How To Correct Deadlift Exercise Form

If you’re a Strength Camp Member or have been reading my website for some time, you know that I love dead lifts… not only for their strength and power building capacity but also for their ability to correct common muscular imbalances when performed correctly.

This video teaches an effective exercise that will strengthen the scapular adductors and mid back muscles while stretching the upper traps, pec minor and biceps.  Thus correcting the “thoracic kyphosis” posture (rounding of the shoulders) present in many young weaklings

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How To Bench Press CORRECTLY!

This guest video and article submitted by Jim Smith of:

http://www.AcceleratedMuscularDevelopment.com

Key Points to Remember

There are very important key points to remember when performing the bench press to ensure healthy shoulders and longevity. In fact, these key points apply to all the horizontal pressing movements in this manual.

1.Keep a tight grip on the bar at all times, a tighter grip equates to more tension in the lower arms, upper back and chest.

2.Keep your chest up (thoracic extension) throughout the movement.

3.Elbows should be tucked and end up at approximately 45 degrees from your side.

4.Unrack the weight and take a deep breath and hold it.

5.Row the weight down to your chest, like a bent over row. Do not relax and let the weight drop.

6.Back, hips, glutes and legs are tight and isometrically contracted.

7.When you touch your chest, drive your feet downward and reverse the movement.

If there is pain with this movement, regress back to neutral grip dumbbell bench pressing. This means that you take a set of dumbbells and do bench press with your hands facing each other. Sometimes this is referred to as a “hammer” grip or a neutral grip. If there still is pain my suggestion to you is to regress further to more of a basic, fundamental movement, such as a push-up.

Push-up are an incredible tool that most lifters don’t do because they want to build a big bench and a big chest. So they spend hours in the gym on the bench press, with poor form wrecking their shoulders. Follow the video below to learn how to bench correctly, but don’t forget to always include basic movements such as a push-up.

Jim Smith, CSCS is a highly sought after lecturer, renowned strength coach and author of Accelerated Muscluar Development. Jim is an expert for Men’s Fitness and a member of the Elite Fitness Q/A staff. He speaks regularly at clinics, conferences and seminars about the Diesel Method. His distinctive and comprehensive training approach has helped athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all skill levels attain their goals and “Achieve Beyond Potential”. Jim is an active student of strength athletics and is always seeking new waysto innovate and provide a unique perspective for gaining muscle, rehabbing injuries, improving performance and building better athletics.

Trap Bar Dead Lifting For Football Strength

Below you’ll get a chance to take a look at some of the “young stud” football players lifting massive amounts of weight with the trap bar a Strength Camp.

But the truth is… I’m not super impressed with trap bar pulling.  Yea, it looks great and it does offer the great benefit of putting the body under loads that force the production of growth hormones and testosterone.

BUT…

The fact remains that this movement is sort of a “cheat”.  Because when you lift a weight that allows you to maintain your center of gravity over your base of support, you are less likely to recruit the often weak and under utilized musculature of the mid / low back and abdominals.

We use the Trap Bar to build egos and have fun… but when its all said and done, a truly strong and balanced athlete MUST learn how to dead lift with a straight bar.

PS – This “Secret” of weight training can add several pounds of strength and increased performance if used properly.

This is also only one of the several tips and secrets included in Strength Camp Principle #3 “Construct A STRONG Body”.

I will be unleashing everything that I understand and use at Strength Camp to construct strong and massive athletes and men on April 25th.

Learn more here: http://strengthcamp.com/clinic-birthday-party.html

Can’t wait to see you there!

Front Squats For Improved Posture & Performance

This scares me to death… strength and sports coaches who load heavy weights onto the back of weak and muscularly imbalanced athletes.

Listen, if yourself or your athletes can not maintain a STRONG posture… which in my book is defined as:

“The capacity to maintain The Instantaneous Axis Of Rotation of all joints while static or during dynamic movement.”

Then you have no business adding external resistance (barbells or weights) to their body in a manner that facilitates the weakness or exposes it to injury.

Let me explain… if a kid has overdeveloped traps and weak scapular adductors (the muscles that hold the chest up and shoulder blades together) he will appear to have a “rounded” or “hunched” mid / back,  It may not be as obvious a deformation as the Hunchback of Notre Dame but it is a Red Flag none the less.

