Weight Training Blog

Here’s a video one of my buddies posted on my facebook wall, which it’s pretty graphic if you have a weak stomach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEnk11UXxM4

I like reading through the comments about how he had no business stepping under a bar with that amount of weight, or how the spotters didn’t “help him” but instead let him struggle with the weight leading him to throw up like he did. Of course, these are people who have never really squated before in their lives, or they are a fratboy lifter. It’s videos like that that make me wish YouTube would just disable comments to prevent the spread of stupidity.

I’m sure you’ve heard people in the gym tell you to never do the same thing every time you go into the gym – and there’s certainly some truth in that. However, if you’re into power lifting and trying to get the biggest squat, bench, and deadlift numbers possible, then you may want to reconsider.

Think of the big three lifts containing two parts: Strength and proficiency. I agree that a strong bench will not come from just doing bench and no other accessory lifts such as shoulders or hitting triceps. However, one cannot become a bench expert if they do not perform the motion as often as possible. You can benefit by doing flat bench every chest workout by switching up the weight used (Think of speed days here), benching with bands, or doing board work. The idea behind this is that you’re still doing the same movements so you can become an EXPERT getting that bar to travel in just the right path to get you that 375 bench at 181 bodyweight.

Does this mean that on your chest days you should only do flat bench? No, you can do other chest lifts as well, but remember… Don’t over do it!

Last night I benched with bands for the first time. It’s something I’ve been wanting to try out for a while now to help build on my explosive power at the bottom of my lift where I am the weakest. Needless to say, today I’m feeling the effects of the workout which means a job well done.

For those of you who don’t really know much about bands (or even chains), the idea is the weight is light on the bottom, and heavy at the top towards the lockout. Most people tend either be weaker on the bottom, or unable to lockout their max. Bands will help solve that because they force you to use explosive force rather that putting the weight up slow and steady or you’ll find yourself quickly stalling because you did not move the weight fast enough.

If you’re not an experienced lifter, benching with bands might not be a good idea right off the bat as control and proper form is crucial for performing the lift correctly, especially when you’re dealing with bands that tend to have variable weight, rather than a static weight that doesn’t shift and is generally equal on both sides of the bar.