I need help with the bench press.

[gopro]

Re: question

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
i have a question. I see a ton of people at my school that bench press everyday of the week. I always thought that they were going about this wrong. Am i right and are they not making the gains that they should by doing this?

also is one time a week for anything good enough, except calfs? any suggestions on anything else i should be doing more or am i good to go?

by the way i wanted to leave you with what i was planning to do on my chest workout tommorow. tell me what you think
ps i will try the close grip.

1. bench press
2. incline bp
3. decline bp
4. close grip bp
5. decline machine

6. calf raise

Please don't fall into the "more is better" mindset! Benching every day of the week is moronic! Training each bodypart once per week INTENSELY is more than enough. If you have a particularly weak bodypart, you can occasionally give it an extra day, but not every week.

As to your routine for chest...too much work, and too much of the same thing. Don't do the decline machine and save CG bench for arm day (its mostly a tricep movement). I would like to see you do no more than 9-10 sets total for your chest (besides warmups). Do you have access to dumbells or a dip bar?

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

thanks

what is the best way to recover quickly from my workout. cus now that i have basketball everyday of the week i need to quickly recover so i can actually jump off the ground and pick up the ball with out shaking.

thanks.

 

[gopro]

Re: thanks

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
what is the best way to recover quickly from my workout. cus now that i have basketball everyday of the week i need to quickly recover so i can actually jump off the ground and pick up the ball with out shaking.

thanks.

Before you train you should have a serving of whey protein in water with 1000 mg of vitamin C. After training you should have at least 40 grams of whey protein with 80-120 grams of simple carbs, along with 1000 more mg of vitamin C, 5 g of creatine, and 5-10 grams of glutamine. Have this AS SOON AS you are done training. 1-1.5 hours later have another protein/carb meal, but from food, along with a mulivitamin that contains anti-oxidants!

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

thanks again

thanks again. just wondering though what "serving of whey protein in water with 1000 mg of vitamin C" do you reccomend cus i dont have that right now. i guess i should go to gnc and pick one up. also can i get glutamine there?

if i followed that would that make me feel almost completely recovered the next day?

by the way what do carbs help with? also vitamin c.

 

[Mudge]

Sleep, 8-10 hours a night if your still young. I still like to have 8-9 hours a night and I'm 26.


Carbs = energy source, oatmeal, brown rice, etc are good carbs, not sugary 'crap'.

 

[gopro]

Re: thanks again

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
thanks again. just wondering though what "serving of whey protein in water with 1000 mg of vitamin C" do you reccomend cus i dont have that right now. i guess i should go to gnc and pick one up. also can i get glutamine there?

if i followed that would that make me feel almost completely recovered the next day?

by the way what do carbs help with? also vitamin c.

Yes, go pick some up. Get a good quality whey from a reputable company...Designer is great. A serving is about 2 scoops usually.

As for the vit C...just by some capsules that have 500-1000 mg per cap...I like Twinlab, but any reputable brand will do.

Yes, you can get glutamine there. Again, go with a "big name" brand.

The carbs help to refill glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stores...very important...and also they help keep cortisol (muscle destroying hormone) at bay.

Also, as Mudge intelligently mentioned...proper sleep is ESSENTIAL!

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

question

i have a question. do you think i have to train in the weight room still. i have found that i have very little time with basketball. but i dont want to lose my strength. do you think i should stop and then pick it up again from spring till next winter? or what do you think. also i didnt want my muscles tired for practices and games. (this is the main problem).

 

[gopro]

Re: question

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
i have a question. do you think i have to train in the weight room still. i have found that i have very little time with basketball. but i dont want to lose my strength. do you think i should stop and then pick it up again from spring till next winter? or what do you think. also i didnt want my muscles tired for practices and games. (this is the main problem).

Absolutely DO NOT stop training with weights during the basket ball season! If you have very little time to train you can do the most basic routine and can still maintain your strength through the season. Then, after the season you can go back to a full routine and reach the next level. Here is what I suggest...

