Question about benching in the 5x5 Program

[Medic6388]

First of all I would like to start out by saying that if this question has already been answers before I'm sorry for reposting it. The thread that Madcow2 made is great and I have read a lot of it but it's huge it would take me all day to re read it. Well the question that I have is I train alone, which mean I don't have a spotter. I don't really feel safe using big weight without one. I don't want to use machines can I sub flat DB Presses of the equivilant weight instead. What is everyones thoughts

 

[Guinness5.0]

It's not perfect, but you can. how are you going to squat heavy w/out a spotter?

 

[view]

It's not perfect, but you can. how are you going to squat heavy w/out a spotter?

I'm not him, but I squat in a power rack with bars ready to catch if I crash and burn.

medic, you could probably ask someone at the gym to help you out. you would be surprised, people usually like being asked to spot. I know I do.

DB's will work, but I don't like that you have to go up 10 pounds. I also find db's give me too much of a pump and can interfere with my chest workout.

 

[Medic6388]

Thanks for the responses. I work on an ambulance in a small town and the hours that I go a lot of the time I am the only one there cause I work unusual hours. As for how do I squat then with no spotter. I have never had to but if it came down to it I could just drop the weight. With bench once you let it down and you can't get it up your screwed!. The gym I go to dose not have a squat rack. I sure wish it did. Once again thanks for the responses

 

[musketeer]

Trust me, if you are jacknifed under 2x your bodywieght with your knees in your armpits and your ass about to eat your shoes and you can't come up, you'll sure wish that you had a squat rack!

 

[blut wump]

Even with a squat rack if the bars are a shade low it can be an unpleasant experience. I'd rather have my max bench weight on my chest and have to work it off than get caught under my max squat without somewhere to offload it. Anything more than about an inch drop is asking for trouble in the rack. Maybe even that is pushing it.

 

[Assertive Guy]

First of all I would like to start out by saying that if this question has already been answers before I'm sorry for reposting it. The thread that Madcow2 made is great and I have read a lot of it but it's huge it would take me all day to re read it. Well the question that I have is I train alone, which mean I don't have a spotter. I don't really feel safe using big weight without one. I don't want to use machines can I sub flat DB Presses of the equivilant weight instead. What is everyones thoughts

The db's idea sounds good. Really, Im thinking you need a way to train beyond the chest level... i.e db's going below where the bar would stop. You could try those push up bars, so you can get in much lower than a full bar would allow. Try db flies as well to strengthen up the pecs!