Keosawa's Powerlifting Log

[Keosawa]

I haven't been in your log much for a while Keo. Seems like I have missed a few things- invitations to prestigious meets, a bit of sickness and of course the usual awesome lifting.

Very interesting that a belt would help you to maintain speed. It makes sense when I think about it. I realized a while back while deadlifting that any time things in the body move around internally during a lift, it's you moving and not the bar, and speed suffers. A belt would keep everything tight in the middle, and ensure that the force is moving right through.

Thank you, sir. And you're right about intra-abdominal pressure making sure everything's activating when it should. I find that, even beyond that, I can simply accelerate faster with a belt. I will even notice a difference in speed deadlifting 135 lbs. with a belt versus without one.

 

[Keosawa]

Paused Bench Press
Barx5
95x5
135x3
185x3
225x7
235x7
235x7
235x9 (PR)

Floor Press w/ reactive slingshot
Barx5
135x3
225x3
275x3
275x3
275x3

JM Press
45x15
65x12
75x12
85x12

Cuban Press
35x12
35x12
35x12

VWs
x15
x15
x15

Face Pulls
110x15
110x15

 

[Keosawa]

 

[Jake Pudenz]

I will even notice a difference in speed deadlifting 135 lbs. with a belt versus without one.

This is why I started belting up on clean & jerks right away rather than waiting until it starts to get heavy.

 

[dza]

Nice work with the paused bench. I noticed you don't do any overhead pressing. Is there any reason for this or do you just feel it wouldn't contribute that much? I've been neglecting my own overhead pressing lately in favor of more flat bench.

 

[Keosawa]

Nice work with the paused bench. I noticed you don't do any overhead pressing. Is there any reason for this or do you just feel it wouldn't contribute that much? I've been neglecting my own overhead pressing lately in favor of more flat bench.

I came back to overhead pressing about two months ago because I felt like I needed to do some overhead work to improve my bench press. I strict-pressed 200 lbs. for the first time in my second week, and soon thereafter quit working on it. I figured if my strict overhead press was as strong as ever without training it, focusing on it probably wasn't going to carry over much.

So, you're right--I don't think it would contribute much to my bench press. Lately, it seems like just bench pressing is the key to my bench press.

 

[Keosawa]

This is why I started belting up on clean & jerks right away rather than waiting until it starts to get heavy.

Same. That's why I belt up as early as 135.

 

[livingdeadmoose]

**lurk lurk**

Awesome benching Keo!

**lurk lurk lurk**

 

[KnuckleSangwich]

What brand of elbow sleeve do you use?

 

[hatchoo]

Nice squats and nice benching. I'm gonna be honest, the first time i saw your bench programming i had my doubt because they looked heavy. But you are setting rep PRs so it must be working for you. Great job as always!

 

[Keosawa]

What brand of elbow sleeve do you use?

Mueller. When I had bad tendinitis, I bought them one size too small and they did the trick. Now I've worn them in (i.e. torn the shit out of them) and don't really need them anymore. I forgot them for my last bench session and it made no difference.

 

[Keosawa]

**lurk lurk**

Awesome benching Keo!

**lurk lurk lurk**

Thanks a lot, man! Keep on lurking if you'd like.

Nice squats and nice benching. I'm gonna be honest, the first time i saw your bench programming i had my doubt because they looked heavy. But you are setting rep PRs so it must be working for you. Great job as always!

It is working! Paused repetitions have allowed me to get healthy again, and doing the bulk of my work in the 75-85% range seems to be working well. The one thing that made me think my programming would work was that my rep maxes have always far exceeded my one-rep max, which is why I've been able to bench 225x15 touch-and-go at a time when hitting 300 for a single would have been tough. Part of that, I think, was being caused by my tendinitis flare-ups.

I know it hasn't made a huge difference on my bench max just yet, but I just feel stronger now. I've never used block programming before, but I guess it's working for my bench press. My end-of-the-year goal is to pause 305 lbs.

