BenchMonster, BigOkie, and screwball training pics

[benchmonster]

No you are not. You guys make a major contribution every time we get together, and you are not buying plates. I am not kidding about this, unless you plan on hauling those heavy sumbitches back and forth with you, you better not be bringing anything but your self when you come to the dungeon.

That goes for all board members. All the regulars are welcome here anytime. Mrs. Benchmonster is very accomodating to having huge monsters in her house, but nobody is making contributions to the dungeon.

I appreciate the thought, but I am serious, I would not feel right about that at all. Let me know when your training will be on track for a friday night workout, and I will meet you guys in Stillwater.

B.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

You guys rock!! That's some hardcore home-gym liftin!


Screwball does look quite freaky and like Bench Monster said he doesn't look fat either. Combine that with the fact that he's tall and I wouldn't want to meet up with him in a dark ally, lol.

We have the Asylum, the Dungeon, WTF am I gonna call my gym??

 

[Screwball]

If I can get the 100's for little to no money, I will buy them and they will be added to the Dungeon and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. If I have to, I'll get BigOkie to whoop your ass.

Oh, by the way, I was reading Ricky's forum and a guy posted something on finding a powerlifting meet in Oklahoma. I responded to the guy and he lives in Tulsa and works out at Eastside Gym. He was a Hihghland Games competitor but he ruptured his patella tendon. His chiro is a powerlifter and recommended the sport. He's interested so I offered him some advice and if he wants to train we'll try to work something out. Sound okay? Could be another member for the "Okie Crew". I'm waiting for a response from him.

 

[Mountain Man]

Great pictures guys, I did 500 for 5 reps yesterday on rev. band benching with the lighter green bands raw. Now if only I can get the shirt on that I just received, LOL.

 

[bigokie]

Damn I look out of shape in that picture. All the sweating...must be loading all those damn plates for benchmonster and screwball!

Benchmonster we owe you for letting us lift at your pad. I've been looking for a pair of 45's that need a home and will probably find there way to your gym. It's the least we can do for letting us lift at your house and running your family out.

 

[IrishPower]

hey...

thanks for the pics!!! always good to see new stuff in action.

i had a comment/question (NOT a criticism mind you).....

how come you guys are using denim shirts for these lifts? i go back and forth with an ex-training partner about this.

my $0.02: if you put on a shirt that is really tight (tight enough to be your competition shirt), then of course you are going to be stronger at a 2 board or 3 board then with a flat bench.

I wonder whether or not it would be smarter to use a loose shirt (like you guys did in one of your pics)... or even a cut polyester for a little protection but not a lot of help.

my reasoning is this.... lets say you plan on benching 500 at a meet, why would you use 540 or 550 off of a 2 board? wouldn't it be better instead to find what is limiting you from getting the 500 bench? maybe it really IS the 2 board position, but if you used a looser shirt (or even no shirt), you could probably get the same effect from only using 450 lbs of weight.

have you guys found that these overloads carry over to the meet? i know that i trained for one meet like this and wound up with a 640 board press off the double board in my competition shirt. when i got to the meet, i couldnt get 585 or 600 down to my chest and bombed out So I am not sure if the shirted ME board presses were effective.


BTW: please keep posting the training routines and pics. good stuff!

/irish

 

[benchmonster]

Irish,

I came up with the idea of training in the shirt precisely because I was hitting gym pr's all the time raw and could not transfer it over to the platform come shirt time. I now am able to keep any weight I choose in the groove, where before I was having trouble keeping maximal weights in the groove I wanted them in.

My last meet I got 475, and 505 was redlighted on butt raise, and I had done a 550 3 board/shirt a couple weeks before the meet. It may be all in my head, although I don't think so, but handling bigger than normal weights in the comp groove really seems to have worked wonders for me.

If the 505 had not been red lighted, I would have gone for 525, and feel pretty confident about it. 8 weeks before this meet, I had been doing no shirt work, very light speed work, everything as outlined by Louie and Dave, and bombed with 450!!!

I will open close to 500 at my next meet, only 16 weeks after bombing with 450, and the major change in my training has been the addition of the shirt/board press, and doing speed bench only every other week, and then, going heavier than I was before. As you have said, do what works, and right now, this is working like a madman.

Screwball,

Sounds great about the highland games guy. Find out how we can get a hold of him, and we can drag his ass over to the dungeon. See you guys soon.

B.

 

[Arioch]

Good pics. The hard work shows.

 

[Deciever]

benchmonste, bigokie and screwball.. how long have you guys been training for, and how big were you when you started? just wonderin..

 

[BigArnie]

Great liftin', guys! I envy you, having the opportunity to meet other members of this board. I'd really love the opportunity to meet and train with many of you guys too! But hell, I'm sitting on the other side of the planet so chances are pretty slim. I've been thinking about going on Pilgrimage for a long time. No, not to Mecca, but to the Westside Gym in Ohio. Maybe one day...