form check deadlift/bench press

[spartan127]

Here are the vids for form checks on my deadlift and bench press. vids are in that order. Also on deadlift phone fell over from weights hitting floor, upstairs room and whole room shakes easy, but i still got 2 reps. if you need more ill take another vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STsfVOBhATs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlB6aHHc0o8

weight on dead is 145lbs and 115lbs on bench

[spartan127]

anyone?

[FabianR12]

Bench Press - What helps for me is that keeping your feet completely flat on the ground.. Squeeze your abs and your butt cheeks to be completely square to the bench and you will get a good chest workout. Its hard to do all at once but once you can perfect it you will have real good form, try to avoid bowing your back.

Dead Lift - Another tip.. (im sure you know this but if not well you do now) try using your hamstrings instead of your back, to me it looked like you were lifting with your back instead of your legs. Thats a real good way to damage your back, you should be wearing a belt. Other than that keep it up!! Also the more depth the better and the harder

[spartan127]

ok. ive seen it said and on youtube in vids that you should arch your back when benching, ill try keepin it down.

hmmm idk now that i think of it, ill focus on how i dead more next time and see what i use

[FabianR12]

arching your back isn't going to improve anything. Its just another way to hurt your self, if you try with heavier weight you will know. I dont think anyone can be completely flat to bench but the objective is to keep back parallel to bench and weights perpendicular to your body to get the full potential for that specific lift. The idea changes when incline and decline but the steps are no different. Flex the abs.. and the butt and feet flat on floor.

[Iceman85]

2 things on the DL. You're rounding your back too much. Keep it straight. Second, you're lifting your hips up and then lifting the bar. It should be a fluid motion.

[spartan127]

2 things on the DL. You're rounding your back too much. Keep it straight. Second, you're lifting your hips up and then lifting the bar. It should be a fluid motion.

ok i see what youre saying, ill work on that.

ill work on the bench too thanks for the input guys

[unity]

arching your back isn't going to improve anything. Its just another way to hurt your self,

do you even know what you are talking about? explain how this will hurt someone.

[ZoranM]

do you even know what you are talking about? explain how this will hurt someone.

It is my personal experience that you should listen to 17 y olds here. Weight lifting is something that one can learn in a few weeks, not something you learn your whole life.

[Lacertus]

arching your back isn't going to improve anything. Its just another way to hurt your self, if you try with heavier weight you will know. I dont think anyone can be completely flat to bench but the objective is to keep back parallel to bench and weights perpendicular to your body to get the full potential for that specific lift. The idea changes when incline and decline but the steps are no different. Flex the abs.. and the butt and feet flat on floor.

And I'm red -5k for a joke post (I'll never get another 5krep points to get green haha but oh well)

Mate, arching your back is done for a multitude of reasons and does indeed help to actually bench more. Being perfectly flat wouldn't be beneficial at all.

For many the objective is to drive your shoulders down into the bench, keep your shoulder blades "tight" if you will, and an arch will help you achieve these.

What you shouldn't be doing is lifting your glutes up off the bench or pressing your neck down too much if you can avoid it.

Even keeping your feet on the floor is subjective. I do, I like to push through the heels and have my feet and my knees in line. Others also like to lift their feet up and have them either on the bench or with legs crossed. Why? Personally I don't get it, many say to eliminate leg drive (I don't even see this as a bad thing) or to look cool. Either way, there are often a variety of ways to do things.

To the OP:

Deadlift:

You're arching your back. The whole thing. Points I would take:

Make sure your setup is good and you're both physically and mentally ready for the lift. Without seeing it in person, it can be hard to judge how far forward the bar is moving (away from your body if you're struggling), but the setup is very important. Breath before your set and breathing during is important.

I prefer to actually hold the breath during a deadlift to maximise intra-abdominal pressure for the lift. There may be a mental aspect to breathing on particular lifts, but maintaining this pressure does help to keep your back straight (example, try bending over after exhaling to touch your toes, then do so with a full breath, it's often harder after inhaling to get a curve in your back).

Secondly, you're moving your hips too quick; it should be more fluid and the movement of both the shoulders locking back and the hips moving forward should occur when you're closer and passing the knees.

Lastly, once you've got your form down, don't worry if you need a second or two between reps to reset yourself. If you can manage a weight, you don't have to bust a nut getting your set done as quickly as possible. Don't take 15 seconds resetting, but a breath, regrip and setting your back/abs etc is important.

Good luck.

[StEeZyStEvE]

And I'm red -5k for a joke post (I'll never get another 5krep points to get green haha but oh well)

Mate, arching your back is done for a multitude of reasons and does indeed help to actually bench more. Being perfectly flat wouldn't be beneficial at all.

For many the objective is to drive your shoulders down into the bench, keep your shoulder blades "tight" if you will, and an arch will help you achieve these.

