Bench Press

[FastFreddy]

Got my x-ray report back from the radiologist this is what the report said. The humeral head is positioned over the glenoid without joint space narrowing or acute bone abnormality. Hypertrophic changes are present of the distal clavicle at the acromioclavicular joint. No periarticular calcifications or evidence of os acromiale. I think what the problem is the bone on the distal clavicle has regrown. Going to the sport med tennis Doctor on the Sept 9th for a mri. No more benching for now just leg press, leg ex, seated leg curl, back ex, shoulder press, lat pull down and my pt for my shoulder.

[Ultra2HolyGrail]

I wonder how much Federer could bench.

[Ultra2HolyGrail]

Originally Posted by chess9

Edit: I found these records by age. 303 lbs for a 165 lb male, age 65! http://www.usapowerlifting.com/recor...benchpress.htm

-Robert

Wow. 402lbs age 70-74.

[rum02]

Originally Posted by 10sfreak

It depends on what your goals are. If building muscle is your primary goal, then you'll want to minimize the rest between sets. As I posted earlier, this will maximize your GH/testosterone surge post-workout. Obviously, you won't be able to use as much weight, but this will build muscle and burn fat for hours after your workout. On the other hand, if pure strength is your primary goal, then you'll want to lift a higher percentage of your 1-rep max, and rest 3-5 minutes between sets. This will build your muscles to a more limited extent, but your strength will go up more. Hope this helps.

I've got a friend in the army who swears by a 1 minute recovery. I had a talk to the local gym owner and he didn't like the idea. he said it would be good for increasing your anaerobic threshold though.

[heycal]

Originally Posted by 10sfreak

It depends on what your goals are. If building muscle is your primary goal, then you'll want to minimize the rest between sets. As I posted earlier, this will maximize your GH/testosterone surge post-workout. Obviously, you won't be able to use as much weight, but this will build muscle and burn fat for hours after your workout. On the other hand, if pure strength is your primary goal, then you'll want to lift a higher percentage of your 1-rep max, and rest 3-5 minutes between sets. This will build your muscles to a more limited extent, but your strength will go up more. Hope this helps.

Don't care about strength -- just building more muscle for appearance and fat burning. So if that means 1 minute rest, that's what I'll do. (Who would want to wait up to 5 minutes between sets anyway? You'd never get out of the gym.)

For some reason, my knees aren't loving either the the incline leg press machine or the squat machine even at very very light weight. Not sure why. I never had any problems with body weight squats in the past, or the leg press machine when I last used it 10 years ago. I feel some twinges as the weight comes down (the concentric phase?) during these exercises, not usually during the actual pushing up the weight part.

Which is more likely: these machine are bad for my knees, or I need a few weeks to get used to them? I tried placing my feet in slightly different positions, but it didn't make much of a difference.

Or maybe it's the tennis that has made my knees more vulenerable to aches from these machines, not any of these exercises themselves...

[Zeppy]

Back in April, when I was still in high school, 200 lbs. I weighed approximately 132 lbs? I have a 200 lb t-shirt from my high school to prove it. Unfortunately, I was only able to do it once as after that day, AP testing started. So that knocked me off the weight room for 2+ weeks. When I got back, I only went back up to 190. At the time, dips for me was around 25-29 (Body weight). Pushups 50-55 (Body Weight).

Ever since the beginning of June, I have not been to a weight room and I doubt I can bench 160 lbs now.

[superman1]

Originally Posted by heycal

For some reason, my knees aren't loving either the the incline leg press machine or the squat machine even at very very light weight. Not sure why. I never had any problems with body weight squats in the past, or the leg press machine when I last used it 10 years ago. I feel some twinges as the weight comes down (the concentric phase?) during these exercises, not usually during the actual pushing up the weight part.

The Smith machine is crap. But if you're squatting and you're not going below parallel, it's for nothing. Warm up properly and stretch like crazy, especially the hamstrings, before squats. Then practice going down as deep as you can go.

As for the leg press, if there is another leg press machine that is horizontal, not inclined, use that. When you leg press, you're supposed to put your feet as high up on the thing as you can, shoulder width apart, and point your toes out at 30 degrees. Then go as deep as you can.

Always push with your heels.

[FastFreddy]

The smith is a great machine if you know how to use it. It's great for squats no crappy spotter needed. I use it for bench it allows he to go heavy and not worry about ripping off my shoulder ( going to deep). If you are old school go free weight and find a power cage or squat rack. And bring a good friend who knows how to spot good luck finding one idiot in the gym. You will get hurt from a bad spot and dangerous too.

