probably should mention that I still compete in running distances 1 mile to 10k(6.1miles)
I don`t know how often you run,but long distance running and trying to build up your bench does not mix.
I have curbed all distance running for now, and I havent been running much for about 9 months, the growth has been incredible.
probably should mention that I still compete in running distances 1 mile to 10k(6.1miles)
I don`t know how often you run,but long distance running and trying to build up your bench does not mix.
TANK is spot on. Running and weight-lifting use two different energy systems. If you push both, neither will noticeably improve. The only cardio I'd suggest is light cardio (on machines) or sprints. Don't forget your GPP (General Physical Preparedness), like the sled, tires, sledgehammers, ect.
2-3 days a week of this would do wonders for anyone.
This is totally anecdotal, but I've noticed that it's the guys of the medium height that seem to be able to bench the most weight. I've heard that having longer arms actually begins to hurt your performance. We have this one guy in my gym that's actually fairly short and he's probably one of the strongest guys there. He's near 50 and easily benches over 300lbs. Or should I said "did". He stopped coming for a while and muscles lose their strength rapidly when they are not exposed to weight training.
BTW, I have a friend that's literally an encyclopedia on this information, and he doesn't go for the trendy workouts-of-the-month that appear in those workout magazines. He's said that a prime reason people injure themselves while pressing weights is because they are moving the weight too fast, and the faster you move the weight the more force you put on the tissues and the more likely you are to injure yourself. Think about it: when you move something fragile do you move it fast or do you move it slow? One thing he cited is that it's the first rep, not the last rep, that's the most dangerous on your tissues. On your last rep you don't have as much power to waste, so you tend not to put as much power into the rep as the first.
His recommendation is that each rep should barely move in the beginning and should take 3-5 seconds per direction depending upon the total length of the movement (i.e. a squat is fairly long while a shoulder shrug is a short movement). Yes, this means you won't be able to use momentum to assist your movement, but if your goal is to gain strength and not a higher number to impress the other people at the gym it shouldn't matter.