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From	Message
chilliman 11-Oct-12, 19:47	The fitness thread I think a few here are not only keeping their mind active, but also their bodies. what is your preferred method of exercise (do I need to suggest we keep it clean)?
mrmarmalade 12-Oct-12, 03:37	Weight training; compound exercises. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc... Treadmill after that; 20 minutes on a steep incline. I wanted to take boxing lessons recently, but ultimately decided that I'd rather meet new women and have my face intact. Eventually, I want to train in the ring and get some contact going.
chilliman 12-Oct-12, 17:18	I do the basics also (I'm a fan of the writings of Brooks Kubik too). pullsquats, trapbar deads, pulldowns/pullups, weighted dips, pressing etc occasional sandbags, gripwork, gutwork. not much cardio.
runfaster 12-Oct-12, 17:49	I used to bench press a lot. In the spring of 2008, I participated in my last bench press competition. I benched 505 lb. I opened with 485, then did 505, and then had a failed attempt at 515. I had to diet a little to make the 275 lb weight class. A few months after this, I injured my left elbow badly. I had to give up benching. I am still unable to bend my elbow all the way or lock it out completely. I went to physical therapy for awhile and was told that I could try surgery, but that it might not even help. So I opted not to and gave up benching. It was hard. I benched from age 14 to age 32, without going more than a week I don't think without benching. Once I gave up benching, I had to find something else to do. Now I run! I never thought I would, but I like running more than powerlifting. I went from being a 280 lb fatty that could bench a lot, to a skinny, puny 165 lb dude that can't bench anything anymore, but I am pretty fast now. Check out this video: www.youtube.com This is a video I posted on youtube back in 2007. It was part of a workout in which I did a set of 465x3. You can compare how I look in the video to how I look in my profile.
mrmarmalade 13-Oct-12, 06:28	When I get to work, Runfaster, I'm going to check that link out... Awesome story. That is a ridiculous amount of weight to press... 275 is my max; once Chili, you perform trapbar deads? I've been meaning to try those, but have been going with the Olympic bar... I'm told it's a more natural movement and safer, etc.
chilliman 13-Oct-12, 18:04	I enjoy using a trap bar. I train at home and only got a rack last year so did only trapbar and no squatting before that. it's a good movement and keeps the weight closer to your centreline so less potential back damage, good for older dudes like me. really great for shrugging also. some don't like the trapbar, I love it. recommend you ask around and see if anyone you know has one you can try before you spend, just in case you don't like the movement - but you probably will!
mrmarmalade 14-Oct-12, 06:30	Chili, I did some deadlifts yesterday, but stuck with the Olympic bar... I see the trapbar everyday and read somewhere in an article that they are much safer for the reasons you mention... I always chat with the trainers at the gym. One of them highly recommended the trapbar... Runfaster: I am still in awe over that 500 lb., bench press... How how how does one get to the point in which the can manipulate that type of weight??? I would be very happy with a 315 press, but decided that it's no longer a goal... If I cranked up the caloric intake, I would get there in 3 months, I'm pretty sure... I decided to "trim the fat," so to speak, however. I don't go past 275 for any type of lift. Too nervous to do some damage...
runfaster 14-Oct-12, 15:41	Body weight surely helps out with a bigger bench. At my heaviest, I was about 280. Before my last two competitions I would have to diet a tad to make weight for the 275 lb class. The next class up in the powerlifting world is the 308 lb weight class. I did not want to lift in that class weighing just 280. All I cared about when lifting was just benching more. My whole routine evolved around this goal. I would work legs, etc. But everything I did was to the purpose of benching 5 more lbs. My bench routine evolved and changed over the years I benched. At the end I was kinding of doing a hybrid of a routine by Louie Simmons, who supposedly modeled his training routines off of Russian powerlifters. I would bench twice a week. One day wold be what he would call a max effort day and the other day would be a "speed bench" day, where one uses a really light weight but "blasts" up the bar very fast. (I would actually include a third day most weeks where I would do close grip benches.) You could do a search and read about his training ideas and learn more about them than I could probably explain. I once read an article about his ideas in "Powerlifting USA" magazine. I got really interested because he discussed "bench" as a science and explained his training ideas with mathematical and physics principles. Talking about including "bar speed" in a routine by these speed bench workouts. The idea is the faster you can move a bar the better. For example, think about doing a set of curls. If you go really fast, you can bang out a few more reps with the same weight versus going slow. Of course going slow has its purpose. Going fast one typically gets sloppy and loses technique. But in the powerlifting world, its all about how much I can do for 1 rep. The faster I can get that bar moving, the better chance I have at lifting the weight.
