Mon, 5 Feb 17

Heavy Upper @ Iron Strong CF

So, here is the super secret bench press tip: USE YOUR DAMN LEGS!  Seriously, I have been fortunate enough to have this drilled into my head since I first started lifting weights in middle school by my HS strength coach, Skip Johns.  And this applies to all pressing - bench, close grip bench, incline bench, military press, strict press, seated, standing, crazy bell press, DBs, BB, KBs, FBs, axle, American bar, Duffalo bar, bamboo bar, tsunami bar, log, cambered bar, triangle bar, square bar, 3" bar...you get the idea.  I served as a perfect example of the difference between doing this right and doing it wrong today.

Close Grip Bench

12x45

8x95

6x135

4x185

3x225

1x275

1x315

1x345 - First video

0x355 - Second video

3x3x310

The single at 345 was tough, but far from a grinder and a 10 lb jump should have been well within reason, but when I bumped up to 355, I barely used my legs until I started to stall out and by then it was too late to regain my lost upward momentum.  I should have been driving with them on the way down and then increased the drive even more as soon as I started to press the bar up off my chest.

I was limited on time today since I was training on a break between classes, otherwise I would have come back and done it again the right way before dropping down, plus I also didn't want to fall into a trap of my own design and end up just doing bench and bench alone today.

A post shared by Andy Deck (@andydeck) on

Meadows Rows/Wtd Dips

2x{15x50/15x45}

15x60/12x45

My triceps crapped out on the 3rd set (video) after I breezed through the first two.  The video is to show a way to setup for dips if you do not have access to dip bars or dip handles for your rack (which I have at home for my elitefts 3x3 rack and I love them).  The use of the parallettes is optional depending on the height of the jerk boxes and whether you are dangling weights from your dangly bits like the man, the myth, the legend, Benny Podda.

KB Hammer Curls/DB External Rotations

2x{15ea x 25/15ea x 5}

15ea x 25

The ER was done laying on my side, none of this standing arm flapping in an unresisted plane BS.

KB Complex

Single Arm KB Snatch x 10ea

Single Arm KB Front Squat x 10ea

Grave Diggers x 10 (pushup, R row, L row=1 rep)

Alternate Arm KB swings x 20

I was huffing and puffing like a freight train of destruction starting during the front squats.  Damn I am fat and gross and out of shape.