Now if you take that kid who can barely maintain thoracic extension (chest up, shoulders down posture) and load his spine with a 225 lb. barbell and expect him to squat… you’re gonna have one of several situations on your hands.

1. The barbell will crush him and toss him face first onto the floor with the barbell doping down on his neck!

2. He will squat the weight, but it will look more like a Good Morning bow than a squat… and his low back is going to be killing him!

3. He will simply not be able to attempt the lift…. EVER!  He will never get stronger with this weak link in his “kinetic chain.”

So, what the heck do you do?

Use what I call “Corrective Bodybuilding” to strengthen weaknesses while still taxing the nervous and endocrine system for increased strength and growth!

Check out one more of my “Corrective Bodybuilding” exercises below:

Check out… Football Strength System for more “Corrective Body Building Exercises”,  before the price goes up this month!

Squat Technique Flaw

If you are familiar with my philosophies on strength and conditioning for football player, athletes and general fitness… you know that I LOVE Squats!!

Nothing builds a solid set of legs, back, core, shoulders, neck, ears and eye lids than a healthy set of barbell squats.  In fact, squats are so important for the development of athletic strength and speed that it was the very first exercise that my uncle taught me when I began training at 14 years old.

Unfortunately, most people suck at squatting… and this is a shame since squats not only improve athletic performance but are essential for the maintenance of good health.

You might not know this, but squats are a “Primal Pattern” (ref. Paul Chek) which means that if you couldn’t squat during primordial times… you’d be pretty useless as a hunter/gatherer/builder and would definitely have a tough time pooping!  (can you say Colon Obstruction?)

We’ll I am going to show you a common muscular imbalance that many adults and athletes have that makes squatting nearly impossible.

But, I also show you how to fix it… who loves ya?

I spent an entire chapter on how to squat properly in my Football Strength System.  Make sure you are not wasting your time with ineffective exercises or with improper form.

Wide Grip Bench Press – Chest Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Chest

Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders

Equipment: Barbell

Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: Same as the Barbell Bench Press but with a grip that is as wide as you can go safely. Keep your head on the bench and do not arch your back. Exhale on the way up.

Upper Back for the Bench

By Jim Wendler

For www.EliteFTS.com

Several years ago, in order to fully immerse myself into powerlifting, I changed my eating habits (from semi-shitty to all-out crappy), bought a truck load of Chuck Taylor’s (a fashion no-no, even for someone with such a laissez faire attitude towards fashion as I), and began my quest to become one of the most physically unappealing males world wide. It was a fun but difficult road. As John Stafford once said, “We work so hard to be so ugly.” Anyway, on the road to immersion I, like many of you have done, printed out Louie’s articles and engrossed myself in them. I had copies of his articles in my backpack, in my bathroom and next to my bed. I should point out that I was in college at the time, hence the backpack. After re-reading Lou’s article about 1000’s times, one of the things that I noticed was how important the upper back is for bench pressing. I was never a big bench presser, so when this knowledge was bestowed upon me, I was a little taken aback. Isn’t the bench all pecs, shoulders and triceps?

From all the years of deadlifting and doing Olympic movements, I had accumulated an impressive set of traps. I thought that this is all I needed to do to build the upper back for pressing. I eventually found out that this is not the case. Many of the movements below, unlike the deadlift and Olympic lifts are done so that the end position mimics the feel of how your upper back is when you bench press.

So why do you want to build a strong, thick upper back? There are a couple of reasons:

• Stability – I define this as being able to take a maximum weight off and NOT get flattened. You need to be strong and thick enough to maintain a good arch in your upper back to maintain the correct pressing position. If you take the weight off and immediately flatten out, you are in for a long day.

• Structural Integrity – Since the majority of us have done much more pressing than pulling and have a huge imbalance, making the upper back a priority will hopefully lead to fewer injuries.

I have classified upper back exercises into two categories; direct and indirect. I only do this to make things a little bit easier. Now the direct exercises, while not isolation exercises, are more directed towards the upper back. The indirect exercises target the lats and the upper back. There are two laws that I adhere to when training with these two kinds of movements:

• With direct upper back exercises, volume is king
• Train your indirect upper back exercises heavy.

