[Ascendant]

AC joint inflammation, labral wear and tear, training hypertonicity in the upper trap fibers, etc.

[CosmicOsmo]

Originally Posted by Ascendant

AC joint inflammation, labral wear and tear, training hypertonicity in the upper trap fibers, etc.

That sounded like chinese to me, so I'm just gonna take your advice and stop doing them

What would you recommend instead as an assistance exercise? I'm strong on the lockout and I don't stick right off the chest, I tend to get stuck kind of in that middle area a few inches off the chest right where the triceps start taking over, but if I can get passed that inch or so the lockout is easy.

[Ascendant]

Bottom position presses always help to build bottom end power, and more importantly to STAY IN THE GROOVE. So I'd throw those in.

[CosmicOsmo]

Originally Posted by Ascendant

Bottom position presses always help to build bottom end power, and more importantly to STAY IN THE GROOVE. So I'd throw those in.

Well I'm already doing pin presses with the bar starting right at my sticking point, so is it kosher if I do something else instead? Seems redundant to me, idk.

First day of Week Two:

Bench

125lbs 8x3 (55% of 1rm, speed/explosive)

Oly lifting:

Started out with hang clean + 3 jerks, did a few sets of that working up to 155, light and fast, focusing on speed and form. Felt good.

Then did a few clean + jerks with 175

Then went back down to 135 and did 5 reps of hang clean + jerk complexes, fast-style

Pin Press (4-5" from chest)

225x5
225x4*
215x5
215x5
215x5

*Got overzealous and tried to jump up too much weight, so I went back down. The 215s went up easy though, I should have broke out the fractional plates and done 220 5x5.

Dumbell Bench Press

80lbs 3x6

Focused on going real deep and doing them with a pause on the bottom to help bottom position strength

Skullcrushers/lateral raise supersets

100lbs 3x6/45lbs 3x8

Overall, feeling pretty good so far. I feel all this lightweight bench work has really allowed me to fine-tune my form. Hopefully that will translate into bigger numbers when the big day comes.

The oly lifting was feeling pretty good, considering I'm not working much on oly lifting right now. The 175 cleans were easy power cleans, and the jerks are getting better. I feel much quicker under the bar now on the jerks and I think I'm able to get into a more stable, deeper split now. I feel like if I were to max out I'd be getting real close to that 200lbs number I've been eyeing...which is still lagging well behind my clean numbers, though...and my clean is still limited by my front squat, which makes me think that maybe it isn't that my presses, jerks and squat are weak, so much as my pull is just freakishly strong. I must be built for it.

[ThinkGreen]

Nice lifting. Keep it up

[CosmicOsmo]

Originally Posted by ThinkGreen

Nice lifting. Keep it up

Thanks man.

...and thanks to Ascendant for stopping by here and giving me some good advice, it's much appreciated.

[Ascendant]

your welcome - you're a hard worker.

theres a school of thought that says you shouldn't train just your sticking point necessarily, but train right UNDER it, so that the bar is moving so fast by the time it gets to the sticking point it has the power to keep going. thats why im suggesting bottom presses. its also more critical that you're in the right groove at the bottom of the lift, bc ifyoure not you'll fail right away. you can't recover from a bad groove at the bottom. but to each his own.

[Ascendant]

your welcome - you're a hard worker.

theres a school of thought that says you shouldn't train just your sticking point necessarily, but train right UNDER it, so that the bar is moving so fast by the time it gets to the sticking point it has the power to keep going. thats why im suggesting bottom presses. its also more critical that you're in the right groove at the bottom of the lift, bc ifyoure not you'll fail right away. you can't recover from a bad groove at the bottom. but to each his own.

[CosmicOsmo]

Week two pull day

Deadlifts:

135x10
135x10
225x5
315x3
365x3
405x3

Rack pulls (just below knee)

385x5
385x5
395x5

Chinups:

BW+60 3x5

Pullups:

BW 2x10

DB curlzzz:

50lbs 2x6

Pullups and curls were supersetted with core work

Kroc Rows:

90lbs 18 reps right arm, 16 reps left arm

Hypers:

BW+45 2x10

Weighed in at 167.8 at the gym right after the workout. I've put on about a pound in a week, which should put me right about where I want to be come weigh-ins, assuming a constant rate of weight gain till then.

[hunto]

Originally Posted by CosmicOsmo

Week two pull day

Deadlifts:

135x10
135x10
225x5
315x3
365x3
405x3

Rack pulls (just below knee)

385x5
385x5
395x5

Weighed in at 167.8 at the gym right after the workout. I've put on about a pound in a week, which should put me right about where I want to be come weigh-ins, assuming a constant rate of weight gain till then.

DL 405@167lbs- very nice Cosmic