Don't forgot the knee wraps and weight belt.
I would never go below 90 degree. Hey if you want to kiss your hamstrings to your calfs its your knees not mine. I seen hardcore bodybuilders go deep then over the years of knee pain they don't go as deep and lighten the weight and go nice and controlled and slow.

I benched 285 for 15 reps 3 sets today shoulder is feeling much better. Maybe no more two hand backhands and just hit the one hand slice and my one hand topspin sidespin. Doing my shoulder pt everyday at the gym on the cables. I am still going to get my mri at the end of the month just to see if I have a small tear in my cuff.

[zacinnc78]

are weighted lunges as good as squats?(for tennis)

[FastFreddy]

I like lunges, stepups, leg press, dead lifts, clean and press for tennis not a big fan of squats. Some people like me aren't built for squats so I do leg press instead.

[Rickson]

The concentric contraction of a squat takes place when you're pushing up, not when you're lowering the weight. The lowering part is called eccentric contraction, pronounced eeh-centric, not ex-centric.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

dips kill your shoulders, dont do them

They also place too much stress on you joints if the upper arm/forearm angle is less than 90 degrees (at bottom of dip).

The same goes with squats (90 degrees minimum between lower/upper leg)

[cncretecwbo]

Originally Posted by Bud

The same goes with squats (90 degrees minimum between lower/upper leg)

not true at all, tell that to an olympic lifter

[heycal]

Originally Posted by cncretecwbo

not true at all, tell that to an olympic lifter

In the face of an argument about how low one can safely go on squats, I'm definitely going to err on the side of caution and listen to the people who say don't go lower than parallel.

[cncretecwbo]

Originally Posted by heycal

In the face of an argument about how low one can safely go on squats, I'm definitely going to err on the side of caution and listen to the people who say don't go lower than parallel.

explain to me how going lower than parallel can be more damaging than parallel.

also, the post i responded to said 90 degress, which is actually above parallel. a partial squat (above parallel) can be done with more weight, and loads the knee more than a full squat. so you are A) putting more pressure on the knees and B) adding more weight to a motion that already loads the knees.

[heycal]

Originally Posted by cncretecwbo

explain to me how going lower than parallel can be more damaging than parallel.

also, the post i responded to said 90 degress, which is actually above parallel. a partial squat (above parallel) can be done with more weight, and loads the knee more than a full squat. so you are A) putting more pressure on the knees and B) adding more weight to a motion that already loads the knees.

I pretty much said I don't know what the truth is, so I can't very well explain it. I'm sure others here will probably do so soon enough.

Until that time, I can only go with my gut instinct on this one, which stems from common sense exercise principles: the less extreme way of doing any activity is usually going to be the safer way.

[cncretecwbo]

Originally Posted by heycal

I pretty much said I don't know what the truth is, so I can't very well explain it. I'm sure others here will probably do so soon enough.

Until that time, I can only go with my gut instinct on this one, which stems from common sense exercise principles: the less extreme way of doing any activity is usually going to be the safer way.

the problem is, though, that a half-squat and a full squat involve different points where you switch from eccentric to concentric. one (that half squat) places more load on the knees at this point.

[heycal]

Originally Posted by cncretecwbo

the problem is, though, that a half-squat and a full squat involve different points where you switch from eccentric to concentric. one (that half squat) places more load on the knees at this point.

Hey, if you can get a consensus that agrees with you about this, I'll reconsider. But until then, I'll err on what appears to be the more cautious side.

[cncretecwbo]

Originally Posted by heycal

Hey, if you can get a consensus that agrees with you about this, I'll reconsider. But until then, I'll err on what appears to be the more cautious side.

what if what appears to be the more cautious side is more likely to harm you? I personally dont care what you do, thats your choice.

a side note: 1/4 squats with medium or light weights are great for athletic ability since they mimic natural movement more, who squat atg before jumping? the problem is that people get greedy and hurt themselves with 1/4 squats.

[heycal]

Originally Posted by cncretecwbo

what if what appears to be the more cautious side is more likely to harm you?

In the face of conflicing advice, that's a risk I have to take, isn't?

Also, didn't a bunch of people in this thread hotly disagree with you that it's good to go low on squats?

So what am I to do? Since the answer is unclear, and I could be wrong one way or the other, I will err on the side that seems safer to me, which is the less extreme range of motion, and which is consistent with basic principles of moderation and caution.

Someone else weigh in here, please. Let's get some other opinions, folks!