Rodja's "Block"buster Log

[Rodja]

It's been a long time since I've followed your sessions brother. Impressive numbers you're putting up! I'm glad to see your still crushing those PR. I took some time off from the PL, and started moving into Mountain Dog training, but I'm really thinking about making a come back. I just need to get back into the groove.

I've been hitting a good stride lately and am mainly tinkering with loads and my gear right now. I'm not constantly chasing PRs anymore and am actually backing off the intensity for now. I'm still putting in maximum effort, but not going to 100% every week.

[Rodja]

1/16

Sumo (briefs only; left my suit in my wife's car)
Worked up to 600x1
510x5 PR

GM
185x10
225x10
275x8
295x7

Unilateral LP (weight added)/DB Shrugs
360x15/100x15
360x15/100x15
360x15/100x12 (grip failed)

Standing Cable Crunches
100x15
120x15
130x15
130x15-drop-100x15

I had to train solo this session due to scheduling, but really hit it hard. Nearly tied a PR on deads and had some left in me, but didn't want to risk total failure. Once thing I have noticed is that my grip has definitely gotten better as I was struggling with 565 several months ago, but did not have that problem during this session. I honestly think the rep work at the end has paid massive dividends here and my work capacity has also increased from it.

[O_RYAN_007]

Nice session man!

[Rodja]

1/18

Bench
Worked up to 455x1
405x4x2 PR

JM Press
135x12x3
185x10

DB Rows
120x10
145x10

Today was kind of a two part session in that I used a different shirt today (Inzer double-ply Rage X) and it is completely different from my Ace. The Rage X puts a lot of the pressure on your triceps from the beginning contrasted by the Ace, which puts almost all of the pressure on the chest plate. It's only one session, so I can't give an honest evaluation of it, but it was very different for me. After I did some sets of 405 and 455 with the Inzer, I switched back to my Ace and put in some volume. After these sets, I was pretty much gassed and did lighter assistance work.

[Rulk]

What was your strength like before you started powerlifting? Looking for numbers. Like for example, your lifts now, what were they 2 years ago? I don't exactly remember when you made the shift from mma to powerlifting, it was like 2 years ago?

[burlyman30]

Rodja, do you always train bench in a shirt?

[Rodja]

What was your strength like before you started powerlifting? Looking for numbers. Like for example, your lifts now, what were they 2 years ago? I don't exactly remember when you made the shift from mma to powerlifting, it was like 2 years ago?

They're obviously much different. I believe my 1RM at the time was 335/225/425, but that was 40lbs ago, before AAS, and when I had shit for technique.

Rodja, do you always train bench in a shirt?

Not always. It's usually 2-3 weeks on, 1 week off and right now is working the shirt in my new groove due to weight gain and jacking the collar down lower on my chest. Next week will be unshirted as I can tell when my legs and lower back need a break. I've said this a couple of times, but I cannot bench worth dick if I cannot get my legs underneath me.

[burlyman30]

There obviously much different. I believe my 1RM at the time was 335/225/425, but that was 40lbs ago, before AAS, and when I had shit for technique.



Not always. It's usually 2-3 weeks on, 1 week off and right now is working the shirt in my new groove due to weight gain and jacking the collar down lower on my chest. Next week will be unshirted as I can tell when my legs and lower back need a break. I've said this a couple of times, but I cannot bench worth dick if I cannot get my legs underneath me.

With and without a shirt is pretty much a whole different lift. Night and day in the way it forces you into a groove. I never got too deep into it... but that was back in the day of the 1-ply Inzer. The shirts today are worlds apart from back then. Pretty amazing how much technology has gone into them, allowing, as you described above, to have a shirt that puts more emphasis on tricep vs chest plate.

[Rulk]

Never seen a bench shirt in person, but it looks like your arms are permanently sticking straight out from your body. They look like a chore to put on too. The slingshot looks like the bare mechanics of the shirt, just much simpler. I wonder if the recreational lifter could benefit from the slingshot to increase strength, or is it better left to a more focused powerlifting program?

[Rodja]

With and without a shirt is pretty much a whole different lift. Night and day in the way it forces you into a groove. I never got too deep into it... but that was back in the day of the 1-ply Inzer. The shirts today are worlds apart from back then. Pretty amazing how much technology has gone into them, allowing, as you described above, to have a shirt that puts more emphasis on tricep vs chest plate.

Single-ply isn't that much different in terms of technique assuming you have PL bench technique. The first Rage X that I used was a single-ply shirt and I could feel the compression, but it didn't overly alter the path of the bar. Double-ply, on the other hand, takes a good 10s just to complete a rep and it's a movement in multiple parts.

Never seen a bench shirt in person, but it looks like your arms are permanently sticking straight out from your body. They look like a chore to put on too. The slingshot looks like the bare mechanics of the shirt, just much simpler. I wonder if the recreational lifter could benefit from the slingshot to increase strength, or is it better left to a more focused powerlifting program?

They're definitely a pain in the ass to put on properly and you generally have to readjust before sets to put it back into the groove. The Slingshot has multiple grades of tension and spring varying from the Reactive to the Mad Dog versions. The original or Reactive would help the recreational lifter, but not the Mad Dog as it's much thicker and stronger.

Here's some evidence for gear for the non-PL crew:
Influence of compressive gear on powerli... [J Strength Cond Res. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI