Bench press help needed PLEASE!!!

"ranieri" <uh, not right now> wrote in message
news:8budnU6jzJcAnRnbnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
> <ih4553.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1183054084.704222.79120@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>>I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a
>> fitness test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot
>> of
>> weight at a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to lift
>> my body weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2 or
>> 3
>> times, and they don't feel like full reps when I do them.
>>
>> Is there any hope for me? What can you suggest?? Any help would be
>> GREATLY appreciated!!
>>
>
> 2 weeks, huh? I'd say your best bet is to work on your form. Drive
> your traps into the bench, arch your back while keeping your butt in
> contact, try to learn to incoporate your back muscles as well - it's
> been described as 'trying to pull the bar apart'. Learning to relax
> the antagonistic muscles will come from practice.

I'll add: get yourself to an experienced bench presser and/or coach and
have them work with you. Improving your skill is definitely the way to
go. Some people, especially tall people with long arms, are just not
built to bench press, and you may be one of those, but that doesn't
change the fact that improving your technique is your best route to
doing what you need to right now.

But Jim, "learning to relax the antagonistic muscles" - can you be more
specific? When I do just about any sort of pressing, my biceps are
working pretty hard, too. They are a documented stabilizer in the bench
press but they are also technically antagonists to the triceps.

Steve "short but long armed" Freides
http://www.kbnj.com
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

"Steve Freides" <steve.TakeThisOut@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in message
news:5eiqp2F37vg2oU1@mid.individual.net...
> "ranieri" <uh, not right now> wrote in message
> news:8budnU6jzJcAnRnbnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>>
>> <ih4553.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1183054084.704222.79120@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>>>I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a
>>> fitness test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot of
>>> weight at a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to lift
>>> my body weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2 or 3
>>> times, and they don't feel like full reps when I do them.
>>>
>>> Is there any hope for me? What can you suggest?? Any help would be
>>> GREATLY appreciated!!
>>>
>>
>> 2 weeks, huh? I'd say your best bet is to work on your form. Drive your
>> traps into the bench, arch your back while keeping your butt in contact,
>> try to learn to incoporate your back muscles as well - it's been
>> described as 'trying to pull the bar apart'. Learning to relax the
>> antagonistic muscles will come from practice.
>
> I'll add: get yourself to an experienced bench presser and/or coach and
> have them work with you. Improving your skill is definitely the way to
> go. Some people, especially tall people with long arms, are just not
> built to bench press, and you may be one of those, but that doesn't change
> the fact that improving your technique is your best route to doing what
> you need to right now.
>
> But Jim, "learning to relax the antagonistic muscles" - can you be more
> specific? When I do just about any sort of pressing, my biceps are
> working pretty hard, too. They are a documented stabilizer in the bench
> press but they are also technically antagonists to the triceps.
>
> Steve "short but long armed" Freides
> http://www.kbnj.com
>
>

Hey this feels just like old times, Steve.
By 'relax the antagonistics', I mean practicing the lift enough so the
nerves are firing only the necessary movers and stabilizers. Not doing that
'whole body tensed up' thing that wastes energy and creates extra
resistance. I don't think it's something that can be done by consciously
thinking about it, rather it happens though repetition. Maybe this is more
of an issue in a speed movement - sprinting, throwing, etc. And I could very
well be talking out of my ass.
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

