Paul R. Del Vec
02-24-2004, 10:16 AM
THE BENCH " New School Of Thought"
I want to make it clear that the articles I am writing are designed for the athlete. The following Bench Article is not the typical "bench workout." There is a reason for that. This is not the "biggest to be the best" workout mentality. Nor is it for "Self Grandizement."
This is a "means to an athletic end" whose goals are oriented to becoming a great athlete and champion.
It is the workout necessary to facilitate full power, engaged from the athletes center to incorporate full use of his or hers body, power and strength. This integrates all connective muscle tissue throughout the body without injury due to muscle knots in one area pulling on muscle weaknesses in another.
Even though this next statement will bring an endless debate.
I am curious at the " I only took some juice to start" but I am all natural now," attitude. I also like the "we can regulate to facilitate our needs " juicers, and its okay!
I can clear this up.
If you do drugs and are an athlete, you can never give yourself credit for your accomplishments. Athletes who do drugs have already compromised themselves but have and will compromise their true placements and attempt to compromise the achievements of drug free athletes.
They have no honor to themselves or other athlete's period.
There IS no in-between.
If you are # 1 to yourself first and do NOT do drugs your accomplishments are always yours for you, your peers and the world to admire. Everything else will fall into place.
I would not allow this society, peer groups or any other kind of external pressures to take this kind of pure achievement from you as an athlete. Whatever place you take 1st 2nd 3rd etc. It is all yours.
That's my story for 32 years of coaching and I am sticking to it!
THE BENCH
Please read my other articles on my page on this web-site to fully understand this lifting segment. If you have read my other articles you will already understand the 4 steps to movement, Body Alignment, the impetus of movement and how to generate strength from your center. With this understanding you can begin this exercise.
The lack of development in certain areas of the body is usually blamed on genetics. However the cause is ,in most cases, due to incorrect lifting and positioning of the bar. This tends to cause more injuries than not. Also incorrect bar positions will actually eliminate muscle groups from developing. You may have already noticed that you can only get so much mass from the lower pec and your upper pec is hard to find with your shoulders rounded and collarbone glaring back at you in the mirror.
Here is the resolve.
Please no matter how advanced you think you are, start with just the bar until you have a handle on this methodology. Most people will be engaging muscle in the chest they have not used before or in this manner.
Have your hands positioned on the bar so there is a 90-degree curve at your elbow from your shoulder to your hand. Your elbows should be away from your body with a 90-degree curve under your armpit from your arm to the side of your body.
Your elbows will be straight out to the left and right. When you lift the bar do not lock your elbows. Keep them slightly bent and press your lower back and traps to the bench and keep the bar positioned above your collarbone.
Exhale contracting your pecs without lifting your traps or lower back.
Maintaining the flex in your chest begin lowering the weight in control do not drop the weight and keep your traps and lower back to the bench. Bring the bar to just below your collarbone.
Exhale, press your traps and lower back to the bench and press the bar straight up.
Do not move the bar toward your lower peck during your positive move.
As you continue to exhale you will contract your pecks at the top of your positive move, as before, with your traps and lower back slammed to the bench and your elbows with a slight bend in them. Contract your pecs as hard as you can.
Keep your wrist straight as possible as though they have an iron rod in them to avoid nerve damage.
Again maintain the flex in you pecs and inhale on your negative.
There is the sequence.
With the bar this high you will develop your traps from your back forward along your neck and include Anterior Delts, Lats and Pectoralis Clavicus. This is where you will see unbelievable mass due to this incorporation from your back to your pecks.
At Dragon Gym we have discovered how to get past the more serious plateaus.
If you are layering and integrating muscle instead of knotting it you will have success here. Also we do a block method of weight increase. We have found that the brain finds it difficult to capacitate over a 100 pound spread.
So we made a block spread of 100 lbs. to work in.
How many lifters always warm up with 135? They then head to 350lbs through out their workout or try to with little success.
You might consider this.
Find a weight you can do 3 sets of 10 with as described above. Let's say it is 165.
After stretching and working your Rotator Cuffs, getting blood to them and you shoulders are warm.
Start with 165 with your goal being 265. Add weight next week, lets say, 5 or 10 lbs. to your warm up weight 165 now 175 and you will begin to see your top out weight begin to increase. You should not have extended plateaus or serious tearing of your pecs.
What you will have is a more natural layer of muscle development and muscle integration.
If you do this bench exercise in the following manner you will accomplish and preserve these areas of the body:
1.) Prevent Rotator Cuff Injuries, solidify your shoulders and Traps
2.) You will incorporate your Anterior Delts, Traps, Lats, Tris, Biceps and Pectoralis Clavicus to achieve MASS
3.) The pressure will be off your wrist and elbow joints and the focus will be on your muscles
4.) Eliminate uneven pecs, cover your collarbones with muscle and get your nipples to curl under
5.) Eliminate lower arch to the back during lift and develop center and momentum by working the Pyramidalis muscle. This will allow ab development to equal lift muscle development.
6.) Eliminate lower back pain and injury
7.) Achieve muscle development to negative movement
8.) Minimize muscle tearing and develop muscle layering, thickening and muscle integration along with full flexibility, .........a must for Athletes.
9.) Eliminate Plateaus
Center Chest development will be my next article.
