022409 -- ME Bench Day

This is week two of Max Effort for Bench.

Moving Close Grip Bench Presses after Seated Presses and before Bench Presses. Thus a pyramid of weight of Seated Presses, CGBP and Bench Press. This worked very well for me in the past. Taken to extreme this would be a type of a bodbuilding Pre Exhaustion tactic. However, these are used to warmup and acclimate to poundages later used in the Bench Press. These two prep exercises together work the lower Bench Press and the Lockout respectively.

Shifting to SE Bench Press work today.

I need to focus on getting my form right. I do not know if the herniated lumbar disk will impact my arching. One would think so to some extent. If so I will work to minimize its impact.

Getting the back tight for a solid foundation seems less natural at the moment. I am thinking this has to do with a combination of conditioning and activation. When I was using a general routine of Pendlay rows I know I felt a firm foundation underneath. They wil begin this Thursday when I bring in RDLs and Rack Pulls.

WORKLOG

Seated Presses, Close Grip Bench Press,
Bench Press, and Band Pulldowns

Warmup @ 0.5 2:28 1
______________________________
Seated Press ME:
135 lb x 5
140 lb x 5
155 lb x 1
165 lb x 1
______________________________
Close Grip Bench Press ME:
135 lb x 10 very narrow
185 lb x 5 very narrow
205 lb x 3
215 lb x 1
______________________________
Bench Press SE:
225 lb x 1
225 lb x 1
225 lb x 1
225 lb x 1
______________________________
Band Pulldowns RE: doubled monster
120 lb x 6
120 lb x 6
120 lb x 6
120 lb x 6
______________________________
Band Work:

Rear Delt Band Pulls RE: average x 10
Tricep Pull Aparts RE: monster x 10
Rotater Pull Aparts RE: monster x 10
Face Pulls RE: average x 10

EPILOGUE

Shoulder feels good. Some progress in form. All in all, I feel very weak on the Bench right now. The numbers bare that out. This second ME Bench Day is improved from last weeks ME Day.