Bench Press Question

[Illuminati]

I recently watched a video of a guy bench pressing with the bar suspended from the power rack. He had the green bands knotted on the top of the power rack, and then stretched them down and looped the other end of the bands onto the end of the bar. Can somebody explain to me how this works and how it helps to strengthen the bench. thanks...

 

[Becoming]

Basically it gets heavier as you go up... It helps to strengthen your lockout... The band pull up on the weight more at the bottom than the top...

It is similar to using bands to increase the resistance (but obviously in a different way) Also when the bands pull down, they can pull to the side, etc, which can be a pain (literally)

I highly reccommend trying it for yourself on a consistent basis... everyone i know who has done them loves them...

 

[Scotsman]

Becoming has is spot on. Another way to get the same effect is by using chains.

Before anyone asks they are different lengths of chain attached to the ends of the bar. As you press up you have to lift more of the chain whereby increasing the weight. As you come back down the chain coils up on the floor and decreases the weight.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[Illuminati]

Becoming...i currently use the mini's on my DE days. not sure how you set them up, but i anchor them down under some db's, step back from the bench to make sure the bands are close to vertical, and then put 5lb plates on either side so that the db's dont move. my next is...i have the green bands (they are 2" wide) and i was going to set them up for a ME day as described above. I maxed out on 350 last week on flat, what kind of weight should i be working with? also, what would be proper warm up for the exercise?

 

[Becoming]

Becoming...i currently use the mini's on my DE days. not sure how you set them up, but i anchor them down under some db's, step back from the bench to make sure the bands are close to vertical, and then put 5lb plates on either side so that the db's dont move. my next is...i have the green bands (they are 2" wide) and i was going to set them up for a ME day as described above. I maxed out on 350 last week on flat, what kind of weight should i be working with? also, what would be proper warm up for the exercise?

I lift more MM style now, but I still use the minis doubled up sometimes the same exact way to change it up... I go up to hit max singles with that set up.... (to increase lockout and accelleration at max weights)... it is killer and makes your tris kill (similar to suspending the bar from bands at the top of the rack) the movements are both similar but slightly differnt...

Set up your bar with the bands and add a 45+25 or 2-45s to each side (just enough to get it down-weight will depend on the rack height) start at that weight, hit 2-3 reps... (super light) add a 45 or a quarter and hit another 1-3 reps... repeat till you get to your max..

first time just get the feel of it, and find out what kind of weights you can handle - don't take too big of jumps - if you have not done it before and depending on your lockout abilities eventually your tris eventually turn out to be the weak link...

the second time work it like you would any other ME exercise...

(I can't tell you what kind of weights to expect because it depends on the hight of the rack and the relation of tri-strength/lockout to raw bench)

I like it cause it is more smooth and more like benching in a shirt then using boards...

I use it (and the max with bands the reg way) for an ME movement itself, and instead of doing boards sometimes after my regular ME...

I know some dudes that have been doing it for a while and use both ways with their shirted workouts to really blast their lockouts (and sometimes they used even MORE bands)

if you have any other questions just ask bro...

 

[Illuminati]

hey bro, thanks for the responses. i have been lifting westside style for a few months (i am just getting into PLing.), except that i have changed the days around. i am interested in trying a MM style of workout. do you know where i can find some info, or can you maybe hit me up with some on the MM style? Sorry for all the questions...but do you think i should do a ME exercise, and then go with setting the bands up in the power rack? BTW tomorrow is my ME Bench day. So i am going to be trying this tomorrow....

 

[Becoming]

hey bro, thanks for the responses. i have been lifting westside style for a few months (i am just getting into PLing.), except that i have changed the days around. i am interested in trying a MM style of workout. do you know where i can find some info, or can you maybe hit me up with some on the MM style? Sorry for all the questions...but do you think i should do a ME exercise, and then go with setting the bands up in the power rack? BTW tomorrow is my ME Bench day. So i am going to be trying this tomorrow....

ask away bro - it is all about spreading the info...

you can get the MM articles at metalmilitia.net....

