We have used bands in the bench and I think we are going to start using chains this summer.

Lenny

 

Yeah I sort of picked up on your form point after I wrote most of that. You are right, there are a lot of guys out there that have no idea what parallel is like. We used to get a kick out of laughing at the freshmen who came in to max out just prior to the season and claimed big squat numbers and were not even close to parallel. They used to look at the coaches like they were crazy when they said go lower and complained about their low numbers b/c they had to go deeper. I had some real serious lifters teaching me in high school, they were pretty strict about parallel and got me to squat 530#'s after just two years in the weight room. Ever since bad squats have been a pet peeve of mine. Lifting your butt offf the bench is also a big one, we had to sit on a belt with 5#'s hanging from it in college to show that your butt stayed on the bench while you were maxing out. A weight room is a dangerous place for people with big egos and bad technique. I miss heavy lifting, I wish I hadn't messed up my joints so much...

 

EXACTOMUNDO !!! I'm doing real good to press my arms out all the way without some sort of ache......

 

I can bench nine people. I coach a baseball team.

 

Yep, thassacute.....

 

i'm 6'6 300 i can bench 420 my max is 450, no steriods, no nothing, steriods can shrink your pride. I always have a spotter you never know when the bones can crack.

 

hmmm, the orthopedic surgeons are going to love all you guys when you get in your fifties, and go to them complaining of constant knee pain and find out the cartilages in the knees are all but gone, just m.o.

 

I use to train with a powerlifter that was an orthopedic surgeon. He was amazingly strong. He would warm up for bench by doing reps of reverse grip bench at 315!

It doesn't take heavy weight to damage cartilage either. My wife's knees are screwed up from years of step aerobics.

 

I'm 32 and 6'0" 250lbs .. Until injury to my leg I was doing 315 for 6 reps (this past Feb.). I have not maxed out in years.. best 1rep max was 405 in high school competition. I stay low to medium reps on everything. legs are my best..
as to the comments on form.. I agree!! see way to many people that don't know what is what in the gym. Squats I do 405 for 12 X4 sets Parallel only never past for me... but that's it.. best max here was only 640 in highschool.. again .. I never go to max anymore.. leg press I go to 1300 for 6 BUT I use a high foot placement cause of knees.. also.. I was dumb an didn't warm up enough on day on leg press.. hence achillies tendon surgery! .. WARM up folks..

PS Hig foot placement changed the angle.. lets me get a farther stretch on my legs.. but I feel it easier to do heavier weight here too... lower foot placement.. I do aroun 900 to 1K

 

I am sitting here now on pain medication, from the torn knee cartilage surgery , I had performed on my right knee yesterday at the hospital. After seeing all the x-rays and 40 some pics from a MRI on my knee, I never realized what the knee cartilages have to endure. On all the other joints we have strong muscles protect the joints, the knee is the one joint where 50 percent or sometimes more, of your upper body weight (and barbell) weight sits on , with just a thin , sinewy piece of cartilage buffering between the upper leg bone and the lower leg bone.. When standing, the knee is in a compressed state, with a just little muscle on the sides and upper part of thigh helping to keep it from buckling.

The ortho cut off the torn part of the miniscus, and said my kneecap was worn underneath from years of wear and tear. I spent thirty years working construction, on my knees a lot laying tile floors, lifting weights in my 20's, and showing off by packing 7 sheets of 4'x8' 1/2 inch cdx plywood at one time. One can have all the big muscles they want, but those little knee cartilages while in compression, still carry the load too. Now at 52, I am paying the piper, so to speak just my scenario, may not be true for anyone else, I hope not anyway.

 

It's truly sad that when we are so young and so very strong that we have to "go for the gusto" so much. I used to have a pretty nice physique and was pretty muscular. My back and neck, even with the weight I have gained over the years, shows my old strength. After years of hard work, numerous back injuries and strains, I am 52 and live on pain medication. Each of these stories I read make me cringe and say a little silent word for each of you who push yourselves so hard. I can see great logic in weight training, but benching the max one or two times has never made sense to me. I'm not criticizing any of you for doing this. I just hope you don't end up spending too much of your life living on pills or having numerous surgeries. Good luck guys and ladies.

 

It is for this reason that I do NOT use extremely heavy weight. I'm a bodybuilder, who cares more about proper form and function, than boosting my ego. I've yet to meet a serious bodybuilder that could tell you his 1 rep max in any movement. It just doesn't matter to us.

 

I'm too lazy to bench (unless sitting on one counts) but I just returned from IPF (powerlifting) Women's Worlds in France where my sister benched 303. She weighs 148! Squated 501 and deadlifted 529 so the US took gold for her class.

 

When I was a senior in high school(just 2 years ago) I could put 405 up once- I'm 6'2" 255 lbs. Haven't lifted with a given weight since then- but did lift a 350chev onto a trailer(block crank pistons one head) to win $50.
Scott

 

rob_nc, fordlover 1951

I am hoping that you understand there are many of us power lifters who use good form also.

It is really hard to tell what causes so many bad backs, bad knees, elbows, etc. Could be bad form or could be some type of genetice defect or a non-lifting related injury.

I would be willing to bet that bad form has hurt far more people than lifting heavy ever will.