Best training day ever!

[brianmincher]

The Oklahoma crew got together over at the Dungeon Sunday the 28th, only 2 weeks left till our next meet. We did 3 board presses with bench shirts on, and everyone set huge PR's. We found out that Screwball's shirt is a bit to tight for now. (It damn near fit me and I am 80 lbs lighter than Screwball) But luckily a buddy of mine came through with a double EHPHD velcro back that Screwball can wear on the 11th. Bigokie had a great day as well hitting pr's in the 3 board as well as our tricep movement that followed which was a close grip 5 board with choked and double looped blue bands.

I will humbly report that I hit PR's in both lifts as well. On the 3 board/shirt press I actually handled more bar weight than I ever have on any exercise other than a rack lockout, so I was pretty pleased, and my bar weight/band combination in the 5 board was the most I have done as well.

We did one armed dumbell rows with a 115 lbs dumbell, which nearly killed me, but caused the two walking eclipses I was training with to yawn in boredom. After some band work for shoulders, and rotators, we called it a day and had some barbecue chicken and baked potatoes.

For those of you unlucky enough not to have a chance to train with Screwball and Bigokie, I must say, these guys are the most knowlegeable, uplifting people I have ever trained with. If you manage to workout with these guys and don't make a PR or two during a workout, then you need to get your estrogen level checked.

Best training session I have ever had. Oklahoma crew will be putting up some good numbers in the months to come.

B.

 

[Geno_O]

Good post. Decent training partners can make a big difference. I
am only now starting to figure this out.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Well how much did ya'll handle on the 3 brd /shirt press? And boards? Geting used to big weight will definitly help you when its time to press your weigh tin the meet. Iam hopeing for the same results you are. Now will you drop to a 2 board or just hit your weigh t in th emeet.

We are doing 3 brd tonight then 1 with no board
next week we will 2 brd then 1 without
then 1 board then 1 without
then no board.

Experiment!

Sounds like you definitly had a great training day! Iam fortunate to have my crew there every workout. Do you normally train alone?

 

[The mann]

Brianmincher,

don't you love it when the workouts go so good???great job man,you'll kick ass in your meet.

 

[bigokie]

Well two weeks out for Brian and Screwball and both of them hit big numbers!!
We started with 3 boards and worked up and up until I could notice the bar bend. At this point Screwball decided his shirt was too tight and switched to the old EHPHD and tried a single. Can't remember what weight it was, I think 450?, but he got out of groove and missed it. But it was his first time in that shirt and that makes a huge difference. Screwball hit 485 before switching shirts, so the lockout is there if he finds a shirt that will let him get it down. Brian kept going 485, 505, 530, and finally 550. This he said was the most he'd ever used, except for lockouts. All of them went up quick and the only one he had trouble with was 550 which he still locked out strong but he got out of groove and hit the left upright. I know he could have gotten 585 on this but I think Brian did about 13 or 14 singles so I imagine he was slightly tired for his last single. Next we switched to 5 board with bands. We used blues choked down and double looped around the collars. I'm not sure exactly what tension it was but it was over 150 I guarantee, closer to 180-190. We worked up and Screwball went to 275 and Brian to 315. These were hard and the first time I had done them this way.
Then we did some accesory work and ate. We had bbc chicken and baked potatoes, excellent as usual.
The meet is in May and both of them will hit big numbers. I'm guessing Brian will get up to 480ish in this meet and Screwball will definitely go over 450 with the shirt that he will be using. Then in July there is another meet and I know Brian will be over 500 and it wouldn't surprise me for Screwball to be right there at 500 at this meet if he gets his double denim modified between now and then. Look for Brian to hit 600 by the end of this year and Screwball will not be long after that.
Last, thanks again Brian and family for letting us invade your home again.

 

[brianmincher]

The Mann, yes, it is great when the workouts go well. Nothing better in the world in my opinion.

Jay, As Bigokie said, I went up to 550, probably could have gone a bit higher, but I was pretty wore out by then. This was my first time to ever try this exercise, and I was not sure what I could do on it. Next time, I will take bigger jumps and save some energy till I get over 500. I think Screwball hit around 485, but 485 would never in a million years touch with the shirt he was wearing. I think that he will be able to touch around 430ish with the EHPHD, though and he will smoke that.

