Jared, you’d realy need to watch out for pattern overloading and overuse injuries with a combination of high volume.intensity pressing movements for shoulders and chest together.
Sounds like TrenchDAwg is looking to improve his upper chest strength. That said, ‘tucked’ elbows, like a powerlifter, would place too much tension on the triceps and decrease the tension on the pecs.
Now it stands to reason whether the upper chest actually has any impact on pull-up strength. I’ll contend that it doesn’t. Clavicular fibers of the pectoralis major perform Horizontal Adduction and Flexion. Pull-ups and Chin-ups are movements involving Adduction and Extension.
So if you look at the issue anatomically, while your upper chest may be a limiting factor in your bench press, it won’t have any significant impact on your pull-up strength.
TrenchDawg, why not do CP’s Acheiving Structural Balance and determine if your Pull-Up is actually weak in comparison to your other lifts. My guessing, since you can do 8 at a height of 6’5" with added weight, your pull-ups aren’t that weak relative to your flat bench max.
Once you find out, you can bring up lagging lifts and then concentrate on varying the grips, sets and reps you utilize in your Pull-Up training? The protocols outlined in Modern Trends in Strength Training would go a long way to help.
glute, then let me clarify. What if military and bench presses were switched as far as priorities? Instead of a powerlifter occasionally throwing in some vertical pressing, they would only occasionally throw in some horizontal pressing.
To Rob Coates,
Thanks for the feedback!
I just did CP’s structural balance test based on my estimations of my 1rm for the lifts he mentions. Based on my 1rm for the 14" close grip bench press of 230, all the lifts were in line with his optimal ratios. (standing military, reverse curl, scott curl, external rotator, and incline). However, my supinated chin up 1rm is 300 pds and according to his chart it should be 186. I weigh 230 and can do a supinated chin with 70pds. Because that number is so much higher, it seems like my back is so much stronger than other body parts.
I am just looking to get stronger because I been stuck in the inlcine and military press.
Have you tried giving the military and incline press priority in you training over a longer period of time?