So what do I mean by high volume? This is open for interpretation, but for me, it’s generally 4-5 sets of 10-20 reps. I like to perform 1-2 exercises from each category a week. For the heavier movements, 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps seem to work well.

Direct Upper Back Exercises

Face Pulls – This is one of the most popular upper back exercises. It works well and is easy to do. The face pull can be done with just about any kind of rope, triceps strap, straight bar…it really doesn’t matter. Just pull something to your face.

Seated DB Cleans – Next to the JM Press, this exercise is probably the most asked about. This has replaced the long lost (and let’s keep it that way, people) Paul Dicks Press in the category of, “Most likely to interpret wrong” category. The word “clean” does not make this movement an Olympic or explosive movement. Think about doing an external rotation but starting the movement with arms straight and down to the sides. This is usually done as one fluid motion, not broken up into stages. If you want to see it in action, get the EFS Exercise Index for the Bench Press DVD.

Rear Laterals – This is simple enough. You can do these with dumbbells, holding on to plates or by using a cable machine. I like to use two different hand positions: thumbs pointed towards the front (this is what is most commonly used) and thumbs pointed at each other. The latter is a little bit harder. Which one is better? Neither, they are just different. This is a good way of adding some variety in a fairly dull movement.

Standing Cable Cleans – This is exactly like the seated DB clean, only that you use a cable and a single D attachment. Start by holding the handle, performing an upright row, and finishing in an external rotation.

Band Pullaparts – Another very simple movement done with the aid of Jump Stretch bands. Usually a mini or light band is used. Give it a tug and hold it for a few seconds. You can move your grip in/out for more/less tension. You can also pull from various angles; you can raise or lower your arms for a different feel. I like to keep my arms straight throughout the entire movement. I also think this movement will help you realize how tight your upper back needs to be during a squat or bench press.

Rear Delt Machine – This one is pretty easy because it’s a machine. This makes it fairly hard to screw up.

High DB Rows – These are best done while lying on a bench. This is very similar to a chest supported row, but you simply pull the dumbbells to a higher position. Lie down on an incline bench, grab two dumbbells and with your elbows out, pull the dumbbells to your face or slightly lower.

Muscle Snatch – I think this is a great exercise and I should probably do it more often, but somehow, the ease of the face pull always beckons to me. To do this exercise, grab the bar with a wide grip. What’s wide? To start with, try putting your index fingers on the rings of the power bar. You can go narrower or wider as you see fit. With no leg drive, begin by doing an upright row. Make sure you keep your elbows higher than the bar. Once the bar reaches (approximately) your chin, being rotating your shoulders until the bar is overhead with your arms locked out. Your final position should be the same as a snatch: arms overhead and fully locked out. This does not (and really cannot) be done with heavy weights.

Indirect Upper Back Exercises

Chest Supported Rows – This is one of the best lat and upper back exercises you can do. Plus, there is little lower back stress.

DB Rows – Just pick up any bodybuilding magazine for pics of this exercise. You can do these with several different hand/elbow positions. For example, you can have your elbow tucked or straight out to the side. You can bring the dumbbell high to your upper pec area, or you can tuck your elbow and bring it lower. The farther your elbow is out (generally) the less weight that you will do. What you can do is do a few lighter sets with your elbow out and as the weight becomes heavier, tuck it in.

Bent Over Rows – This is a staple of any lat/upper back workout. This exercise has been described to death, so I don’t think there is much need for me to do it. Like the dumbbell row, you can vary where you pull the bar; high up on the chest (elbows out) or brought low to your stomach (elbows tucked).

Pull-ups/ Chin-ups – This exercise is a favorite of mine and one of the best overall upper body exercises one can do. Even if you cannot do 8-10 reps, multiple sets of low reps (2-4) work very well. When I first began doing these, I would perform 6 sets, all with different grips. Each set consisted of 3 reps with about 30 seconds rest between sets. I would do this two times through with about 2-3 minutes rest between groups. The 6 grips that I did were:

• Wide grip pronated
• Medium grip pronated
• Narrow grip pronated
• Narrow grip supinated
• Medium grip supinated
• Neutral grip (palms facing)

I hope that this article introduced you to some new movements or reinforced the idea of how important the upper back is to your training. If anyone has any more great exercises for the upper back, please let us know. I’m always looking for some variety.

