When I bench, i have absolutely no problem locking out, but my sticking point is just off my chest. What can i do to improve the bottom portion of the lift?
[quote]tajam wrote:
When I bench, i have absolutely no problem locking out, but my sticking point is just off my chest. What can i do to improve the bottom portion of the lift? [/quote]
DE speed bench helps with bar speed and getting the weight off the chest.
DB presses and Cambered bar presses can get some extra range of motion in the bottom portion.
Along with speed bench, work your back. The lats play a big part of helping strength off the chest.
Further to the train your back advice… pushing back towards the rack as opposed to straigh up helped me bring my lats into the movement more.
Also speed work, 1 board presses, close grip presses to 1/3/5rm’s, illegal wides 3x6, dumbbell work, direct shoulder work.
The above are things that have helped me to bring my strength off my chest up.
Oh and it should be obvious but if the weight’s just too damn heavy then you’ll never get it off your chest!! I could lock out 150-160kg off 4 boards but it wouldn’t even budge if I got it to my chest.
Also, pin press from the chest with a few seconds pause. This will help you to develope strength, rather than relying on stored tension.
Who isn’t slow off the chest? Work your speed sets and do cambered like someone said above. Illegal wides should help too.
Louie recommends everyone do their speed close, but I have been having one of my guy do his wide bc his tri’s are strong, but his chest is weak.
Try both and see what works. Dumbbells work good too.
1-board and ME chain work.
Don’t let the basics of a West Side DE day fool you, experiment with your grip variations. I do different sets at different grips to find which grip is moving up the slowest, and I focuso n that that specific grip for my DE days for atleast a month and then go back to the variation until I find my next slowest. Basically its vary one week, next two weeks do that grip, then deload for a week. I always pick one and only one grip every month.
you need a lot of pause work off the chest. I do most of my benching with a pause. allow the bar to rest on the chest for a good count of three.
also, if you arent’ tucking your elbows at the bottom, you won’t have power out of the hole.
for variation, include pin presses right off the chest and 1 board presses.
dont’ neglect upper back work either.
meat
Supramaximal eccentric bench. This can help find where your hole is by finding the point where you lose control of the bar on the way down. Then do iso holds in that position. This will increase muscular stiffness at you weak spot. Remember most westside max effort work is geared towards lockout strength. They train to compete and they compete in shirts.
jsal33
I had this problem bad before now its improved but still is my weak point. 2 things that helped me the most of DE speed benches with bands and rows to the chest with bands held for an isometric contraction
pause benching
from my experience illegal wides for a 3rm max worked pretty well along with floorpress. This acticle might help http://www.elitefts.com/documents/starting_strength1.htm
Dumbbell work is very helpful, since you can get a greater range of motion. I definitely noticed a difference once I incorporated these. Also, overhead work is helpful like Overhead Presses and Bradford Presses to build strength off the bottom.
floor presses might help too…
Cambered bar benching