DCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[DCR]

9/21/22 (Max Fitness, Baton Rouge)

Squats 45,95,135,185,225,275x3 305,325x1 265 x5s x2r 140x20
RDLs 170 x5s x3r
Lat Pulldowns 100 (neutral mag) x4,4 (internally rotated mag) x4,4
Bench Press 45x6 95x6 115x3 95x6,6
Standing Hammer Curls 25s x9,6,6
Hammer Strength Incline Press 40s x10,10
Incline DB Bench Press 40s x6

Very focused on keeping bar over eyes on bench, under the assumption that the drift away from me was some part of the crookedness of my motion. Dude told me it looked good. I hope so.

Okay, serious question, why are you keeping the bar over your eyes? That makes my shoulder hurt just thinking about it. There are better ways of monitoring bar path that keep the bar over the joint. You could stretch a band from the top of the rack to the spotters on either side, for example. Over the eyes is a biomechanically disadvantageous position, it's a bit like trying to squat while leanng backwards.

My understanding always has been that the ideal path begins with the bar over the eyes, and comes down in a J path to your touch point somewhere around the sternum or nipples. I personally have never begun over my eyes - I’m usually a few inches further out over my chest, essentially starting over or almost over my touch point. I’ve always benched that way as something of a “cheat.” I have few physical gifts for lifting weights, but I have fucking enormous lats and have always found it easier to bench almost as if I was wearing a bench shirt. Today I got the idea that perhaps not letting the bar drift out so much might make it easier to control my recent imbalance.

[Hardartery]

9/21/22 (Max Fitness, Baton Rouge)

Squats 45,95,135,185,225,275x3 305,325x1 265 x5s x2r 140x20
RDLs 170 x5s x3r
Lat Pulldowns 100 (neutral mag) x4,4 (internally rotated mag) x4,4
Bench Press 45x6 95x6 115x3 95x6,6
Standing Hammer Curls 25s x9,6,6
Hammer Strength Incline Press 40s x10,10
Incline DB Bench Press 40s x6

Very focused on keeping bar over eyes on bench, under the assumption that the drift away from me was some part of the crookedness of my motion. Dude told me it looked good. I hope so.

Okay, serious question, why are you keeping the bar over your eyes? That makes my shoulder hurt just thinking about it. There are better ways of monitoring bar path that keep the bar over the joint. You could stretch a band from the top of the rack to the spotters on either side, for example. Over the eyes is a biomechanically disadvantageous position, it's a bit like trying to squat while leanng backwards.

My understanding always has been that the ideal path begins with the bar over the eyes, and comes down in a J path to your touch point somewhere around the sternum or nipples. I personally have never begun over my eyes - I’m usually a few inches further out over my chest, essentially starting over or almost over my touch point. I’ve always benched that way as something of a “cheat.” I have few physical gifts for lifting weights, but I have fucking enormous lats and have always found it easier to bench almost as if I was wearing a bench shirt. Today I got the idea that perhaps not letting the bar drift out so much might make it easier to control my recent imbalance.

The shortest path between two points......
I have never lifted in a bench shirt and never have the bar over my eyes. Very few lifters that do anything serious get the bar over the eyes. The whole "J" curve thing comes from an analysis by Tom (I can't remember his last name, it's old and he's likely dead, McCulloch?) of the top benchers at the time (Think late 80's early 90's). The top guys had a curved bar path, and since then there have been some proponents making the argument that the curve is actually more ergonomic because of shoulder mechanics. Every person is individual, so everybody is going to do it a little different. You might play with elbow flare, that how much or how little you have can have a direct effect on the shoulder and how much pain you cause. Piss on the "J" curve if it doesn't work for your build, bench the way your body works. Personally, I never liked the curve it always looks sketchy. Over my eyes is only when I am racking or unracking, it is a very weak spot and that is the reason for hand-offs on heavy 1RM attempts. Even with a curve, it really shouldn't get over your eyes.

[DCR]

9/21/22 (Max Fitness, Baton Rouge)

Squats 45,95,135,185,225,275x3 305,325x1 265 x5s x2r 140x20
RDLs 170 x5s x3r
Lat Pulldowns 100 (neutral mag) x4,4 (internally rotated mag) x4,4
Bench Press 45x6 95x6 115x3 95x6,6
Standing Hammer Curls 25s x9,6,6
Hammer Strength Incline Press 40s x10,10
Incline DB Bench Press 40s x6

Very focused on keeping bar over eyes on bench, under the assumption that the drift away from me was some part of the crookedness of my motion. Dude told me it looked good. I hope so.

