Press Wednesday: On Track

warmup w/bands

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

DB OHP (strict)
left
26 kgs x 3
36 kgs x 3
46 kgs x 1
51 kgs x 1
56 kgs x 2 FAILs
51 kgs x 3

Pull-ups
bodyweight: 129 kgs
+ 10 kgs chain x 14 PR
+ 10 kgs chain x 10
BW x 10

BB OHP w/axle
35 kgs x 20
45 kgs x 20
50 kgs x 20 PR

I CANNOT find the blog entry, and I'm not even sure if I wrote one about it, but the first competition I entered was a bench-only novice comp at the Pit. I pressed 135, but was red lit for not waiting for the press signal. This was late 2011, I'm pretty sure.

So I've repped that 1RM from not quite two years ago, tonight. And how much bench work have I done in that time? Not much, actually. A bench variation (swiss bar and/or incline, etc) has typically been somewhere in my assistance work, but it hasn't been a focus while I've been a Strongman.

Very happy with the axle progression. Smooth, steady reps without discomfort. I can't wait to be doing this with something approaching my max. But I'll have to, of course.

I'll deadlift 300 kilograms at the WA Strongman finals, September 21st, and I'll bench at least 150 at the next PL comp I enter (still haven't decided which). See if I don't. And to top that drama, tomorrow night I'll be squatting a mighty 145, for as many reps as possible.

...I realise now I cannot simply leave it there. Tonight had an obvious down side, being the dumbbell press. This was way, way worse than I was anticipating, and I can only assume my money set on bench is taking more and more of my stabilisation... not to mention, the money set made my lower back cramp viciously. I wasn't fit to press heavy after that.