Rangers97 Does Powerlifting (for real this time)

[rangers97]

December 6

Off from weights, impromptu "cardio".

I bought a new powerrack/bench yesterday, and I spent about 45 minutes carrying the pieces of it from my living room to my basement. So I will consider 45 minutes of going up and down stairs some kind of cardio session. There was like over 100 pieces to this thing I swear! And what a bitch to put together. It was going smooth until I got a 1/2 inch metal splinter from one of the bolts in my thumb and had to pull that out, and then when I got up to the lat attachment part, yeah that was fun too

But it is ready to go, and of course today is back day, so all I can use is the lat attachment today, can't wait to actually use this thing to bench and squat from! The lat attachment did seem rather smooth, so that's good, much better than the one on my other bench, maybe now I can do tricep pushdowns without destroying my elbows!

[Firehawk]

I assume the lat station is plate loadable?

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by Firehawk

I assume the lat station is plate loadable?

Yes, sir. It;s good because the place where you load the plates is near the ground, whereas my other bench, the pole to load the plates on was already about half way up, so this new setup will probably be A LOT easier for the triceps pushdowns, now I won't have to prop myself up on 50lb dbs to get a good range of motion!

Only negative is that there isn't a bar to anchor your thighs down to a seat when doing lat pulldowns, so I might need to improvise....

do you see any advantages at all to doing a lat pulldown without leg support? Obviously harder, obviously less weight can be used...counterproductive?

And yes, this is temporary until I figure out how to get a pullup bar in my basement somewhere.

Rangers - if you've got $6-10.00 extra one day. Stop at the hardware store and pick up a couple of carabiners and a couple of 4' lengths of chain. Not logging chain, but the heaviest dog chain type. Stout enough to hold a few hundred pounds. Then you can make that lat pull thing fit however you want it.

I can adjust mine so the bar is all the way at the top when I lat pull or down a couple of feet so even my 5' tall wife can position just right for tricep pushdowns while standing on the floor. An old gunbelt made a nice seatbelt for the bench too for when I do lat pulldowns. Since I'm 180, I couldn't really understand why 150 on the lat tower left me doing seated pullups - but I solved the problem with a seatbelt. Strap myself in and pull...works pretty good.

[rangers97]

how did you rig the seatbelt up? Connected to the bench? Wrapped around the bench?

My new lat tower doesn't have the height problem, but I can see how the chains would help. This thing has a good 6+ feet of travel, so it's plenty for me to bring the bar halfway down to start a tri-pushdown and finish it without banging the weight stack into the uprights

I just ran the belt under the bench and over my lap. It's the old one from when I was fat (44"). I shortened it up a bit to fit me and the bench.

[rangers97]

December 7 -- Back

Decent back workout today, although I think I went too heavy on v-Bar rows and I hurt my back a bit. I really don't like this exercise (where you use the small handle and put it around the bar with the plates on one end), but I ordered myself a chest supported t-bar rowing machine, so when that comes I will be happy . First use of the new lat tower was "OK", it was smooth, but these plate loaded home lat towers are so much more difficult that the machines in the gym, it's very hard to guage progress on these things. This one is smooth, but hard at the same time, my weights felt so puny, I wish I saw a big guy doing this exercise to see if I am in the ballpark or if in fact I am just a wuss on these, lol.

Barbell Rows (overhand grip)
135 x 8
135 x 8
185 x 5
210 x 6
210 x 6
210 x 5
Pretty satisfying as I've never done this much weight overhand before, I don't think. Will probably keep the same weight next week, just to get some more solid reps in and hit 6 on the last set.

Lat Pulldowns
95 x 6
95 x 6
95 x 6
Like I said, don't worry about the number here, I am just listing it to guage my progress, it is not an indication of anything except what I can lift on MY particular machine.

V-Handle Close Grip Lat Pulldowns
105 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8
These felt a lot better than the other pulldowns.

V-Handle Barbell Rows
150 x 6
150 x 8
175 x 5-->Got stupid and hurt my back a bit.

Barbell Shrugs
225 x 15
225 x 15
225 x 15

DB Hammer Curls
30 x 6
55 x 8
55 x 6

Decline crunches x 20

[rangers97]

December 8 -- Speed Bench

Fun workout tonight, shoulder hurts a bit however, I think it was from the barbell shoulder presses. Of course, the one time I go back to a barbell after about 2 months, and the shoulder acts up. I think I might just stick with dbs on these, although it's gonna be hard to "clean" my homemade dumbbells up with the big 25 pound plates on the ends. Maybe I'll just try it one time to see what happens, cause I can't have this shoulder pain every time I do a barbell movement.

Speed Bench
185 x 3 x 3 -- middle finger on rings
185 x 3 x 3 -- pinkies on rings
185 x 3 x 3 -- index fingers on rings
These were good--fast and in control

Seated Military Press
185 x 5
185 x 5
Good except for the nagging shoulder discomfort that I am sure started after finishing these. I gotta work on form, I assume the form should be like bench press form for powerlifting, ie, tuck the elbows in, rather than flare them out and make it a more tricep dominant movement?

