Training for a 200lb raw bench at 123

[GBench]

Just started a new training cycle leading up to this years IPF World Bench Press Championships and thought I might log my training here in hopes of getting some good feedback and possibly learn some new tricks. I've been reading alot of logs and we've got some strong women on this forum, very inspiring!

Current stats:
Name: Gina B
Age:32
Comp. wt: 123lbs
Best Raw Competition bench: 187.2 at a USAPL Meet in March 08
Best Shirt Bench: 203.9 (still trying to figure this shirt thing out)

Goals for 2008:
Bench 200 Raw
Bring home a medal from the IPF World Bench Press Championships this June in Prague!!

The last time I competed in a shirt was last year at Bench Nationals (203.9lbs). I put the shirt back on for the first time last week and was able to get 225 for a touch and go. I definitely have to get dialed in on the shirt, so any tips, pointers or advice you guys can give would be greatly appreciated.

G

[Mrs Croft]

welcome aboard there are some amazing women on this board that lift heavy and I am sure they will be more than happy to pass on their knowledge to you..ME??? I am just the local cheer squad

Count me in for this journey

[jaleena]

Hi
I'm currently competing as a 132, hit my best shirt bench a little over a year ago as a 148--was 281lbs. The only advice I have is to make sure the shirt you're using works for you. I got about 100lbs out of the shirt in that meet. Roughly 50lbs was just the magic of the shirt, then the other 50lbs was learning to use the shirt and working my lockout through both regular shirt work and boards.
The bit about making sure the shirt works for you, maybe try several styles from several manufacturers--if you can borrow something that's even close to your size, you should be able to see if it'll work. If your raw bench is close to 200lbs, and your shirt bench is only a little over the 200lbs mark, then it might be that you just need a different shirt. I tried several Inzer products and got little to nothing out of them--they made control more difficult, but didn't give enough support to be worth much. Vs I've used a Fury at every meet (four different Furies at that), and in two of them found success with only one shirt workout prior to the meet. I also know people who've had the opposite experience and have joked about me needing to get into a real shirt--so this isn't an endorsement of Titan in any way, just a suggestion to try different things until one feels "right."
There's also the issue of adjusting the shirt--I know about this from the APF side where we can open the back, touch low, etc, so you might not be able to do as much in IPF. But pulling the collar of my shirt down helps loads, both with increasing support and making the groove more natural for me, not feeling like the shirt wants to choke me out. You can turn the sleeves to get a little more tricep support, little tweaks. Bigdamray would be able to explain this stuff better than I can, but still from an APF perspective.

Enough mind-dump Good luck with your goals!

[ashley2212]

How inspiring!

[Ulter]

Welcome to you both and thank you for putting up your log for other to read.

[sassy69]

Welcome! Yet another spin on 'why would a girl want muscles like that?'

Very inspiring indeed!

[claire]

Hi Gina,

Glad to see you start a log. Lot's of strong guys and girls. And it is easier to find your log here

[badgergrl]

Awesome!

I have a lot of respect for the power-lifting chics! I think it's so cool, and it may be something I explore one day.
I don't have any experience w/ a bench shirt, so can't help you there, but best of luck....I'll be cheering you on!

[Raina]

Welcome! I just think it's awesome that women can have such a vast variety of goals and interests. I look forward to reading about how you'll train!

[jenscats5]

Welcome!!

[GBench]

Thanks so much for all the warm welcomes! I am looking forward to reading about how each of you train for your respected sports/pleasure.

G

[GBench]

Originally Posted by jaleena

Hi
I'm currently competing as a 132, hit my best shirt bench a little over a year ago as a 148--was 281lbs. The only advice I have is to make sure the shirt you're using works for you. I got about 100lbs out of the shirt in that meet. Roughly 50lbs was just the magic of the shirt, then the other 50lbs was learning to use the shirt and working my lockout through both regular shirt work and boards.
The bit about making sure the shirt works for you, maybe try several styles from several manufacturers--if you can borrow something that's even close to your size, you should be able to see if it'll work. If your raw bench is close to 200lbs, and your shirt bench is only a little over the 200lbs mark, then it might be that you just need a different shirt. I tried several Inzer products and got little to nothing out of them--they made control more difficult, but didn't give enough support to be worth much. Vs I've used a Fury at every meet (four different Furies at that), and in two of them found success with only one shirt workout prior to the meet. I also know people who've had the opposite experience and have joked about me needing to get into a real shirt--so this isn't an endorsement of Titan in any way, just a suggestion to try different things until one feels "right."
There's also the issue of adjusting the shirt--I know about this from the APF side where we can open the back, touch low, etc, so you might not be able to do as much in IPF. But pulling the collar of my shirt down helps loads, both with increasing support and making the groove more natural for me, not feeling like the shirt wants to choke me out. You can turn the sleeves to get a little more tricep support, little tweaks. Bigdamray would be able to explain this stuff better than I can, but still from an APF perspective.

