Press Wednesday: 3 Times the Charm

warmup w/bands

Bench press
60 kgs x 10
80 kgs x 8
100 kgs x 5
120 kgs x 1
130 kgs x 6 PR

DB OHP (strict)
left only
26 kgs x 3
36 kgs x 3
46 kgs x 1
51 kgs x 0
56 kgs x 0
56 kgs x 3

Pull-ups
BW x 14
BW x 8

BB OHP w/axle*
25 kgs x 20
35 kgs x 20
45 kgs x 18

Leg press
explosive
210 kgs x 10
260 kgs x 10

THE MAKESHIFT circus dumbbell proved a bit wily tonight. I make it up using a six kilogram bar (with fat grip), which makes for odd loading amounts. At 51 kilos it came apart just as I cleaned it to my shoulder. I swapped around some plates for thinner Ivankos of about the same size, and didn't need to try that weight again. But when it came time for the money set I didn't keep rigid enough once I'd shouldered the weight, so there wasn't enough power under it. I reset and tried again, and at least got three slow, agonising strict reps out of it. I needed five. Lucky this isn't an event.

Of course that's not the best outcome of tonight's session; I made that sixth rep on bench. I'm still not sure I'm keeping my elbows and wrists where they need to be, but I brought the bar down to the right spot, which made all the difference. I paused the first rep and continued pushing from a position of strength. I might have tried a seventh but I didn't want to fail. I've failed in my final rep attempt on the last few press sessions and it's not a habit to get into. Training to failure trains your body to fail. Remember that kids.

Tomorrow we squat.



Hey!! I found a bench video I made pretty much three years ago. Some of you might even remember this video from when I first started logging my training on Muscle and Strength.
So in three years I've put 30 kilos on what I can bench for six reps (and my 1RM mid-2011 was 135, from memory, so who knows where my true 1RM is right now?)

*The PTC axle was lighter than I expected; it's like 23-point-something kilos. Lucky those tiny plates are on every cage.