Dad Strong: Efficient Strength Training For Busy Dads by Travis Jewett

Author:Travis Jewett [Jewett, Travis]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

Bench

I would be remiss if we didn’t discuss bench pressing. You are a man and a dad so I know you will do it if I tell you to or not. You may as well have some guidelines and direction to keep you safe. If you don’t already own a flat bench, go out and get one. You can probably find one at a garage sale though in my experience most men are reluctant to part with their bench; it would admit giving up the dream. Rogue Fitness, American Barbell and Ironmind are where I have purchased pretty much everything I own so check them out first.

Like the squat, the bench is won and lost with a solid set up. The way I will describe the bench press is probably the exact opposite of how you have spent your time bench pressing. It is also why you have gotten away from bench pressing because it probably bothers your shoulders. We need to restore your manliness with a respectable bench. When you are dead and gone and someone is reading your eulogy, they will not talk about that one time you did ten pistols in a row with each leg. They will fondly reminisce about the time they were your spotter for the first time you bench pressed 300 pounds. I would also highly recommend again you buy a SlingShot from Mark Bell. He knows bench and the SlingShot is a must have for every dad on the planet. Start with the blue one (reactive). More than likely it is the only one you will need. If you get serious and want to push some huge numbers, the yellow (Boar) and black (MadDog) will be in your future.

You will need to set the squat stands to a height that when you lay on the bench you have to bend your elbows slightly to grab the bar. The grip width is something you will have to experiment with. I put my pinky fingers on the rings of the bar. I have bench pressed with this grip since I was 13 years old. Some of you will find a slightly wider or narrower grip more comfortable. All you need to concern yourself with is finding a grip that feels strong and allows you to maintain good shoulder positions the entire range of the lift. Before you lift off from the squat stands set your grip and pull your shoulder blades together and down toward your hips. Pretend like you are trying to rip and bend the bar in half. This sets your shoulders properly in the socket and creates a nice stable platform between your upper back and the bench to press off of. One of my favorite sayings from Pavel about the bench press is “You can’t shoot a cannon out of a canoe.” What this means is if you do not have a strong stable set up, you will leak force and power when you bench. You should also be digging your feet into the ground and keeping your butt tight.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.