So this is my last set at 125lb... still working my way back up to 140 which is where I ended last November ;{ form is way better this year though!
So I still have all of the advice written down from my last video... leg drive, bracing, etc... now I have mostly been working on keeping tightness and not pushing with shoulders, also trying to get my elbows flared out some more instead of so tucked.
I also may be confused about leg drive.. is leg drive a PUSH of your legs on the concentric? Or is it a static pressing throughout the entire movement? Right now, I'm working on keeping some leg activation throughout, but timing a leg push with the concentric throws me off too much for now. I would need to spend a day practicing just that for a couple hours probably, lol.
Also, my breathing isn't on point here.. I don't have a big brace going out of the bottom... Working on breathing in faster so I can get a good brace every time.
I'm also wiggling less, meaning I'm keeping more tightness in shoulders throughout.
WIll start workign on pausing at the bottom later on as well.
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02-16-2018, 05:01 AM #1
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Bench form check again: part 2!!!
Fluid's happy-sunshine-bright-feeling-for-you Fierce5 log -- now with REAL cheese!
https://tinyurl.com/fluidzF5
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02-16-2018, 05:11 AM #2
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Lot better than last time.
Still need to stop moving after unrack though,
If your butt can/feels like moving restart your set up entirely until it's so tight it won't move.
Bar path is a bit straight, push it back towards your neck, also grip it like hell and "pull it apart"5 day full body crew
FMH Crew, Sandbagging Mike Tuscherer Wannabee
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02-16-2018, 05:17 AM #3
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I'm planning to go to triples after my first stall, and work on paused reps as well.. that should help keep tightness since less reps.
Also, confused by the 'a bit straight barpath, pull towards neck' .. wouldn't that make the barpath even straighter? Can you rephrase please?
ALSO ALSO, I'm completely thrown off by the "pull it apart" cue... if anything, I'm trying to CRUMPLE the bar, that is, pushing my hands towards each other (using chest). I'm not sure how I can pull outwards, and push inwards a tthe same time... WHAT?
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02-16-2018, 05:21 AM #4
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Push it back towards your neck not pull, off the chest throw the bar backwards with leg drive and drive it back up towards your head and up.
Reps don't matter, nothing should be moving except your arms and the bar.
Pulling the bar apart is to cue lat engagement, also helps with maintaining the right elbow-wrist stacked position IME
Always easier with a visual5 day full body crew
FMH Crew, Sandbagging Mike Tuscherer Wannabee
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02-16-2018, 05:28 AM #5
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Ok, I understand literally what you're saying now, but the point is going over my head. Why am I doing that again? To make the barpath /less/ straight? 1, I thought a straight barpath was better (except for shoulders). 2, the closer to my neck / head the bar comes, the straighter the barpath will be... right?
hashbrowns #confused
Pulling the bar apart is to cue lat engagement, also helps with maintaining the right elbow-wrist stacked position IME
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02-16-2018, 05:35 AM #6
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02-16-2018, 05:43 AM #7
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02-16-2018, 06:09 AM #8
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https://www.strongerbyscience.com/bench-press-bar-path/
Read this for fixing ur barpath!
And dont squeeze the bar together.. no wonder ur shoulders end up so loose. That's bs bro form and will do you no good. Dont listen to gym bros.
Pulling it apart with tighten ur back (thing peak contraction if a row) .. bench like a powerlifter.. they are the experts.FMH crew - Couch.
'pick a program from the stickies' = biggest cop out post.
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02-16-2018, 06:38 AM #9
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02-16-2018, 06:51 AM #10
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Ok ok, now I understand what yall were on about bar path.. yes, I'm working on that bar path, at least, that it is what I was TRYING to do, lol.
I can see now that not using leg drive has really been killing my numbers. I will have to practice this with a broomstick sometime. The few reps that I did try my but just came right off the bench.
So the list now is:
- shoulder tightness
- bar path
- leg drive
- breathing
- brace
It's going to be a long spring... I should probably stop adding 5lb a week now... sigh.. and I was on a roll...
THANKS EVERYONELast edited by fluidZ; 02-16-2018 at 07:00 AM.
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02-16-2018, 07:27 AM #11
Before you lift the bar up, you want to feel it heavy in your back.
And by bar path. It should start over your shoulders as this is the balance point, then final point should be right around low on chest, and repeat.
That is my two cents. Benching should feel like rowing on the way down.
Also you want to feel like you are pushing your body away from the bench, this counter balances the concentric. (i don't know how to phrase that exactly...)FS/ S/ OHP/ B/ DL
120/150/70/100/180 =KG
I don't go to the gym anymore so above stats are useless.
Only do weighted calastentics in the comfort of my own home!
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=173620211&page=138 go here if you want an estimation on your bf%
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02-16-2018, 07:30 AM #12
Try finding a way to get your entire body tight. Your starting set up is way to loose. If you can find a way to get your entire body tight, a lot of your problems will take care of themselves.
Watch some videos on different ways of setting up. Try them out and see which one allows you to get into the best position.
I would not worry to much about leg drive or bar path till you can get a good tight starting set up. Without a tight set up leg drive and bar path are going to do nothing for you
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02-16-2018, 10:05 AM #13
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I'm not saying your list of things to work on is bad, but it's WAY too big. You don't REALLY fix something like this while trying to juggle a bunch of cues. Take ONE cue at a time and hammer the holy hell out of it for 6 weeks. You should be so damn good at that cue that you don't even have to think about it anymore. Then you're ready for a new cue.
After 8 months of working on bench form in that fashion then revisit your form and establish new areas to work on. Elite benchers never stop working on form.
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02-16-2018, 12:25 PM #14
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What am I supposed to do in the meantime though, if I shouldn't be adding weight... go do pec dec after?