What you shouldn't be doing is lifting your glutes up off the bench or pressing your neck down too much if you can avoid it.

Even keeping your feet on the floor is subjective. I do, I like to push through the heels and have my feet and my knees in line. Others also like to lift their feet up and have them either on the bench or with legs crossed. Why? Personally I don't get it, many say to eliminate leg drive (I don't even see this as a bad thing) or to look cool. Either way, there are often a variety of ways to do things.

To the OP:

Deadlift:

You're arching your back. The whole thing. Points I would take:

Make sure your setup is good and you're both physically and mentally ready for the lift. Without seeing it in person, it can be hard to judge how far forward the bar is moving (away from your body if you're struggling), but the setup is very important. Breath before your set and breathing during is important.

I prefer to actually hold the breath during a deadlift to maximise intra-abdominal pressure for the lift. There may be a mental aspect to breathing on particular lifts, but maintaining this pressure does help to keep your back straight (example, try bending over after exhaling to touch your toes, then do so with a full breath, it's often harder after inhaling to get a curve in your back).

Secondly, you're moving your hips too quick; it should be more fluid and the movement of both the shoulders locking back and the hips moving forward should occur when you're closer and passing the knees.

Lastly, once you've got your form down, don't worry if you need a second or two between reps to reset yourself. If you can manage a weight, you don't have to bust a nut getting your set done as quickly as possible. Don't take 15 seconds resetting, but a breath, regrip and setting your back/abs etc is important.

Good luck.

This person has given you great advice. I would listen to it.

[chazzy1864]

arching your back isn't going to improve anything. Its just another way to hurt your self, if you try with heavier weight you will know. I dont think anyone can be completely flat to bench but the objective is to keep back parallel to bench and weights perpendicular to your body to get the full potential for that specific lift. The idea changes when incline and decline but the steps are no different. Flex the abs.. and the butt and feet flat on floor.

Please, if you have no clue wtf you're talking about, stop trying to give advice.


You realize that your back has a NATURAL arch, at all times, right? You know that, right? So to not arch a back, you have to alter your back into a position that is UNNATURAL.

Good job.


F*cking idiots.

[chazzy1864]

Bench Press - What helps for me is that keeping your feet completely flat on the ground.. Squeeze your abs and your butt cheeks to be completely square to the bench and you will get a good chest workout. Its hard to do all at once but once you can perfect it you will have real good form, try to avoid bowing your back.

Dead Lift - Another tip.. (im sure you know this but if not well you do now) try using your hamstrings instead of your back, to me it looked like you were lifting with your back instead of your legs. Thats a real good way to damage your back, you should be wearing a belt. Other than that keep it up!! Also the more depth the better and the harder

Oh my dear lord... I didn't even read this travesty of a post first.


Please... shut the f*ck up and get the f*ck out!

[-Lucifer]

arching your back isn't going to improve anything. Its just another way to hurt your self, if you try with heavier weight you will know. I dont think anyone can be completely flat to bench but the objective is to keep back parallel to bench and weights perpendicular to your body to get the full potential for that specific lift. The idea changes when incline and decline but the steps are no different. Flex the abs.. and the butt and feet flat on floor.

Wrong. Stick to the teen section. Don't come in here and give crappy advise like you just did.

[YoBigFatMomma]

OP I do not forsee you getting into proper position with those small plates. Stack some other plates or books to make the bar higher and really focusing on squeezing your back flat.

[provesomething]

you need to get comfy and do'em slower. down slower.

[chazzy1864]

Bench press wasn't bad, overall. You could make it better. Watch this video, it will show you step by step how to do a PLer's bench.




Deads weren't good. You are at a disadvantage w/ the small plates. You'd probably do well to raise them up some.

When you lift the weight, you want to lock out your legs and hips at the same time. Right now you're doing it in a one two motion.

You need to get your hips a little lower at the start to get the rounding out of your back. If you ahven't seen the deadlifting 101 thread (sticky) yet, then head over there. Read through as mkuch of it as you can.

[BeastOfTheEarth]

arching your back isn't going to improve anything. Its just another way to hurt your self, if you try with heavier weight you will know. I dont think anyone can be completely flat to bench but the objective is to keep back parallel to bench and weights perpendicular to your body to get the full potential for that specific lift. The idea changes when incline and decline but the steps are no different. Flex the abs.. and the butt and feet flat on floor.

A PROPER lordotic curve is essential to benching. Without it a lot of the pressure of the weight goes to your rotator cuffs and shoulders, when you properly arch your back you put the weight on your traps. Trust me I quit benching after a few months cause it hurt my shoulders (wasn't a good hurt either) I then learned the proper technique and have now started benching. I have suffered because my lack of technique cause my bench to be crappier, and on top of that now my dumbbell press is better than my bench.