Enough mind-dump Good luck with your goals!

Jaleena, thanks so much for the tips! Thats exactly what I was hoping to get here. 281 is great! I've heard of a few women getting 100lbs out of their shirt and they too wore Titan. I've tried Titan once, first starting out with the shirt and from lack of knowledge on how to put the darn thing on, I gave up, not to mention it was a few sizes to big. I totally agree though about just trying different ones.

How often do you train in yours before a competition? I'll wear mine every other week for a 12 week cycle before a meet, which means I only get 6-7 training days with it.

Thanks again for the tips and I hope you have a training log here!!!!

G

[GBench]

Sundays Bench workout:
Not exactly what I hoped for, but than again, it was my first real day back in the gym after having my wisdom teeth taken out or should I say "ripped from my face!!" because thats what it felt like!!! That was Friday the 11th and I was out of commission for a week.

Anyway, it was "heavy" week for me:

Warmup:
bar
95x10
135x6
155x3

Heavy Hold:225lb for 10sec. easy breezy

Work sets (raw): Goal 3x5reps (last heavy week hit 165 for 3 sets of 5)
170x3, missed the 4th
170x3, didn't try 4th
170x2, missed 3rd

Decline Bench:
165x2x5reps

Negatives:
215 for 3 sets

I would normally finish with some flies or stability pushups, but just not feeling it. Not being able to eat my regular meals is killing my energy. and one can only have so many protein shakes!!!!!!!!

G

[jaleena]

No training log here...I have a mind-dump log somewhere else, I only post training-related things if someone asks specifically
I probably did about the same as your template leading up to the 281. I was using max grip at the time, so my forearms were only letting me get in every other week.
For my current meet, I'll probably only get in five shirt workouts, as I just started gear work at 2mos out. For some reason, I'm not feeling as beat up by the shirt work this go-round, so I tried to go two weeks in a row...was definitely not recovered, but I'm just manipulating the time between workouts a little, not all the way out to every other week. It's all a learning process for me, I'm pretty new compared to lots of the really successful people in the sport, so I just absorb what I can from the better lifters I know, and see what I can make work for myself.
And my first two meets, I only had one workout in the shirt prior to the meet...yes I managed to do decently with that, but it's not something I'd recommend to anyone! Certainly not the 2nd meet where my one workout was the night before the meet

[GBench]

Originally Posted by jaleena

No training log here...I have a mind-dump log somewhere else, I only post training-related things if someone asks specifically
I probably did about the same as your template leading up to the 281. I was using max grip at the time, so my forearms were only letting me get in every other week.
For my current meet, I'll probably only get in five shirt workouts, as I just started gear work at 2mos out. For some reason, I'm not feeling as beat up by the shirt work this go-round, so I tried to go two weeks in a row...was definitely not recovered, but I'm just manipulating the time between workouts a little, not all the way out to every other week. It's all a learning process for me, I'm pretty new compared to lots of the really successful people in the sport, so I just absorb what I can from the better lifters I know, and see what I can make work for myself.
And my first two meets, I only had one workout in the shirt prior to the meet...yes I managed to do decently with that, but it's not something I'd recommend to anyone! Certainly not the 2nd meet where my one workout was the night before the meet

The first time in a shirt and it was the night before your meet....thats awesome! You're right, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone, I would definitely be way to nervous.

I hate that you don't have a log here, but I hope you will continue to share your tips with me!

Thanks again
And hopefully others with shirt experience will respond to some of my posts with helpful tips.
G

[GBench]

I don't have internet at home so I will be posting pretty randomly when I can. Here are the last two workouts:

Back and Shoulder Day (this past Tuesday)

Log Presses:
Overhead machine for warmup: 20 reps
Pushups 15
Empty log (80lbs) x 5

Waves: 3,2,1 reps
1st Wave:
95x3
100x2
105x1

2nd Wave:
100x3
105x2
110x1

3rd Wave:
105x2 (missed the 3rd)
110x1 (missed the 2nd)
110x2 (didn't try a 3rd)
* my PR with the log is 115 so I'm not far off

I normally do DLs next, but not feeling it.

Hoz. Pull Machine (plate loaded)
45x10- warmup
70x10- warmup
80x10
90x10
90x10

LatPull Down:
75x3x10 reps

3 sets DB Lateral raises superset with DB rows (singles):
Laterals: 15lbs x 10
DB Rows: 35,40, 40lbs

G