My training History: I trained less than one year before competing in my first powerlifting meet as a teenager back in 1983. Before leaving the sport partially due to injuries in 2005 I achieved my elitefts status in the 198,220,242,275 & 308 weight class. Throughout these years I did have a 3 year run in the bodybuilding world. I have  degenerative joint disease, have had two shoulder surgeries (right shoulder now needs replaced), one full hip replacement, knee surgery, and herniation's in all three regions of my spine, Bone spurs (all joints). I can't even begin to list the number of muscle tears I have had, surgical and non surgical.  I am "The Mashed Up Meathead" and this is my story. 

You can find my training log archives HERE and my most current training log posts HERE. 

My best lifts are behind be but my best training is yet to come. 

* Unless otherwise noted the tempo of the work sets is about 1/2 of what most would consider normal. In most cases, if I did the set with normal temp what I fail at with 8-10 reps in training I could do for 20 reps with a normal tempo. This is to keep the joint stress down while increase the stress on the muscle. I have found this to work best for me provided the conditions listed in my training history above.

 

Sunday, chest day.

 

Floor presses with the American yoke press bar
using sets of 5 to 8 reps, multiple warm-up sets from the bar working up to a plate in a quarter per side. At that point, one chain was added per side, 4 sets of 5 repetitions until we worked up to 5 chains per side for 2 sets of 5.

Tsunami grip handles - flat chain flies
3 chains per handle for 2 sets of 10, and then 4 chains per handle for 4 work sets of 6 to 10 reps, each set to failure.

 

Decline hammer press machine with band
Plate in a quarter per side, 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, each set to failure.

Machine flies
2 warm-up sets to determine what weight to use, and then 4 work sets of 8 to 12 reps, each set to failure. The last set, added 3 plates, and did one eccentric set of 4 reps just doing the eccentric part of the lift and taking 8 to 10 count to lower. After those were completed, rested about 90 seconds to 2 minutes, did a loaded stretch with the same weight. That was it.