Incline DB Bench – Chest Exercise
Main Muscle Worked: Chest
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound
This can be used as an accessory exercise or as a max effort exercise using the repetition method. You can use a neutral (palms facing each other) grip or a pronated (palms facing away from you) grip. If you do use the latter, make sure to tuck your elbows to take unneeded stress off of your shoulders and chest. You can use a wide variety of incline settings, so don’t get stuck on just one. See the articles section on how to use this exercise as a max effort movement.
Taken From EliteFTS.com
Categories: Bodybuilding Exercises, Chest Exercises, Strongman Exercise Database Tags: benchpress, dumbell, shoulders
Flat DB Bench – Chest Exercise
Main Muscle Worked: Chest
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound
Dumbbell Bench Press Instructions:
Sit down on a flat bench. Pick the dumbbells off the floor and rest them on top of your legs. Kick back with your legs and rock onto your back. Puch the weights straight up with your palms facing your feet. This is the starting position. Slowly lower the dumbbells down to the side of your chest. Go as deep as possible comfortably. Push dumbbells back to starting position. Repeat for desired reps.
Categories: Bodybuilding Exercises, Chest Exercises, Strongman Exercise Database Tags: chest, dumbell benchpress, shoulders
Board Press – Chest Exercise
Main Muscle Worked: Chest
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound
We love all aspects of Lumber Liftin. The 3 Board Press is one of the front runners for all time best max effort movements for the development of the bench press. For most the 3 board press will position the bottom of the lift (when the bar hits the boards) just out of the pec region of the bench press. This in turn will place most of the work onto the triceps and off of the chest. This makes the 3 board press a great triceps and lockout builder.
The 3 Board Press is also a great way to control the range of motion if you are dealing with shoulder and pec injuries.
While this movement is generally thought of as a max effort movement that will be trained with heavy singles and triples using the Max Effort Method. It is also a great triceps builder. Use a close grip and work up to a few heavy sets of 5 and watch you triceps take off.
I have personally seen this one movement add over 100 pounds to many lifters bench press. These lifters were all very strong off the chest but weak at the top end. This top end was holding their bench press back. After adding in three board presses for reps they increased their top end strength to match the bottom and strength and the net results was a hundred pound personal record.
Taken from Elitefts.com
Categories: Bench Press Exercises, Chest Exercises, Power Lifting Exercises, Strongman Exercise Database, Uncategorized Tags: benchpress, boardpress, chest
Bench Press With Weight Releasers – Chest Exercise
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscles: Triceps
Equipment Needed: Power Rack, Barbell, Weight releasers
Mechanics Type: Compound
Exercise Description: A few years ago, Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell Club wrote an article about using de-loading weight releasers for a special max effort method we were using for the box squat. I’ve spent the past year trying to find a way to use this same method with the bench press.
It’s taken a year because this method is so demanding on your system that it can’t be used very often. It was also a complicated process (complete with a couple of injuries) finding the right loading parameters. What I’ve found is this: what works for the squat doesn’t always work for the bench press. So I had to start from scratch. I’ve also found that the only way to determine the correct parameters is to get under the bar and find out what works best.
This loading process turned out to involve weight releasers, bands, chains, and barbell weight.
A weight releaser
I’ll discuss the reasons why in just a minute. First, let me discuss what we’re trying to achieve. The goal is to get the weight at the top of the movement over 100% of your best shirt max, then, as you lower the bar, begin the de-loading process. Once the bar hits your chest you’ll then lose the chain weight as well as the weight on the weight releasers. As you press the bar back up, the bands will “reload.”
Confused? I can see why. This is how I felt at first. Here’s the main thing: We all know the power eccentric training can have on strength development, but at what expense? You see, with negatives you don’t accommodate for the strength curve.
Let’s say you can bench press 400 pounds. You decide to do eccentric training. Many of us have been taught to do this by overloading the barbell and then lowering it slowly. First off, while you may have over 100% of your max at the top, this 100% represents your max strength of the entire lift, not what you can lift at the bottom. It may be 100% at the top, but what is it at the bottom of the lift?
We all know you’re stronger at the top, so the weight at your weakest point can be too much, which can lead to injuries. We also know that for eccentric strength to be effective it needs to be done at a normal to fast speed, not slow. This is the reason for plyometrics in the first place.
Now, even if you use weight releasers to overload the movement, the same is still true. With weight releasers you can add extra weight to the barbell that’ll then pop off at the bottom of the movement, thus allowing you to press the bar back to the top.