You can't always hit it up at that frequency for very long tho (2x per week heavy - depending on your supplementation of course ) I am natty - so I only hit 2-3 weeks in a row then I take a week off... some dudes only do 1 heavy day a week that I know of - you have to find what works for you but it kicks ass IMO.. Sebastian Burns came out and told us he only trains about 6 months a year TOTAL... time off is key bro...

I do like some elements of WSB tho for sure... Actually I guess if you asked me I would say I combine a little of both - I throw in some speed elements here and there...

I would say whether or not you can use it as an ME or after ME depends on what your body is used to....

I would start with it as an excercise in your ME rotation and see how it goes... If you just started using westside, use it for a while (at least 6 months) before you switch out to something else... the more important thing is not that your lifts go up (which they will) but that you learn what works for you and WHY it does... your failures are just as important as your mistakes bro... PL is about learning, not just dropping huge weights (though I liek that part the best )

For me personally, I might go raw bench one day and go into the heavy with bands right after to work the tris hard (instead of boards)... I might do that for a week, then use the boards the next week, then take it out to altogether to allow myself to recoup...

You have to learn what works for you and what your weaknesses are...

ask as many questions as you like....

maybe if you tell us a little more about what you can do (how are your other ME excercises coming along?) and where you typically fail and what problems you have, we can help a little more...

 

[Illuminati]

thanks bro, ill let you know how things go tomorrow. not sure what im gonna do for my ME lift (im thinking about going for a max close grip.) but im gonna follow it up with the lock out work. on my ME day last week i was quick off the chest but started to slow in the middle and struggled locking out. as far as my other lifts, DL i maxed at 495 3 weeks ago, i struggled finishing the lift. and as far as my squat i haven't maxed on that in a while (i plan on doing that this sat.) i usually get buried in the hole, that is where my problem is with that. I have been doing bench squats the last couple weeks, and finished with a 425x1 (the bench i use is slightly past parallel.)

as far as my training, i started out as a BBer. it took me years in the gym to realize that i wasn't so much interested in how i looked, but more about how much i could lift. so i started researching PLing about a year ago. Learned as much as i could about the Westside Style for 3 months, and then in december last year, started PLing. I hit it hard for 5 months, saw really good results, but then hurt my back trying to dead 510. so i switched back to BBing while i let the back heal to where i was comfortable to start going heavy again. I just started my westside again in July, but i moved, and i am at a new gym. nobody at the gym PL's, so they look at me funny when i set up the bands, but screw em, they dont know what they are missing out on.

that's a little history on me. i dont plan on making the switch to a MM style until the beginning of the year. i want to learn as much about their concepts as i can, and see if i can figure out in my head how it all works before i jump into it.

Also, dont know if you have seen this, but here is a link to the bench world record of 965....

http://www.bodytechusa.com/images/04_IPAWorlds_GRychlak_B3_Small.swf

 

[Becoming]

on my ME day last week i was quick off the chest but started to slow in the middle and struggled locking out.

Yeah sounds like you would benefit from some work on the top of the motion and your accelleration through the range - either of the ways of using bands (max suspended by bands or max with additional band resistance help this)... You want to get to the point where you can lock out anything you can get off the chest... I am just almost at this point now, this stuff has helped bigtime in that regard...

The cool thing is you can used it BOTH shirted and raw, it will help you do really accellerate as you lift and make sure you lock out anything you can get off the chest...

I like em better than boards or lockouts cause there is no "segmenting" of your work - the transition is smooth - like the real lift - in theory this prevents developing sticking points...

as far as my other lifts, DL i maxed at 495 3 weeks ago, i struggled finishing the lift

There are a couple things you can try.. I don't know exactly how close you are to lockout, but hit more heavy GMs, rack lockouts partials (I know some peeps like using above the knee variations, but I have also heard that only below the knee is worthwile from other people)
for this I personally like some snatch grip DLs... try moving your grip out to the rings - they make it much harder to lock it out, but when you bring your grip in again it will seem the weight flys into lockout... I try to do about 50% of my stuff with snatch grip and I never have a problem with lockout....

as far as my squat i haven't maxed on that in a while (i plan on doing that this sat.) i usually get buried in the hole, that is where my problem is with that. I have been doing bench squats the last couple weeks, and finished with a 425x1 (the bench i use is slightly past parallel.)

