Training myths?

[ZZuluZ]

"I also recall some of these gym heroes who insisted that dumbells for bench were just as good as barbell benches"

Some would argue they are better. Why do you think this is wrong?

-Zulu

 

[strong island]

My favorite is that you have to move the bar slowly to show you have control of the weight.

Back before I escaped to the Dungeon, I used to have people tell me I was moving the bar too fast when benching. WTF?

I also recall some of these gym heroes who insisted that dumbells for bench were just as good as barbell benches, and leg extensions and ham curls will do you just as much good as squatting.

B.

Many so called experts agree that tempo plays a crucial role in hypertrophy.

What do mean when you say fast. Cause I used to know a kid that would basically bounce the barbell off his chest. He was more concerned with how much weight was on the bar rather than how much weight his pecs were actually lifting.

And dumbells and barbells are both excellent (In my opinion)

 

[MarshallPenniford]

Yeah, I'd like to hear how this is as well.

I said it in another thread, and noone ever responded to it. The free-weight barbell bench is the in-between of the dumbbell bench and a smith machine bench (or any machine for that mattter). If you believe having to stabilize the weight is a good thing - DB's are where you want to be, if you believe that placing as much weight on the bar for the increased tension on the targeted muscles is best, then the machine would seem to be the better bet.

I don't understand the logic behind thinking the BB bench is the best of the bunch.

 

[benchmonster]

I am a competitive bench presser. I never ever ever bounce a barbell off my chest. I do however have extremely good bar speed once it starts going back up. Always touch and go in the gym, and always paused in a meet.

Irishpower will be putting up some video clips of me benching soon on the powerlifting board for examples of my speed. Bar speed is the key to benching (or squatting or pulling) maximal weights.

There are other reasons to bench besides building pretty pecs. Guys who bench with their elbows under the bar, and move the bar slow enough to feel the burn are not going double bodyweight plus on their benches very often.

Speed kills.

B.

 

[benchmonster]

And regarding dumbells, nothing wrong with them at all. But I have my doubts as to whether you could give up the barbell for dumbells, and break many records on your bench.

I do dumbells occasionally for a rep max, I think they are great for building your stabilizer muscles. I actually only do dumbell bench while laying on a stability ball for the ultimate in stabilizer work. But you cannot just use dumbells and build a 500 plus bench. I probably was not clear in my original post.

I meant to say that it is a myth to think that isolation movements will work just as well as compound movements. They both have their place, but if one had to go, by by isolations.

B.

 

[strong island]

I am a competitive bench presser. I never ever ever bounce a barbell off my chest. I do however have extremely good bar speed once it starts going back up. Always touch and go in the gym, and always paused in a meet.

Irishpower will be putting up some video clips of me benching soon on the powerlifting board for examples of my speed. Bar speed is the key to benching (or squatting or pulling) maximal weights.

There are other reasons to bench besides building pretty pecs. Guys who bench with their elbows under the bar, and move the bar slow enough to feel the burn are not going double bodyweight plus on their benches very often.

Speed kills.

B.

There are Powerlifters and Bodybuilders. Explosiveness is very very important in weightlifting and for funcional strength in most sports(like football).

Many guys(who consider themselves BB's) sometimes train with a slower tempo because their main priority is hypertrophy.

I am usually explosive on the concentric but I usually like to have a slow eccentric portion of the lift. But sometimes I am also slow on the concentric. It depends.

But my main focus is to build some "pretty pecs"...but I also enjoy bettering my lifts.

I am looking forward to seeing the videos bro.

SI

 

[HansNZ]

1.) You have to train to failure
2.) You have to hit each body part once a week

-Zulu

OK, I realise this is going to make me sound like a bit of a newbie, but instead of training to failure what do you do instead?

I don't train as hard as my buddies. I normally do 3-4 sets but don't kill myself doing them. However, I still grow. In any case I feel sore afterwards and change my exercises regularly. I was wondering whether I would grow much better if I trained to failure?

What I have noticed is that the guys who train 110% are often laid off with injuries whereas I never get injured so my gains are more consistent.

Feedback anyone?

 

[JOKER47]

OK, I realise this is going to make me sound like a bit of a newbie, but instead of training to failure what do you do instead?

I don't train as hard as my buddies. I normally do 3-4 sets but don't kill myself doing them. However, I still grow. In any case I feel sore afterwards and change my exercises regularly. I was wondering whether I would grow much better if I trained to failure?

What I have noticed is that the guys who train 110% are often laid off with injuries whereas I never get injured so my gains are more consistent.

Feedback anyone?

Here's a thread where it was discussed.

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=151007

Joker

 

[benchmonster]

Hanz,

Don't go to failure, what you are doing right now, stopping short of failure and changing exercises often is a very smart way to train.

Strong Island,

I could not agree with you more. Bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things altogether. It seems few people in commercial gyms realize this. They think everyone is looking for the same thing.

Some are going for a certain look. I am going for a triple bodyweight bench. The vids should be up next week, unless something goes wrong. Not sure what he will show, I sent him a tape with a bunch of different lifts. I am hoping he will show the 600 lb 2 board reverse band press. Even at that weight, it was pretty fast, with a good pause on the boards.

No I am not tanned, ripped and vascular. That is not what I am after, and I don't know if I could get there if I shot for it. No 6 pack either. I am sporting a keg!!!

B.

 

[greenday]

The number 1 myth I see, fat people working their abs, I swear they will do 20 sets a day. All they are doing is rolling their stomach fat like kneading dough. You have to diet to see a 6 pack, it would be funny as hell to see a 5'4 350 lb woman with a 6 pack, and I don't mean beer.