Copyright© 2006 Elite Fitness Systems. All rights reserved.

Close Grip Bench Press – Chest Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Chest

Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders

Equipment: Barbell

Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: Just like the Barbell Bench Press but with your hands only 12 – 14″ apart, centered over your body. Works more of the inner pectorals and triceps.

Making the Max Effort Easy
By Jim Wendler
For EliteFTS

There are a ton of questions on how to work up to a 1RM on max effort day. While many lifters don’t use percentages, it certainly makes it easier on coaches and novices on how to pick attempts. Since many people who are new to doing these movements are not familiar with their maxes, use the following to help guide you.

• 2 Board Press – 105% of 1RM of raw bench press
• 3 Board Press – 110-115% of 1RM of raw bench press
• Floor Press – 90-95% of 1RM of raw bench press

• All of these movements are done with a medium grip (pinky on the ring of the power bar) and all 1RM on the raw bench press are done with a maximum legal grip. If you use different grips, then I have no idea of the approximate percentages.

I’m going to point out that these numbers are approximate values and should be used accordingly. These are not set numbers. So if you are reading this article and already have a calculator in hand and find some kind of discrepancy, it is ok and you will live. Everyone is different. Also, you will notice that there is no numbers for the incline press or the reverse band press. This is because there are a ton of different angles of incline presses and there are too many discrepancies on how to set up a reverse band press.

If you are guessing your 1RM, always err on the side of too light. So now that you know an approximate number for your 1RM on each movement, use the following set/rep scheme. Notice that the percentages start at 50%. This is NOT your first set. Warm-up to that first set anyway that you want. Many times, it could be 2-3 sets and you are ready for the 50% set. For a stronger, more experienced lifter (“experienced” is code word for always beat up and hurting), it may take 5 or more sets to be ready for your 50% set.

• 1×5 @ 50%
• 1×3 @ 60%
• 1×2 @ 70%
• 1×1 @ 80%
• 1×1 @ 90%
• 1×1 @ 95%
• 1×1 @ 100% or new PR.

Here’s how it would work in a real life example. The lifter has a best 2 board press of 450lbs.

• 225×5
• 275×3
• 315×2
• 365×1
• 405×1
• 425×1
• 455 or 460×1

Now let’s say that you don’t know your best performance on a floor press, but you know your 1RM on the bench press. Your best bench press is 315lbs. 90% of 315 is 285. So your goal is to do perform a floor press with 285, thus 285 = 100%

• 145×5
• 170×3
• 200×2
• 230×1
• 255×1
• 270×1
• 285×1

Because this is your first time performing the floor press, I would advise you to stop. Don’t worry if this isn’t a true max effort. It’s not going to kill you if you don’t work up. You’ve got another week of the exercise. The next week, you have a new goal to shoot for. Because your new goal is probably going to be fairly close to 285, I would advise you to use the same weights or fairly close for your warm-up sets as used before. If you feel like you were good for at least 300, then base the percentages on that number (300). The %’s will become a thing of the past the more experienced you get. You will begin to know instinctively how to work up to a 1RM. These percentages are great for the beginner to this program as well as coaches and trainers that would like a more concrete way (and something they can put on paper) for their athletes.

With the squat and deadlift variations, we have found that it is very difficult to find any kind of % carryover between lifts. For example, if you can parallel squat 500lbs. doesn’t mean that you are able to squat 475 with a SS Bar on a parallel box. There are way too many variables with the squat and deadlift. My advice to you is simply estimate some very reasonable goals for each movement. In fact, if you are completely new to the SS Bar or any other movement, simply use a couple training sessions to familiarize yourself. Don’t try to work up to a 1RM. Learn how to do the exercise correctly and safely. So let’s say that you squat 500lbs and are trying the SS Bar for the first time. This is how you would use the bar the first couple of weeks; (for all you number-freaks and statisticians out there, we always count the bar as being 45lbs. because it’s easier this way! Plus it doesn’t matter how much you do on these movements as long as the way that you track it is consistent.)

