The bench press was always my best lift,although I cared about it the least. All I wanted was a big squat, followed by a big deadlift, followed by a big total. I had to bench so I could total but I never enjoyed training it and totally took it for granted.
I have always focused on training my weak points as that is the key to improvement and my bench always held it's own. Now that I can't do it anymore I have a lot more appreciation for how strong I was in it. Pavels article in his new newsletter brought home even more how decent I was in the lift as I was using the "russian push press" technique without knowing it! Purely as a matter of survival as I couldnt bench any other way without it killing my shoulders.
I didnt use the 'collasped chest" lockout technique but still drove through my legs to finish the lift.To me the bench was: Legs, Lats and Triceps.
These are some pictures from my last good bench meet in 2003, a WABDL meet in Sacromento.My training had been going great and I had even locked out a big 490 in the gym weighing just 185!
This is what happened at this meet. I opened at 397 and crushed it. Then I went to a 429 to set myself up for a third attempt PR of 440. Made that and then called for 200 kg! I was surprised when it felt light in my hands and even more surprised when it stalled at the 3/4's mark. I was thinking of 451 for a 4th attempt and new state record.
THEN it was discovered that it was NOT 440 on the bar but 462! I had almost made it and ground on it for a long, long time! They asked if I wanted 200 kgs again and I did. This time I was just out of position and missed. I took off my bench shirt and figured I was done. THEN I realized I could take the weight again as it was a state record and forth attempts were allowed for records.
I quickly put back on the shirt and gave it a go but it was just too much. I know FOR SURE had I not been misloaded the 200 kg would have gone. Oh well, it was great fun and I got to take 5 attempts in a bench meet,lol!
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3 comments:
I hate you man..........LOL just kidding.
I would have been in ecstacy with a 200Kg bench at 100Kg weight!!
I struggled and struggled to get my bench over bodyweight for a long time. I was never any good at it....LOL. And I should be, thick ass ribcage and short forearms.
In retrospect it was my fault though, poor routines, bad technique, not enough consistancy, ect ect.
Maybe after im done with ETK I'll go back and actually have somebody teach me how to do it properly, and add it in the mix regularly
I was a good shirt lifter Royce, lol. It helped my shoulders SO much.ALso having pressed something virtually every day of my life since I was 14 helped a bit too. Killed my squat but my pressing was good.
The key to a good bench is EXACTLY the keys to a good KB press.
Vertical forearms, pressing from the lat, keeping the shoulder in the socket, beng able to wedge into the ground and press from the legs.Bench is just more triceps for the lockout.
Cool, thanks!
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