"ranieri" <uh, not right now> wrote in message
news:OP2dnS9Xx9O8phnbnZ2dnUVZ_g6dnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
> "Steve Freides" <steve.DeleteThis@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in message
> news:5eiqp2F37vg2oU1@mid.individual.net...
>> "ranieri" <uh, not right now> wrote in message
>> news:8budnU6jzJcAnRnbnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>>>
>>> <ih4553.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1183054084.704222.79120@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>>>>I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a
>>>> fitness test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot
>>>> of
>>>> weight at a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to
>>>> lift
>>>> my body weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2
>>>> or 3
>>>> times, and they don't feel like full reps when I do them.
>>>>
>>>> Is there any hope for me? What can you suggest?? Any help would
>>>> be
>>>> GREATLY appreciated!!
>>>>
>>>
>>> 2 weeks, huh? I'd say your best bet is to work on your form. Drive
>>> your traps into the bench, arch your back while keeping your butt in
>>> contact, try to learn to incoporate your back muscles as well - it's
>>> been described as 'trying to pull the bar apart'. Learning to relax
>>> the antagonistic muscles will come from practice.
>>
>> I'll add: get yourself to an experienced bench presser and/or coach
>> and have them work with you. Improving your skill is definitely the
>> way to go. Some people, especially tall people with long arms, are
>> just not built to bench press, and you may be one of those, but that
>> doesn't change the fact that improving your technique is your best
>> route to doing what you need to right now.
>>
>> But Jim, "learning to relax the antagonistic muscles" - can you be
>> more specific? When I do just about any sort of pressing, my biceps
>> are working pretty hard, too. They are a documented stabilizer in
>> the bench press but they are also technically antagonists to the
>> triceps.
>>
>> Steve "short but long armed" Freides
>> http://www.kbnj.com
>>
>>
>
> Hey this feels just like old times, Steve.
> By 'relax the antagonistics', I mean practicing the lift enough so the
> nerves are firing only the necessary movers and stabilizers. Not doing
> that 'whole body tensed up' thing that wastes energy and creates extra
> resistance. I don't think it's something that can be done by
> consciously thinking about it, rather it happens though repetition.
> Maybe this is more of an issue in a speed movement - sprinting,
> throwing, etc. And I could very well be talking out of my ass.

I believe it's more of an issue in things like throwing than it is with
a limit strength move like the bench press. Either way, I agree that
practicing good technique at what you wish to do well is the route to
success.

FWIW, about as close to bench pressing as I'm going to get for a while
is working on my one-armed pushup. I benched in exactly two meets, with
a whopping 190 lbs. at 148 bodyweight as my best. You'd think, since I
can do a one-armed pushup, that I'd be good for more than 190 on the
bench press - maybe I'll work up to heavy single sometime this summer,
just to see how, if at all, my max has changed.

Steve "rambling on today" Freides
http://www.kbnj.com
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007, ih4553.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:

> I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a fitness
> test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot of weight at
> a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to lift my body
> weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2 or 3 times,

Random question, but are you sure you need to drastically improve? What's
the fitnesss test for? 140 lbs is not monster for a 185 lb man, but it's
also not unhealthy.

tom

--
.... the full attack expands into an unusual pseudosteganographic
strikeback methodology against peer to peer networks. -- Dan Kaminsky
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

"Tom Anderson" <twic RemoveThis @urchin.earth.li> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.64.0706282328480.21269@urchin.earth.li...
> On Thu, 28 Jun 2007, ih4553 RemoveThis @hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a
>> fitness test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot
>> of weight at a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to
>> lift my body weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only
>> 2 or 3 times,
>
> Random question, but are you sure you need to drastically improve?
> What's the fitnesss test for? 140 lbs is not monster for a 185 lb man,
> but it's also not unhealthy.

I suspect the bodyweight bench press is a requirement for some sort of
class or test. I remember when I was in high school, you had to do a
bodyweight bench to get an A in weight room portion of phys ed. (I got
a B+, did 140 lbs. at bodyweight 145.) I think it's a pretty common
test.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com


> tom
>
> --
> ... the full attack expands into an unusual pseudosteganographic
> strikeback methodology against peer to peer networks. -- Dan Kaminsky
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

On Jun 28, 2:08 pm, ih4....DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
> I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a
> fitness test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot of
> weight at a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to lift
> my body weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2 or 3
> times, and they don't feel like full reps when I do them.


As others have suggested, your best bet is to work on your technique.
Unless you're some kind of genetic freak you're not going to gain a
lot of muscle strength in 2 weeks. In fact, if you overdo it, you're
only going to hamper yourself and possibly even injur yourself.

Besides the tips mentioned - squeezing your shoulder blades tight
together, arching your back - try experimenting with grip width - I
feel a lot of people don't use a grip that's wide enough. Even an inch
can make a big difference.

Also, the path the bar travels in relation to your ribcage. If the bar
travels in such a way that it's touching too high on your chest,
you're not going to get optimal mechanical advantage. Also, try
tucking in your elbows, which is the same thing as saying to
experiment with the rotation of your upper arms.

Besides muscular strength, you also have to develop overall bodily
awareness and feel for the lift, which isn't going to happen quick,
just like any other athletic activity. Since you're on a short time
frame, I'd advise experimenting with a light weight, even just the bar
to get a feel for what seems to give the most mechanical advantage.

