MP's PL Meet Training Log- 3rd Edition

[Masters Power]

9/24
dumbbell ohp 12x40, 45, 10x50, 8x60
side laterals 3x10 30
rear delt raises 3x10 50
ab pulldowns 15x110, 12x120, 10x130

Was able to do some light dumbbell ohp's with only miminal irritation to the pec. No issues with anything else.

9/25
pull throughs 2x12 120, 2x10 140
hip flexion 3x10 30
GHR's 2x15

 

[Marcus]

Mannn, congrats on that 405 bench MP! Hard work there

 

[Masters Power]

9/27
snatch grip 4 inch block pulls 5x315, 5x365, 5x5 405
pull ups 3x10
face pulls 12x90, 10x100, 110 9x120

Snatch grips were supposed to be 5x5 @ 420 from 6 inch blocks. I only have 12 3/4 inch mats at 6 per side not enough to get to 6 inches. Due to some compression with the plates on top they ended up being about 4 1/8 inches. Went with 405 and probably should have used less as they really kicked my ass. Needed several minutes between each set.

Pec feels much better although not quite 100%. I will test it a bit with close grips tomorrow and if it goes well I will start benching again Tuesday.

 

[Masters Power]

Mannn, congrats on that 405 bench MP! Hard work there

Thanks Marcus. I appreciate it.

 

[Masters Power]

9/28
paused close grips 5x165, 5x215, 5x265, 2x315, 1x345
dips 15x BW, 2x15 +45
tate presses 3x12 40
bb curls 15x75, 12x95, 10x115
db curls 3x10 50

Hoping that the pec issue is almost behind me. I felt a bit of pressure in the pec on a couple of the close grip reps at 265 but no issues on the top two sets and 345 moved pretty fast. Dips caused no issues. Going to go ahead and bench tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

[brutus79]

9/28
paused close grips 5x165, 5x215, 5x265, 2x315, 1x345
dips 15x BW, 2x15 +45
tate presses 3x12 40
bb curls 15x75, 12x95, 10x115
db curls 3x10 50

Hoping that the pec issue is almost behind me. I felt a bit of pressure in the pec on a couple of the close grip reps at 265 but no issues on the top two sets and 345 moved pretty fast. Dips caused no issues. Going to go ahead and bench tomorrow and see how it goes.

Let us know my man.

 

[Masters Power]

9/29
paused bench 5x165, 5x215, 2x265, 1x315, 1x365
bent rows 3x10 240
lat pulldowns 3x10 250

Regular benching definitely stressed the pec much more than the close grips did yesterday. Got a little worse as I added weight each set. 365 moved fast but the tug at the pec at the bottom was enough to tell me to shut it down.

Definitely in the healing process but not quite there yet and over 5 weeks out there is still plenty of time to play it safe. May try close gripping for the next several days to keep in the Bulgarian method mode while also hopefully allowing the pec to finish healing.

 

[Docd187123]

MP, do you do lat pulldowns in the traditional style? By that I mean seated, knees locked in the machine, and pulling the bar down from overhead to around the upper chest area?

 

[Masters Power]

MP, do you do lat pulldowns in the traditional style? By that I mean seated, knees locked in the machine, and pulling the bar down from overhead to around the upper chest area?

Doc that is exactly how I do them. I have one of the bars with neutral grip handles which are just a bit wider than shoulder width which I usually use which seems to be a bit easier on the shoulders.

 

[Docd187123]

Doc that is exactly how I do them. I have one of the bars with neutral grip handles which are just a bit wider than shoulder width which I usually use which seems to be a bit easier on the shoulders.

I've been watching some of Brandon Lilly and Chad Wellsley Smith videos from JTS and Lily has been advocating taking a resistance band and choking it off on a pull up bar or soemthing then looking it through the lat pull down bar. You pull the bar down but also backwards towards your chest like you would do the eccentric portion of the bench. He says it's a much more bench specific lat movement than the traditional pull down as it engages the lats in the same plane of motion they work in during a bench press. Maybesomething to consider trying out?

 

[Masters Power]

I've been watching some of Brandon Lilly and Chad Wellsley Smith videos from JTS and Lily has been advocating taking a resistance band and choking it off on a pull up bar or soemthing then looking it through the lat pull down bar. You pull the bar down but also backwards towards your chest like you would do the eccentric portion of the bench. He says it's a much more bench specific lat movement than the traditional pull down as it engages the lats in the same plane of motion they work in during a bench press. Maybesomething to consider trying out?