It's kind of how I'm approaching squats now... I don't mind resetting (seemingly) every week, because I can go churn out the leg press like it's nobodies business... it's how I'm able to do 20,000lb of squats the other day, a good two hours of squatting around two plates working on form (like 25 sets).
I had been working on just 1 thing per week, and then trying to add a bit more, going back and looking at my notes etc. but yes, I do still have to think about the cues .. so aiming towards that 'not thinking about' sounds ideal...
Or is it possible to work on form while adding some modest weight? I'm just always resetting and resetting trying to nail in this form, and then relying on machines or other less technical exercises to progress on...
Just grinding... i don't mind grinding... I just seem to have more form struggles than many I've seen since I started.Last edited by fluidZ; 02-16-2018 at 12:30 PM.
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02-16-2018, 12:46 PM #15
Honestly if you watch some videos and experiment with your set up, it should not take more than a few sessions to figure out a set up that allows you to stay tight. I would worry more about getting you main lifts form on track instead of worrying about progression or other lifts to fill the volume.
After you find a good set up that allows you to stay tight then you should work on touching the bar to the same spot on your chest every rep. This must be done before you are to work on bar path. If you are touching different spots on the chest all the time your going to have a hell of a time dialing in the correct bar path.
After you have those two taken care of then you can work on bar path, elbow flair and leg drive.
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02-16-2018, 01:40 PM #16
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02-16-2018, 04:33 PM #17
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Good Leg drive is all about tightness!
If your knees arent below ur hip its too ez to pop dat ass up..
Even tho leg drive is horizontal NOT vertical you really need to limit any potential movement..
If i could walk past you and nudge you anywhere.. you Shouldn't even faulter an inch.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfM6-G_g4Tl/
That's my setup... i was ded after that with just 60kg. Lats pumped, hams cramped, ass knotted, abs twitching, scaps burning, quads straining, hands white, rear delts swolen, biceps feeling used..
And thats not prime movers yet.. and not my full setup cos the bench is aids.
I havent missed a real squat rep in 3 years..
1 pin squat rep that was a new variation that was misgrooved.
I dont recall ever missing a deadlift in 3 years..
And only a handfull of bench reps. but choosing NOT to press out and rest on pins from fear of reinjury doesnt count i don't think.
Mr pr @rpe8 ������
Many have the philosophy that you can get maximally strong by never leaving less than 2 reps in the tank...or bar speed always being pretty rapid in training. And these guys have all time records and elite numbers..Last edited by MyEgoProblem; 02-16-2018 at 05:04 PM.
FMH crew - Couch.
'pick a program from the stickies' = biggest cop out post.
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02-16-2018, 11:55 PM #18
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02-17-2018, 06:47 AM #19
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Agreed with all.
Even warmup sets should be painful and exhausting. I'm breathing hard after sets with the bar because I'm working so damn hard to stay tight. Every single set is an opportunity to improve form. Once you have the cues down to where you don't have to think about it there are no casual sets.
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02-17-2018, 09:18 AM #20
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By grind I just meant the while process not the reps. I am taking my warmups seriously.. I usually start with a broomstick... But will work on that painful factor.
I'm running a heavily modded version of your UL right now. Finishing weekb2 up and I'm enjoying it a lot. Will need some changes eventually when weight gets heavy, and burned out on 6 day a week.
Just thought I'd share since I have you here to show the snowflake craziness that you inspired, haha:
Upper:
Bench 3 x 5
Pendlay 3 x 5 / OHP 3 x 5
CGBP 2 x 8 / WGBP 2 x 8
Asst Chin Up 3 x 8 / Face Pull 3 x 10
Curls 3 x 8-12 / Face Pull 3 x 10
Lower: (Rotate DL first with Squat first)
Squat 5 x 3
DL 3 x 3
Leg Press 3 x 8 / Leg Curl 3 x 8
RDL 3 x 8 (LIGHTISH--NO STRAPS)
Accessory + Conditioning (Alternate 6 and 12 rep target for calf stuff):
(optional) Cardio Machine x 10-30m
Standing Calf Raise / External Shoulder Rotation x 10
Seated Calf Raise / Lateral Shoulder Raise x 10
3-4 circuits (cardi-AB):
Weighted Bosu Crunch x 10
Weighted Leg Raise x 10
Weighted Oblique Crunch x 10
ULA ULA rest
- have skipped some of the extra shoulder work in A day in lieu of recovery when needed
- cgbp / wgbp just so I can get more XP under the bar since this is my worst exercise. I added those A day shoulders to help offset and doubled facepull (9 shoulder sets for 4 bp sets)
Take care dude. I will keep doing my part holding down the fort in the Comprehensive thread
Thanks all too.. will post some vids in my log next week.Last edited by fluidZ; 02-17-2018 at 09:33 AM.
Fluid's happy-sunshine-bright-feeling-for-you Fierce5 log -- now with REAL cheese!
https://tinyurl.com/fluidzF5
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02-17-2018, 11:14 AM #21
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02-17-2018, 11:16 AM #22
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02-17-2018, 11:20 AM #23
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02-18-2018, 08:57 PM #24
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02-18-2018, 11:33 PM #25
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02-19-2018, 11:50 AM #26
It seems like your legs are short for the bench. Thus your back has an exaggerated arch and brings your bar low on your chest. See if you can find stable blocks, a platform, something to get your feet on (but stable) and how that affects your lift.
I think your elbow are a little wide though hard to tell from this angle.
And work on bringing the bar down straight, aiming more for upper third of chest rather than nipple. I think the first point about your feet will actually help this as much as anything.
Just my 2 pennies.
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