"The Surgeon General advises not to try the following. Or at least do not do it very often. The author is not responsible for anyone who tries to duplicate the following training and sustains severe trauma, cuts, bruises, barfing, bouts of lucidity, dismemberment and/ or death. Be forearmed because that is forwarned."
Wednesday December 9 Part I
"The Experiment"
W/ Malcolm "Dr. Jekyl" and Shawn "Mr. Hyde"
Warmups
Benchpress-medium grip: work up to 225x3, 275x1, then added 4-board, used wide grip (pinkies @ rings) and did 315x1, 340x1
Put shirt on (Titan Katana)
3-board benchpress-competition grip (middle finger @ring): 375x1, 405x1
2-board: 440x1
1-board: 455x 1/2 (I know its lame to claim a half rep but I lowered the bar to the board and had it 3/4 of the way up when it drifted back towards my head and Shawn took it.)
To chest: 465 miss approx. 2" off chest, foot was slipping on descent and generally felt looser than previously
480 miss approx. 1" off chest and Shawn took it.
The shirt is stronger than I am. I felt more comfortable in it than previously. I wanted to see if it fit better with my weight loss and I think it did. (The shirt belonged to J$ when he was a light 220, as in about 205. When I first tried the shirt I weighed approx. 250. Now I am approx. 225-230). We feel it would take about 500 pounds to touch in the shirt and at this point I am not strong enough to do that. I was happy with the 440 board press because I think it is closer to what I am capable of today. (Point of reference; last June in the same shirt at approx. 250 pounds I got 455x1 off a 2-board and 470x1 off of a 1-board. Today's training shows me I am not that far off where I was then. At a much lighter bodyweight.)
In our training we have been doing a lot of close/ medium grip board work as a supplemental exercise. I feel I am getting stronger with the boards which in turn should push up my rack lockouts which should help my bench.
I took my last shirted attempt at 2:30 pm. Shortly thereafter, Matt 4board rolled in and I prepared for Part Duex. I had been sipping recovery drinks and Gatorade during the shirt work. I sipped on a protein drink while we warmed up on the floorpress. I felt a little tired but mentally sharp and otherwise ok. This would change...
"The Experiment Part II"
W/ Matt "Frankenstein" 4board ("Hey can I hide between your lats?")
Floorpress-medium grip:(warmed up Brooks-style w/ singles) 135x1, 185x1, 220x5, 250x3, 280x3 (1)
Plate raises (Big Jim Williams tribute): 2x15/ 35, 45
DB rows: 1x15 w/ 145 (Felt a little woozy and out of breath after this one. Felt I was getting too much in touch with my female side and did the first of 3 sets of 25 rep tricep pushdowns...Light weight though...) Did another set 1x15 w/ 145 (This is when I realized I may have overdone it a bit. Woozieness because nausea which begat breathlessness which begat a heart rate like I had run a 400m sprint. I staggered over to Matt and told him I was modifiying today's training. Staggered back over to the DB rack and watched him do 5 sets of DB rows. I was still waiting for my heart rate to slow down!)
Rear delts on pec deck: 2x15/ 100 (Finally! Ten minutes after my last set of rows my heart rate began to come back down! Sheesh. I think my CNS may have been a little overtaxxed but still, I question my manhood.)
I have participated in such stupidity before. I have done shirt work and ME upper body work on the same day. Albeit several hours apart and with a much reduced volume of assistance work (similiar to what I had to do today). I don't recommend it. Either way. Previously it was because I had to. Today it was an experiment; does the Katana work any better at a lighter weight.
I don't like missing lifts. I would rather leave weight on the bar (in the tank, what have you) than go to failure. Not so much in a meet but at least there one has a reason. Success begats success. (Conversely, like Michael Jordan said (pararphrased), "I succeed because I have failed so many times.") I walked out of the gym today, having learned some things and accomplished a few others. And I walked out a little stronger. And that is the way it should be.
The cute girl in Mickey D's drive-thru must have sensed my success as she, free of charge, with a great smile, upgraded my chocolate shake to a large one. To go with my 2 Bloato burgers and large fries.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
Ed T.
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