Week One

Bar x 10
95×5
135×5
225×5
275×3
275×3

Week Two

Bar x 10
95×5
135×5
225×5
275×3
315×3

After the second workout, set a goal (say 365×1) and use the set/rep/percentage scheme as outlined above.

Some notes to help you:

• Once you establish a record with a certain grip, STAY WITH THAT GRIP! While it’s nice to use different grips and more variation, you won’t ever know how you are progressing if you constantly use different grips. The box height is the same concept as the grip; use the same box height when using a certain bar. While you can have a low box, parallel and high box record for each bar, this can get confusing for some. Just stick with a parallel box for now.

• When you are beginning, you will probably break more records than the PMRC. (A little Tipper Gore humor…) This is typical and very fun. Run with it but not at the expense of bad form. A bruised ego is better than a bruised sternum.

• Use a grease board to chart your progress. If you are in a home gym, proudly display your records in the garage/basement/family room. If you put it up in your house, make the max effort movements appear to be stock exchange symbols and impress your neighbors.

• Don’t use a ton of different movements; pick about 5 different max effort movements for the bench press –

1. 2 board press
2. 3 board press
3. Close grip bench press
4. Incline bench press
5. Reverse band press

And the following exercises for the squat and deadlift -

1. Safety squat bar box squat (parallel box)
2. Manta Ray box squat (parallel box)
3. Cambered bar box squat (parallel box)
4. Deadlift off of 3” elevated platform
5. Rack pulls from below the knees
6. Reverse band deadlift

To sum it up:

1. Find your goal weight of the day for the exercise.
2. Figure out which weights to use for each %’s.
3. Train and establish a 1RM.
4. Use new (and correct) 1RM for upcoming workouts.

Flat Bench Press – Chest Exercise

Primary Muscle: Chest

Secondary Muscle: Shoulders, Triceps, Back

Equipment Needed: Flat Bench, Barbell

Mechanics Type: Compound

Proper Exercise Technique:

Lie down on the bench with your feet, butt and shoulders firmly planted on the ground. Space your hands evenly across the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Un-rack the weight and lower the bar until it makes contact with the lower portion of your chest. Drive the weight back up into the starting position and complete this motion until you have reached muscular failure.

Tips: The bar should always come to a complete stop after it touches your chest. It is very important that you do not bounce or jerk the weight up using momentum. You should also make sure to keep your butt planted on the bench at all times throughout the lift, and also try not to arch your back too much. In order to avoid injury and stress, do not lock your elbows out at the top of the movement. Obviously if you are competing in the bench press you will want to arch your back to shorten the distance the bar travels and you’ll have to lockout your triceps for a good lift or rack command.

There has been some talk lately about how bench presses are not sport specific and that football players should not do them. I say that’s bullshit! Everyone knows that a huge, massive upper body is essential for football strength and the best way to do this is with heavy weights the best exercise for moving heavy weights in a pushing manner is the bench press. The bench press not only builds a massive and strong chest but it is an incredible exercise for the triceps and shoulders also. If you are not bench-pressing heavy weights you are truly missing out.

I’m sure I don’t have to spend too much time convincing you to bench press as everyone loves to do it, but the majority of athletes and coaches put too much emphasis on this movement and are usually performing it improperly.

1. I like to have my athletes take a slightly wider that shoulder width grip; also I prefer that they wrap the thumbs around the bar. Another little trick is to grip the bar as tight as possible; you’ll notice that when you do this all of the muscles in your arms tense up.

Also, I teach my athletes to draw their feet under them and squeeze their glutes. This is a technique that I learned from power lifters, it really adds to the force production when pressing.

Another little benching trick is the draw your shoulder blades together and ‘sit’ on your traps. This will raise your chest up a bit higher and allow for less room for the bar to travel. Also, make sure that your elbows are at a 45-degree angle from your body, not straight out the sides.

Sure, I can hear you now… Elliott, I want my athletes to get stronger why are you teaching them how to cheat in the bench press? Well, if you consider that the way we are going to build super strong athletes is with heavy weights then wouldn’t it make sense that we do everything in our power to have our athletes lift the heaviest weights possible? These are tricks, yes, but I assure you that they will allow your athletes to lift heavier weights and get stronger than using the typical bodybuilding bench press form.

