Question of Strength 56

Diagnosing Your Bench Press Problems Q: In a previous column you gave us a table explaining the problems and solutions for each sticking point in the military press. Can you do that for the bench press? A: Sure! Now, this table only lists the most probable issue causing each sticking point. There could be something more complex going on, or a technical issue that’s more unique to you. But eight times out of ten, I’ve found that strengthening the sticking point area will solve the problem. So take a look at this table, determine where your sticking point is, take note of the causes, and use the appropriate assistance exercises to strengthen that area. Bench Press Sticking Point Causes Assistance Exercises Breaking off from chest 1. Lats weak or not properly engaged 2. External shoulder rotators 3. Upper traps more dominant than lower traps and rear delts 1. Straight-arms pulldown, Pendlay row, seal row 2. Cuban press, seated dumbbell snatch, external shoulder rotations 3. Trap-3 raise, rear delt machine, Powell raise, victory raise Lower third Pecs Wide-grip bench press, Spotto press, decline bench press, floor press, dumbbell bench press, bench press with Duffalo bar Mid third 1. Anterior delts 2. Rear delts and rhomboids (Shoulder lifts up from bench) 1. Incline bench press, slight incline bench press, lying front raise 2. Bench press with resistance band around wrists, rear delt machine, face pulls Upper third (lockout) Triceps, especially long head Close-grip pin press, lockout bench press, close-grip floor press, close-grip decline bench, overhead triceps extensions If you’re unfamiliar with some of these exercises, use this list: Seal Row A seal row is a chest-supported row (using dumbbells or a bar) using a bench. Elevate the bench on blocks or plates. If you don’t have that setup, a regular chest-supported row will do. Cuban Press Trap-3 Raise Powell Raise Victory Raise Spotto Press Bench Press With Resistance Band Around Wrists Bench Press With Duffalo Bar Once you fix a muscle weakness, it’ll take some time to transfer those strength gains to the bench press. Your body will need to change the intermuscular coordination pattern. Don’t panic if your strength gains in pressing lag a few weeks behind your strength gains in the assistance lifts. CNS Stress and Trap Bar Deadlifts Q: Are trap bar deadlifts any less demanding on the central nervous system than barbell deadlifts? A: That’s a good question. Let’s look at what’s likely to increase the stress on the CNS when lifting. The Weight Lifted:The more weight imposed on your body (tendons, skeletal system, muscles), the greater the demand will be on the CNS. The Work Performed:I’m not talking strictly about volume here, but more about the amount of work you perform when doing a movement. Work is equal to force X distance. That’s why a partial lift is often less demanding on the CNS even if you’re using more weight. The Amount of Muscle Involved:If more muscles are involved at the same time, the CNS will be challenged more. This happens in part because normally more muscles involved means heavier weight, but also because the system needs to work harder to coordinate all of those muscles. The Complexity and Coordination Required:The more difficult the technique is, the harder the CNS will work. Technical Efficiency:The less efficient your technique, the harder your nervous system will work to properly execute the movement. A better engrained motor pattern, and a more efficient movement, is more economical on neurological resources. That’s one of the reasons why elite Olympic lifters with superb technique can snatch and clean Both speed (more precisely, accelerating the bar) and mass moved will increase the demands for force production. Force equals mass x acceleration. So the more force you need to produce, the greater the demands on the CNS. The Perceived Stress:When the body sees a lift as potentially dangerous, either voluntarily or subconsciously, it’ll produce more cortisol which leads to an increase in adrenaline production. More adrenaline production can lead to what we wrongfully refer to as “CNS fatigue” either by depleting dopamine (adrenaline is made from dopamine) or a desensitization of the adrenergic receptors due to overstimulation. Now, using this info, let’s compare the two. Traditional Deadlift vs. Trap Bar Deadlift The Weight Lifted:Pretty much everybody will lift more on a trap bar deadlift, especially if using the high-handle position. So if we’re talking strictly about using a certain percentage of your max, let’s say 85% of your max on that lift, the trap bar “wins” this one. The Work Performed:If you’re using the lower setting of a trap bar, the linear distance travelled will be the same as a conventional deadlift. However, the bar path is much straighter on a trap bar deadlift. So while the distance from point A to point B is the same, the path is “longer” on the
Origin: Question of Strength 56