Lots of bodies in tonight at PTC so I tried to stay focused, preserving my energy for the bar. Easy warm ups, a couple of sets of 6 working up in weight and down in reps. I'm working relatively fast but feeling strong and confident. Three weeks ago I was aiming for a 3kg PB and reps in week two suggested I was on track. I hit a single 6% lower than my current 1RM and then load the bar with a 5kg PB.
Under the bar now remember the cues, roll shoulders under, set my bridge, lock the body and grip the bar. Big breath lift off and lower to the chest...then bang damn thing goes up like a warm up..PB!
Feeling confident now, load the bar with a 10kg PB, rest and get set. Steel in the hands, feel the traps pushing into the padding. Soft lift off and the bar starts down, touch the chest pause and drive. Bar speed is good slows at the mid point then the triceps do their job and lock it out strongly. A 10kg PB, damn you Smolov you didn't let me down.
Now I am cocky and have nothing to lose. Five more kilograms are loaded and now I am under a 15kg PB, Despite the urgings and watchful eyes of big Mike, Dan and Aaron I lose it just below the mid point but felt enough of it to know its mine in the next cycle.
Three weeks of the Smolov Jr and a solid 10kg PB locked in. Shifting to benching 4 days a week was challenging particularly after the much lower frequency of the Wendler template that I normally run. In fact the change up in frequency made all of the difference, it really hypes your CNS and lets you groove technique. Then there is the increased volume which certainly allows for a nice strength compensation.
Negatives... none to speak of though my rotator cuff tweaked slightly on my second to last session. Regardless I will have no hesitation programming a Smolov Jr mini cycle in the next 6 months to give the bench another kick.
Stay Strong
Thomo
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