An Olive Branch

Create: 12/01/2005 - 15:37
Jeffrey Vaughn who has been at the center of some of the 'my federation is stronger' type debates over at Dr. Squat offers an olive branch which states a common ground for all powerlifters regardless of the federation they compete in, equipment they use or drugs they take.

We all love strength training. We all love to lift weights. We all love the benefits and rewards of strength training. We all have something in common that separates us from the norm. We all wish good luck and success to others that share our love.

Are Knee Wraps Bad For You?

Create: 12/01/2005 - 09:06
Knee wraps are used by most competitive powerlifters on heavy squat attempts. Most raw federations allow there use during competition. Like a belt they're considered more a safety device. The starter of a thread at Power and Bulk wonders how safe they are:

wraps actually contribute to knee pain and deterioration by pushing the kneecap inward. Also, I've experienced more tracking problems when wrapping for long periods than when not. There's a term for roughening of the underside of the kneecap - I think it's chondromalacia - and while I have no scientific study to point to, I believe that wraps potentially contribute to this problem.

The First Squat Suit

Create: 11/30/2005 - 14:09

Today lifting suits and bench shirts are commonplace in the world of powerlifting. But remember there was a day when they didn't exist. Sure other, more crude, devices were used. Go Heavy posters talk about the introduction of the Marathon Supersuit in the mid 1970's. It was the first squat suit made and marketed to the powerlifting community. Fast forward to today to witness the changes in powerlifting from this one introduction.

What Is A Sticking Point?

Create: 11/30/2005 - 09:13
A Power and Bulk thread examines the nature of a sticking point and how to generally train one.

there are 2 differing types of sticking points... 1) An area of "muscle" weakness or less trained synergists. (lockout on a BP) 2) An area of bad leverages more or less at times an individual thing. (BP off the chest for a longer armed trainee)

Big Bench Arch And Back Issues

Create: 11/29/2005 - 14:42
It's often said that using a big arch while benching leads to back issues. A Fortified Iron thread takes a look at this assumption. Shawn Lattimer provides a couple of very good and very technical responses:

the pressure on the spine itself doesn't change. There is no compressive force applied to the spine. Regardless of flat back or not, you still have the same surface area directly under the bar load, specifically your upper back. When benching flat backed, only the center portion of your back takes the load, so less of your body is distributing the weight. When properly set up with the arch, shoulderblades pinched, traps retracted, you have much more body mass under the bar, which distributes the pressure of the bar over more tissues and bones. Remember, your body is 3-dimensional, you are talking about a flat plane here. Therefore, if your back is healthy, there is no danger from benching with an arch, regardless of the popular "personal trainer" advice.

At Least It's Not Raw Versus Equipped!

Create: 11/29/2005 - 10:23
You'll enjoy this one, err maybe. A thread was started which jokingly compared Jeff Feagles (a punter) breaking Jim Marshall's record for most consecutive football games played to a multi ply lifter beating a single ply one. Seems innocent enough, right? Nope. Not a single word has since been said about the record. The first responder to the post says:

There is no difference between single ply and multi-ply anymore.

Everyone I know who uses a correct-fitting new geneation single ply bench shirt benches just as much as in any double ply shirt.

A Kinder Gentler Powerlifting Forum

Create: 11/29/2005 - 09:59
If you feel a bit beat up by some of the powerlifting forums, Weight Trainers United offers a bit more of a relaxed environment. Ken Ufford states the difference:

I was surfing on another forum and man it gets brutal at some of the slams guys throw around at each other... I mean we are all powerlifters and we all put in the hard work and sweat to do a sport we enjoy. We go through the good times and the hard times and keep lifting and doing the best we all can. The goal for all of us should just be to lift more weight than we have done before. It might be a one lift bench or a full 3 lift total. Does not matter the goal is to lift more and get the weights up! Some of us will do diffrent things to get better. Some of us might want to use better gear, mono lifts,diffrent feds where the judging is not super strict as others feds. Some may even use Strength enhancemening drugs. The point is this board is the best because we all lift in diffrent feds in all kinds of various gear and we all encourage one another while doing it... If we are powerlifters and do not support one another who will support us.

Which Federation Is The Real Deal?

Create: 11/28/2005 - 15:11
A couple of interesting threads going on at the Dr. Squat forums. The first was started by Dr. Squat himself and addresses some comments by APF lifter Jeffrey Vaughn regarding Jeff Lewis' squat depth on his World Record:

I am disappointed in you for sticking up for this nonsense. Do you know what BELOW parellel means? WHO CARES what rougue organizations define as a good squat! Do what all of us had to do! And STOP calling lifts like this "legit!"... I am not a big fan of the IPF idiots, but they're all we have... Understand, I am a purist, and want to see guys break my records. Kaz and all the others, I am SURE, would echo my sentiments! So...DO it! Don't pretend!

The Advantages Of Having A Home Gym

Create: 11/28/2005 - 13:16
A post over at Weight Trainers United looks at the advantages of starting a home gym. The gym the original poster builds cost $2500. He figures to make his money back in about 2 1/2 years. The advantages he cites:

  • There is the time savings of not having to travel back and forth to the gym.
  • being able to workout anytime, 24/7
  • you do not have to put up with the (how do I say this nicely?), heck, the idiots at the gym. People screwing around or yapping away on a cell phone while you’re trying to concentrate and prepare for a heavy lift. Or someone walking right in front of you while you’re going down on a heavy squat, causing you to lose your concentration and get buried. Or someone tying up the power rack doing curls while you’re waiting to do heavy squats.
  • being able to play whatever music you want.
  • I can put my chains where I want
  • I can also change into my powerlifting gear right in my workout area.

Leg Drive And Benching

Create: 11/28/2005 - 11:18
A thread over at Bodybuilding.com looks at how to incorporate a leg drive into ones bench press. The original poster asks about the mechanics of using leg drive:

it seems to me that if you drive with your legs, your butt comes off the bench.

One of the members answers:

the idea is to position yourself so you can drive with your legs as much as possible without your butt coming off the bench. Check out the Metal Miltia bench set up for instance. Your feet are curled up under you on your toes, so you can push with your legs without worrying about your ass coming off the bench. There are LOTS of different ways to set up that can give you more leg drive. And it does make a big difference.

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