I used to bench elbows out too and had nothing but shoulder problems. Since learning to bench with elbows tucked my shoulders are pain free and my pounds have gone up dramatically.
No I haven't ever tried cleaning a bar that thick. I can't imagine cleaning with no plate roll. I see why you it that way now but it looks like you're begging for an injury. I mean look at how far it forces Cheese to bend backward. Ouch.
Hey good job fellas. Congrats on the personal records.
I have found that when I worked on my cleaning technique my poundages went up dramatically. It looks like Cheese could especially benefit from some technical work.
Nice inclines.
When I was around 20 years of age I was strong but then I lost interest for about 7 years.
When I started back I could hardly squat down with no weight. Bench was better but it was still rather pathetic.
I have good size in my upper legs. In fact I am a fairly strong squatter and deadlifter but my calves are embarrassingly small. I work them but they are just small. As a result I rarely wear shorts because they cover up my upper legs and my calves would lead people to think I'm a "bench...