churioz
Haven't posted much
Posts: 7
Registered on 12-16-06
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12-16-06 11:00 PM - Post#248149
Hi. I'm training for the Arnold Pump and Run in March 2007. The event for my age group is to bench press your body weight as many times as you can (30 max limit) and for each rep, you get 30 seconds subtracted from your 5k time (5k is after the lift). I've participated in the event twice. The first time I did 170 lbs 18 times. Last year, I came in heavy and did 16 reps of 180.
Both times, I feel I trained wrong for the event. Anyway, I've got about 11 weeks to go. I have been training by doing 3 sets with 225 (10, 6, 5). I started thinking that I needed to up my training so tonight I did (after a few warmup sets)
205 - 8
215 - 6
235 - 4
245 - 3
255 - 2
265 - 1
235 - 4
I completed that fairly easily (didn't even ask for a spotter). My plan is to increase my overall max bench and then doing 175 for a large number of reps should be easier.
Next week, I may modify the workout to
205 - 8
215 - 6
235 - 4
255 - 3
265 - 2
275 - 1
235 - 4
Anyhow, I used to have a chart based upon maximum/goal lift that used this pyramid structure. I'm sure I have it somewhere so I'll keep looking.
Am I on the right path? Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
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bulch
pete
Posts: 4965
Age: 32
Loc: England
Registered on 11-18-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-17-06 10:48 AM - Post#248150
I think if your goal is higher reps at bw then i think you'd be wise to practice high reps at least a few times. Increasing strength will help but once you go over about ten reps, imo, it's a whole new game.
maybe this woyuld help, your bw is 175lb yes? the maximum reps allowed is 30 so first workout do 10 sets of 3 with one minute rest next time do the same with less rest, knock perhaps five seconds off your rest time each workout and pretty soon you're up to a long set of 30 reps.
dunno if that will really work but i've seen variations on that theme before.
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cajinjohn
Old time trainer
Posts: 12480
Age: 75
Loc: Okawville ILLINOIS, USA
Registered on 03-30-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-17-06 12:20 PM - Post#248151
Work your upper back also or you will pay.
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Laree
(Rhymes with Marie)
Posts: 21150
Loc: Santa Cruz, CA
Registered on 03-25-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-17-06 12:43 PM - Post#248152
Welcome, thanks for joining us.
One of our members did the Arnold Pump and Run last year. Here's her training log, including suggestions from us as she began her training for it and here's her post-event report.
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jej
average
Posts: 4216
Loc: Oklahoma
Registered on 11-01-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-17-06 02:39 PM - Post#248153
Quote:
cajinjohn said:
Work your upper back also or you will pay.
Yes. What you pay with is muscle imbalances in your shoulder and shoulder injuries. Match all that pressing work with equal pulling work.
jej
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churioz
Haven't posted much
Posts: 7
Registered on 12-16-06
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-17-06 07:06 PM - Post#248154
I like Pete's idea of reducing recovery time between sets at the target weight. I'm going to implement that. Upper back should be okay. One of my goals (that will have to wait) is a one handed pull up. So I've worked the upper back pretty hard doing chin ups, pull ups and assisted one handed chin/pull ups on, my favorite machine, the gravitron 2000.
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ccrow
old hand
Posts: 9959
Registered on 04-08-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 09:45 AM - Post#248155
Along the lines of Bulch's idea, you could use what's called density training. Your goal is 30 reps, so each workout you'll do 60 reps with bodyweight. You do a set every minute, on the minute (you'll need to watch the clock or a stopwatch.)
Start out with, say, sets of 4 - harder than it sounds, I promise. Do a set of five, or as many reps as possible without going to failure, every minute. If you can't make all four reps in each set, just do as many as you can without busting a gut, keep doing a set every minute until you make your 60. If you make all your reps in every set, you'll hit 60 reps in 15 minutes.
When you make it in 15 sets of 4, you add a rep - do sets of 5. When you can do it in 12 sets of 5, add a rep - work sixes until you can do it in ten sets of six. Then work 7's and 8's the same way. When you can do 8x8 in 8 minutes, test yourself, you ought to make 30.
If you don't push too hard, you can do this three times a week; if you work real hard, once a week is real hard. I personally would prefer holding back and doing it more frequently. I might substitute weighted pushups or dips or short range benches sometimes, since these are easier on my shoulders.
Your idea to increase maximal strength is good too, I'd focus on that for a while first, then the density training to build endurance closer to the event. I'd also stretch the pecs religiously, doing this kind of volume is just asking for trouble if you let it tighten up the pecs.
The most important test a lifter has to pass
is the test of time.
