LET SCIENCE CREATE A BETTER YOU.

The "Deadlift"

The most frequent question asked at any gym, how can I improve my bench? Whether that means multiple reps of 225lbs for a combine or you want to reach a lot higher with your 1 rep max. Either way the idea remains the same, we need to assess the individual and make sure we are moving in his/her strongest movement pattern. Hand Placement: When we are asked this question, we think that wider is better due to a slightly shorter range of motion. That’s a good thought but studies have shown that we will do a lot better and avoid shoulder injuries with a narrower grip. So, wait…it’s not a chest exercise??? Not necessarily. The Pectoralis muscle group is involved but becomes a stabilizer with the triceps becoming the prime mover. This means that arm training takes priority to be a good bencher. It also means that the upper back needs to be stronger to keep the lifter in good position throughout the lift. The Upper Back: If you look at any good bench specialist, you will notice a few things different from your typical gym goer. First their upper back is massive with well-defined shoulders especially rear deltoids. Second their forearms remain straight all the time, wrist stacked directly over the elbow. Third you hardly ever see them doing bicep curls. The why? When you are training exclusively for strength you want to do things that do not keep you in the gym for over an hour. Strength is heavily dependent on recovery. From a general programming standpoint, we want to do enough to stimulate the muscle without going overboard. That said volume is another key to becoming stronger. Strength is found in playing the long game. So always saving some in the tank when doing heavy bench work (i.e. 5RM, 3RM work) is better than overshooting and failing. Why? We always want to teach the body to grind through heavy reps and not get used to the idea of letting go. This brings us to the other side of the strength equation: Speed. Speed Work: While one end of having a better bench is strength (obviously) the other is just how fast your nervous system can make those muscles fire. In a maximal bench attempt we have somewhere between 4-6 seconds to make that lift. Any longer we are going back down or compensating. That said we need to also get faster to become stronger. Think of this like a sprint, the guy who is faster off the line is hard to catch by the other taking half the race to ramp up speed. The How: Speed work in its basic form is moving a submaximal load (example 35% of 1RM) as fast as possible while maintaining control. The tough part for many here is the goal is never weight and I would argue the lighter the better. Bar weight is measured as the percentage and many lifters may add accommodating resistance. Accommodating resistance (bands and chains) are added to the bar to make the lifter feel as if he/she is pressing with the brakes on. Altering the force velocity curve (more on this later) enhances the lifter’s understanding of the stretch reflex. Careful design by a qualified coach is necessary as the setup can be very complicated and for many something can become very heavy very quickly.