So we now know you need to have some bands for the fast eccentric as well as extra loading at the top. We also know to press the bar back up, thus taking advantage of the explosive reactive strength we need to lose much of the bar weight. Finally, we need to find a way to de-load the eccentric to accommodate for the strength curve. This can be done by placing the chains on the weight releasers so they de-load on the way down and then pop off with the weight that’s on the releaser.
In summary, you have a set weight on the barbell with band tension. Then you add weight releasers to the bar that have a combination of straight weight and chains. Now you have a max top weight, a de-loaded weight, a weight at pop-off (when the bar is on your chest after weight releasers has been popped off), and the re-loaded weight at the top.
Now you can see the hell I had to go through to get this right. After several tries I feel we finally figured out how to make this work. Here are the percentages we’ve found to be effective. These are based on your best raw bench press max:
Band tensions — 80 pounds at top. This is one double mini-band, around 40 pounds at bottom. This is good for all strength levels for this method.
Barbell weight — 50%
Weight on weight releaser — 20% total. 10% for each side.
The chains will be added as you work up.
The set/rep scheme works like this: Begin with the band on the barbell and slowly work up making sure to get an adequate warm-up. Work up to 50% on the barbell with straight weight. Yes, the 50% includes the weight of the barbell, but not the tension of the bands. Three reps per set is what I’d recommend as you work up.
After you reach 50% for your first set of 3 reps, you’ll add the weight releasers with 10% plate weight per side for one set of one rep. Now you’ll begin to add one chain per weight releaser for each additional set. See picture above to see how they’re placed on the weight releaser. Basically, we have a large carabineer hook in the middle of all the chains we sell. This hook fits over the weight releaser so there’s an even de-load on each side.
Hint: It’s very helpful to use one or two big spin-lock collars on the weight releaser before you place the chains. This keeps the chains at a higher level off the floor allowing for a better de-load. If you don’t have a set of these, then you can use a ton of 10’s, 5’s and 2.5 pound plates for your plate weight. This will accomplish the same thing.
With each additional set, add one more chain per side for one rep per set. Don’t try to lower the barbell slowly. Let the bar fall as you would a normal bench press set. It really doesn’t need to be faster or slower than this.
As you work up you should feel like this is an ass-load of weight at the top while holding the barbell, then as you break your elbows you’ll begin to feel the de-load. If you set the weight releasers up correctly they’ll pop off right above your chest (better yet, on your chest).
Hint: Set these up before you warm-up. When the bar hits your chest and the weight releaser pops off you’ll feel the weight release and a huge surge of explosive strength. This is another reason for the band tension. You need something to slow the bar down on the way up or you’ll toss the bar through the roof! Seriously, you need to have the tension so you don’t get hurt with the explosive force you’ll be developing.
When all is said and done, you’ll hit some huge numbers. First, the total weight at the top may end up being around 140% of your raw max. (Very close to many of your bench shirt maxes. My goal was to get this top holding weight as close to my shirt max as I could.) The weight at your chest before drop-off will be around 80-85% of your raw max. After drop-off this will drop to around 55-60%. The reloaded weight at the end of the press will finish up around 70% of your best raw max. You may have to play around with the percentages to get it to work right for you, but this at least gives you a great place to start.
So what will this do for you? First, it’ll help build a strong start. You have to be able to hold and control the weight at the top of the press. For me, this is everything. Most missed lifts I see happen because the start got messed up.
Second, it’ll teach you to lower heavy weight under control. This is also key for making sure you hit your chest (or belly) in the correct place during a max lift. Third, if you think about it, this is also how a great bench shirt will work. It’ll feel heavier at the top, then the shirt begins to take the weight. At the chest you get an explosive start and then have to push through the top.
Finally, it’ll build incredible reactive and explosive strength.
Training Mistakes:
• Using too much band tension. Start with the double mini. If you think you need more, move up slowly.
• Using too much weight releaser weight. This causes the eccentric weight before drop-off to be too high and can lead to overuse injuries at the bottom part of the movement.
• Dropping the bar too slow. Keep the speed the same as normal bench press speed.
• Not holding the bar at the top. This is both for the start and finish. Take advantage of the added training effect of the huge top weight at the start and hold the bar for one or two seconds. I like to hold mine for a three count.
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=33925&tid=102
Bench Press With Bands-(Chest Exercise)
Main Muscle Worked: Chest
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound
Using Bench Press Bands – By: Louie Simmons
Powerlifting Bands and Chains
There are many keys to success, but two invaluable ones are accelerating strength training and accommodating resistance by add-ing chains or bands or sometimes both.
