The Isometric Shoulder Endurance Test

Training Bodybuilding
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The Isometric Shoulder Endurance Test by Don Alessi…

anybody ever try this?? its in his bone craking bench article…

I tried it with a 25 lb plate(suposed to do it with 35 for at leat 45sec)…
can only get 25 sec with the 25lb…so Ill definetley use it…

any input on this??

thanx…

from the article:

The relevance of this test is to analyze your shoulder stabilizer muscular endurance
(try saying that three times fast) and ensure that it won?t shut down your bench. Here?s how to do it.

Select a weight that?s approximately 20% of your body mass. I usually round it to the closest 25, 35 or 45 pound plate. If you weigh 180, you choose a 35-pound plate. Position your back firmly against a wall. Note: Your buttocks and shoulders must make contact at all times and a slow progressive warm-up is advised.

Time the length you can hold the weight straight out in front of you with a 15-degree bend in the elbows. Now, in order to jack a 300-pound bench press, you should be able to isometrically hold 20% total mass for at least 45 seconds, with 90 seconds being ideal.

This test can be used once per week to bolster your bench; just do it at the end of your training session, otherwise your primary lifts will “shut down.”

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Why would you need to hold a 45 lb plate up for that long? You’d never take anywhere near that long to get a bench up so I’d question the relevance. If your shoulder girdle is collapsing under a big bench then I’d think it was lacking in maximal isometric strength not endurance.