runfaster 14-Oct-12, 15:54	I just posted a picture in my profile runfaster I used to have a little mini gym in my garage. I had a bench, power rack, lat pull down machine, bunch of bars, etc. I also a gym membership and would workout at home some and the gym some. I also benched a lot with chains, in which you can see in the picture I posted hanging on my bench. They were not attached to the bar during this set. I felt the chains had the most benefit on my speed bench days. In this picture I am doing a set with 405. This was usually the heaviest I would go without a spotter. At my strongest point, I think I could've done 405 about 7 or 8 reps if I had to. But I usually did most of my max effort at 3 reps or less. On some workouts I would go down to 315 at the end of my work sets, and do a "rep out" set. I would usually do 315 for about 20 reps. I didnt do this set all the time, just if I felt like it.
mrmarmalade 14-Oct-12, 16:16	That is insane, bro... Also, repping with 315 @ 20 is ridiculous... Ok, I've got to ask; any substances involved? I find it quite ironic/amusing that you play for a chess team named, "Mathematical Nerds." That's one nerd who would clean my clock... Can you do me a favor and pound on some Smashed Crabs? A few of 'em need a beating...
runfaster 14-Oct-12, 16:48	I figured the substance question would come up. It usually does. Other than eating well (and a lot) I did take protein powder mixed with milk after most workouts. I tried creatine for about a month, but it did not seem to do anything for me, so I stopped as it was not cheap. I felt I did best by just investing in better, and more food. I know it is hard to believe when people lifting a lot of weight say that take nothing. When I first started benching as a freshman in high school I think I maxed at about 115 and weighed about 145. I never thought I would bench as much as I did. There are several different powerlifting federations. Some drug test and some dont. I lifted in the 100% Raw Federation and the WABDL (World association of benchers and deadlifters). Both of which supposedly drug test. I admit I was never selected though. I was never exposed to any "substances" or ever offered any. As far as I know the lifters that I lifted with reguraly did not do anything either. Most seemed to have the attitude that by doing anything like this it would negate all the work one put in and make anything accomplished sort of "fake." I never won any money or recieved any great fame by my benching. I think it is stupid to take anything just to win a bench meet and get a trophy. I probably wouldn't be able to be doing all the running I am doing now if I had done some substances.   I typically run 60-70 miles per week. This last summer there was one week where I logged 102 miles. I enjoy racing 5k's though. So I concentrate on doing more quality speed running sessions as opposed to a large amount of volume which may be better for marathon training.
runfaster 14-Oct-12, 16:53	I was heavy when I benched big, as I mentioned. At the meets, I was most impressed with the guys in the 181 or 198 classes putting up 400+.
runfaster 14-Oct-12, 18:21	mrmarmalade, I think I recall you mentioning somewhere that you taught at a middle school at one time. I apologize if I am wrong. I teach mathematics at a community college. Prior to this, I started my teaching career at a high school. While there, I coached the boys weightlifting team. In high school, we competed in the bench and clean-and-jerk. Many of the kids referred to me as Sir-bench-a-lot. I love my job at the community college. It is like night and day compared to high school. I do not miss the high school at all.
thumper 14-Oct-12, 23:03	You guys are way out of my league. At 185 I can only push about 260. Even 'back in the day' I could only bench a max 297. My goal was 300 but because of the necessity for total body workouts couldn't quite hit that milestone.
chilliman 14-Oct-12, 23:58	I couldn't agree more thumper - waayyy out of my league. I'm flat out deadlifting 190kg so forget about benching it - my aim is to dead 200kg x 5 by the time I turn 50 (August 2014) and do 225 x 1. I press as much as my grandma does (OH or bench)
runfaster 15-Oct-12, 18:05	thumper, 260 at 185 is a strong bench. You make a good point about total body workouts. I think if one soley concentrated on getting the bench up and limited other stuff, at least to max effort, they would be surprised at how it effects the bench. But of course most people are into total body stuff, not just the bench, like I was.
mrmarmalade 15-Oct-12, 20:28	I was about to mention the same thing to Thumper... This discussion is way, way out of my league as well... As I mentioned earlier, 275 is my max @ 1 rep... weight at 220... I don't go beyond 275 for any exercise... Squats or deads... I cannot push past this weight on the bench, nor am I trying to... I'm more than happy enough with it...
mrmarmalade 15-Oct-12, 20:37	One thing I notice at the gym is "range of motion." These fellas come in and military press 185, but only lower the bar to their foreheads... Drives me nuts watching this...
onepocket 16-Oct-12, 04:01	I know a lot of people who used to be physically fit Now they are fuzzically fat
mrmarmalade 22-Oct-12, 10:38	Runfaster, yes, I was a middle school teacher for two years; Language Arts. It took all my strength NOT to put these kids through a wall... I earned an enormous amount of respect for teachers who can manage the job and find a comfort zone within the classroom walls... That was the wrong age bracket for me. I had a 3 month stint teaching Kindergarden, however, that was surreal... I had a natural ability with that particular group. If I ever went back to college, it would be for the sole purpose of attaining certification in Elementary Ed... It was an outstanding experience. I smiled all day. In middle school, I was scowling by my third week and literally nauseas each morning.