It is okay to not squat heavy every week as long as you do your DE squat workouts and your GMs...(I am finally learning this myself - I still squat heavy about every other week)
As far as the box/bench height, we have found that you don't have to use one far below parallel if you use a suit... (if you are raw it is more important to use a very low box) One of our dudes is closing in on 900 and he only uses a box to just above parallel in workouts a majority of the time...

Also we have found using a high box one week, a medium box others, and a low box others can help push the weights up...

as far as my history - I live in AZ, 29, some athletics in college, back to lifting seriously for about the last 12-18 months after a time in grad school (no working out then, lol), lifting since I was about 14....I am still trying to recover my lifts to what they once were.

I read up a TON on all kinds of exercise theory and biologic studies (molecular bio and cellular bio in grad school) I train more for athleticism and powerlifting... first meet was just a little while ago (been lifting and learning a LOT about PL from some of my buddies out here for almost a year now), maybe in the spring I will do some discus and shot in masters track and field (eligible when I turn 30).... I think I would have a shot at all-american in that in shot my first year

here is the thread about my first meet - I pretty much sucked, but it was a learning experience... LOL
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331650

 

[Illuminati]

just read your reply, and the post you made about your first PL meet. sounds like you did pretty good for your first meet. i have never competed, although i want to. it is hard because i am in the military, and always moving around. i am about to go overseas and be stationed on a tropical island for a year. i plan on training hard while i am there, and then hopefully compete when i get back (which wont be until jan '06.) i sent you a PM about my lifts today. things went really well. luckily i found someone to spot me.
got another question. i currently lift raw. i dont own a shirt, but i have been thinking about getting one. if i dont plan on trying to compete for at least another year, do you think i should get one, and start training with it, or continue to lift raw?
also, i forgot to add earlier. im 24 yrs old, 5'10" and weigh 208.

 

[w8lifterchick]

just read your reply, and the post you made about your first PL meet. sounds like you did pretty good for your first meet. i have never competed, although i want to. it is hard because i am in the military, and always moving around. i am about to go overseas and be stationed on a tropical island for a year. i plan on training hard while i am there, and then hopefully compete when i get back (which wont be until jan '06.) i sent you a PM about my lifts today. things went really well. luckily i found someone to spot me.
got another question. i currently lift raw. i dont own a shirt, but i have been thinking about getting one. if i dont plan on trying to compete for at least another year, do you think i should get one, and start training with it, or continue to lift raw?
also, i forgot to add earlier. im 24 yrs old, 5'10" and weigh 208.

I'm not becoming (he's prettier) but i have competed a few times- all raw. i own two bench shirts and will use one at my next competition. My advice is to get one now and train with it for the next year- hopefully you'll have a training partner to help you.
Different shirts are for different types of benchers and everyone has a different opinion on what you should start with, so do some research. if you can figure out what size you are (each manufacturer is different), you might be able to pick up a used one on ebay, the deepsquatter forum, or you can post a note here: http://www.weightliftingdiscussion.com/cgi-bin/wdb.cgi about what you want- there are a few used dealers there and they'll be able to figure out what might be best for you and your training style.
hope that helps,
me.

 

[Illuminati]

w8lifterchick, thanks for the advice. i dont know much about shirts, so i will have do some research. any suggestions on where to start looking?

also, Becoming said that i should post my workout from the day on here, so that maybe someone could learn from my experience. so here is what i did today:

today i tried the suspended max. i did this first as my ME movement. the top of the rack is about 7" so it almost fully deloades the bands (i was using the Average bands made by just stretch.) my sets went as follows 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3, 455xF, 435x2. then i went on to do regular bench with mini's working up to a triple max with 250 bar weight. i followed this up with some heavy rowing (chest supported rows, and then heavy seated rows) then lying db extensions (my tri's were killing me by then) and finished up with some heavy flat flies.