Thanks Doc. I will have to take a look having trouble picturing it.

 

[Docd187123]

Thanks Doc. I will have to take a look having trouble picturing it.

Here is one of the videos where Brandon talks about it:



And here is a video of him explaining it:

 

[Mr.B66]

9/29
paused bench 5x165, 5x215, 2x265, 1x315, 1x365
bent rows 3x10 240
lat pulldowns 3x10 250

Regular benching definitely stressed the pec much more than the close grips did yesterday. Got a little worse as I added weight each set. 365 moved fast but the tug at the pec at the bottom was enough to tell me to shut it down.

Definitely in the healing process but not quite there yet and over 5 weeks out there is still plenty of time to play it safe. May try close gripping for the next several days to keep in the Bulgarian method mode while also hopefully allowing the pec to finish healing.

Wise decision to back it off MP, 5 weeks is plenty of time to heal a minor injury, no sense risking a serious injury by pushing it.

 

[Masters Power]

Here is one of the videos where Brandon talks about it:



And here is a video of him explaining it:

Thanks Doc. For some reason I was thinking band over the pull down bar instead of band over the top of the machine. Looks like strictly a finishing movement to me.

 

[Masters Power]

Wise decision to back it off MP, 5 weeks is plenty of time to heal a minor injury, no sense risking a serious injury by pushing it.

It is tough to back off even when you know it is the right thing to do but 5+ weeks out makes it much easier mentally than if it were only a couple of weeks out.

 

[Masters Power]

9/30
paused close grip bench 5x165, 5x215, 2x265, 1x315, 1x365, 2x2 325
dumbbell ohp 10x50, 60, 70
side laterals 3x10 30
rear delt raises 3x10 50

Decided to work up to a close grip max in the same way I would if I were conventional benching on a regular day of the Bulgarian method.

No pec issues with the close grips as I was taking them down a bit lower than normal and my close grip touch point is normally several inches lower than my regular bench touch point to begin with. Injury hasn't seemed to have any impact on strength as my close grip max is 370 and I could have gotten that today. May try to move my grip out a couple of inches tomorrow and see if it remains pain free.

 

[Docd187123]

Thanks Doc. For some reason I was thinking band over the pull down bar instead of band over the top of the machine. Looks like strictly a finishing movement to me.

He uses if often as a finishing move correct but in another video I think he mentioned using lower rep schemes and different bands to add a strength component to it. I think I'm going to incorporate them into my training when I am healed up. I'll let you know how they go for me

 

[Masters Power]

Thanks Doc. Let me know. May be worth adding during non meet training.

 

[Masters Power]

10/1
medium grip paused bench 5x165, 5x215, 2x265, 1x315, 1x365, 1x385, 2x2 335
GHR's 2x15

10/2
paused bench 5x145, 5x195, 2x245, 1x295, 1x345, 1x390, 2x2 345
leg curls 3x10 100
pull throughs 2x12 120, 2x10 140
hip flexion 3x10 30

Don't think it has anything to do with the cause of the pec injury but I'm convinced my regular touch point is what caused the aggravation earlier this week. Went from close grips on Wednesday to a medium grip yesterday and today was only about an 1 1/2 inches short of my regular grip on each hand. Kept the touch point at the sternum each day and have had no pain. 390 today was pretty smooth. Going to stick with the lower touch point for the time being to make sure the pec is completely healed before going back to my normal spot about two to three inches higher up.

 

[brutus79]

10/1
medium grip paused bench 5x165, 5x215, 2x265, 1x315, 1x365, 1x385, 2x2 335
GHR's 2x15

10/2
paused bench 5x145, 5x195, 2x245, 1x295, 1x345, 1x390, 2x2 345
leg curls 3x10 100
pull throughs 2x12 120, 2x10 140
hip flexion 3x10 30

Don't think it has anything to do with the cause of the pec injury but I'm convinced my regular touch point is what caused the aggravation earlier this week. Went from close grips on Wednesday to a medium grip yesterday and today was only about an 1 1/2 inches short of my regular grip on each hand. Kept the touch point at the sternum each day and have had no pain. 390 today was pretty smooth. Going to stick with the lower touch point for the time being to make sure the pec is completely healed before going back to my normal spot about two to three inches higher up.

390 is beast for a medium. This should allow you to not miss a beat- excellent idea my friend.