200, 300, 400, 500 - A quest for greatness
- Thread starter mikeynov
- Start date
A warning to everybody who has been adopting the pauses in their reps...
Pausing in squats helps me actually stay tighter, but pausing on benches/dips had me relaxing a little at the bottom of the reps, and I am strongly thinking that this is what was hurting my shoulder.
I benched today with only the first rep paused, staying as tight as possible, with all subsequent reps touch and go, BARELY allowing myself to touch my chest and then driving it up, never relaxing anything. The results? Zero shoulder discomfort whatsoever for the first time in months.
So, be very careful pausing your pushes, word to the wise.
Pausing in squats helps me actually stay tighter, but pausing on benches/dips had me relaxing a little at the bottom of the reps, and I am strongly thinking that this is what was hurting my shoulder.
I benched today with only the first rep paused, staying as tight as possible, with all subsequent reps touch and go, BARELY allowing myself to touch my chest and then driving it up, never relaxing anything. The results? Zero shoulder discomfort whatsoever for the first time in months.
So, be very careful pausing your pushes, word to the wise.
That sounds like good advice Mike.
As you may recall, my left AC joint has been a problem for a long time but since I've followed your lead and paused during benching, it has been improving. I think this is partly due to the fact that the loads I have been using for paused bench have been necessarily lighter; but it may also be because I try not to relax once the bar touches my chest.
I remember Ripp coaching this position and telling a client to imagine there was a sheet of glass on their chest and that the bar should be lowered to touch it but not break it. When I do this, it has the effect of making me stay tight if I then choose to pause.
As you may recall, my left AC joint has been a problem for a long time but since I've followed your lead and paused during benching, it has been improving. I think this is partly due to the fact that the loads I have been using for paused bench have been necessarily lighter; but it may also be because I try not to relax once the bar touches my chest.
I remember Ripp coaching this position and telling a client to imagine there was a sheet of glass on their chest and that the bar should be lowered to touch it but not break it. When I do this, it has the effect of making me stay tight if I then choose to pause.
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(Lol @ Jan. 24 2010,9:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That sounds like good advice Mike.
As you may recall, my left AC joint has been a problem for a long time but since I've followed your lead and paused during benching, it has been improving. I think this is partly due to the fact that the loads I have been using for paused bench have been necessarily lighter; but it may also be because I try not to relax once the bar touches my chest.
I remember Ripp coaching this position and telling a client to imagine there was a sheet of glass on their chest and that the bar should be lowered to touch it but not break it. When I do this, it has the effect of making me stay tight if I then choose to pause.</div>
It's interesting, on film my "relaxation" never seemed too severe, but NOT relaxing definitely feels a little different. This logic should have been obvious to me - tight muscles protect joints, as a rule, and most of the stability of the shoulder is via muscular support.
What I find interesting is that, in the reverse, squatting with even just "momentary" pauses keeps me tight in squats, has me at a consistent depth, and generally makes things look a lot better. I tried various ways of "bouncing" yesterday after the first rep, and I have a hell of a time not relaxing stuff towards the bottom, or if I don't, not making it extremely awkward. Considering I squatted 335 in that style, I'm not entirely sure why I'm trying to change that now, and will probably revert back to pauses the next time I squat.
However, for overhead press and bench, I am thinking the touch and go method will probably be what I stick to for now, just because it's easier for me to stay tight in that context, weirdly.
(Lol @ Jan. 24 2010,9:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That sounds like good advice Mike.
As you may recall, my left AC joint has been a problem for a long time but since I've followed your lead and paused during benching, it has been improving. I think this is partly due to the fact that the loads I have been using for paused bench have been necessarily lighter; but it may also be because I try not to relax once the bar touches my chest.
I remember Ripp coaching this position and telling a client to imagine there was a sheet of glass on their chest and that the bar should be lowered to touch it but not break it. When I do this, it has the effect of making me stay tight if I then choose to pause.</div>
It's interesting, on film my "relaxation" never seemed too severe, but NOT relaxing definitely feels a little different. This logic should have been obvious to me - tight muscles protect joints, as a rule, and most of the stability of the shoulder is via muscular support.
What I find interesting is that, in the reverse, squatting with even just "momentary" pauses keeps me tight in squats, has me at a consistent depth, and generally makes things look a lot better. I tried various ways of "bouncing" yesterday after the first rep, and I have a hell of a time not relaxing stuff towards the bottom, or if I don't, not making it extremely awkward. Considering I squatted 335 in that style, I'm not entirely sure why I'm trying to change that now, and will probably revert back to pauses the next time I squat.
However, for overhead press and bench, I am thinking the touch and go method will probably be what I stick to for now, just because it's easier for me to stay tight in that context, weirdly.
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(Lol @ Feb. 04 2010,11:41)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Nice PR Mike. What are you planning for next cycle?</div>
Good question, not entirely sure. I may get a chance to have a PT buddy take a closer look at my shoulder, and that in part my play a role in what I choose to do next.
(Lol @ Feb. 04 2010,11:41)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Nice PR Mike. What are you planning for next cycle?</div>
Good question, not entirely sure. I may get a chance to have a PT buddy take a closer look at my shoulder, and that in part my play a role in what I choose to do next.
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(_tim @ Feb. 05 2010,9:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">On the pausing issue - I think if you completely relax at the bottom of a push rep, ligament strain is inevitable.
On another note - BW+100 x 5? Holy crap!
