Do you tuck your thumbs on presses, and are you keeping your shoulders retracted during them?
I do standard grip, and I don’t consciously keep my shoulders retracted… I don’t really pay much attention to it though. I focus on keeping lats tight on the bottom and trying to bend the bar the whole way.
Try thumbs tucked, and also try focusing less on the tight lats and bending the bar - that might be doing wonky things to your shoulders at the top of the press. You could try them separately so you don’t introduce too many new factors. And really try to get shoulders, scaps, everything moving in unison.
Of course, you’re free to try none of that, haha, but yeah, I think the breaking the bar cue is causing your shoulder blades to depress a bit at the top, which can cause impingement and discomfort.
1 Like
Awesome dude, I will definitely try that out. Might start with thumbless grip next week since it doesn’t seem like too much of a severe change, thank you!
1 Like
I went thumbless on press years back. I find it lets me rotate my lower arm into a better position. And I’m in a better position for pressing.
2 Likes
I guess that makes perfect sense, without having your thumb wrapped around the bar. When I first started lifting I used a thumbless grip but for whatever reason I switched after a couple of months. Looks like I’ll be switching back for at least the overhead stuff. Going to leave my bench grip as-is
1 Like
Thats a good idea man. The stands i want to buy have been on backorder for a very long time now, and they arent cheap. I have kept thinking about building some…its not like i dont have the tools and skills.
1 Like
I also like going thumbless. Vid looked good though man. I have nothing to add about your shoulders not feeling great as you mentioned.
1 Like
Just another vote for thumbless on pressing. And it’s why I think it’s stupid that Rippetoe’s “Strengthlifting” sport doesn’t allow it. But it’s not the only stupid thing Rippetoe has done, SOOOOOOO…
And I’m just a huge fan of this log.
3 Likes
Hey bud.
Here’s what I built. 2x4’s at the back, a 4x4 for the squat rack, and a shorter 4x4 for the bench rack, in buckets of concrete. Then built a bench with plywood and using 4x4s as legs, screwing it all together with strong ties that I bent at 90 degrees. Then I used two rubber exercise mat pieces (the ones that fit together like puzzle pieces) and screwed them to the plywood. The cheap sawhorses are safeties - when I arch, the bar just touches my chest and stops an inch above the safeties, when I drop, I can climb out comfortably.
Took a couple hours to make everything, and though gyms opened back up I actually still use the bench in my dining room for my kids to sit on, haha
3 Likes
Haha I did not know that he created his own “sport”. I don’t follow much of any sort of lifting outside of the logs here or bugenhagen. I’ll watch strongman comps just to see massive guys move crazy weight, but not really follow the rivalries or anything.
It’s funny I’ve never been a “sports” person. I just like getting stronger and picking up heavy shit.
Looks like thumbless is the general consensus, so I’ll give it a shot next week. I’m hoping it’ll help me to get to a full lockout. Might help with feeling drive through the base of the palm more than the hands I’d imagine too?
And thank you SO much again dude, it’s very cool having people swinging through giving out advice in here. Super happy with how lifting has been going this past year.
Also @flappinit I was actually considering building a set for my garage so I don’t have to clean the weight up every time. Might work on that next weekend if I have time
1 Like
I feel like it does.
And yeah, Rip threw a tantrum about powerlifting and made his own version, and then, in his quest to make it better, made it worse by having “weigh outs” vs weigh ins, so you legit don’t even know who you’re competing against until AFTER the competition. Dumb. All that said, there’s an event happening next month in my city, so I still might do it, haha.
So you weigh in after the competition? Sounds a little ridiculous haha.
Hell yeah man go for it! Do you try and get in a certain number of comps a year or anything? Or just kind of pick and choose ones you’re interested in/nearby?
One of my good buddies who is a pretty accomplished powerlifter is back in the gym and training again and hoping to compete soon. I was hoping they’d allow guests to come watch, as I’ve never been to a comp. I know I’ve spoken with a few guys in this log about competing. It’s definitely something I’d like to do some day soon.
With COVID, I have no gameplan. It’s been the big thing: mass gatherings in closed quarters and, from what I’ve seen, minimal compliance with mask wear or social distancing. Prior to COVID, I picked competitions based off if the events looked good and were closeby where I lived or where family was around. I didn’t want to drag my family all over the country to go win “Big Jim’s Huckleberry Farm’s Strongest Man” competition.
Given Rip’s outspokeness regarding COVID ops, I don’t have the highest of confidences unfortunately…
1 Like
Yeah that makes complete sense. I haven’t stepped foot into a gym (except once a couple years ago), but I can’t imagine people wearing masks inside for hours on end lifting weights, or staying 6 feet away from each other. It’s definitely a bummer.
1 Like
Thats awesome man. Do you mind sharing any measurements or heights of that?
1 Like
I stood with a barbell on my back in the low bar position, and had my wife measure that height, took a few inches off of that. Did the same thing lying down on a bench - a couple inches short of lockout. Used wood-to-wood strong ties as makeshift j hooks.
Long story short, I’m 6’4 so if I gave you my measurements it might be very different. Just remember to compensate for liftoff and the fact that the bottom of the bucket is sitting a bit off the ground.
For the height of the bench, look up competition bench height.
I used this video with the bench.
1 Like
Awesome thanks man
1 Like
No problem. Keep us updated on how it goes.
@boilerman Squat rack height is pretty much exactly the same as OHP rack height - go for it. Just don’t slam the weights back in the rack! Seems like common sense, but you know as well as I do, after rep 10 of set 10, you’re not really concerned with how you set the weight down, you’re just trying to get it out of your hands so you don’t pass out holding it.
1 Like