This is from "Dragon Gym High Altitude Center For Training" from the book "Preserving The Male Integrity" If you reprint please ask for permission. Many thanks everyone! dragongym.net
I want to make it clear that the articles I am writing are designed for the athlete. The following Bench Article is not the typical "bench workout." There is a reason for that. This is not the "biggest to be the best" workout mentality. Nor is it for "Self Grandizement."
This is a "means to an athletic end" whose goals are oriented to becoming a great athlete and champion.
It is the workout necessary to facilitate full power, engaged from the athletes center to incorporate full use of his or hers body, power and strength. This integrates all connective muscle tissue throughout the body without injury due to muscle knots in one area pulling on muscle weaknesses in another.
Even though this next statement will bring an endless debate.
I am curious at the " I only took some juice to start" but I am all natural now," attitude. I also like the "we can regulate to facilitate our needs " juicers, and its okay!
I can clear this up.
If you do drugs and are an athlete, you can never give yourself credit for your accomplishments. Athletes who do drugs have already compromised themselves but have and will compromise their true placements and attempt to compromise the achievements of drug free athletes.
They have no honor to themselves or other athlete's period.
There IS no in-between.
If you are # 1 to yourself first and do NOT do drugs your accomplishments are always yours for you, your peers and the world to admire. Everything else will fall into place.
I would not allow this society, peer groups or any other kind of external pressures to take this kind of pure achievement from you as an athlete. Whatever place you take 1st 2nd 3rd etc. It is all yours.
That's my story for 32 years of coaching and I am sticking to it!
THE BENCH
Please read my other articles on my page on this web-site to fully understand this lifting segment. If you have read my other articles you will already understand the 4 steps to movement, Body Alignment, the impetus of movement and how to generate strength from your center. With this understanding you can begin this exercise.
The lack of development in certain areas of the body is usually blamed on genetics. However the cause is ,in most cases, due to incorrect lifting and positioning of the bar. This tends to cause more injuries than not. Also incorrect bar positions will actually eliminate muscle groups from developing. You may have already noticed that you can only get so much mass from the lower pec and your upper pec is hard to find with your shoulders rounded and collarbone glaring back at you in the mirror.
Here is the resolve.
Please no matter how advanced you think you are, start with just the bar until you have a handle on this methodology. Most people will be engaging muscle in the chest they have not used before or in this manner.
Have your hands positioned on the bar so there is a 90-degree curve at your elbow from your shoulder to your hand. Your elbows should be away from your body with a 90-degree curve under your armpit from your arm to the side of your body.
Your elbows will be straight out to the left and right. When you lift the bar do not lock your elbows. Keep them slightly bent and press your lower back and traps to the bench and keep the bar positioned above your collarbone.
Exhale contracting your pecs without lifting your traps or lower back.
Maintaining the flex in your chest begin lowering the weight in control do not drop the weight and keep your traps and lower back to the bench. Bring the bar to just below your collarbone.
Exhale, press your traps and lower back to the bench and press the bar straight up.
Do not move the bar toward your lower peck during your positive move.
As you continue to exhale you will contract your pecks at the top of your positive move, as before, with your traps and lower back slammed to the bench and your elbows with a slight bend in them. Contract your pecs as hard as you can.
Keep your wrist straight as possible as though they have an iron rod in them to avoid nerve damage.
Again maintain the flex in you pecs and inhale on your negative.
There is the sequence.
With the bar this high you will develop your traps from your back forward along your neck and include Anterior Delts, Lats and Pectoralis Clavicus. This is where you will see unbelievable mass due to this incorporation from your back to your pecks.
At Dragon Gym we have discovered how to get past the more serious plateaus.
If you are layering and integrating muscle instead of knotting it you will have success here. Also we do a block method of weight increase. We have found that the brain finds it difficult to capacitate over a 100 pound spread.
So we made a block spread of 100 lbs. to work in.
How many lifters always warm up with 135? They then head to 350lbs through out their workout or try to with little success.
You might consider this.
Find a weight you can do 3 sets of 10 with as described above. Let's say it is 165.
After stretching and working your Rotator Cuffs, getting blood to them and you shoulders are warm.
Start with 165 with your goal being 265. Add weight next week, lets say, 5 or 10 lbs. to your warm up weight 165 now 175 and you will begin to see your top out weight begin to increase. You should not have extended plateaus or serious tearing of your pecs.
What you will have is a more natural layer of muscle development and muscle integration.
If you do this bench exercise in the following manner you will accomplish and preserve these areas of the body:
1.) Prevent Rotator Cuff Injuries, solidify your shoulders and Traps
2.) You will incorporate your Anterior Delts, Traps, Lats, Tris, Biceps and Pectoralis Clavicus to achieve MASS
3.) The pressure will be off your wrist and elbow joints and the focus will be on your muscles
4.) Eliminate uneven pecs, cover your collarbones with muscle and get your nipples to curl under
5.) Eliminate lower arch to the back during lift and develop center and momentum by working the Pyramidalis muscle. This will allow ab development to equal lift muscle development.
6.) Eliminate lower back pain and injury
7.) Achieve muscle development to negative movement
8.) Minimize muscle tearing and develop muscle layering, thickening and muscle integration along with full flexibility, .........a must for Athletes.
9.) Eliminate Plateaus
Center Chest development will be my next article.
This is from "Dragon Gym High Altitude Center For Training" from the book "Preserving The Male Integrity" If you reprint please ask for permission. Many thanks everyone! dragongym.net