Max stim bench.

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DennisRB

New Member
I just got my power cage! I was training only with a flat bench, BB and DB's. I want to try max stim with my bench after the HST cycle before SD. Heavy Max Stim curls worked awesome for my arms and gave my a huge boost in my curl strength.

So I want to set the spotter bars and start from the low position. How low do I set them? I have them set at about and inch above chest hight. But it seems REALLY hard to lift any decent weight from that starting position.

Also, how deep should you bench anyway? If I don't go too low when benching I can lift way more than if I go lower.

Is it beneficial to maybe bench a bit shallower with a heavy weight? And bench with a lighter weight but go as low as possible as another exercise? My aims are to get a strong bench. I like to push strength for a while after a HST cycle before SD.
 
As long as you're not gettin on in age like me, you should be able to push from the chest or 1" position without too many problems. Your elbows would be outboard for BB style and around 45 degrees for strength. The BB style lends often to shoulder problems, so I don't use it.
In a power cage (which I want to get) you could set the safety bars as you did, and use the squat pegs or whatever they call those hangars to start from. I have a freeweight lever machine that you start from the bottom and hate that. I can lift much more by starting at the top and 'loading' the arms and chest coming down. You can do lower partials to strengthen your bottom, as I've done with squats.
I'm no expert on MaxStim, but I think it would be a good method too. Possibly the best.
 
Any time you start in the mechanically disadvantaged position the load used will be lower.

I advise in MS to start in the mechanically advantageous position if possible. In the case of the bench, the top not bottom of the lift. Do not use rebound at the bottom of the lift use a very small static at the bottom, (.25 to .5 sec, just enough to stop the bar) then you want to explosively lift the concentric portion, don't worry about how fast the bar is actually moving just try and move it as fast as possible.

Good luck
 
Thanks. I done some minor damage to my shoulder trying to lift my usual weight of 100kg from the spotter bars! Its so hard to get the weight moving from there. If I start at the top its easy even if I lower it close to the bars. Looks like max stim sucks for the bench.

Do you think getting used to lifting of the bottom by starting light and adding weight as I get use to it will strengthen my bottom end of the bench?

Im 26 BTW.
 
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(DennisRB @ Apr. 24 2007,10:22)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Thanks.  I done some minor damage to my shoulder trying to lift my usual weight of 100kg from the spotter bars!     Its so hard to get the weight moving from there.  If I start at the top its easy even if I lower it close to the bars.    Looks like max stim sucks for the bench.

Do you think getting used to lifting of the bottom by starting light and adding weight as I get use to it will strengthen my bottom end of the bench?

Im 26 BTW.</div>
Well I wouldn't say Max-Stim sucks for the bench press exercise. In fact I've never had a problem with it.

There are several ways to increase the strength through sticking points. One of them is working in the range of the sticking point. Naturally if you are gaining full ROM strength then your are also increasing specific angle strength as well.
 
When I first read about MST it mentioned starting off the spotter bars. So this isn't what most people are doing? It just seems a little awkward racking a 3rm weight at the top on every lift.
 
What's weird about it....it is almost exactly like doing single rep sets only with shorter rest between.

Unrack- bench-rack-rest
Unrack-bench-rack-rest...repeat

It takes time, but so does most serious training. Look at guys like Aaron_F or SteveJones who do Smolov/Sheiko/Korte extreme powerlifting workouts. Or look at the big westside guys. They all do workouts that are brutal and can take hours. Westside typically doesn't do more than 3 reps for anything except for some assistance exercises. And they do craploads of sets, + use boards/chains/bands/spotters/safety racks/lifting gear/suits/wraps...workouts can easily last 2-3 hours.

But guess what, all that hard work pays off and the guys who train like that are generally frickin' huge and strong.
There are two types of trainees in my view. Those who want an easy cookie-cutter workout that isn't too difficult and doesn't take too long, and then there are the real strength/physique athletes...guys who will bust their ass day after day to be the best.

To get maximum results out of HST takes more than just following the cookie-cutter program. After a couple of cycles, you have to find ways to maximize the hypertrophy stimulus. It might be doing max-stim so that you can get more volume in and progress the loads higher, or maybe its getting a buddy to help you do negatives at the end of your cycle. Whatever it is, the old rule of muscle hypertrophy still exists...hard work.
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Sorry to get all preachy here, but it bugs me when guys won't do max-stim because 'it sounds difficult' or 'it will take to long'.
 
I'm not understanding why you would start off the spotter bars? Just because that is your sticking point, or what?
 
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(DennisRB @ Apr. 25 2007,07:11)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">When I first read about MST it mentioned starting off the spotter bars.  </div>
Odd, I don't remember that and I wrote it
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Settle down lol. I am not going to start off the spotter bars anymore!

Just becuase I said it seems a little awkward doesn't mean I won't do it. I am sure I will get used to repeatedly racking and unracking it.

Dan I know you wrote MST, which is why I appreciate your advice. I just had this pre conceived idea about the spotter bars becuase when I first read about MST it mentioned that. I can't remember where I read it? Was obviously not at hypertrophy research. (which I have joined).

I think MST sounds awesome and it has proven to work with my biceps curls in strength and size. So I would like to try it with as many exercises I can including the bench.
 
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