Chains and bands are used in all of our training, be it the dynamic method for speed strength and acceleration or the maximum effort day to develop absolute strength.
In the bench press, bands and chains have helped 17 of our lifters achieve 550 or more and 7 lifters have done 600 or more. When I talk about bench training, I am referring to my lifters with a 550 bench or better; that’s who we experiment with.
On speed day for the bench, while doing the 8-10 sets of 3 reps, the chains are attached in the following manner. Loop a 1/4-inch-link chain with a hook around the bar sleeve to regulate the height of the 5/8-inch-link chain (5 feet long). Run the 5/8 chain through the metal loop and adjust it so that half of the 5/8 chain is lying on the floor while the bars in the rack. Use 60% of a no-shirt max on the bar. For example, if your max is 500, put 300 pounds on the bar. When the bar is on your chest, only the weight of the bar should be on your chest; that is, all the 5/8 chain should be on the floor.
If your best bench is 250 pounds or less, use one pair of 1/2-inch-link chains; these weigh 23 pounds a set, so you are locking out an extra 11.5 pounds. A 350 or more bencher should use one pair of 5/ 8-inch-link chain. By doing this, you will be locking out an extra 20 pounds. (They weigh 20 pounds each, but half is on the floor at lockout.) A 500 pound bencher can use both the 5/8 and 1/2 inch chains for a combined added weight of 31 pounds. A 600 bencher uses two 5/8 chains and sometimes adds a 1/2 inch chain, for 40 or 51 added pounds at lock-out.
You can experiment on your own, but remember this process is to build bar speed and acceleration. It also teaches you to launch the bar off your chest. A special note: Lower the bar fast and try to catch and reverse the weight as fast as possible. Never pause.
On max effort day, warm up to 315, then do a single. Next, add a 5/8 inch chain on each side and do a single. On the next set, use two sets of chain, then three sets, and so forth. This is similar to how a bench shirt works: the weight is less at the bottom and much greater at the top. The chains build not only acceleration but also a fast start and a strong lock-out.
For floor pressing, simply drape the 5/8 inch chain over the sleeve of the bar and you’re ready. J.M. Blakley and George Halbert do a lot of floor presses like this. George will use 200 pounds of chain (5 sets of chain) and works up to a single. His best at a bodyweight of 220 is 440 plus 200 pounds of chain, which is 640 at the top.
J.M. uses a different combination of weight and chains. ,J.M.s best is 400 pounds on the bar with 7 sets of chains, for a combined weight of 680 at lockout. Try any weight-to-chain ratio. Feel free to experiment. A cambered bar can be used as well.
These are a few methods to add to your max effort day.
Bands are a little tough for some on speed day because of the added eccentric properties they create. Also the weight resistance is much more radical at different positions: much less at the bottom, but much greater at the top. Remember, the bands are literally pulling down on you.
There are three bands with different strengths: pink is the least strong, for 300 pound benchers and below; green for 300-450 pound benchers; and blue for 500 pound benchers and above (shirtless max).
When using bands, be careful not to overdue it. The bands produce a large amount of eccentric overloading and can cause exces-sive soreness, but they are more than worth it. They build the lockout as well as the start. One realizes very fast that you have to outrun the bands, so you develop a fast start to enable you to lock out a heavy weight.
The most popular methods us-ing the bands are as follows. On max effort day, do board presses with four 2 x 6’s. Loop the bands through the bottom supports of the bench and then around the sleeve of the bar. When using four boards, the tension is never released. Be-cause of this, a quick start is impossible and locking out a heavyweight is really tough. To make it even tougher, use a cambered bar. ‘J.M. presses’ with bands are very popular at Westside. To make it as tough as possible, use several bands. Lower the bar straight down, aiming between the nipples and chin, stop 4-5 inches off the chest, and press back up. Use a close grip.
Bands and chains are often used for triceps extensions. This will radically change the strength curve of the movement by accommodating resistance (lifts are usually easier at the top).
A Westside supporter who con-stantly bugs me with some of the craziest ideas actually came up with an exercise that really works. So thanks to Doug Ebert for the follow-ing band exercise. Attach a blue band to the bar and start with 95 or 135 pounds because this is tough. Then take a pink or green band, depending on your strength, twist it once, and place it around your upper back so the tension is pulling back your hands. Now lie down on the bench, stretch the band to grab the bar, and start benching. This ‘double’ tension is unreal.
