what is a good bench??

gotripped · 07-12-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mass_69

I haven't maxed-out bench in about 6 or 7 years. Going by the "max-bench calculators," I bench 1.3x my weight. I workout alone for the most part, so it's tough to push-it-to-the-limits.

Indeed. I feel that I am actually getting stronger as I see others maxxing at what I rep.
Simply because I have no spotter.

**CHAPS** · 07-12-2006, 05:08 PM

The smith machine can be good for alot of exercises, shoulder presses, close grip bench, incline bench, front squats etc. I wouldn't knock it look at Markus Ruhl's upper chest and he uses the smith machine for upper chest all the time! As long as i keep getting stronger i'm happy. I go for size and strength but i wouldn't call myself a powerlifter. I also agree with what was said about the deadlift, you see these 1000lb bench presses, but lets see you do that in the deadlift, and ya i know it's been done now, lol. But what i'm saying is you can't slap on bench shirts to make you a human slingshot to get the weight up. I"m not knocking powerlifters, to each his own, just wearing all the gear is not for me. I use what's best for muscle growth and for me that's the smith machine over regular incline barbell presses.

**Basso** · 07-12-2006, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHAPS

The smith machine can be good for alot of exercises,

I don't want to get into this again, I started a thread in Feb and spurred some interesting ideas and thoughts on the Smith, so if you care to look

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/power...owel-rack.html

I continue to appreciate you guys though, I only wish you could curl on the smith then the power rack would always be free LoL

**CHAPS** · 07-12-2006, 05:44 PM

Don't get me wrong i use free weights whenever possible but i like front squats and incline presses on the smith machine. I only do my incline presses on their when i'm not using dumbbells.

**Basso** · 07-12-2006, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHAPS

Don't get me wrong i use free weights whenever possible but i like front squats and incline presses on the smith machine. I only do my incline presses on their when i'm not using dumbbells.

I understand, it's just that so much is lost in that contraption, especially with compound exercises like the ones you mentioned. I spent my time in the Smith, but you'll never, ever see me in one again (unless I'm stealing a bench from inside one).

gotripped · 07-12-2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basso

I understand, it's just that so much is lost in that contraption, especially with compound exercises like the ones you mentioned. I spent my time in the Smith, but you'll never, ever see me in one again (unless I'm stealing a bench from inside one).

HAHAHA.
It's always fun to wrack 8 plates on one and bench that. People really freak.

**CHAPS** · 07-12-2006, 10:51 PM

I used it tonight for rack chins, lol.

RobDyson · 07-12-2006, 10:57 PM

I personally hate using the smith machine, but at my college, we don't have any free BBs, and the DBs only are up to 100, so I have to include them in my workout especially for decline/DL/Squats, etc. But I hate having the limited range of motion.

**CHAPS** · 07-12-2006, 10:59 PM

Ya i'm going to switch gyms soon my gym's dumbbells only go up to 100's.

guyfromkop2 · 07-13-2006, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHAPS

The smith machine can be good for alot of exercises, shoulder presses, close grip bench, incline bench, front squats etc. I wouldn't knock it look at Markus Ruhl's upper chest and he uses the smith machine for upper chest all the time! As long as i keep getting stronger i'm happy. I go for size and strength but i wouldn't call myself a powerlifter. I also agree with what was said about the deadlift, you see these 1000lb bench presses, but lets see you do that in the deadlift, and ya i know it's been done now, lol. But what i'm saying is you can't slap on bench shirts to make you a human slingshot to get the weight up. I"m not knocking powerlifters, to each his own, just wearing all the gear is not for me. I use what's best for muscle growth and for me that's the smith machine over regular incline barbell presses.

using gear helps your raw strength like crazy, you hold heavier weights so it primes your cns better than anything. first time i put on a bench shirt i think i went up to like 425(didnt hit it but still), that next raw day the weight flew up like nothing, felt like 135. plus if your form is not 100% in a shirt 1 of 2 things will happen. 1. you're not touching and you will lose all your energy or air and either miss the lift or dump it and 2. you get out of the groove and it's dump city. either way if your form is not on you're missing the lift. shirts leave very little room for error. i'll bet 9 out of 10 guys on this board would throw on a shirt for the first time and miss every single weight they try.