Okay, serious question, why are you keeping the bar over your eyes? That makes my shoulder hurt just thinking about it. There are better ways of monitoring bar path that keep the bar over the joint. You could stretch a band from the top of the rack to the spotters on either side, for example. Over the eyes is a biomechanically disadvantageous position, it's a bit like trying to squat while leanng backwards.

My understanding always has been that the ideal path begins with the bar over the eyes, and comes down in a J path to your touch point somewhere around the sternum or nipples. I personally have never begun over my eyes - I’m usually a few inches further out over my chest, essentially starting over or almost over my touch point. I’ve always benched that way as something of a “cheat.” I have few physical gifts for lifting weights, but I have fucking enormous lats and have always found it easier to bench almost as if I was wearing a bench shirt. Today I got the idea that perhaps not letting the bar drift out so much might make it easier to control my recent imbalance.

The shortest path between two points......
I have never lifted in a bench shirt and never have the bar over my eyes. Very few lifters that do anything serious get the bar over the eyes. The whole "J" curve thing comes from an analysis by Tom (I can't remember his last name, it's old and he's likely dead, McCulloch?) of the top benchers at the time (Think late 80's early 90's). The top guys had a curved bar path, and since then there have been some proponents making the argument that the curve is actually more ergonomic because of shoulder mechanics. Every person is individual, so everybody is going to do it a little different. You might play with elbow flare, that how much or how little you have can have a direct effect on the shoulder and how much pain you cause. Piss on the "J" curve if it doesn't work for your build, bench the way your body works. Personally, I never liked the curve it always looks sketchy. Over my eyes is only when I am racking or unracking, it is a very weak spot and that is the reason for hand-offs on heavy 1RM attempts. Even with a curve, it really shouldn't get over your eyes.

Been reading up and yeah, unsurprisingly you’re right. I dunno where the fuck I got the eyes thing from. The lockout point is supposed to be in balance over the shoulders, which means below the eyes - but also above where I historically have pressed to.

[DCR]

9/23/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135x3 185 x7s x6r
Rows 105 x5s x6r, x10r
Bench Press 45,95,135x6 155!x2s x6r 135 x3s x6r
Hammer Curls 30s x6s x6r
Lying Leg Curls 88x6 77 x4s x6r 44x20

[DCR]

9/29/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135x3 190 x6s x6r
RDLs 135 x3s x6r
Lying Leg Curls 77 x7,8,7
Lat Pulldowns (internally rotated mag) 85 x6s x7r
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 160 x3s x6r
Hammer Curls 35s x4s x4r

On bench - push through same finger of each hand on every rep.

[DCR]

10/1/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 205,215x6 145x20
Rows 110 x10,7,7,7,7,10
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 165 x3s x6r
Reverse Grip Bench Press 45,50,55x6
Hammer Curls 35s x3s x5r

Spotter told me that my right shoulder was all fucked up right off unracking. I tried a wider grip and (according to him) that fixed it. It definitely felt better, almost as if with the closer grip I couldn’t figure out how exactly to bring the bar down/where to “fit” my shoulders? Recalling now how @mgil suggested a year ago that I widen my grip, and I played with it for like two sessions… gonna let it progress this time like I should have in the first place.

[DCR]

10/3/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135x3 195 x6s x6r
RDLs 140 x3s x6r
Lying Leg Curls 77 x3s x8r
Lat Pulldowns (neutral mag) 90 x6s x7r
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 165 x6,6 170 x6,4,4
Standing DB Press 25s x10 30s x6
Standing Hammer Curls 35s x7

[mgil]

Did the bench feel better/worse today?

[DCR]

Did the bench feel better/worse today?

Generally yes. I fucked up my planned next 5 lbs. at 3s x6r by first loading 165 when I intended 170, so that discrepancy in today’s log didn’t have anything to do with the results of the last session or this session. The session felt pretty good, although I was rushed and didn’t have a spotter to check on the bar being straight. I was able to figure out that my pinkies on the rings is too far - shoulders very unhappy at the pec insertion - but that just inside the rings, wth the outer portion of the fingers touching them, is just right (just right in terms of as far as I can go before discomfort; it of course still is something I’m getting used in terms of the difference in feel from my usual grip).