Also try the ‘lightened’ method, recommended by Carl of Jump-Stretch. Attach a set of blue bands to the top of the power rack with a slip knot. Load the bar to 135. It should be almost weightless at the chest. This way you can bench 135 pounds more than normal. This builds tremendous power at lockout, which is perfect for bench shirts.
Bands and chains have helped to increase our list of 550 benchers at Westside to 17. George Halbert recently benched 688 at 235 to capture the world record at 242. George also holds the 220 world record. Only two people can claim to hold a world record bench in two weight classes: George Halbert and Dave Waterman.
Now on to squatting. With an army of 800+ squatters, 22 to be exact, when we experiment and establish results, they are sound and proven. We also have a 755 squat-ter at 165 and a 782 squatter at 181. They all use chains and bands. Here’s how.
First use a set of 1/4-inch-link chains that attach to the bar sleeves. We suspend a metal ring from the 1/4 inch chains, which regulates height of the 5/8 chain from the floor. Loop the 5/8 inch chain through the metal ring so about three chain links are lying on the floor when you are standing. When you are sitting on the box, slightly below parallel, half of the chain will be unloaded onto the floor.
How much chain should you use? If you squat 350 or less, use one set of 5/8 inch chain, equaling 40 pounds at the top. If you squat about 600 pounds, use about 60 or 70 pounds of chain at the top. If you squat 800 pounds, use 80~120 pounds of chain at the top. As you can see, about 10% of your squat weight should be added with chain. If you are doing sets wIth 400 on the bar, you will be standing up with 520. An 800 squatter whose top training weight is 480, or 60%, will add 80-120 pounds of chain to the bar, equaling 600 at the top.
To use bands for squatting, if you squat 650 or less, use green bands. If you squat more than 650, use blue bands. Here are two ex-amples of 900+ squatters. Billy Masters and Dave Barno used a top weight of 500 pounds and 150 pounds of tension with blue bands. Billy did 909 and Dave did a perfect 925. Neither train at Westside, but they use our methods.
When squatting, wave your training weights from 50% to 60% in a 3 or 4 week cycle. Do mostly 8 sets of 2 reps with 45 seconds rest between sets.
For max effort work, one can choose a bar weight of, say, 400 or 500 pounds. Do a single and then add a set of chains. Keep doing singles and adding a second and third set of chains until you break a PR or miss. You can do the same with Flex bands. Good mornings are a great exercise to do with chains and bands. High pulls with the pink or green bands are also great.
I have seen one of our lifters with a 600 deadlift go to 670 in 6 months by using bands on the deadlift. Bob Young would use 275-315 on the bar, with about 200 pounds of tension from the bands. We use the platform that Jump-Stretch sells with their bands to do this exercise.
If you want to excel at powerlifting or any sport, then you must develop speed strength, increase acceleration, and gain absolute strength. Bands and chains can be instrumental in developing these aspects of strength. I highly recom-mend that you try them as soon as possible
http://westside-barbell.com/articles.htm
Categories: Bench Press Exercises, Chest Exercises, Power Lifting Exercises Tags: bench press with bands, shoulders, triceps
Bench Press with Chains – Chest Exercise
Primary Muscle: Chest
Secondary Muscles: Triceps
Equipment Needed: Power Rack, Barbell, Chains
Mechanics Type: Compound
Chain Reaction: Accommodating Leverages
By Louie Simmons
www.Westside-Barbell.com
Because the human body is stronger at some positions than at others, we are limited as to the amount of weight we can use in a certain movement. For instance, you may be able to do a quarter squat with 600 lbs, but you may be able to only full squat 400 pounds. We all know through practical experience that while doing a simple curl, at the start of the movement, is very hard, whereas at the finish it is somewhat easier because of changing leverage. This problem was first addressed around 1900 by Max Herz. His solution was the oblong cam, which he patented. Years later, the Nautilus line of exercise equipment tried to solve this age-old problem, -in my opinion unsuccessfully.
One lifter’s strength will certainly be different from another lifter’s at the same joint angle. Let’s go back to the 1960s and power rack training. A power rack will, in one way, address this problem. For example, let’s say a lifter can deadlift 600 pounds off the floor. Utilizing a power rack, with the weight 2 inches off the floor he can pull, let’s say 625, and 4 inches off the floor, 650. By sitting the weight as high as 8 inches off the floor, he may be able to pull 750. In this manner, we have solved, at least partly, the problem of overloading, or providing adequate resistance as joint angles change.