2. Once the bar has been lowered under control, simply push it straight back up. Forget the whole push back in an arching pattern. Just press straight up! And repeat.

For variety you can also perform bench presses with rubber bands and chains. This will add some ‘accommodating resistance” as well as offer a different stimulus to the muscles to allow for continued progress. Remember that we want to change exercises every 3 weeks or so, this just adds to your arsenal of exercises. You don’t need them but they are a great addition, especially with athletes who have been lifting for a while.

Rack Pull Dead Lifts – Leg Exercise

Primary Muscle: Quads

Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Lower Back, Back, Calves, Hamstrings

Equipment Needed: Barbell

Mechanics Type: Compound

Proper Exercise Technique: Think of a deadlift as a squat, only the bar is in your hands rather than on your back.

The Iron Man Chuck Vogelpohl Interview
By Jim Wendler For EliteFTS

Dave and I wanted to do an interview with Chuck Vogelpohl for awhile and for several reasons. Since his new video is out and we knew there’d be a lot of questions about his different training style we thought that this would give you an inside look at why he does what he does. Also, Chuck doesn’t do a lot of interviews; in fact, I don’t know if anyone has even asked him. And this leads us to the final point. Perhaps the lack of interviews is because people are scared of him. A lot of people have some preconceived notions about who Chuck is and what kind of person he is. They see internet videos of him squatting or deadlifting and going nuts. They hear stories about his intensity in the gym and some of the crazy numbers that he does. The internet has done wonders for “The Myth of Chuck Vogelpohl”. Some of these stories have led people to believe that he is some kind of crazed lunatic.

In truth, Chuck is far from the person that people think he is. He is a very humble and gracious person. He will help coach and spot any lifter in the gym. For example, on Wednesday’s Chuck will bench before J.L and I. He will always stick around to help load, spot, hold boards and help set bench shirts. Another example; my very first meet was the 2001 IPA Nationals, the same meet that Chuck squatted his first 1000lbs. This was done on a Saturday. On Sunday, I walked into the warm-up room, nervous and green. During all of my warm-up sets on the squat, Chuck is running the Monolift and giving me advice.

Now don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean Chuck likes everyone to come up to him and pat him on the back. He’s quieter than you think and isn’t comfortable in the spotlight. So if you do approach him, don’t expect to get a hug. And don’t be offended if he doesn’t sit down and bullshit with you for an hour. This isn’t him being cocky; it’s just the way he is.

The following interview was done on a Friday after squatting and deadlifting. We recorded it on an audio tape and since Chuck speaks softly (surprised?), some of the answers were hard to understand upon listening to it. I transcribed it the best I could. I now present to you The Iron Man; Chuck Vogelpohl.

EFS: First, thanks for letting us do this interview. You don’t do many interviews and don’t get involved with the internet.

Chuck V.: Thanks. I let my lifting do the talking.

EFS: The major reason why we wanted to do this interview was to clear things up on your new video, “Vogelpohl XXX”. First, very briefly, explain how and why you structure your squat and deadlift workouts. They are not the same as most; you don’t have a max effort day and dynamic effort day.

Chuck V.: Well I should point out that I did perform a max effort day and dynamic effort day for almost twenty years. What I do is now is not for everyone. Not for the beginner. I used to do a lot of speed work with chains and with just bar weight; I did this for years, maybe fifteen. What happened was I broke my neck and had a lot of injuries that occurred outside of the weight room and I had to make a lot of adjustments. Plus, what happened on max effort day… I would end up going nuts both days; basically going heavy on both. That’s how I am and that’s what happens when you train here [Westside Barbell]. Plus, Louie is always challenging you and I can’t back down from the old man. Overtime this didn’t go very well. So there were a lot of factors that went into it.

Basically, on Friday’s I will squat and will either work up to a heavy weight, sometimes off of a higher box or instead of going heavy on the squat I will pull heavy from the pins. A lot of what I do is based on how I feel; something I can’t put down on paper.

EFS: So do you still do your speed stuff before you work up to a heavy single or double on the squat?