runfaster 25-Oct-12, 19:47	The current world bench record is 715, held by Scott Mendleson, done back in 2005. Eric Soto just benched 700 in a competition earlier this month. He will be competing again on November 3rd, and many think he will break the record. I have seen a video of his 700, it actually looks easy. Extremely insane.
thumper 25-Oct-12, 20:11	That's insane. I don't think I could even pick that much weight up!!
runfaster 25-Oct-12, 20:20	Eric Soto is just the second man to officially bench 700 lbs in competition. Jim Williams did 675 in a competition and benched 700+ unofficially in the gym. Many thought Ryan Kennelly had a shot and a high bench, he made it to the mid 600's. However, he is currently in prison for selling steroids, among other drug charges I believe.   Ryan Hornstra (spelling) is another bencher that has broken the 600 barrier in the last few years. Also, there is a beast Russian dude that a few months ago came on the powerlifting scence, as least I had not heard of him, and benched in the upper 600's. I don't remember his name, but there are videos of him out there. But Mendleson's record of 715 has been kind of long standing (since 2005). I think it is going to fall on November 3rd. Do a search on Eric Soto if you want. Plenty of videos of him. He is a FREAK.
runfaster 25-Oct-12, 20:32	Sorry, his name is "Spoto" not "Soto." video of Spoto benching: www.youtube.com video of Kennelly (now in prison): www.youtube.com
mrmarmalade 29-Oct-12, 02:20	I see footage like this and it just makes me nervous... It seems so unnatural... I had to look this Kennelly fella up as you indicated he was in prison... With a 1,000 lb assisted bench press, I reckon some alarms must have been going off for the authorities... I see a kid I went to high school with at the gym quite often... He warms up with 315, casually repping it 20x... He is just an animal, grunting and tossing 150lb dumbbells around, leaving pools of sweat for us to clean off the benches... I've personally seen him bench 450... Massive... Anyway, as I was speaking to him, I realized that his head was quite contorted and looked like a horse kicked him in the face... His forehead protrudes, etc... Poor kid is going down a bad road... I feel bad for him... His desire to be the biggest man in the room is going to end up killing him. I know it's the wrong attitude, but I get very suspicious when I see weightlifters who are able to lift an amount of weight so far and beyond that of everyone else... NFL players cannot lift some of the weight that is being manipulated by non-athletes... I dunno... Ehh, meatball sandwich.
mrmarmalade 09-Nov-12, 18:47	I'm on a very strict diet; been so for six weeks now... as i'm trimming down in weight, my strength is decreasing in proportion... Sadly, I was actually thinking about Thumper a few hours ago while I was bench pressing... My max press has been reduced to 250 lbs., at one rep... I was getting pissed, thinking about his 185 body weight with a 260 bench... Once I get accustomed to my new condition, I'm gonna work on getting my power back up... Any suggestions, Runfaster? My caloric intake is very low... Is it possible to make massive gains without the high fuel sources?
thumper 09-Nov-12, 19:25	Being able to push that much is well and good but I've learned that being able to push more really doesn't help that much in most situations. Hand speed is far more valuable. Overall body, core and cardio is the way to go; especially as you get older. And don't forget your stretching. Anyway, most guys would be hard pressed (hehe) to push 180 to 200 much less a 250 so rest assured, you're abnormal. The 400+ guys here are just freaks so don't pay them no mind.
mrmarmalade 09-Nov-12, 20:27	Hand speed? My dad was a minor league ball player for the Yankees in '57... Mr. M has some hand speed, however, I'm not a seasoned fighter in the truest sense of the term... Grappling was my forte... My father was a boxer as well... I laced up against him when I was 16 in the kitchen... I could easily overpower him by that point... I danced around him... He placed a single jab to my face and dropped me in an instant... SOB is 73 and can still kick major ass. Agreed with overall body strength scenario... I do not focus on chest.... I work out each body part (compound) once a week.... 4x per week... Sit ups for each workout as well as a 20 minute incline on the treadmill... Once someone takes a shot to the nose, strength advantages becomes less important... I lift to send messages; I'm no easy target.... It works too... It helps to send messages via that unspoken language that only men understand... T-Man... You can teach much... Keep bringing the "game," to the forum... It's necessary... Mr. M (Master of Disaster)
thumper 09-Nov-12, 20:49	I was rolling with my son a few months ago and caught him in a triangle. I wasn't going to put him to sleep, just make him fad a little bit but before he started to black out picked me up and did a mild/mock slam on me. Little punk.
mrmarmalade 09-Nov-12, 21:11	Lol!!! 10 10 10 10 10... Now that is some funny sh**! I love it! Man, fellas are supposed to rough house... It's like the animal kindgom, in which lions will playfully beat on their young as to prepare them for adulthood... This is what some of our fellow citizens (of the world) tend to neglect... You're okay, T.... I'm sure some of the others will reprimand you and state, "Why don't you try loving your son!," but they are stupid, ignorant gorillas... I'm sure Chaz will be waiting for Z to make comment before advising on coffee...
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