What I do (and I’m certainly not meat, so take this with a HUGE grain of salt), is get my feet in position and get my arch going, like you did, jjackkrash. Then, I lift my shoulders off the bench, increase my arch, and plant the top of my head on the bench, and then drive each shoulder, one at a time, into the bench, firmly planting them.
Doing them one at a time also lets me really squeeze my traps together when I plant the 2nd shoulder.
I can feel a world of difference between a good solid shoulder plant and back flex, vs. just having my shoulders on the bench. It’s like I can feel the weight of the bar being transmitted directly from my palms to the bench through my shoulders. It just feels really, really solid.
And, like Meat mentions, you end up having to pull the bar down because you’re so tight. (I also use the “try to rip the bar apart” advice to help with that. I picture myself trying to pull the bar apart with my hands, which keeps me tight all the way down. I think there’s a Westside(?) method somewhere that suggests using bands around your wrists to highlight this while benching.)
Big Mike Tuscherer has an interesting method of unracking a bench. He basically sets his arch, and then lifts his butt off the bench (keeping his arch stiff) and levers the weight out of the racks by setting it back down. Must take some practice though. A handoff is definitely preferable.
Thanks MCL and DCA. I feel pretty good about my squat and dead form, but my bench needs some work. I really think it will take some time to get my back activated like its supposed to. Having something to work on is part of the fun, I suppose.
I have a meet on Saturday, Sept. 19th. Im thinking about what kind of lifting I should be doing 2 weeks before me meet (obviousley taking the week before it off). My plan is this,
Monday- Squat, workup to opener with GM assistance
Wendesday- Bench, work up to opener, MP assistance
Friday: DL, not gonna try and work up to my opener here, (gonna shoot for 405 at the meet, my opener will be 365, maybe shoot for 315 on this day)?
Then my meet is on the following saturday. My only worry is going into the meet and not have done any squatting for almost 2 weeks. Maybe do some light squats on friday?
I have a meet on Saturday, Sept. 19th. Im thinking about what kind of lifting I should be doing 2 weeks before me meet (obviousley taking the week before it off). My plan is this,
Monday- Squat, workup to opener with GM assistance
Wendesday- Bench, work up to opener, MP assistance
Friday: DL, not gonna try and work up to my opener here, (gonna shoot for 405 at the meet, my opener will be 365, maybe shoot for 315 on this day)?
Then my meet is on the following saturday. My only worry is going into the meet and not have done any squatting for almost 2 weeks. Maybe do some light squats on friday?[/quote]
sounds like a good plan to me. you won’t get any weaker in two weeks. if anything you will be rested up and hungry to lift something heavy. i really like your plan not to pull. i think most people are stronger on deads when they take a break from them for a couple weeks.
just go in with a plan and you will definitely do great. let me know how you do. if you can get some videos.
(The article that just came out about ballistic work) Article states that if you are worried on pure performence do it do it after warmup before main excercise.First, how do i incorporate to a westside template. Secondly will that replace anything(volume of accesory work,etc) also won’t that increase work capacity since you are doing more work?
I have a decent deadlift for a skinny guy, but have been wondering if my setup is optimal.
I try to keep the bar over the arch of my foot when setting my stance, should I have it farther out, closer in or is this just fine? I pull conventional with a very close stance, feet parallel - have you seen any benefit in pulling with the feet pointed out with a close stance? My knees are over the bar at the bottom as well, since I am stork-legged. Should I be pulling with shins more vertical?
I need an answer soon as my wife says she won’t stay with a guy who either doesn’t have a unibrow or can’t consistently deadlift 500+ lbs. One or the other will suffice, but I can’t grow a unibrow…
[quote]motherofpearl wrote:
(The article that just came out about ballistic work) Article states that if you are worried on pure performence do it do it after warmup before main excercise.First, how do i incorporate to a westside template. Secondly will that replace anything(volume of accesory work,etc) also won’t that increase work capacity since you are doing more work?[/quote]
i would like to read that article before i comment on it. where can i find it??
I have a decent deadlift for a skinny guy, but have been wondering if my setup is optimal.
I try to keep the bar over the arch of my foot when setting my stance, should I have it farther out, closer in or is this just fine? I pull conventional with a very close stance, feet parallel - have you seen any benefit in pulling with the feet pointed out with a close stance? My knees are over the bar at the bottom as well, since I am stork-legged. Should I be pulling with shins more vertical?
I need an answer soon as my wife says she won’t stay with a guy who either doesn’t have a unibrow or can’t consistently deadlift 500+ lbs. One or the other will suffice, but I can’t grow a unibrow…
Thanks,
Panicked in Pacifica[/quote]
PiP,
I’m hear to help. i’ve always set up close to the bar as well but once i started trying conventional again and going grip and rip, I’ve been setting with my shins about 4 inches away from the bar. I’m also turning my toes out and going almost shoulder width with the stance. i feel i get more quads into the initial pull. the only issue i’m running into is getting my hands down even on both sides. with this stance my grip is wider. i’m not used to that.
it did wonders for jowee. did you see that he pulled 585 last night? it flew off the floor.