I think next weekend, which is one weekend before the meet, I will do some shirt work in my loosest shirt, and try and find an opener I can do in my sleep. I am thinking that I will open around 440 or so, make sure I get one on the board, then probably take a pretty good jump on my second, to around 480, then just see how I feel. If I feel like I did yesterday, and can keep the bar in the groove, then I have no doubt 500 will fly.

For those who have not tried them, 5 board presses with lots of band tension is a great tricep exercise. We all set pr's on this one, and I of course being a midget did not have nearly as far to press as either of my giant friends, which I can assure you is the only reason I was able to outlast them.

Jay, I normally train alone until I get over 90 percent, then I have my wife spot me. But I have arranged my heavy bench day to be on Sunday's and I usually have someone training with me, so there is no problem there. Last 3 weeks, I have had the Oklahoma Crew, or another powerlifting buddy, and next weekend, my dad and brother will both be up, so Sunday spotters is usually not a problem.

B.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Yes we do the 5 board with blues double looped also. Excellent exercise! Keep those up and your numbers will fly. I am also (shoulder feels alot better) starting to get back into floor presses as well. I will do these on my raw bench day and will rep from 3 to 5. I will also find various ways to incorporate bands. Guys keep it up.

Maybe if financial plannig is arranged you guys could all come to Daytona for The Dec Southern State Powerlifting Championships at huge iron.

 

[brianmincher]

December would be a nice time to be in FLA. It is cold here in December. Maybe if I start saving my allowance I could make the trip, who knows?

I am pretty excited about the 11th. I just wish I would have been doing what I am doing now going into my last meet. Oh well, live and learn.

Jay, what do you estimate your contest bench to be right now, assuming a perfect shirt and all the stars line up right, etc. . . . ?

B.

 

[powerlifterjay]

If i can work my shirt right and everything goes like it used too, i say 635. No less then 620. My adjusted shirt feels too tight but its better then my inzer is. Plus i am gonna open in a inzer. If what your trying to figure out how much your shirt with boards carries over into a shirt alone bench....your guess is as good as mine. I could have went over 700 i think like 725. BUt that last 3 inches or so down is a huge difference. Not weight wise just the way your body changes from its normal bench groove. So since were experimenting with this too, we FL, and OKies can all learn from this. We can all get a carryover into our meets. Jimmie dean put handles on a 1 board. that is just 1 1/2 inches. But we need that with our tigh tshirts. Were gonna try it. One good thing is at least you can pratice the pause and learn to push with the shirt.

That is why i asked what ya'll lifted so i can see your carryover as you approach the meet and what you get in a meet.

I know Jesse Kellum does the 2 board and then takes one single with no boards with lighter weight. We might try that. But like you did, too many singles were your ass out! I make big jumps. Tonight i will go 600, 635, 675 maybe 700plus. But i was going to drop to the 2 board. Problem is my partners are all shirting up and if i jump to the 2 i would be one week ahead of them. We'll see how it goes. On the 5 board with blue bands doubled choked i hit 530lb loaded and what ever the tension is it felt liek 150lb or so.

You guys will hit big numbers this year. You need to make all your training days liek that day you just had. I will post my results tonight. Grimmer is coming Jimmie dean is coming Tapout and my 181 lber who doesnt post online.

Good job guys i wish you all lived closer to gether so you could always do that. The 3 of ya'll make a good team.

 

[b fold the truth]

After some band work for shoulders, and rotators, we called it a day and had some barbecue chicken and baked potatoes.

B.

Sounds great...

Congrats on the PR and those big numbers...maybe I'll hit something close to that one day.

B True

 

[Deciever]

........For those who have not tried them, 5 board presses with lots of band tension is a great tricep exercise.........

i did a variation of these in my workout today.. they kicked my ass...

i did 1/4 bench close grip w/ mini's doubled... they were hard as hell! i only got up to 110 before i called it quits (i only got like 4 reps) You guys are strong as hell... my bansd only added lie 60 lbs.. yours added like 200 and you tripled my weight. you guys are beasts!