Chuck V: Yes.

EFS: What kind of percentages do you use?

Chuck V. You would know better than me. Percentages work well with beginners and intermediate lifters; they need guidelines and somewhere to start. If you are at a higher level, you instinctively know where you are, what numbers you need to hit and how weight is supposed to feel.

EFS: How high is the box you use when you work up?

Chuck V: This depends. 1-2 inches above parallel.

EFS: How about the rack deadlifts? How high are those?

Chuck V: I usually pull above the knee, but it depends. I need to pull something heavier than I will pull in a competition. I need to put that weight in my hands. I think that is very important to overload the top end. It helps with confidence.

EFS: Do you ever do any max effort work on Monday?

Chuck V: Occasionally, but not often.

EFS: What does a Monday consist of for you?

Chuck V: A lot of lat work, low back work on the 45 degree back raise, Reverse Hyperextensions, Back Attack, glute ham raises. I do most of my abdominal work at work or at home. These are not easy workouts though.

EFS: What does your abdominal training consist of?

Chuck V: A lot of high rep work; a lot of static work. I still do weighted sit-ups.

EFS: What about sled work?

Chuck V: I never do it. Lou loves the sled, but I never do it.

EFS: You talk about technique in the video. Having lifted with you, I know you are a big believer in mastering technique.

Chuck V: You’ve got to master technique. You’ve got to be dead on; especially with heavy weights. If you can’t lift correctly than you are going to get hurt.

EFS: What are your tips for mastering technique?

Chuck V: I think people believe that they will be perfect after one year. Me and Louie, we’ve been lifting for so long and we’re still working on mastering technique. It takes a lot of time. Probably more than people are willing to invest. The number one thing that people don’t seem to do is keep their head up and their knees always come in. These things will kill your bar path when you get to heavier weights; this will screw your lift.

EFS: Everyone has heard stories about you and some of the insane weights you’ve used in training, especially in regards to bands and weight. Are you still doing this?

Chuck V: Yes. But I’ve been adding a lot more chain work to help with my building my stability. The bands are what made my squat take off, but I lost a lot in stability. I was using a ton of tension.

EFS: In the video you touch on a beginner not using bands.

Chuck V: When you and Dave told me that beginners were using bands; high school kids and below I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know who is coaching these days.

EFS: So what are your thoughts?

Chuck V: At least be at master level of the sport and your technique needs to be dead on. Get the most out of just using bar weight and milk it; you should be able to hit some big numbers with them and chains. The bands won’t make you squat big; check between your legs before you change anything. It takes more than a band to make you squat.

EFS: Why do you think the bands worked so well for you?

Chuck V: I’ve always been weak at the top so the bands helped quite a bit; probably more than most people. Most people are very weak at the bottom. I don’t know if the bands would help this as much as they did with me at the top.

EFS: What did your max effort work use to be like?

Chuck V: A lot of good mornings, different kinds of squats and a deadlifts. The same stuff that most everyone still does. Not much has changed really over the years.

EFS: What about your diet? I’m sure everyone wants to know how you stay so lean.

Chuck V: Just watch my fat. I eat two or three protein drinks a day; Ultra Size and some whey protein. It’s not like I count the number of carbs and fat.

EFS: How much protein do you get per day?

Chuck V: Who knows, who cares.

EFS: I’m sure all the diet experts will want to know.

Chuck V: Whatever.

EFS: At meets, you get a little worked up before you lift. Is it hard to stay focused on your form when you are like this?

Chuck V: Sometimes, but it’s what I know. I should probably stay a bit more controlled.

EFS: What’s the deal with you and rap music?

Chuck V: What’s the deal with your tattoos?

EFS: What’s it like training at Westside being Chuck Vogelpohl?

Chuck V: When I started training at Westside, I think in 1986, I was just another lifter, another member of the team. Today, really nothing is different. I’m just another member of the team. As they strive to make me better, I strive to make them better. Westside is more than training and powerlifting. For me, and many guys here, it’s my second family and we’ve been here through bad times and good times. Louie has done more for powerlifting across the world, the United States, Columbus, Ohio and has yet to always been able to give 1000 times more to his lifters in the gym. This is what people will never understand about Westside Barbell and the gym and the attitude. People get wrapped up about how we train, as far as numbers and exercises, but they don’t know, and will never know HOW we train. You’ve seen it; when visitors come here and we’re getting ready for a meet.