[DCR]

10/5/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 205,225x6 150x20
Rows 115 x5s x7r, x10
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 175 x3s x6r
Reverse Grip Bench Press 45,55x6 65x12
Cable EZ Curls 42.5 x3s x7r

[DCR]

10/7/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135x3 200 x6s x6r
RDLs 145 x3s x6r
Lying Leg Curls 77x10 80.5 x2s x6r
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 180x7,6,6
Lat Pulldowns (internally rotated mag) 95 x3s x7r

[DCR]

10/10/22 (Max Fitness)

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 210,230x6 155x20
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 180 x3s x6r
Chest Supported T-Bar Row (neutral grip) 60x10 65 x5s x6r
Standing DB Press 30s x3s x10r
Cable EZ Curls 47.5 x3s x7r

[DCR]

10/12/22 (back home at NY Strong)

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 205 x6s x6r
RDLs 150 x3s x6r
Leg Curls 80 x7,7,8
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 185 x4s x6r
Lat Pulldowns (externally rotated mag) 100 x3s x7r (internally rotated mag) x3s x10r
Standing Hammer Curls 35s x7,5,5

No counting eccentrics today, just kept it to controlled reps and felt good.

Dropping my grip on the bar on bench, deeper into my palm and out of my fingers, seemed to help things there. No idea how I ended up proceeding otherwise, but probably a remnant from the period where pressing overhead was killing my hands.

Also important to remember, for the millionth fucking time, that a slight forward lean and holding the big toes down mostly cures my hip shift on squat.

[DCR]

10/14/22

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 215,235x6 160x20
Rows 120 x5s x8r, x10
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 190 x5s x4r

Rough sleep, three beers at lunch, a 3.5 hour drive home, and lifting hours later than I do anymore… This was all I had in me. The bench rebuild came to a screeching halt but the reps felt pretty good.

[DCR]

10/16/22

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 210 x6s x6r
Lat Pulldowns (pronated mag) 105 x3s x8r (supinated mag) 105 x3s x10r
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 190 x6,5,5,4
Cable EZ Curls 50 x12 (shit is rusty and leverage way easier than at Max Fitness; save these for down there)

Supersetted bench with lat pulldowns and then cable curls.

Thanks to @Famendoza1981 for turning me back on to squatting with a soft lockout. Used to prefer that like 20 years ago and somehow forgot about it as an option. It did wonders for dialing in my form today, I think because the break is where I tend to fuck up and get hip shift, and with the soft lockout the break essentially has already been initiated at the top. Here’s my sixth set of six:

[Famendoza1981]

10/16/22

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 210 x6s x6r
Lat Pulldowns (pronated mag) 105 x3s x8r (supinated mag) 105 x3s x10r
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 190 x6,5,5,4
Cable EZ Curls 50 x12 (shit is rusty and leverage way easier than at Max Fitness; save these for down there)

Supersetted bench with lat pulldowns and then cable curls.

Thanks to @Famendoza1981 for turning me back on to squatting with a soft lockout. Used to prefer that like 20 years ago and somehow forgot about it as an option. It did wonders for dialing in my form today, I think because the break is where I tend to fuck up and get hip shift, and with the soft lockout the break essentially has already been initiated at the top. Here’s my sixth set of six:

Thanks for the mention! Yes indeed I think for my previous training, the lockout emphasis only added time and re-bracing effort for both torso and legs. Not emphasizing it via soft lockout, allows me to concentrate on the flow of the reps and helps me maintain tension for going deep in squats. Glad it’s working out for you!

[DCR]

10/18/22

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 215,240x6 165x10
RDLs 155 x3s x6r
Lying Leg Curls 85 x4,5,7
Bench Press 45,95,135x3 195 x6,5,5,5
Cable Rows (neutral mag, pulling toward chest) 105 x6s x7r
Press 45,95,115x6
Standing Hammer Curls 35s x8,5,5

Squats finally caught up with me, legs trashed. No prayer of getting my 20 rep set.

The cable rows were an idea, but the motion bothered my right shoulder, and royally fuct my right knee as always happens with that position on a foot rest.

First barbell presses in many months. Eh. Forgot how much my lower back hates them. Still, much easier to keep bar straight/balanced than on bench and wonder if they’d help.

[DCR]

10/20/22

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 215 x6s x6r
Rows 125 x5s x7r, x8
Bench Press 45,95,135,175x3 200 x4s x4r

[DCR]

10/22/22

Squats 45,95,135,185,225x3 245x6 165x12
RDLs 160 x3s x6r
Lying Leg Curls 45,65x10 85 x3s x7r
Lat Pulldowns (pronated mag) 110 x3s x8r (supinated mag) 110 x3s x10r
Pullups x3
Bench Press 45,95,135,185x3 205 x4s x4r
Cable EZ Curls 60,70,80,90,100x10

First pullups in months. Roooooough.

[DCR]

10/24/22

Squats 45,95,135,185x3 220 x6s x6r
Rows 130 x6s x7r
Bench Press 45,95,135,185x3 210 x4,3,3,3,4

Brought grip back in on that last set of bench. I’m all over the place on this.