Frank (6/19): Sheiko CMS/MS Comp, Week 2, Day 1

Sheng and I went to TPS to train with Lauren Cohen and a few other regulars (Carlos, Rich, Ross, and Devon). It was great, and I ended up learning a lot. The schedule was pretty miserable, though. It was something like this:

6:00 - Wake up, do morning routine
7:00 - Meet Sheng in front of the student center
8:00 - Bike to TPS and start training
Just so you know, biking 5 miles along non-bike friendly paths is not a great idea. In the future, I will probably use public transportation.
11:30 - Finish session
Lots of learning and a bit of chit chat, plus I was pretty tired, so this took longer than usual.
12:30 - Get back home

This meant that by 12:30, which is my usual waking time on Sunday, I had already been awake for 6.5 hours and training for 5.5 of that. Urgh.

Enough whining. Here's what I did and what I learned.

Squat
5x45, 5x95, 5x135, 5x185
3x230, 3x275, 3x325, 3x325
3x370 @ 9-
3x370 @ 9-
Fx370 This was a technique thing.
3x370 @ 9-
2x395 @ 10
2x395 @ 10
Fx395 Too tired. Bracing myself for Nathan's saucy comments.
I have trouble keeping my chest up during squats, which is why I do such awful good mornings when the weights get high. Lauren et al. suggested that I (1) look up more, (2) shrug my traps up and back (think 45 degree angle), and (3) drive my elbows forward. I took those cues from my second working set onward, and they seemed to help, but I'll need more practice with it to really drill it into my brain.

It was also suggested that I try squatting with flat shoes since shoes with heels have a tendency to throw lifters forward. I see no harm in this, as part of my form breakdown might also be due to using the wrong equipment. Nothing wrong with some experimentation.

Unfortunately, pushing my elbows forward brings back the old elbow pain, so I was hurting a little bit before bench.

Bench
10x45, 10x95
3x155, 3x185, 3x215, 3x215
2x245 @ 8
2x245 @ 8
1x275 @ 8
1x275 @ 8
2x245 @ 8
2x245 @ 8
I apparently have no idea how to bench. Lauren had left by this time with an injured hamstring, unfortunately, but Carlos, Rich, and Ross were still around to help me out. Here's what they said I should do:
1. Plant my feet where they will be for the actual bench. Width should be my squat stance.
2. As usual, slide back far past the bar. I should roughly be able to barely see the bar if I glance down.
3. Ratchet myself forward and set up on my upper traps.
4. Big breath (puff out abs). Get spotter to unrack. Hold for 1 second (i.e. not too long), and start bench.
5. After pause, drive my legs like I'm doing a squat and really push my head up (horizontally).
Setting up like this (especially step 3) was incredibly uncomfortable, but I guess that's how it's supposed to be. This was a huge improvement, though. The bar just popped off my chest. Carlos demonstrated step 6 and showed how with a proper setup, leg drive actually pushes the chest up slightly, which understandably makes it easier to get the bar off your chest.

Carlos also noticed, like many of you, that I tuck my elbows unevenly. He suggested I look into the Diesel Crew shoulder warm up. This should help me keep my elbows forward when squatting too.

The funny thing is, a lot of this stuff is stuff we've read about already online, but it makes a big difference to have someone there to make sure you're doing it right.

Dumbbell Fly: 4x8 @ 35

Squat
4x230, 4x275
4x325 @ 9
4x325 @ 9
4x325 @ 9
4x325 @ 9+

Ab Rollout: 3x6
Good Morning: 2x10 @ 135