EFS: You’re getting all emotional on me.

Chuck V: I should point out that if you’re here and not giving 100% than get the fuck out.

EFS: What are you views on powerlifting equipment?

Chuck: I do think it’s getting somewhat out of hand, but if you want to compete at a high level, you have to wear what’s out there. I have been wearing the same squat suit for years now and Dave has been helping me design a Metal squat suit. In order for me to compete in this sport I have to use the best equipment I can. That’s the nature of the sport.

EFS: You have a reputation for being intense and hardcore. Inside, in the deep part of your soul, how does this make you feel?

Chuck V: [Walks away]

EFS: We all know you started the squat beanies in powerlifting. Can you let us in on what the new fashion trend is going to be?

Chuck: [Laughs]

EFS: How do you decide what hat to wear on squat day?

Chuck: [At this point, Chuck breaks out some kind of Harley Davidson do-rag and starts laughing]

EFS: What do you think of static iso-holds?

Chuck: [Laughs] What?

EFS: How do you calculate volume on a weekly basis and do you base this entirely on Prilipin’s chart and do you follow the 60% rule when performing extra workouts?

Chuck: Whatever you say.

EFS: Now that you are reaching the big 4-0, do you plan on competing in the Master’s Division?

Chuck: [Walks away.]

EFS: Did you ever catch the guy that stole the sleeves of your shirt?

Chuck: [Stares at me. I wore my special Westside t-shirt sans sleeves that day in honor of Chuck]

EFS: Why does your bench fucking suck?

Chuck: Damn shirts don’t work.

At this point, Chuck finished with a couple of sets of elevated glute-ham raises and went home. After the interview I sat down with Dave and talked about what it’s been like training with Chuck over the past several years. Simply put, Dave said that he is the most dependable, hardest working, most competitive lifter he’s ever seen. He’s always the first one in the gym and is always helping to put weights away and help others around him. If you are willing to give 100% in the weight room, he is willing to help you reach your goals. While there are a lot of stories about Chuck, Dave simply said, “Chuck is all Westside”.

Trap Bar Dead Lift – Leg Exercise

Primary Muscle: Quads

Secondary Muscle: Glutes, Lower Back, Back, Calves, Hamstrings

Equipment Needed: Trap Barbell

Mechanics Type: Compound

Proper Exercise Technique: Think of a deadlift as a squat, only the bar is in your hands rather than on your back.

I love the trap bar dead lifts as a lower body max effort or power lifting exercise because of its simplicity and how easily it is to teach. Also, because the trap bar allows you to stand inside the bar, the weight of the exercise is loaded right over your base of support this allows you to lift more weight.

1. All the same rules apply as well as the same cues as the squat. Keep your back flat, eyes forward, chest up and butt out. I wish I could tell you that all of my athletes practiced perfect form all of the time, but I would be lying. In the picture above, this guy needs to drop his butt more and flatten his back. Also his chest is dropped and needs to be “shown off” In the position that he is in right now he is at risk of injury as well as remaining weak!

2. From this position you are simply going to stand up tall. It’s as simple as that. On of the best and easiest lower body exercises to teach. If you don’t have a trap bar, get one. I bought this one used at a sporting goods store in my city, it cost me less than $100 and we use it almost every day!

Although we call these lower body exercises I would like to mention that these are really FULL body exercises as you will be using every joint and muscle from your head to your toes to move these weights. This is an important part of getting big and strong for football because exercises like this cause your body to release a ton of anabolic hormones like GH and testosterone. So, if anyone tells you that you cant get huge without steroids, tell them to shut up and squat! I have helped athletes to gain as much as 20 pounds in only a few weeks by teaching them theses exercises and how to eat right.

When I was in high school my uncle designed a training program for me that consisted of only dead lifts, squats and bench presses and I was able to use this foundation to land a college scholarship. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need fancy equipment or drugs to become successful in your sport. These people are usually lazy and /or jealous of you and your potential.

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