Bench, deadlift, OHP(if you OHP).
Itll make the light weight more challenging
Edit: I think @T3hPwnisher mentioned switching to axle bench in his log cause of shoulder issues? correct me if im wrong.
Bench, deadlift, OHP(if you OHP).
Itll make the light weight more challenging
Edit: I think @T3hPwnisher mentioned switching to axle bench in his log cause of shoulder issues? correct me if im wrong.
Not for that reason, no. I switched because, after my ACL surgery, I didn’t want to have a baseline to compare against for my training. By switching to axle bench, I could delude myself into thinking that a drop in my benching numbers was a result of new equipment, and from there establish a new baseline to compare training against.
However, my wrists and elbows feel a lot better after the switch. The wider diameter bar disperses the weight further, which beats up the joints less. Donnie Thompson was a big advocate of this with the fat bar craze.
I’m a big fan of the axle, and specifically the Ironmind axle, for all general bar work. Lots of benefits to a wider diameter bar that is absurdly stiff.
I see, thanks for the correction and additional info!
I’m a big fan of the Swiss Bar for bench. My shoulders haven’t felt this good in years. I can actually do dips again, too.
*I’ve also pretty much abandoned the straight bar deadlift in favor of a trap bar deadlift.
For some reason, the only movements where the swiss bar feels good for me is incline bench (which always feels awful otherwise) and floor press. I can’t standing benching with it.
Ya, it seems like it’s hit or miss with people. I’ll probably never bench with a straight bar again.
I think we were talking about the effectiveness of fat grips. I have big hands so my wrists flex quite a bit during pressing movements. I think @T3hPwnisher is correct though - - it would benefit me by positioning the bar closer to the line of force.
And here’s a bit of a confession. I have no doubt that I can get great workouts with submaximal weights and changes in tempo and rest times. But I want to pull 600 lbs. It sounds like a respectable feat and it might distract people from the fact that I can’t squat 4 plates ![]()
I tried this at the start of my current program but I only felt it in my quads. It was like doing a partial squat. I felt nothing in my back or hips. My anatomy is a bit different than yours though.
Lol. I definitely feel it in the back and hips.
Axle pretty much destroys my elbows. I got a tip to use wrist wraps to “stiffen” the wrist joint so less movement travels to my elbows and they take less stress. Not sure if this works as one bad axle session can set me back a month in terms of elbow pain, so I stay away.
Do you use a full grip or a thumbless grip?
Just pull 300 twice as fast!
Kinda half joking. I know it doesn’t work exactly like that, but never underestimate the effectiveness of speed/force development training.
Thumbless, full grip is asking for trouble haha
I used to do clean pulls with 300-350. I was jumping off the floor with that weight. Okay, it was like two inches but I still felt good about it.
I’d feel good about that too!
Blockquote
Responding to your 2 week old post flipcollar.
This is an interesting question. So I have had the opportunity to train all across the States at different gyms and have trained at several gyms in different countries across several continents. While undoubtedly strong people exist everywhere and I wouldn’t even go so far as to say Americans are the strongest. But my observations have led me to believe that the American gym goer population is on average significantly stronger then the average gym goers in other parts of the world.
In Australia I seldom see anyone barbell squat and if they do its usually not even body weight. Deadlift I have never seen. Bench press seldom see anyone go above two plates a side. I wen’t to a run of the mill Golds Gym for the longest time on the East coast where I lived. There were at least 10 regulars who could squat 500 for reps. Several that could pull 600 and several 400 lb benchers and only 20 % of those guys were actual powerlifters.
When I’ve been in Texas, Philly wherever its been the same.
Edit: Why is it not letting me quote?
Wrong
Wrong 2x. I see more people deadlifting than squatting
Reasonably common
I’ve trained in Melbourne, Sydney, and 5+ gyms in Brisbane
Wait j4gga2. Are you telling me my eyes were deceiving me. Hows that work?
I didn’t make any general statements. Just presented my anecdotes. So no I am not wrong.
Fair enough, I was being overly harsh. The issue is that I’m not sure if that could be used to generalise that American gym-goers are stronger.
You’ve obviously gone to the wrong gyms ![]()
I know pretty much every gym within a 30km radius of my area just north of Sydney, it’ll have people doing either one of the statements you said.
Percentage wise, you’d probably be right though. Obviously comparing a country with 27x more people then there are going to “appear” to be more, but if comparing percentages, it wouldn’t be much higher.
No one can really compare to Iceland though. A nation of just over 300 thousand people, it has the highest percentage of professional athletes in the world per person. Home to some of the world’s best strongmen and CrossFit athletes
Yeah there are for sure some big strong tough blokes over here. Some proper strong cunts mate.
I was comparing the general strength levels of what you would find in like a Lime Fitness versus a Golds in the States. I’ve spotted a few “hardcore” gyms where I am sure you have really strong lifters at.