At this obviously early point in your development, I wouldn't be
surprised if you could add those 45 lbs just by improving your
technique.
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

Doc wrote:
> On Jun 28, 2:08 pm, ih4....RemoveThis@hotmail.com wrote:
>> I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench press skill for a
>> fitness test I'm taking. I've done weights before, but never a lot of
>> weight at a time. I'm 185lbs, 6'3" tall and need to be able to lift
>> my body weight. I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2 or 3
>> times, and they don't feel like full reps when I do them.
>
>
> As others have suggested, your best bet is to work on your technique.
> Unless you're some kind of genetic freak you're not going to gain a
> lot of muscle strength in 2 weeks. In fact, if you overdo it, you're
> only going to hamper yourself and possibly even injur yourself.
>
> Besides the tips mentioned - squeezing your shoulder blades tight
> together, arching your back - try experimenting with grip width - I
> feel a lot of people don't use a grip that's wide enough. Even an inch
> can make a big difference.
>
> Also, the path the bar travels in relation to your ribcage. If the bar
> travels in such a way that it's touching too high on your chest,
> you're not going to get optimal mechanical advantage. Also, try
> tucking in your elbows, which is the same thing as saying to
> experiment with the rotation of your upper arms.
>
> Besides muscular strength, you also have to develop overall bodily
> awareness and feel for the lift, which isn't going to happen quick,
> just like any other athletic activity. Since you're on a short time
> frame, I'd advise experimenting with a light weight, even just the bar
> to get a feel for what seems to give the most mechanical advantage.
>
> At this obviously early point in your development, I wouldn't be
> surprised if you could add those 45 lbs just by improving your
> technique.

Those are good suggestions.

He could work on the other side of the equation too.
By that I mean drastically cut carbs and sodium and
drink a couple of gallons of clear water per day in
an effort to temporarily drop 10-15 pounds of water
weight.
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

Tom Anderson wrote:
> ih4...@hotmail wrote:
> > I have 2 weeks to DRASTICALLY improve my bench <snip>

> Random question, but are you sure you need to drastically improve? What's
> the fitnesss test for? <snip>

Tom, as a bodybuilding fan I'm probably more "in the know" about these
things, but I do believe that GNC or BSN or maybe MuscleTech is having
a "BENCH DOUBLE YOUR BODYWEIGHT OR WE WILL ~*KILL*~ YOU!!!" contest
nearer the end of the summer. There was a full-page color ad in a
recent issue of MD or perhaps Muscle Mag International. Try to keep
up, okay?

Hth.

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

On Jun 28, 2:08 pm, ih4....RemoveThis@hotmail.com wrote:
> I can only do about 140lbs right now, but only 2 or 3
> times, and they don't feel like full reps when I do them.


Btw, are you saying you can do 2 or 3 consecutive reps with 140 or 1
rep, rest, another rep, etc.

Something also not to ignore is a good warm up. Maybe some cardio,
stretching, increasing range of motion arm rotations. Hopefully you
don't just go for a max bench cold. Doing so insures you're going to
lift less weight and also is inviting injury. Start out with multiple
reps of light weights - starting with just the bar.

I go through a very protracted warmup along the lines of what I've
outlined above and find that it makes a big difference. I also find
that if I end up laying off for a while, with a good warmup I find I
don't lose that much.
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

On Jun 29, 9:46 pm, HIT Fanatic <cob....DeleteThis@nospam.com> wrote:

> The world record holders in the bench press are not pictures of health
> either--look at this bench press record setting attempt. The guy is
> wearing a tight denim shirt. It looks like he's moving the barbell for
> about 12 inches at best.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlDWdfTAx8o



This is ludicrous. The guy can't even put his arms down with that
shirt - how can he claim he's lifting all the weight? And it looks
pretty questionable as to whether he achieves a full lock on his arms.
Certainly he's a strong guy but that's not what I call a true bench
press.
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

<ih4553 DeleteThis @hotmail.com> schreef:

> Is there any hope for me? What can you suggest?? Any help would be
> GREATLY appreciated!!

Forget it.

--
Pete
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

"Bill Eitner" <kd6tas.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> schreef:

> He could work on the other side of the equation too.
> By that I mean drastically cut carbs and sodium and
> drink a couple of gallons of clear water per day in
> an effort to temporarily drop 10-15 pounds of water
> weight.

I wouldnt do that...

--
Pete
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!! 

"Curt" <> What's that website? Hmm. http://www.Fagzone.com or something
like that.
>

Great website for women who have small breasts like Willy.
 >> Stay informed about: Bench press help needed PLEASE!!!