OMG, a decent article from T-Nation

[chanduthemagician]

Wow, there is wheat in that chaf.  Though if the fella pushing would scissors his legs, he would not have to bend forward as much to move the apparatus.   I think there is value to loading resistance similar to how the strength will be used.  For instance I think NFL lineman should use something like a standing chest machine so they can work similarly to how they will in their sport.   Flat benches don't offer that.  

www.t-nation.com/training/tip-bench-pressing-vs-real-life

[Dave Reslo]

A year or two ago I did a lot of two-handed throws with a rock or an old lump of concrete or something. It felt great, it was also a great warmup for pressing, I'm still not that sure how much carryover to other things it gave by itself.

I don't know why we are supposed to be surprised he has to lean into the weight. Any sport where you have to push forward you are going to be leaning forward (probably with one leg in front to keep balance).

Anyway, those of us without a viking press or landmine press can still improve horizontal strength stood up using The HOOK and doorway anchor.

[fredhutch]

Primal Punch teaches an exercise where you put your hands on the sides of a doorway, press hard and then walk the feet in, allowing the arms to bend but maintaining as much tension as possible in the muscles. Kind of a self-resistance horizontal pushing exercise. I do these and like them.

[pierinifitness]

About 7 years ago, I did a "semester" or two of StrongLifts and made improvement in all of my lifts.  I had never been a good bench presser and even though I made gains getting to a single of 255 lbs. (I believe), I wasn't still strong compared to so many gym types who devote a significant amount of time to bench press. Where I made my greatest progress is the overhead press from the rack, getting as high as a 175 lb. single.  What I noticed is that many who could bench press far more than me trailed me in the OHP.  I was able to do 135 lbs. OHP for 10 reps.  

That was then and now I probably couldn't do 135 lbs. although I could probably do 115-120 lbs. I'll soon get a free gym membership when becoming a Medicare Man next month and I'll be joining a gym to supplement, not replace, my current training at parks and in my office.  I'm looking forward to testing my OHP abilities and if I can remember, I'll report back.

To me, bench press is nice but OHP is king.

[chanduthemagician]

Jan 17, 2020 13:38:40 GMT Dave Reslo said:

A year or two ago I did a lot of two-handed throws with a rock or an old lump of concrete or something. It felt great, it was also a great warmup for pressing, I'm still not that sure how much carryover to other things it gave by itself.

I don't know why we are supposed to be surprised he has to lean into the weight. Any sport where you have to push forward you are going to be leaning forward (probably with one leg in front to keep balance).

Anyway, those of us without a viking press or landmine press can still improve horizontal strength stood up using The HOOK and doorway anchor.

I think a lot of folks don't think of the physics.  They think if two guys get in a shoving match and both weigh the same (250lbs) one benches 350 and one benches 400.  Many would think the 400 pound bencher will shove the 350 pound bencher further.  (assume they both push their arms forward at the same speed to take out the nervous system element). 

It begs the question if you are not lifting for a sport in which laying on your back and pressing with your arms is important, why risk your shoulders health to do a movement that is unnatural to your body with immense poundages.  The natural version of the bench for your body is either a standing position or face down on floor position, but in neither position are your shoulder blades and back pinned to an immovable object.   

Of course I guess a little shoulder damage over time is probably small in the scope of things some of these guys go through.  Ronnie Coleman, anyone.  Or some of the ones that got liver, heart and other health issues from 'roid use.   

So to me this says maybe the body is adapted to support heavy weights better in positions we naturally (in normal life, not contrived situations) lift things in.  Picking something up from the floor, raising something up and so on.   

[s4l4dr3ss1ng]

I used the Iso-Grip (a dynamometer / force exertion meter) that I have to test the force I was putting out in a certain exercise.

The exercise is a one-armed standing press, using my leg pressing backwards against the Sierra iso-strap as self-resistance, while pressing forward with my arm as forcefully as possible.

The force initially registered on the device in the low 30’s (as in 30 lbs. of force).

I tried making an adjustment by tucking my elbow into my torso while pressing, but even then, the very highest I could register on the device was 52 lbs.

Now, I am no strongman, but I can easily press my 160 lb body in a pushup - regular, feet elevated, weighted, archer, whatever the style - for anywhere between 5 - 30 reps, depending on the style.

Assuming that in a pushup, my arms are together pressing *at the very least* 120 lbs. of resistance (factoring in the angle of my body), that would mean that each arm is pressing *at the very lowest estimate* 60 lbs.

I’ve pressed against a bathroom scale while doing archer pushups in the past, and read the scale at / around 90 lbs. of force being produced.

Any ideas about the reason for this discrepancy?