I submit an article to T-Nation haha
Also, I noticed the bar looks like a fat bar. The safety pins seem a little high, and I don't see the J-hooks. But it could be the angle of the camera.
TL;DR Bullet Points: Another thing I want to address is this:
I did not write the 3 bullet points under the heading, "Here's what you need to know".
In fact, when I submitted the article I don't recall T-Nation using the 3 bullet points before the article just yet. I would have chosen a different wording than "heal your joints", but I think most people got the idea that the RGBP was a shoulder friendly variation of the bench press rather than an exercise that will miraculously heal your joints.
Reception
The reception to this article has been pretty good! The article has gotten >280 Facebook likes, and people have made positive comments in the "LiveSpill". It seemed like there were some people who came out of the closet about benching using a reverse grip because of some shoulder problems as well.
However, there were some who immediately dismissed the movement, pre-judging the exercise and giving their "opinions" without even thoroughly examining it (that is, actually spending some time performing the RGBP for a few training session. To be honest, I don't think they even read the article in it's entirety!).
But that was to be expected: we are on the internet we are humans after all.
Even though the reverse grip is not a new exercise, it's a rarely executed variation of the bench press (at least that I know of). It's also perpetuated by misinformation and preconceptions. The RGBP is different than what most people are accustomed to seeing, and it is a relatively "unknown" exercise. Even those who know of the RGBP probably have not been under the bar performing this exercise, let alone pressing anything near their bench press 1RM.
The fear of the unknown, prejudice of something that is different and it's accompanying reactions is probably not going to go away anytime soon, no matter what the subject matter is.
I think as more and more people start trying out the RGBP and start making progress without pain (and not going to "snap city" or not killing themselves as some would think), and seeing or reading how other people are using the RGBP, it's going to become a more common exercise as time goes by.
It might even come to a point where the reverse grip is the preferred way to bench press and people will be saying that the regular bench press is an injury prone exercise that will lead to snap city!
Maybe.
Ed Coan Answers My Question
I'm not the type of person who asks a ton of questions because I like the satisfaction of figuring things out by myself, but when I am stumped I like to ask those who have a lot more experience points than I do.
I had a problem I couldn't figure out, so I asked non other than Ed Coan.
It looked as though Ed Coan already knew the answer as he was nodding his head.
So, basically I'm "not keeping back tight enough", and "locking shoulder blades enough".
GOT IT.
With my new bench press setup (placing feet on the bench first, lift my hips up and put pressure into the bench with my traps, then put my feet to the ground - you can see this in the bench press video later on in this blog post) makes it easier to get my tight and lock my shoulder blades before unracking the bar.
Some people have said to use dumbbells instead, but 150 lb + dumbbells are kinda hard to come by from what I've experienced, getting it safely in position is a bit of a pain in the ass, and increasing the load from workout to workout by a small amount requires something like PlateMates (magnetic microplates that attaches to dumbbells). Not sure if PlateMates would work on those rubber coated dumbbells though.
Also, failing with dumbbells can result in one of the dumbbells smashing into your face (this has happened to me before).
PRs During The Last 2 Weeks
I hit a few PRs in the last couple of weeks:
Front Squat: 400 lb x 1 (1RM)
No knee wraps front squat PR done on 2 Wednesdays ago.
Low Bar Squat: 500 lb x 2 (2RM)
I've attempted 2 reps with 500 a few times in the past, and normally I would miss the second rep. Pretty happy with this.
I think I rushed the descent during the 2nd rep, because I remember losing tension and I didn't feel as tight as I dropped down, which made the rep a little more difficult and ugly. Still recovered and popped it up though. I'm thinking on a solid day, I could probably get 3 reps at 500 lb.
Started off the week with a PR on a MONDAY. I don't think I've done that before.
Heavy Bag: Right Kicks
Hitting the heavy bag is probably my favorite form of cardio/conditioning while training alone. I particularly like kicking the bag with my shins.
It's functional in a sense that kicking the bag at full power will train you to get better at kicking stuff at full power. It also allows me to practice a skill (Muay Thai round kicks in this case), pretty exhausting yet fun.
I think I'll throw in some hands later on.
Heavy Bag: Left Kicks
I think my left kicks aren't too bad. They feel faster and harder compared to my right, but that's probably because I'm stepping into the kick with my right leg instead of just throwing it from where I'm standing.
Almost like a running start before throwing the kick.
Low Bar Squat: 500 lb x 3 (3RM with Knee Wraps)
During my warm up on Friday I was thinking, "why don't I try to squat 500 lb for a set of 5...with knee wraps". So I tried. Stopped at 3 because the 2nd and 3rd rep felt tough.
Reverse Grip Bench Press: 395 lb x 1 (1RM)
Last week I didn't complete my planned bench press workout. That meant that I had a little bit of extra rest for this week. I felt fresh and didn't feel sore at all, so I decided to try for a 1RM.
Nailed it!
It felt surprisingly easy and if you watch the video, you'll see that I look confused after the rep and looked at the plates at the end. I wanted to make sure that I loaded the bar correctly. I felt confident I could bench press 400 lb right after, but I missed.
400 lb bench press...
New Bench Press Set Up
I'm experimenting with a different bench press set up.
Normally, I lay down on the bench, grip the bar, and then lift my upper body up and push myself down into an arch while hoping that my traps and upper back lands in the right area.
Well, I've been having issues slipping on the bench, and I've tried applying a variety of stuff on the bench to prevent from slipping, with the latest solution being skateboard grip tape. I still occasionally slip even with this sandpaper on the bench, so I'm thinking now that the problem (and solution) isn't about my bench at all, but how I set my body up for the bench press.
I've read and heard about getting the pressure onto the traps during the bench press in order to keep the body tight. I've also noticed from doing dragon flags, that a lot of the weight seems to be on the traps throughout the movement, on an area that I think the pressure needs to be during the bench press.
I've seen some videos of other people placing their feet on the bench first, pushing their hips up (almost looks like a dragon flag, but with the feet on the bench) and wedging their upper backs/traps into the bench before lowering their hips and putting each foot down on the floor.
I tried this setup myself, and so far, so good! I didn't notice any sort of slipping at all during the bench press, and my body feels consistently tighter during the movement.
I'm thinking that the reason why I'm not slipping on the bench (at least, not yet) with this setup is that when I'm up on my traps and holding the bar in my hands, the pressure on the bench is on a smaller surface area compared to if I had my traps, upper and mid back on the bench. This small surface area (my traps/upper back) will dig deeper into the bench compared to a larger surface area (traps + upper + middle back), better anchoring me in place and preventing me from slipping.
That's my guess.
Poor Man's Big Mac
I seriously wish I discovered this a long time ago, because I would have saved a few thousand dollars (maybe) by now.
Normally I order a Big Mac whenever I eat at McDonalds, but not too long ago I learned about the McDouble (which is the cheapest and most nutritious food in human history apparently), which is basically a double patty cheeseburger and way cheaper than a Big Mac.
I recently learned that you can actually order Big Mac sauce on the side, which comes in little packets. Even more recently, I learned that you can ask them to put the Big Mac sauce into the McDouble for you! And via some Google searching, apparently you can ask for lettuce added into the McDouble as well at an additional cost.
