Your chest day kicks off with an old school bench press 5x5. Your goal: hit a personal record on the final set. Next, it's time to pump up your chest using a dumbbell movement time frame set. Your pressing day concludes with an AMRAP exercise circuit and a tricep-growing 100 rep explosion session.
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11 Comments
Is there no shoulder and traps workout included in this trainer ?
Trying to understand how the conjugate method works. How many sets/reps are we to target before hitting 1-rep max? How many sets at 1-rep max?
last comment: Be sure to drive your head back against the bench! I can’t tell you how many people I see that lift their head UP as they bench! Don’t look down at your chest, drive up and almost look at your spotter! Lifting your head off the bench also throughs off neural patterns in your neck and spine causing you not to be as strong. I wont go into details but drive the back of your head against the bench!
1)Lifting your head up more than what Rip recommends (and recommends that in order to keep someone from driving their head into the bench) will have some effect of bringing the thoracic spine into flexion and is not optimal for benching. Flexion of the thoracic spine opens up the facet joints which allows translation of the vertebrae, and under loaded conditions, translation is not a good thing.
2)Flexion of the thoracic spine opens up the facet joints which allows translation of the vertebrae, and under loaded conditions, translation is not a good thing.
3)Tonic Neck Reflex (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex) and Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex increases strength. Most lifters/athletes do it without thinking about it, it is a reflex.
One of the prime examples of the Tonic Neck Reflex occurs in the bench press. (Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 5(4):188-191, November 1991. Berger, Richard A.; Smith, Kirby J.)
When most lifters bench, they drive their head into the bench as they push the bar up. Doing so elicits the Tonic Neck Reflex.
This reflex causes the arms to straighten, thus producing a stronger pushing movement when bench pressing.
Steve, I still disagree with you, but thats my opinion. Many Powerlifters may agree with, but I know many who would not agree with you. I respect your opinion, but I digress.
Most powerlifters I know agree that it's a personal thing. I will say though that to yell fire and claim that it is inherently dangerous and bad form is a bit off the mark. In all my 28 years of lifting I have never heard of this practice causing a single lifter any grief. This is not to say it hasn't, but in the grand scheme of things the practice of lifting one's head during the bench press is extremely safe because it's usually performed by lifters who:
1) Have a solid understanding of good bench form to begin with.
2) Feel the practice of lifting their heads during the eccentric aids in eccentric control.
Many doctors have opinions about many lifting practices. The reality is that lifting has been shown to be one of the safest activities one could do. Most of the lifting injuries I've seen over the years have come from too much volume, too much work over 90%, and a fundamental ignorance about squat, deadlift and bench press basics. I've rarely seen lifters with good setup get injured by choosing a lift practice that they felt was a better overall fit for their body type.
I am a top powerlifter and former 430+ bencher. I know plenty of elite powerlifters who bench with head up. Never heard of anyone having an issue. If it works for an individual, it works. I resepct that a few physios might agree with you, but I also know many world class powerlifters who don't.
Steve, I'm going to have to disagree with you. As a national level powerlifter( former) and still active 54 old who still benches, I now have a recurring C-4, C-5 bulging disc that is treated with daily McKenzie exercises.I have been in the medical field for over 25 years and both orthopaedic surgeons that saw my MRIs said the same thing: poor form , poor posture over 40 years of working out. Proper technique is butt, shoulders and head flat on the bench throughout the lift.Lifting the neck off the bench during the lift process is asking for an in jury. The head should be still and silent during the bench press. I know a number of Physio therapists that would agree with me. Sorry, I cry fowl here. No offence intended
Extremely poor form. Head off the bench?
That's acceptable form. I use that approach as well. It feels better for me during the eccentrics, helping me to remain tight and in more control.
Excuse me, I don´t totally get the 100 reps routine. You have to do 100 reps at once? You can't split them? And... You have to do the 100 reps of every exercise, or 100 reps in the two exercises (50+50).
Regards.