 

[w8lifterchick]

w8lifterchick, thanks for the advice. i dont know much about shirts, so i will have do some research. any suggestions on where to start looking?

also, Becoming said that i should post my workout from the day on here, so that maybe someone could learn from my experience. so here is what i did today:

today i tried the suspended max. i did this first as my ME movement. the top of the rack is about 7" so it almost fully deloades the bands (i was using the Average bands made by just stretch.) my sets went as follows 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3, 455xF, 435x2. then i went on to do regular bench with mini's working up to a triple max with 250 bar weight. i followed this up with some heavy rowing (chest supported rows, and then heavy seated rows) then lying db extensions (my tri's were killing me by then) and finished up with some heavy flat flies.

your workout looks good to me- you might want to start a new thread called "illuminati's training journal" or something. If you look at some of the other threads in this group- you'll see mine and parabellum's, although i slacked off a while ago and stopped posting my workouts here.
For bench shirt info, you can ask the manufacturers directly what's best for you (if you have a big arch or non at all- thats what makes the difference). Check out inzer, karins and crains. let me know if you need links.

 

[Becoming]

illuminati - that sounds like you have a good long term plan together... two things I learned recently - 1) don't underestimate the positive effects of rest/layoffs on your gains 2)get a spotter - they can keep an eye on your form and it really is hard to get set up well for the bench if you are lifting the bar off all by yourself...

Like w8lifter chick alludes - there is no substitute for time in a shirt if you are going to go shirted - I do work both raw and shirted as well (one shirted and one raw session per week MM style) I would get one and work on it for a while if you can...

as far as shirts go, it is a matter of personal preference, and benching style and hopefully having someone around who is familiar with it to help you....personally I like titan... I had a fury and it rocked (my raw max is in the 465-475 range and I was putting up 550 easy in practice - I could have had more but need more tri strength tried up to 585 pretty easily-but did not lockout) but it did take about a month to "break in"

I put a big run in my fury though (this is pretty uncommon and I think has something to do with the fact even my raw bench very low towards stomach, arms very close to sides) and they are replacing it with their new F6 which is supposed to have 0 break in time and good for high archers/low benchers like me... (titan has a 1 year guarantee which is nice)

The fury is hard to get on, it woudl be hopeless by yourself if you have a proper fit... It requires at least one and much better with 2 people helping especially the first time you put it on... I will see how the f6 goes (gets here in 2 weeks)

If you are going to go it alone, or with varying partners, I would reccommend more probably an inzer or karin single ply open back to start... I would NOT reccommend going double ply till you are smashing it in the single cause it applies a LOT more resistance...

I know a guy who trains by himself alot and he can just pop it (inzer single ply open back) on in 5 seconds and start hitting his lifts - they are convenient as hell and tho I think I get more out of my shirt, I do envy his ease of use!

My training buddies use fury, titan and karinDD so I have seen those in action...

I reccomend gettting the exact size you need the first time and break it in - no need to get the "beginner" shirt one size bigger - you will be past that stage in just a few weeks anyways...

I would try to find someone that knows what they are doing with the shirt etc by you to help you learn it the first couple of times... post up somewhere in the gym etc to see if there are any powerlifters by you - there has to be on a base of any size...

if they are not there you can always come back here and we will try to help you out - it is really just getting time to learn the shirt (by experiencing it) and I am sure we can give you some tips...

also get used to benching in a cage (powerrack) - this is indespensible when learning a shirt...


BTW w8lifterchick rocks and knows more than most dudes!

 

[Illuminati]

thanks for all the help. im gonna do some research on shirts today and see what i can find. i might have some questions, if i do, ill post 'em later today.
also, i gonna take w8lifterchick's advice, and start posting my workouts. hopefully people here can give me some input.