Thoughts on training

Here are some observations that I have made over the last two weeks as pertain to my training:
1. My bench max has gone up 80 pounds in the last year and I really haven't trained bench that much. Now technically I did register a 395 bench in a Titan Fury shirt at a USAPL meet in April 2004, but this press was largely (I can not understate this) due to the shirt. When I got back in to benching last spring on a regular schedule I barely managed a 275 bench. I do not know how much of this was due to lack of CNS coordination, but I can assume that since my max only went up 40 pounds over the course of last summer with conjugate training it must have been due to weakness. However weakness is deceptive, because more benching could not fix this problem. Last week I blasted up a 355 bench easily and I have maybe done bench every 10 days or so for the last 4 months. So where was I weak?
My triceps? Definitely I have been hitting triceps hard with close grip presses, rack lockouts, reverse band work, band work, board presses, tricep extensions, skull crushers, band press downs, basically anything that would work my tris except faggoty kick backs.
My Delts? Yes indeed, these were pathetic, but thanks to my training with Chuck I got into overhead pressing and have made great progress here.
My Back? This was and still is the biggest thing holding me back in the presses. I have made progress, but there is so much work to be done. I realize now that you can't just do a few sets of pulldowns half-assed after pressing and call it good. The lats, traps, and rhomboids are huge muscles and require as much if not more attention as their opposition groups. These muscles must be large and strong in order to get max usage of the triceps. I busted my self in the head doing one arm dumbell press because my lats are weak. You have to hit these frequently and with intensity. I have to get my lats strong because right now I can barely hoist my fatass up for three pullups which is just pathetic.
My Grip? This is still an area that I am working hard on. If you can not hold the bar tight and in line with your arms you will miss the press or lose potential pounds on it. I have been working with COC grippers, an imtug gripper, and am working with wrist curls and hammer curls to improve my grip.
My Speed? This is perhaps the most important aspect of any lift. You have to be fast enough to lift any weight. There is a fine threshold where you simply do not generate enough speed to overcome the gravitational pull on the weight. In order to lift a weight on the border of this speed threshold you would have to be generating your maximal strength output. Speed will blast you through a sticking point. You must be able to control and utilize momentum to lift heavy weights. Lifting explosively with overhead press and olympic lifts, following the dynamic effort method for two workouts a week, and training against accomodating resistance forms is the only way to get faster. If you lift slow you will be slow and it will be hard to make gains. I think my bench has gone up because I have gotten faster from band work and overhead press and because I have learned how to train dynamically to increase my speed.
2. My low back is dog shit:
My low back sucks! Not only do I have two discs that occasionally like to bulge, it is as weak as an underweight crippled kitten. My low back is always tight, sore, and feeling on the verge of going out. So what should I do? Basically I need to quit sucking my father's cock whining about it and make some progress here. Solution:
Foam Roller: This should be a simple fix. I bought a foam roller fom Elite and have been using it regularly. It has helped to break up scar tissue and loosen me up. Also by foam rolling my calfs and hamstrings I have been able to take out some tightness and strain there that was pulling on my back.
Traction: I have to decompress my spine to avoid any stress on the discs, This has to be done by hanging, band traction, and supine extension.
Massage: My wonderful girlfriend just got me a massage pad which has been great so far, but occasionally I think I may have to dig in my back with a carabiner or some brass knuckles to break up scar tissue.
Work the shit out of it: Plain and simple the damn thing just needs work. I have to start doing more 45 degree raise, pullthroughs, and seated good mornings. My back isn't going to get stronger with hopes and dreams alone. I have to get it strong and quickly.
3. My squat just isn't what it used to be:
My squat is not very strong right now. I haven't lost a ton, but it is frustrating that I have not made much progress. This is the biggest and most important lift. I have had trouble because of poor hip mobility and hamstring tightness, but I am working very hard on these areas. I am trying to get more explosive with my squats but I do have to be careful because of the discs in my back. Box squat has been good, but I have to do some regualr back squats. I have been using dynamic and balistic hamstring and hip stretches before my squats because they get me loose and don't drain my strength like static stretches. These are better for post workout and isolated mobility work. The good news: squat always goes up with consistent work. Last year my 3 x 5 squat workout went up 90 pounds in six weeks. I am going to hit these hard, get loose, and get faster.
4. Deadlift is inconsistent:
This has been strange for me this year. All last summer I was basically unable to deadlift because of my shitty back. I get into training in September and my back feels better I do 2 or 3 deadlift workouts and I pull 485, no problem. I do a few more workouts working reps over the next few weeks. One week I decide to pul heavy again so I jump from 455 to 505 and blow out my back really bad. My disc must have been bulging because I had awful nerve pain in my back and leg for the next 4 days. I take 10 days off legs and 4 weeks off deadlifting. I start again light and work on it for a few more weeks. By early december I pull 16 reps of 365 for a set and I'm feeling strong. I work deadlift for speed mostly over winter break never going over 425. My back feels good when we get back to school in mid-January thanks to training smart and getting in some revers hypers when I was in Bellevue. We don't work deadlift for a long time and my back gets really weak. By mid semester we start pulling again. Initially this is okay because we don't go heavy too much. Actually the sunday after spring break I pulled 485 again, but the rest of the workouts are not too heavy. I get through maybe two weeks pulling conventional and something happens. I am suddenly unable to pull conventional anymore. My hamstrings had gotten tight for no apparent reason. So I have to pull sumo which makes me feel like a fat pile of crap. This is good for strengthening the hips so I am willing to go with it, but I am almost 100 pounds weaker than I am with conventional so I have to get my hammys loose so I can pull regualr again.

These are just some observations that I have made about my training over the past year. I am pleased with my progress and the knowledge that I have gained about training in this time. I am very happy with my workout partners because they inspire me and push me to work harder. I need to make progress and do it quickly. I believe that I have the potential to do great things in powerlifting and strongman, but the window of oppurtunity closes quickly in these sports. Already guys my age like Kevin Nee and Arild Haugen are making a huge impact at the highest level. I have to be dedicate, disciplined, and focused if I ever want to accomplish some of the feats these men already have. I may never be Worlds Strongest Man, but I will never stop believing that I CAN be and I will work harder every day to get closer to having the chance. Train Hard, Train Smart, Lift Big, Eat Big, Rest Up, Live It and Love It.