Good luck with the shoulder, Mike.</div>
Thanks Tim.
And it's not even a matter of "completely relaxing," it's just "relaxing a little" that got to me over time, I think.
(_tim @ Feb. 05 2010,9:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">On the pausing issue - I think if you completely relax at the bottom of a push rep, ligament strain is inevitable.
On another note - BW+100 x 5? Holy crap!
Good luck with the shoulder, Mike.</div>
Thanks Tim.
And it's not even a matter of "completely relaxing," it's just "relaxing a little" that got to me over time, I think.
My shoulder has definitely improved while pause benching, but there's no way I am relaxing at the bottom so that's partly why. Pausing removes momentum and some of the effect of the stretch reflex (depending on how long you pause) but there's no need to relax for that to happen.
The other thing that has helped is that I have improved my form; I now consciously keep my whole body tight for an entire set of bench, which leaves me feeling tired from my legs on up.
For squats there's just no way I am going to want to relax in the hole, however long I pause - unless I'm box squatting, but I don't count that as the same thing.
When I started out with overhead squats I had a tendency to allow my scapulae to drop down when I got tired, rather than to actively shrug them the whole time. That gave me shoulder impingement problems. Just as for benching, I now make a conscious effort to keep active shoulders the whole time; this has helped a great deal and even though I still don't find them comfortable with any load over 100lb, at least the shoulder twinges have gone.
It makes total sense that a strong isometric contraction of all the muscles being used during a paused lift is going to keep all the involved joints stabilised.
The other thing that has helped is that I have improved my form; I now consciously keep my whole body tight for an entire set of bench, which leaves me feeling tired from my legs on up.
For squats there's just no way I am going to want to relax in the hole, however long I pause - unless I'm box squatting, but I don't count that as the same thing.
When I started out with overhead squats I had a tendency to allow my scapulae to drop down when I got tired, rather than to actively shrug them the whole time. That gave me shoulder impingement problems. Just as for benching, I now make a conscious effort to keep active shoulders the whole time; this has helped a great deal and even though I still don't find them comfortable with any load over 100lb, at least the shoulder twinges have gone.
It makes total sense that a strong isometric contraction of all the muscles being used during a paused lift is going to keep all the involved joints stabilised.
After discussing the issue with you fine gentlemen, here is a video that includes pause benching while trying to stay as physically tight as I can manage at the bottom. This didn't bother my shoulder at all, which is excellent. Also included is an unintentionally funny chins vid.
Squat practice from today, too, attempting to keep things pretty.
Squat practice from today, too, attempting to keep things pretty.
Awesome benching Mike (and everything else too). I know it isn't, but you make it look really easy. To my eye it doesn't look as if you are really forcing yourself up into an arch either. Would you reduce the ROM if it were a competition lift?
Re chins: I wondered if that handle was going to catch under one of your arms and leave you dangling there! Now that would have been an interesting situation. Bet Ripp would have something colourful to say about that!
Re chins: I wondered if that handle was going to catch under one of your arms and leave you dangling there! Now that would have been an interesting situation. Bet Ripp would have something colourful to say about that!
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(_tim @ Feb. 11 2010,12:42)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">The bench reps looked great, Mike. Looks like you stayed tight at the bottom of the rep.
My jealousy of your chinning ability continues....</div>
Hehe, on that note...
New, all time PR in chins (me + 110 x 5).
(_tim @ Feb. 11 2010,12:42)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">The bench reps looked great, Mike. Looks like you stayed tight at the bottom of the rep.
My jealousy of your chinning ability continues....</div>
Hehe, on that note...
New, all time PR in chins (me + 110 x 5).
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(mikeynov @ Feb. 12 2010,3:19)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">New, all time PR in chins (me + 110 x 5).</div>
That just got a 5 stars from me. Are your parents apes perchance?
(mikeynov @ Feb. 12 2010,3:19)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">New, all time PR in chins (me + 110 x 5).</div>
That just got a 5 stars from me. Are your parents apes perchance?
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(mikeynov @ Feb. 11 2010,11:19)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">New, all time PR in chins (me + 110 x 5).</div>
I figured it out. Mikey is an astronaut and he's chinning in the moon. Is the only explanation as to how he can do that AND make it look easy.
(mikeynov @ Feb. 11 2010,11:19)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">New, all time PR in chins (me + 110 x 5).</div>
I figured it out. Mikey is an astronaut and he's chinning in the moon. Is the only explanation as to how he can do that AND make it look easy.
Haha, I appreciate the comments, guys. Weirdly, I didn't start off totally awesome at chins...while I could do a handful of strict chins when I first started exercising regularly (maybe 5?), I recall at one point early in high school having a pullup test, and doing maybe one.
A friend told me about weighted chins early on in my lifting career, a conversation that went something like "dude, you'll never believe what I saw at the gym, this dude was doing pullups...WITH A 45 LB PLATE BETWEEN HIS LEGS!" For some reason I thought that was just the coolest, and it became a goal. At that ponit, I started treating chins like any other "power" lift (focusing on the heavier end, instead of high reps), and the results are, well, above.
A friend told me about weighted chins early on in my lifting career, a conversation that went something like "dude, you'll never believe what I saw at the gym, this dude was doing pullups...WITH A 45 LB PLATE BETWEEN HIS LEGS!" For some reason I thought that was just the coolest, and it became a goal. At that ponit, I started treating chins like any other "power" lift (focusing on the heavier end, instead of high reps), and the results are, well, above.