Powerlifting Fapstronauts

I do incline bench occasionally. Mainly just as a bench accessory / chest builder. Also just because I like the chest pump that it gives me.

 

I definitely feel more of a strain in my shoulder if I'm lowering the bar to a spot higher up on my chest. So for example if I lower it straight down and it lands around my clavicle, I feel the strain in my shoulders a bit more. If I lower the path a bit lower and hit around mid-chest/nipple level, then I feel it more in my chest and there's less strain on my shoulders (and I can move more weight that way). So that might be something to try and play around with.

 

I definitely need to take that advice. I usually only bench once or twice a week, and combined with constant shoulder issues my bench has always stagnated. I've seen the memes of Smolov being a tough program, but hell, maybe that's what I need to actually get my bench numbers up. I mean, I remember when I did the "squat every day" program my squat went up like 100 lbs in a month (I was also still in noob gains territory there, so there's that).

 

Squatting is by far my favorite exercise. Except maybe deadlifts. That's the number I really want to increase. I'm ok with a mediocre bench press if I'm squatting 500+

 

I guess maybe our shoulders are fucked up in opposite directions then Glad you found something that works, man!!

 

Honestly what's more badass than going "let me put this metal on my back and stand up with it" or "let me pick this metal up off the floor"?

 

That's true. I mean, I train sumo deadlifts and still feel like a badass doing them, but I'd much rather watch videos of people pulling conventional.

And your squat don't mean shit if it's not to depth. ATG is good, but if you're not at least hitting competition depth, all badassery is now completely gone.

 

Speaking of squats, I decided to mix it up and do some tempo work on my squats this weekend to focus on keeping a tight core. Definitely brutal work, but this sort of training helped raise my squat last time it went way up. Did 315 for sets of 3 with a 4 second descent. It feels like 400 seconds. Fuck every bit of that

 

Started again on nSuns yesterday. I have been training without a real sense of direction since the start of the pandemic. Just kinda doing a generic 5-day PPL split, but nothing really focused. Decided to change that and force myself into a program that will help me build some strength and some muscle mass (I'm currently trying to lose weight, so hoping I can do a lean cut). Plus all of my numbers have dropped a bit, so hoping to bump them up a little bit and force myself to buy more weight (I have a little under 500 pounds in plates, and I can already deadlift all of it). Fuck it, time to push through the end of the year.

 

Hell yeah my dude!! Keep after it. Holiday gains are coming. I hit my biggest deadlift ever at the end of December thanks to all the Christmas food I ate.

 

Alright y'all. What big things are you looking for in 2021? Finished out 2020 with a 265 bench, which is an all-time PR for me, and a 545 deadlift, which is a tie for all-time PR for me. I'm still trying to drop some body weight and get leaner without too much drop in gains, but really I'd love to see a 3 plate bench sometime this year.

What's everyone trying to push towards this year? That iron isn't gonna move itself. Get out there and do it.