The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

105% close grip AMRAP on bench today. Kinda pumped

 

Nice!

So I'm trying to figure something out here. Got a blood test last year that showed the following:

Total test: 34.9 nmol/L (1006 ng/dL)
Free test: 596 pmol/L (172 pg/ml ??????)
Shbg: 61 nmol/L

Total test I was happy with, free is ok I guess, but SHBG I have to improve somehow.

I can't make sense of the free test number tho. The lab listed pmol. I converted to pg/ml.

 

Nevermind not pumped. Spotter decided he needed another guy to help and they fucked me up... Oh well, next time.

Side note: I felt a big spaz/shooting pain go through the muscles in my mid back along the left side of my spine. I get some pain there occasionally while benching heavy but this was worse. What's up with that?

 

Yeah thankfully I have the space for everything! Nice, yeah use it as much as possible!! Heat shock proteins!!! Studies have shown (I can go dig em up if yall like) that consistent use at least 4 times a week, 20min per session, can lower all-cause mortality by up to 40%!!

 

@PackCon is the science and research guru. I’m sure he’d appreciate the studies.

 

Ok so I need the powerlifting guys and bench gurus to weigh in here. Am I doing this right? I leg drive like crazy and don't have a lot of back arch but my butt comes up sometimes, is that bad? I also bench close grip as I feel more power that way and like the long ROM. Thing is on heavier stuff it's like I lose tension/stability on the left side and that side is what starts to drop first.

Also these spotters were shit... I told the dude I only need one guy but he brought another. Then one dude does a lift off and the other didn't which messed me up, then neither of them know when to grab it. I have that weight with a good spotter and proper setup. Probably had it here as they didn't do much, but still not counting it.

Anyway, I only train bench for strength, I'll never do it in a strongman comp. Critique.

 

Well, lifting your butt off the bench can introduce instability in your lower back and may also rob you of some of your tightness through your arch which may exacerbate the former. That could be causing your erectors to compensate especially if there is any torsion in your hips as that can aggravate them. (edit, it looks like your right hip comes up faster/slightly higher than your left...I would start there)

If you're stronger with elevated hips like that you may ant to switch to a decline bench, which is what you are essentially doing (shorter range of motion and focus over the lower pecs).

TLR maybe try benching properly.

 

Interesting points. So how do I fix the hips moving uneven and how do I train to keep my butt down?

 

Butt down and leg drive is about foot placement and hip mobility. I think if you keep the but on the bench with a tight arch you should be ok...you will be weaker at first though. I tuck my feet back and if my butt starts to lift, i widen my stance a bit, again, tucking the feet back to stay tight and maximize drive does come down to hip mobility though...too tight and you will not get much drive (and it will feel terrible...lol).

 

I'll try it. I was benching on my toes up until last week. Coach had me go flat foot and while I feel more power, it does feel odd and my butt lifts more.

 

In the past when trying to improve form I've essentially started from scratch. Lower the resistance until you can hold the form properly through the entire set. Like @mindstar said, you'll be weaker but in the end you'll be stronger with better form. I've learned from experience that proper form and rom trumps all.

 

You are tall right? You weren't having issues with being able to reach the floor? I press off the balls of my feet, with my back arched and tight, shoulder blades pinned back. Might be worth asking your coach why he switched you to fully flat footed? Maybe he is trying to take leg drive away a bit in order to focus on your Tri/front delt/chest (sort of like those legs up benchers)...understanding that may also help with rethinkig how you should be doing this lift from his perspective. My perspective is straight PL...

 

Until 10 years from now that's proven to be bullshit lol

 

@rngr

 

He wanted to see more heel drive for power, I took that as heels down. Like I said it did help. As for back arch, I don't have much at all lol I can't arch my back like these PL dudes out here looking like scorpion. I don't really have the thoracic mobility for that and I don't like to "cheat" the ROM. Also yes I'm tall, I don't have any issue with reaching the floor

 

Lol Huh, how so? Why do you think bullshit? Explain yourself!

 

Those dudes really arch to reduce the ROM, but as long as you are tight like a bow you should see some improvement. (also lifting you ass is cheating the ROM )

 

I’m curious as to how/why more so than saying it does.
I have never researched it personally but would be curious how and why sitting in a hot room decreases mortality.

And it can’t be about the toxins bullshit

 

I know it doesn’t matter, but in uspa you can lift heels up but in usapl you need to have heels down. Different ways they judge it in powerlifting. I wouldn’t worry about having a crazy arch or wide grip. Most big (size wise) benchers barely arch and tend to have closer grips.