(pick 2 days during the week...monday and thurday or tuesday and friday for example)

Day 1:
bench press...3 x 6-8
deadlift...3 x 6-8
military press...3 x 6-8

Day 2:
squat...3 x 8-10
bent row...3 x 8-10
CG bench press...3 x 8-10

Thats it. 2 quick workouts and you will maintain and have energy to play B ball.

 

[Arnold]

Originally posted by Golds_Soldier
i know a kid he benches 3 times a week, just bech press nothing else and by the time he was 17 he was doing 355 1x and sets of 225 he took the summer off from lifting so now he is down to about 300lbs max but he does amazing 255 7x. I am not saying i agree with the kid, just pointing out the facts

When I was a teen (and did not know what I was doing) I used to do bench press every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. I think back to those days now and think about how much better my gains would have been had I knew how to work-out.

 

[kidda9]

if it wernt for this place i wudnt have a clue wot to do,thanx alot for all the help guys really help a novice out(soz geg in on your thread birdman).

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

thanks

thanks guys

ill do your routine gopro
thanks again

 

[gopro]

Re: thanks

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
thanks guys

ill do your routine gopro
thanks again

Good I'm glad. You are quite welcome.

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

question

is the controlled bench press (the one where it slides up the bar) as good as the normal? also should the weight be the same?

 

[firestorm]

Agrees with GOPRO. He gave you a good beginners program and for the record your only 15 and your still growing. I think you should also consult your local physician regarding weight training. Being that your body is still growing, heavy resistance training could have adverse effects on your joints and ligaments. NOw I'm not saying not to weight lift but keep it in moderation and ask your doctor how much is safe. I doubt he will condone a rigorous powerlifting or bodybuilding routine.
Good luck to you and train safe.
Fire

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
Im 15 and i can bench press 90 pounds 10 times. What is the best way i should go about trying to increase this? How many times a week should i do it? Sets? etc

if i work very hard at this what do you think i could get up to eventually? in 3 months? 6months?

thanks

 

[Mudge]

Re: question

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
is the controlled bench press (the one where it slides up the bar) as good as the normal? also should the weight be the same?

Thats a Smith machine, I like it for incline presses and nothing else, feels very odd on a flat bench for me, I end up benching less on it and it bothers my shoulders.

Many of these machines are assisted, easy way to find out is to just lift the bar, does it feel like 45 pounds + frictional drag, or does it feel like a feather?

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

k

thanks bump

 

[gopro]

Re: question

Originally posted by BirdyBirdMan
is the controlled bench press (the one where it slides up the bar) as good as the normal? also should the weight be the same?

Well, the real question is...is it as good for what? Generally, I would say no. The regular bench press requires the use of stabilizing muscles while the smith bench does not. However, in some cases the smith machine CAN be superior! In a situation where you have no spotter available, it is not safe to train to failure on a regular bench press. However, on a smith you can more safely train to the point where no more reps are possible. This can make it superior in this case for chest growth. Also, some people find regular bench press to be very hard on their shoulders, but have no problems on the smith...or, vice versa.

In general, if I only had the choice of one or the other, I would choose the regular bench press, however, given the choice of either, there is no reason why you can't change it up now and again. Smith bench press can be especially effective when used later in your routine when you are fatigued and your stabilizers are shot.

Ok, did I confuse you or help you, LOL?

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

thanks

yeah that deffinetly helps. but what are the stablizer muscles and what do they help with?

 

[Scotty the Body]

Synergist
A muscle that assists another muscle to accomplish a movement.

Stabilizer
A muscle that contracts with no significant movement.

Dynamic Stabilizer
A biarticulate muscle that simultaneously shortens at the target joint and lengthens at the adjacent joint with no appreciable difference in length. Dynamic stabilizion occurs during many compound movements.

Antagonist Stabilizer
A muscle that contracts to maintain the tension potential of a biarticulate muscle at the adjacent joint. The antagonist stabilizer may be contracted throughout or at only one extreme of the movement. Also see active insufficiency.

For something like Bench press:
Muscles
Target
Pectoralis Major, Sternal

Synergists
Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
Deltoid, Anterior
Triceps Brachii

Dynamic Stabilizers
Biceps Brachii, Short Head

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Scotty the Body
Synergist
A muscle that assists another muscle to accomplish a movement.

