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I grabbed this from the Elite Fitness Newsletter. I think if newbie bodybuilders trained more like these guys, we'd have stronger, healthier, denser bodybuilders.
Need help learning to use your lats on the bench? Here are two quick tips:
1. Use a good bench: If the J hook on the bench is too deep then you have to push the bar up before you can pull it out. You must pull the bar out of the rack to get your lats locked in. When you push it out your shoulder blades come apart and you loose lat tightness. Most gym do not have good benches, so if you find your self stuck then check out the power rack and see if it would be better to bench there. The second thing you can do it to wedge something into the J hook to make it so it is not so deep. Many have used small pieces of wood wedged into the hook.
2. Try doubling up a mini band around your wrist and bench with them on. When you grab the bar you will have to pull the bands apart to get the proper hand spacing. This will do a few things. First it will activate your rear delts and lats and second it will teach you to pull the bar apart as you press.
Having a hard time knowing how many sets and reps to do on the assistant work?
1. First off do not make things too complicated. Do you know most advanced and elite lifters don’t even count the reps on this stuff and go by feel? They also don’t really know how many sets they do. At every seminar I find the most advanced lifter and ask him or her one very simple question. I ask, do you keep a training log or your supplemental work? 90% of the time the answer is no. If they do the take notes on the session after the session is over. Then I ask them did you used to keep a log in the past? They all answer yes. So the question is. What came first, the strength or dumping the log? I seem to believe and most would agree the day they dumped the log and started going by feel was the turning point on the strength progress. This is the big secrete most figure out too late. Do what you feel you need to do and don’t worry about all the details. Don’t believe me? Just start asking and see what you come up with.
2. Don’t stick with the same set and rep scheme. Make sure to change it up all the time.
Need help learning to use your lats on the bench? Here are two quick tips:
1. Use a good bench: If the J hook on the bench is too deep then you have to push the bar up before you can pull it out. You must pull the bar out of the rack to get your lats locked in. When you push it out your shoulder blades come apart and you loose lat tightness. Most gym do not have good benches, so if you find your self stuck then check out the power rack and see if it would be better to bench there. The second thing you can do it to wedge something into the J hook to make it so it is not so deep. Many have used small pieces of wood wedged into the hook.
2. Try doubling up a mini band around your wrist and bench with them on. When you grab the bar you will have to pull the bands apart to get the proper hand spacing. This will do a few things. First it will activate your rear delts and lats and second it will teach you to pull the bar apart as you press.
Having a hard time knowing how many sets and reps to do on the assistant work?
1. First off do not make things too complicated. Do you know most advanced and elite lifters don’t even count the reps on this stuff and go by feel? They also don’t really know how many sets they do. At every seminar I find the most advanced lifter and ask him or her one very simple question. I ask, do you keep a training log or your supplemental work? 90% of the time the answer is no. If they do the take notes on the session after the session is over. Then I ask them did you used to keep a log in the past? They all answer yes. So the question is. What came first, the strength or dumping the log? I seem to believe and most would agree the day they dumped the log and started going by feel was the turning point on the strength progress. This is the big secrete most figure out too late. Do what you feel you need to do and don’t worry about all the details. Don’t believe me? Just start asking and see what you come up with.
2. Don’t stick with the same set and rep scheme. Make sure to change it up all the time.