-John Cole
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Steve Wedan
Aging lion, hopeless romantic, lucky bastard
Posts: 2297
Age: 55
Registered on 03-30-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 01:06 PM - Post#248156
I'd like to chime in here about density training. Rather than gutting out what you can get, I'd start much lower than you think you can do, like 30 sets of 2, starting each set on the minute. Only when you can do that (which might be immediately), move up on the next workout, in this case to 20 sets of 3.
Also, about the rest periods . . . at some point, probably by the time you're doing sets of 5 or 6, beginning each set once a minute on the minute, will be too dense/intense: The rest periods aren't long enough, because the 5 or 6 reps take up too much of that resting minute. At that point, start resting a minute between the end of the previous set and the beginning of the next. That'll be a huge boost in your progression; it'll suddenly seem easy.
When you get to 4 sets of 15 with a minute between the sets, your 1 x 30 will be virtually guaranteed.
Steve
Steve
The fields of play: Art. The game: Iron. The doorway: www.athletic-art.com.
"Low aim, not failure, is the crime."
- Bruce Lee |
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Steve Wedan
Aging lion, hopeless romantic, lucky bastard
Posts: 2297
Age: 55
Registered on 03-30-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 01:07 PM - Post#248157
Also, in my opinion, I'd not do this more than twice a week.
Again, it my opinion, not necessarily the truth for you.
Steve
Steve
The fields of play: Art. The game: Iron. The doorway: www.athletic-art.com.
"Low aim, not failure, is the crime."
- Bruce Lee |
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DanMartin
Sancta Simplicitas
Posts: 15102
Age: 56
Registered on 04-04-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 01:19 PM - Post#248158
Quote:
Steve Wedan said:
Also, in my opinion, I'd not do this more than twice a week.
Again, it my opinion, not necessarily the truth for you.
Steve
I agree. Keep in mind though, you will be pushing your recovery system with running too.
Cognosco, Sudo, Rideo
More suicides have been commited by a knife and fork than any other weapon.
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DanMartin
Sancta Simplicitas
Posts: 15102
Age: 56
Registered on 04-04-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 01:32 PM - Post#248159
What about ladders? Doing sets for example like this: a set of 1, then a set of 2, then a set of 3, then a set of 4, then a set of 5. A brief rest between each set then a little bit more of a rest after the fifth set. Then start over.
Cognosco, Sudo, Rideo
More suicides have been commited by a knife and fork than any other weapon.
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Sweatn
Often wrong, never in doubt.
Posts: 9270
Age: 58
Loc: End of a bench.
Registered on 09-01-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 02:12 PM - Post#248160
I was thinking ladders also. Maybe in sets of 2-3. Say 2, 4, 6, 8, or 3, 6, 9, 12, then start over. Maybe too much, but would be worth experimenting with.
If you don't like the free advice, you can have your money back.
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DanMartin
Sancta Simplicitas
Posts: 15102
Age: 56
Registered on 04-04-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-18-06 02:27 PM - Post#248161
Doing three sets of isometric push-ups after your bench presses would be productive. A 40 second hold at the top. Take a break. A 40 second hold at the middle. Take a break. Then a 40 second hold at the bottom.
Dumbbell bench presses would help.
Consider doing very slow bench press negatives with your work weight.
Cognosco, Sudo, Rideo
More suicides have been commited by a knife and fork than any other weapon.
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JimC
IOL rocks!
Posts: 509
Age: 50
Loc: SLO, CA
Registered on 04-25-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-19-06 02:02 PM - Post#248162
This looks like an interesting challenge. It will
dovetail with a couple goals I am currently aspiring
to achieve:
1. Run 1 mile and perform 21 reps on bench at less than 10
minutes.
2. Run Bay-to-Breakers (7.46 miles)in under 60 minutes next May in SanFran.
I think I will start implementing these suggestions.
I have a question/ idea for critique...would something
like plyometric pushups (i.e., Clapping Pushups)
be of any value after the last heavy set of bench press?
| Nobody's perfect.I am nobody.Therefore... |
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ccrow
old hand
Posts: 9959
Registered on 04-08-04
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Re: Need routine for maximum reps at body weight
12-19-06 04:50 PM - Post#248163
I don't see how the plyos would help that particular goal; plyos help explosiveness, recruitment, and reactivity, none of which do much directly for endurance.
For the challenge, it's interesting to think about what strategy makes this easiest. (If the bench has to be in one set, just do it run, no real strategy. I believe you're allowed to break those reps up any way you want though.)
I think I would try to do it this way:
14 reps in two minutes (probably two sets of seven) - more if they go easy
seven minute mile
7 reps in one minute
And I would go into this event loaded to the gills with creatine.
The most important test a lifter has to pass
is the test of time.
-John Cole
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