However, it’s difficult for some to display this new found strength to flow from from pin height to pin height. This can be explained by the fact that it is very seldom that one’s body positions the same while pulling off the floor as it is while pulling off the rack. Isokinetics may be a partial solution, by maintaining a constant bar speed. But as with most machines, you must follow the path of the machine which is different from the path of a free weight. The path of a barbell is somewhat unpredictable at times. Another drawback is that prior to the start, as well as the finish, there is no load bearing on the lifter with this type of apparatus.
Is there answer to the problem of how to overload or adequately load the body to match the body’s increase in leverage? Yes, there is. While many people call me for advice, others give me advice that I pass along. A gentleman, whose name I don’t remember, related to me some training he had done with chains. This was a few years ago, but we finally got around to using chains in an experiment with Amy Weisberger, a current World Champion, whose best total in 12 weeks went from 975 to 1025 as 123; Vanessa Schwenker, a current national champion. whose total went from 1030 to 1100 in 12 weeks; Tracy Tate, a novice lifter, increased her bench from 180 to 210; Dave Tate, her husband, a 308 with a previous total of 2028, who went from 782 to 830 in the squat, 540 to 585 in the bench, and 705 to 720 in the deadlift, for a total of 2135. After being stuck at 710 on a low box squat for 2 years, he made 765 after 6 workouts. Now with these examples in mind, here’s how we use chains in out training.
The chains are 5 feet long, 5/8 link size and 20 lbs each. They can be found at most industrial tool supply companies. For bench pressing, we will attach the chains to the bar so that when the arms are fully extended, half the chain is resting on the floor. After lowering the bar to the chest, all the chain is on the floor. By doing this, the original bar weight is maintained. Let’s go over this again. If you have 300 pounds on the bar plus 80 pounds of chains attached (2 sets of chains), with half the chain already on the floor, that adds up to 340 at the lockout position, but when the bar is lowered, all the chain is on the floor and the total weight on the bar is reduced to the original 300 at chest level. As you press, the weight gradually increases to 340.
Training with chains in this manner accomplishes three things. 1) We have maintained our original weight in order to use the correct percentage for explosive training. 2) We have overloaded the top portion of the lift, which normally does not receive sufficient work because of increased body leverage at this position. 3) A neurological response to build explosive strength is developed. This training will train you to drive to the top because you cannot slack off at the top phase as you used to.
Those who bench press 400 pounds or less should use 40 pounds of chain; those who bench over 500 should use 80 pounds of chain. Those in between should experiment with both amounts and aim for adequate bar speed. Remember, half the chain should rest on the floor when the bar is racked.
Lifters who have a sticking point at or slightly above the knees in the deadlift will also find great benefit from using chains. Attach the chains to the bar with a lightweight chain to adjust where the heavy chain will leave the floor and contribute to the weight on the bar.
Tom Waddle uses 405-455 of regular bar weight on the deadlift bar. To that he will add up to 200 pounds of chain. As he lifts the 405 it gradually turns into 605 as the chains leave the floor.
The chains compensate for added leverage near the lockout. If you are weak at the top, this will solve your problem. Also it will develop starting strength. Because the chains make it more difficult to press as the bar ascends, you will instinctively try to accelerate the bar from start to finish.
The effects of special training normally occur in 2-4 weeks, but to my surprise, the training effect with chains is immediate.
As an experiment, we loaded the squat bar to 415 and did 2 reps. Next, a set of chains was added. They were attached so that all the chain weight was on the bar at the top, of 455, and half was unloaded at the bottom, or 435. Four additional sets were done, for a total of five with 415 or more. On set 6, two sets of chains were placed on the bar; top weight 495, bottom weight 455. On set 7, three sets of chains were used; top weight 535, bottom weight 475. Set 8, four sets of chains were used: top weight 575, bottom weight 495. Set 9, five sets of chains were used; top weight 615, bottom weight 515. These sets were done with 50 second rest periods. Next, we removed all the chains so the bar was reduced to the original 415. The box, which was already an inch below parallel, was lowered another inch. Four more sets were done. To our surprise, they were more explosive than our first sets with 415.
After 13 sets with 50 second rest periods, we were actually more explosive because of the chains. This immediate benefit is unheard of with conventional training.
I don’t sell chains, but I hope you buy this idea. It is one of the most effective ways to train that I have encountered. The chains will build starting strength and overload the body at the top of all three lifts, where due to added leverage, the muscles receive little work compared to the bottom portion of the lift. At the bottom, the chains work as a lightening device, by enabling one to handle the most weight at any one position of the lift.
I am passing this Westside Secret on to you in the hopes of helping you reach your goals, no matter what they may be.