Stabilizer
A muscle that contracts with no significant movement.

Dynamic Stabilizer
A biarticulate muscle that simultaneously shortens at the target joint and lengthens at the adjacent joint with no appreciable difference in length. Dynamic stabilizion occurs during many compound movements.

Antagonist Stabilizer
A muscle that contracts to maintain the tension potential of a biarticulate muscle at the adjacent joint. The antagonist stabilizer may be contracted throughout or at only one extreme of the movement. Also see active insufficiency.

For something like Bench press:
Muscles
Target
Pectoralis Major, Sternal

Synergists
Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
Deltoid, Anterior
Triceps Brachii

Dynamic Stabilizers
Biceps Brachii, Short Head

Scotty...where do you think you are, WBB??

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

.

does weightlifting stunt growth?

 

[Wolfpack22]

If you are 6' 4" 220 pds. you need to get back down to about 190 or so. I wouldn't worry about your strength so much right now. I guess it depends on whether you want a chance at college ball. If you remain at your current height you will have to lose weight. Basketball ball is more about leg strength and endurance. Repetitions would be your best bet right now IMHO. At 220 pds you are carrying too much weight. How many basketball players do you see that look like body builders? They are lean and some are cut. You won't see any massive body builders on a basketball court.

 

[bigss75]

What they would love a kid with speed, height, and size.

 

[Scotty the Body]

Originally posted by gopro
Scotty...where do you think you are, WBB??

HEY, thats not funny!

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

hey

I have started planning my offseason workout. Tell me what you think and what changes i should make etc...

This is the schedule you gave me awile ago.
One question though. I see calfs on Mon and Fri, but do i include them in Wed with legs? or just quad and ham?

mon...arms, calf
wed...legs
fri...chest, calf
sat...back and delts

This is what my plan is:

Monday: Arms, Calf
1. Biceps:
Machine Curls
Preacher Curls
Bar Curls
2. Triceps
Press Downs (bar)
Press Downs (rope)
Skull Crushers
3. Calf
Calf Raises

Wednesday: Legs (This is by far my strongest part.)
1. Quadricep
Leg Press - I start with 2 45 pounders, then every set I add one more until I get up to 6. Eventually I will do 7. I can but I think it is really hard on me though.
2. Hamstring
Leg Curls
3. Calfs?
Calf Raises?

Friday: Chest, Calf
1. Chest
Flat Bench Press (Smith Machine)
Incline Bench Press (Smith Machine)
Decline Bench Press
2. Calf
Calf Raises

Saturday: Back, Shoulders
-This is the day I can go with my dad to a bigger gym as opposed to my school gym. At my school they dont have much stuff for shoulders and back. I wish i could go to the good gym all the time but i guess it wont work out like that. But then again I could go over the summer everytime.

As for the routine my dad will usually tell me what to do.

 

[rebel]

Originally posted by gopro
Good job my friend. You are off to a good start. I'm glad you want to increase your bench press, but please do not neglect the rest of your body. You don't want to have a disproportionate and unbalanced physique. My suggestion would be a 3 day per week routine...monday, wednesday, friday...

Mon:
-bench press
-squat
-bent row

Wed:
-deadlift
-military press
-skull crushers

Fri:
-bench press
-upright row

i want to go on a mass program like the one above, but i am not concerned with increasing bench. what type of program, training 3 days a week, would you recommend?
-barbell curl

These basics will build good size and strength throughout your physique and help your bench press to go up. How much? Well that depends on how well you eat, how hard you work, how consistent you are, and, how good your genetics are. Anybody though, can make HUGE improvements.

 

[rebel]

i want to go on a mass training program to put on some size but i'm not too concerned about increasing bench, what type of program, training 3 days week, would you recommend?

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

gopro?

gopro???

 

[BirdyBirdMan]

bump

bump

 

[gopro]

I didn't respond originally b/c you mentioned that your dad was going to tell you what to do. What is the goal of your offseason plan? Are you looking for mass, looking to improve the "look" of your physique, or some other goal? How many days per week can you train and for how long?