I have a decent deadlift for a skinny guy, but have been wondering if my setup is optimal.
I try to keep the bar over the arch of my foot when setting my stance, should I have it farther out, closer in or is this just fine? I pull conventional with a very close stance, feet parallel - have you seen any benefit in pulling with the feet pointed out with a close stance? My knees are over the bar at the bottom as well, since I am stork-legged. Should I be pulling with shins more vertical?
I need an answer soon as my wife says she won’t stay with a guy who either doesn’t have a unibrow or can’t consistently deadlift 500+ lbs. One or the other will suffice, but I can’t grow a unibrow…
Thanks,
Panicked in Pacifica
PiP,
I’m hear to help. i’ve always set up close to the bar as well but once i started trying conventional again and going grip and rip, I’ve been setting with my shins about 4 inches away from the bar. I’m also turning my toes out and going almost shoulder width with the stance. i feel i get more quads into the initial pull. the only issue i’m running into is getting my hands down even on both sides. with this stance my grip is wider. i’m not used to that.
it did wonders for jowee. did you see that he pulled 585 last night? it flew off the floor.
[/quote]
Yes, indeed, I saw that. That was pretty amazing. You gonna try wombat style anytime soon?
Yes, indeed, I saw that. That was pretty amazing. You gonna try wombat style anytime soon?[/quote]
He will have to pay me for the rights to try that first if he does thats a patented move, Often imitated never duplicated. I may start up a certification course just on that LOL
why not!!
LOL Love the advice brudda meats. Setting up over the balls of your feet I in conventional I fine helps me and others Ive worked pull the bar BACK from the start. As you know you have to get people thinking PULL not Lift. As if you set up away from the shins and Lift your screwed but if you pull back then the bar can take a fast path / like that from the floor and hit you just about he knee and travel right up
I have a question, when are you going to done a posing suit again with you newly acquired svelt physique and show off your advanced manscaping techniques?
By the way Christopher Drummond and Mario Mavrides are going joining us on Iron Radio to discuss Slow Vs Fast Movements.
EVENT: Iron Radio Sept 4th
Topic: Slow Vs Fast Movements
DATE & TIME: Friday, September 4th at 2:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast – it’s your choice)
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
It’s going to be a great show and remember we are all about audience participation. Go enter questions NOW!! at the link above then you can listen real time enter more or come back and listen to the recording to see if your question was answered. Questions can be on anything , the topic, for the Christopher, Mario, or any of the hosts.
id love to get my deadlift form bang on, can you help?
what jumps out at me the most is your starting position. as a rule of thumb, the shoulders should be directly over the bar. as you can see from the vid, your shoulders start way in front of the bar. this then leads to the hips rising too soon and the lower back rounding.
when pulling conventional, i stand about 4 inches back away from the bar. that way, when i bend down my shins are then touching the bar.
have someone watch you set up and when you are able to bend down and have your shoulders over the bar, i think that will take care of the hips rising fast and the rounded lower back.
try that and get another vid.
[/quote]
hey brother, thanks for that, i pulled today and unfortunatley i only your post now, ill upload another vid next week.
Meat, I sure would appreciate you taking a look at my deadlift and squat videos that I posted today to my log (The Kimbalog in Powerful Women). The squat video is only at 65#, but I’m having problems with depth and leaning forward even at that weight.
Thanks in advance for any feedback you have time to give!
I’ve been making progress on my 3 big lifts (bench, DL, Squat) using a 5/3/1 type approach. However, my accessory lifts have stalled, namely RDL’s and Incline DB Presses.
Any ideas on how I might approach them? As you know, the 5/3/1 varies in intensity each week (5’s, 3’s, etc.). Should my accessories, for example RDL’s mimic that, so my heaviest DL weeks are heaviest on RDL’s, too? Ditto, bench-- If I’m on my “5’s” week, should I go lighter on my other lifts that day, too, or do opposite?
I’ve been making progress on my 3 big lifts (bench, DL, Squat) using a 5/3/1 type approach. However, my accessory lifts have stalled, namely RDL’s and Incline DB Presses.
Any ideas on how I might approach them? As you know, the 5/3/1 varies in intensity each week (5’s, 3’s, etc.). Should my accessories, for example RDL’s mimic that, so my heaviest DL weeks are heaviest on RDL’s, too? Ditto, bench-- If I’m on my “5’s” week, should I go lighter on my other lifts that day, too, or do opposite?[/quote]
first off, do you mean variations of the big lifts or actual accessory work? accessory work is typically done to build mass to aid in gettting stronger at the big lifts. I’ve fallen into a bad habit of going too heavy on my accessory work. doing so will eventually lead to your big lifts stalling because you don’t recover enough when it’s time to hit the big lifts. if these lifts are indeed accessory work, i wouldn’t focus on getting stronger in a low rep range. i would do no less than 10 reps on that stuff. once you can get 10 reps, add 5lbs and start over. i typically do 10 on the low end but usually shoot for 20 or so.