Pin Presses
OK, I think I did these wrong. I set the bar on the pins about half way up my normal bench movement and pressed off the pins to lockout. I assume it was wrong since I had to start the weight from a dead stop on the pins halfway up, rather than get a handoff and lower halfway and press. Felt really good on my triceps though Firehawk, correct me on these if I did them wrong.
245 x 6
245 x 6

Tricep Pushdowns
50 x 8
50 x 8
going light just to get my triceps some extra work. Once again, my plate loaded pulldown apparatus is fricken hard

Shoulder Medley
This was just 2 giant sets of front raises, lateral raises, and rear laterals back to back, otherwise known as the thing that makes grown men cry
20 x 10 front x 10 side x 10 rear
20 x 10 front x 10 side x 10 rear

Decline crunches
BW + 10 x 20

Side Bends
40 x 10

[Klinger]

That shoulder medley looks rough. You might like L raises. You do a side raise with one arm and a front raise with the other, simultaneously. That's one rep. Next rep you reverse the order.

[Firehawk]

Originally Posted by rangers97

December 7 -- Back

Decent back workout today, although I think I went too heavy on v-Bar rows and I hurt my back a bit. I really don't like this exercise (where you use the small handle and put it around the bar with the plates on one end), but I ordered myself a chest supported t-bar rowing machine, so when that comes I will be happy . First use of the new lat tower was "OK", it was smooth, but these plate loaded home lat towers are so much more difficult that the machines in the gym, it's very hard to guage progress on these things. This one is smooth, but hard at the same time, my weights felt so puny, I wish I saw a big guy doing this exercise to see if I am in the ballpark or if in fact I am just a wuss on these, lol.

Barbell Rows (overhand grip)
135 x 8
135 x 8
185 x 5
210 x 6
210 x 6
210 x 5
Pretty satisfying as I've never done this much weight overhand before, I don't think. Will probably keep the same weight next week, just to get some more solid reps in and hit 6 on the last set.

Lat Pulldowns
95 x 6
95 x 6
95 x 6
Like I said, don't worry about the number here, I am just listing it to guage my progress, it is not an indication of anything except what I can lift on MY particular machine.

V-Handle Close Grip Lat Pulldowns
105 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8
These felt a lot better than the other pulldowns.

V-Handle Barbell Rows
150 x 6
150 x 8
175 x 5-->Got stupid and hurt my back a bit.

Barbell Shrugs
225 x 15
225 x 15
225 x 15

DB Hammer Curls
30 x 6
55 x 8
55 x 6

Decline crunches x 20

You copying my routines boy?

If you want my suggestion about speed bench, drop the weight on it and move the weight faster. You shouldn't use more than 50% of your 1RM. Estimating ur 1RM at 315 that'd be about 155. Don't let the bar hit your chest. The idea is to change your force to driving it up while your pulling the weight down so that you get the bar to stop just as it grazes your shirt, but that you aren't recruiting any momentum off your chest. Man i do this with 135 and i'm just as sore the next day in my chest as I am after doing heavy bench. It takes alot out of u.

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by Klinger

That shoulder medley looks rough. You might like L raises. You do a side raise with one arm and a front raise with the other, simultaneously. That's one rep. Next rep you reverse the order.

that's too confusing for me, lol...that's like asking me to rub my belly and pat my head at the same time

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by Firehawk

You copying my routines boy?

If you want my suggestion about speed bench, drop the weight on it and move the weight faster. You shouldn't use more than 50% of your 1RM. Estimating ur 1RM at 315 that'd be about 155. Don't let the bar hit your chest. The idea is to change your force to driving it up while your pulling the weight down so that you get the bar to stop just as it grazes your shirt, but that you aren't recruiting any momentum off your chest. Man i do this with 135 and i'm just as sore the next day in my chest as I am after doing heavy bench. It takes alot out of u.

Hey, you gave me the routine, I told you I would do it eventually . Well, the shoulder thing I copied from your post about the guys at your gym who were doing it--no way I could do it for 120 reps straight though

I did the speed bench with 60% IRM, cause that's what I have in the routine you gave me, but 50% works too, lol. I gotta tell you, it wasn't lightening fast, but the 185 went up in under 3 seconds for the 3 reps. I wasn't touching my chest either, but I'll definitely use the 50% next week and try to go even faster.

Did you read my description of "pin presses"? did I do them right, and is that a valid tricep builder?

[Firehawk]

I probably did tell you 60% before but it should be lighter. I have since dropped my weight too. I work with less than 50% actually.

Didn't read your description of pin presses, but it's a good lockout builder for the bench if that's where your weakpoint is.

You could do 120 reps if you used lighter weight. Start with 10s if you gotta. These guys at the gym were using 20s and they are huge and experienced so i'm sure the average guy would be starting with 10's lol. Also they told me to start with 5 reps for each exercise and work up to 120 reps.

[Firehawk]

Pin presses are where you start the weight off the pins so what you did was right. They should be harder to move from a dead stop, that's the idea. When you are benching you have the weight moving already which is a bit easier, so the faster you can get it moving off your chest the easier it'll be to keep pushing. It's physics man. Ever push a shopping cart? The nudge you have to give it to start it moving is greater than the force it takes to keep it moving.

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by Firehawk

Pin presses are where you start the weight off the pins so what you did was right. They should be harder to move from a dead stop, that's the idea. When you are benching you have the weight moving already which is a bit easier, so the faster you can get it moving off your chest the easier it'll be to keep pushing. It's physics man. Ever push a shopping cart? The nudge you have to give it to start it moving is greater than the force it takes to keep it moving.

OK, so are you supposed to start them half way up or do you set the pins right above your chest? I assumed starting them half way was a great tricep movement, similar to a floor press I guess.

And how much weight do you use on these? As much as you can do or something like 70% of bench 1rm?