 

[Screwball]

The Dungeon Workout...

I've been on the road all day. I was a walking zombie and my ass is wore out! The training yesterday drained my central nervous system and my shoulders and triceps are smoked. I feel like I competed in a 3-lift meet. Well, enough with the whining.

First, I want to thank Brian and his family for allowing us the opportunity to train. We basicly monopolized an entire Sunday day. Thanks for lunch too. It was unexpected but greatly appreciated. Oh, thanks for the shirt use and videos. Damn, talk about hooking a brother up! I guess pay-backs are in order and will be dealt with accordingly.

Now, to the training. My workouts are so much better when I train with Brian & BigOkie. When I train as usual, it's probably a 6 or 7 on a scale of 10 but when I train with the "Okie Crew", it's a 10 on the scale. I can't tell you how much better it is to train with motivated, experienced and knowledgeable partners. If anyone can get me to a 500+ bench it will be Brian and BigOkie knows more about Westside training then anyone I have ever met. I have new ammunition from BigOkie to help with my deadlifting technique. I have learned so many things from both of them. Damn, it's good to be me! Thanks to both of you.

My new double-denim is tight as hell. That's the good thing. The bad thing is, I'm not strong enough to use the damn thing yet. I just can't decide whether I want to have it altered or just wait until my lock-out strength improves. As is, I estimate it will take 525+ in order to touch. If I had Brian's (or Jay's or IrishPower's - I wish) lock-out strength I would be good to go. Alas, I am just a wanna-be and have much work to do on my tris. The EHPHD shirt that Brian is letting me use is a LOT of shirt too. The shirt is actually one of Kim Brownfield's old shirts so the shirt has pushed 600+ a few times. Kim owns WABDL world records in the 220 & 242 classes. I guess this will give you an idea of how big Kim's upper body is when I can squeeze into the shirt at 300+ lbs. and it is actually a little loose in a couple of spots. Brian & Big Okie got a workout just getting the thing on me. When it was finally on I was huffing & puffing and they did all the work - go figure. I tried a single to see how close I could get it to my chest but I misgrooved (totally different groove then my denim) and I damn near broke my stick arms in two. My arm pits are black and blue, big time. It felt tight on the descent but when it got half way down it kind of fell to my chest (or almost)? Anyone have an idea of what's going on??? I need some more time in the shirt to get it figured out.

BigOkie, is young and really only started powerlifting training a few months ago. He is going to be a monster when he allows his body to mature and his training takes off. I wish that I knew a tenth of what he knows when I was his age. I think his plan is to focus on training for the next few months and compete in early 2003. My plan is to watch BigOkie's weight so that I can compete in a weight class other than his. If all goes well he will shoot up to Super Heavy's and leave me with the 308's. I don't want to have to pull weight to get to the 275's. I like food and supplements. Prediction for BigOkie: tremendous gains in weight & strength in the coming months.

Brian, knows more about bench shirts then anyone that I personally know. He gave me many tips for using both a denim and a poly shirt. When he benches in a shirt it looks smooth, stable and controlled. When I'm in a shirt it feels like all Hell is breaking loose. My shit is all over the place. I will learn. Anyway, his 3-boards were solid and fast. At 550 his left hand drifted back toward the upright but I stopped it and he pushed it right on up - only a little slower then the previous reps. Very impressive! He's working on that freaky-status tricep strength. When he does these next he will hit 575+ I'm sure, because we took too many attempts to work up in weight. I bailed out at 485 and it was truely a max effort attempt. I saw pretty little birds when I was done. That's how I know! BigOkie, commented that my face was a nice shade of "maroon" or did he say "moron". I'll never know, as I was incapacitated.