gotripped · 07-13-2006, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyfromkop2

using gear helps your raw strength like crazy, you hold heavier weights so it primes your cns better than anything. first time i put on a bench shirt i think i went up to like 425(didnt hit it but still), that next raw day the weight flew up like nothing, felt like 135. plus if your form is not 100% in a shirt 1 of 2 things will happen. 1. you're not touching and you will lose all your energy or air and either miss the lift or dump it and 2. you get out of the groove and it's dump city. either way if your form is not on you're missing the lift. shirts leave very little room for error. i'll bet 9 out of 10 guys on this board would throw on a shirt for the first time and miss every single weight they try.

what do you mean by shirt?
seriously this is the first time I've ever heard that.

guyfromkop2 · 07-13-2006, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotripped

what do you mean by shirt?
seriously this is the first time I've ever heard that.

a bench shirt, powerlifters use them to help them bench higher numbers, add a lot of support and helps prevent injuries

gotripped · 07-13-2006, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyfromkop2

a bench shirt, powerlifters use them to help them bench higher numbers, add a lot of support and helps prevent injuries

So Maybe I should try one of those out?
What do you recommend?

**Basso** · 07-13-2006, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyfromkop2

using gear helps your raw strength like crazy, you hold heavier weights so it primes your cns better than anything. first time i put on a bench shirt i think i went up to like 425(didnt hit it but still), that next raw day the weight flew up like nothing, felt like 135. plus if your form is not 100% in a shirt 1 of 2 things will happen. 1. you're not touching and you will lose all your energy or air and either miss the lift or dump it and 2. you get out of the groove and it's dump city. either way if your form is not on you're missing the lift. shirts leave very little room for error. i'll bet 9 out of 10 guys on this board would throw on a shirt for the first time and miss every single weight they try.

So true, and each shirt is different, it could take 5-10 w/o's with a shirt just to learn it properly. The cool thing is with my titan I have to have 450 on the bar just to be able to touch! I tried to pull 425 down and could only get it a couple inches from my chest and that's a single ply I can't imagine using a denim or double ply!

gotripped · 07-13-2006, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basso

So true, and each shirt is different, it could take 5-10 w/o's with a shirt just to learn it properly. The cool thing is with my titan I have to have 450 on the bar just to be able to touch! I tried to pull 425 down and could only get it a couple inches from my chest and that's a single ply I can't imagine using a denim or double ply!

This is quite possibly the weirdest thing I have ever heard of in body building

Edit- How do these bench shirts work? I'm guessing they are more rigid than normal shirts and provide support for your back and chest keeping everything tight (as powerlifters generally like it tight) Right? How much does this actually assist you in bench? 10% 30%? And does it give you an actual strength or is it just an assist that is more of a crutch?

**kwyckemynd00** · 07-13-2006, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotripped

This is quite possibly the weirdest thing I have ever heard of in body building

Edit- How do these bench shirts work? I'm guessing they are more rigid than normal shirts and provide support for your back and chest keeping everything tight (as powerlifters generally like it tight) Right? How much does this actually assist you in bench? 10% 30%? And does it give you an actual strength or is it just an assist that is more of a crutch?

Well, that's because you havent' been in powerlifting forums.

Many people need 600+ lbs, and in some pros instances, like 800+ lbs even to make the barbell touch their chest. Even then, sometimes they have to force the bar to their chest often.

gotripped · 07-13-2006, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwyckemynd00

Well, that's because you havent' been in powerlifting forums.

Many people need 600+ lbs, and in some pros instances, like 800+ lbs even to make the barbell touch their chest. Even then, they have to force the bar to their chest often.

I will now be reading the powerlifting forum.

guyfromkop2 · 07-13-2006, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotripped

This is quite possibly the weirdest thing I have ever heard of in body building

it's not bodybuilding, it's powerlifting

and honestly unless you have someone to train that with that knows how to use it i would not suggest getting a shirt, you would most likely end up getting really frustrated or just hurting yourslef