 

[livingdeadmoose]

Thanks a lot, man! Keep on lurking if you'd like.

I don't like how that came out. It was just creepy.

 

[Keosawa]

Very quickly, as I'm rushing to the gym:

Reverse-Band Low Box Squats (almost nothing at top, ~100 lbs. at bottom)
Barx5
135x3
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1
495x1
525x1

 

[Keosawa]

DE Conventional Deadlifts
135x3
225x2
275x2
325x2
325x2
325x2
325x2
325x2
325x2
325x2
325x2

DE Low Box Squat
Barx5
135x2
225x2
275x2
295x2
315x2
315x2
315x2
315x2
315x2

Kneeling Squats
135x15
225x15
315x15
315x15
315x15

Leg Curls
BWx200

Pistols onto a box
x10, 10
x10, 10
x10, 10

 

[Keosawa]

Paused Bench Press
Barx8
95x5
135x5
185x3
230x7
240x7
240x7
240x9 (PR)
w/ two-board
135x1
225x1
250x1
(Stopped here, though my plan was to work to a max single. Felt a little achy, played it really conservatively.)

Floor Press
Barx5
135x25
135x25

Cable Tricep Extensions
125x20
125x20
125x20
125x16

Dumbbell External Rotations
15x8, 8
15x8, 8
15x8, 8
15x10, 10

Cuban Press w/ 20-lb. bar
x15
x15
x15

Every bench press session is a life-or-death situation for me now; I do not, under any circumstances, want to come in and under-perform. Again, I finished this session with +2 reps on my AMRAP set, which is fantastic.

On 9/22, I benched 240x7, failing the eighth rep near the top. So, in about a month and a half, I've added two repetitions to that rep max. This is consistent with the other improvements I've seen over the course of this cycle.

I am very, very, very focused on my bench press now. I do not want any weaknesses as a powerlifter, and I am eager to capitalize on a training method that I think it working for me. The proof will of course be in the pudding, but I feel absolutely determined to become, at the minimum, a 310+ lb. competition bench presser at my weight, and I think this could happen as early as April. Regardless, I will squeeze every last bit of potential out of my bench press, and I will make every effort to someday have a bench press that is on par with my squat and deadlift.

 

[Fighting Sprite]

I do not want any weaknesses as a powerlifter

LOL at 2xBW and nationally ranked bench being a weakness. The same thing with Jake. Nationally ranked weightlifter (I think) is weak and sucks. Oh the mind of a strength athlete.

 

[mdewey]

Leg Curls
BWx200

A weakness = your biggest opportunity.

 

[eastNYgoon138]

Bench PR after bench PR! What does that feel like?

 

[Keosawa]

LOL at 2xBW and nationally ranked bench being a weakness. The same thing with Jake. Nationally ranked weightlifter (I think) is weak and sucks. Oh the mind of a strength athlete.

If I want to be an elite-level lifter, then my bench is not up to par. I might never be an incredible bench presser, but I simply cannot expect to put up a very big total with a bench press that isn't in the 300s. I think you just adjust your standards based on what your competition is doing, and that's what I'm doing now.

A weakness = your biggest opportunity.

Exactly. Who wants to be perfect? I'd much rather have and discover weaknesses--then, I can improve and get better.

Bench PR after bench PR! What does that feel like?

It just feels like I'm a little stronger than last training block, so I'm just going to break all my rep PRs as I progress in intensity. It's nice to finally have my bench press moving though.

We'll see what comes of this. My AMRAPs for last cycle were 235x7, 240x7, 245x6, 250x6. So far this cycle, I've done 235x9 and 240x9. If I can continue outpacing my previous AMRAPs by a couple of reps (at least through the next week or two; it'll get more and more difficult as time goes on), it'll probably result in a new one-rep max. I did an awful 300, then a pretty clean 298 in competition. Maybe the difference between 240x7 and 240x9 gets me 305, or even 310. But I'm moving in the right direction.