Next, we did 5-boards with the blue bands choked and looped once. It was a lot of tension (150+). More than I had ever used for an upper body movement. I know that there has been a lot of hype lately for this movement due to Halbert's article but this exercise is the shit. If you can't improve your bench, whether raw or shirted, with this movement then there's no hope for you. I'll probably do this movement for the next two months for tri work; I liked it that much. My triceps are mush today. We started with 5's then went to 3's. I struggled to get three at 275 bar weight. Brian went up to 315 and popped 3 quick ones with a slight struggle on the last rep. Did I mention that Brian has great lock-out strength? Very strong triceps. The rest of the workout is a bit fuzzy because my ass was spent. Some rows and rotator/shoulder work. Prediction for Brian: 475+ in May and 500+ in July. By the end of the year, who knows? He's making some very quick gains.

It was one of the best workouts I've ever had. If I could train like this consistantly I know my numbers would improve tremendously. If I can get my shirt problems worked out, I'll be really happy with a 450 lb. bench. Anything higher would be gravy!

Jay, you and your crew are lucky to have each other. I know you guys push each other each & every time you train and that's what it takes to maximize your gains. Every time I read a post by a Florida Crew member, I'm truely impressed. You boys are strong as Hell and good people to boot. I would love to make the trip to Florida. We'll see what happens. I have family in Tampa. Oh, and stay away from the floor presses. I'm convinced the devil himself invented this exercise to cripple the unwary lifter (Bwahaha!). I gave them up a while back so just be careful with your shoulder.

Thazzit! - Screwball

 

[IrishPower]

man.. that sounds like a ton of fun. wish it wasn't so far to drive or i'd be there!

congrats to you all on your prs. and thanks for all the info about the bands. i need to try this stuff.

i will throw out this for you guys: a 3 board press is a lot different from a press off the bottom. i don't think the reason is so much the weight but if you have an ultra tight shirt that last 3 inches is a killer. a couple years ago, i hit 640lbs on a 3 board. i was stoked for a 600 bench at a meet.

well, i got to the meet and couldnt get 585 down to my chest. on my second attempt i actually got it all the way down but literally blacked out because i think i pinched off an artery. needless to say, not the best meet for me.

my advice is to make sure you can get the damn weight all the way to your chest with your competition shirt!

great job guys!

/irish

 

[brianmincher]

Great post Screwball, you too Irish,

I have a shirt that I should be able to touch with around 440 or maybe even less. I will try it out Saturday to be sure. No more bombs for me, I am going to open with something I can double. I will probably change shirts for each attempt. If the first feels good, I am setting a PR on the second attempt and go ball's out on the third. But taking Irish's advice, I am definately going to put in some time doing full reps 7 days prior to the meet to make sure I can get a good one in on the first rep.

And Irish, I would love to have you, and you and anyone else on this board are welcome at my house anytime, but I don't know how we could fit you, bigokie and screwball all in the room at the same time.

I know I go on and on about how big Screwball and bigokie are, but guys, I promise you, until you meet them and train with them, you have no idea how massive these guys are. I am not very big anyways, five 7ish and 220ish, but these guys make me look like a little kid. Best guys I have ever trained with, bar none.

OUT!
B.

 

[b fold the truth]

I have an inzer double denim that I have never used. It is big enough that I can get it on by myself...but can't get it off without help. It sucks to have to drive to work just to get someone to take it off of you..ya know?

I'm really wanting to wear it one day when I bench...just to see...

B True

 

[bigokie]

You guys don't let Brian fool you. He's a stout little guy. 18 inch arms on a 5' 7" frame is not bad at all. And most of his arms is triceps. He has the same size arms as me and Screwball but is 60+ pounds lighter than either of us.

By the way, Sunday was my first time to try on a shirt. I used one of Brians old ones. It didn't fit quite right but was at least something to try. I still have scars on my tri's from it. Those things are damned uncomfortable. I have a lot of respect for you guys with the big benches, it must be real uncomfortable to have on a shirt that is so small it turns your arms colors.

 

[Cubanito17]

BRAIN I hope you and the OKIE crew do GREAT in your meet, and I hope for my sake u get 500 or else i won't see my graduation I'll be dipped in cheese whiz and twisted into a pretzel, right . I havn't been able to keep up with anything on this board hopefully once I graduate things will be better, especially for my training.

For those that know I've been trying to gain weight I'm up to 191lbs. OH YEA