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  1. #1
    reardbandit's Avatar
    reardbandit is offline Associate Member
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    Board Press Boards

    I train with another guy I work with who has a substantially bigger bench than I do, and I am trying to figure out ways to help him go bigger besides bands, b/c we have used chains and like them, but with bands you gotta have a bench w/ band pegs, and we don't.

    Anyway, we have been looking at board press boards, but are not able to figure out exactly what they help you with. Another guy said they help with lockout, but I just don't see how.

    Anyone have suggestions or experience with this?

  2. #2
    BigGreen's Avatar
    BigGreen is offline Anabolic Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by reardbandit View Post
    I train with another guy I work with who has a substantially bigger bench than I do, and I am trying to figure out ways to help him go bigger besides bands, b/c we have used chains and like them, but with bands you gotta have a bench w/ band pegs, and we don't.

    Anyway, we have been looking at board press boards, but are not able to figure out exactly what they help you with. Another guy said they help with lockout, but I just don't see how.

    Anyone have suggestions or experience with this?
    I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "go bigger;" i.e., are you looking to gradually improve the 1RM number or immediately utilize an exercise that allows the use of more weight.

    Regardless, here's some smatterings of advice using the board press as a springboard. The board press absolutely will do wonders for your lockout, provided you experiment a bit to find the right number of boards reflective of your rough sticking points (and/or the literal point at which diminishing returns are crossed for you with regards to the lockout). Many will likely disagree with me, but I also *adore* the use of the board press as a rough analogy to the box squat, in that I'll "tense-rest" for an explicit and unmistakable second or two on the board and then explode off of it in that classic "dynamic-overcoming-static" manner. Absolutely love that exercise for not just lockout improvement, but incredible overall tricep gains.

    Also, even without band pegs you can work bands on the bench from either the bottom or top. I haven't done so in a while, but using the top of a power rack to suspend the bar from bands has a similar accelerated resistance effect as traditional band presses....and in some instances it can be preferable in that you garner the experience of locking out a true heavy weight at the top.

    From the traditional bottom perspective, I've often rigged heavy dumbbells as ad hoc band pegs. At some point way back when I snapped a picture of the deadlift set-up I used for this. Next time I do so with bench, I'll snag a picture of that as well.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigGreen View Post
    I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "go bigger;" i.e., are you looking to gradually improve the 1RM number or immediately utilize an exercise that allows the use of more weight.

    Regardless, here's some smatterings of advice using the board press as a springboard. The board press absolutely will do wonders for your lockout, provided you experiment a bit to find the right number of boards reflective of your rough sticking points (and/or the literal point at which diminishing returns are crossed for you with regards to the lockout). Many will likely disagree with me, but I also *adore* the use of the board press as a rough analogy to the box squat, in that I'll "tense-rest" for an explicit and unmistakable second or two on the board and then explode off of it in that classic "dynamic-overcoming-static" manner. Absolutely love that exercise for not just lockout improvement, but incredible overall tricep gains.

    Also, even without band pegs you can work bands on the bench from either the bottom or top. I haven't done so in a while, but using the top of a power rack to suspend the bar from bands has a similar accelerated resistance effect as traditional band presses....and in some instances it can be preferable in that you garner the experience of locking out a true heavy weight at the top.

    From the traditional bottom perspective, I've often rigged heavy dumbbells as ad hoc band pegs. At some point way back when I snapped a picture of the deadlift set-up I used for this. Next time I do so with bench, I'll snag a picture of that as well.

    good stuff. Throw some close-grip bench, and floor presses in there also. Really helps "stick-points".

  4. #4
    reardbandit's Avatar
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    I'm glad someone was finally able to give me some insight into this. We were looking to gradually improve the 1RM at a rate a little quicker than we have been doing, which is why I posted this.

    I can certainly understand the box squat method better than any of them, because I use box squats all the time to help my clients not only with their explosive power coming out of the bottom but also to improve their overall squat numbers. Cool idea with the heavy dumbbells too. Good stuff, thanks BigGreen.

  5. #5
    Doc.Sust's Avatar
    Doc.Sust is offline Retired "hall of famer/elite powerlifter"
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    boards are one of my main exercises and main exercise for any big bencher. overload triceps and get you use to heavier weights

  6. #6
    2475's Avatar
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    Refer To The Bench Press Book By Dave Tate and Elite Fitness

  7. #7
    smokeyd's Avatar
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    we put plate on and then strap bands from one side to the other underneith the bench. just did it this weekend

  8. #8
    xxxl83 is offline Productive Member
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    another option for rigging bands is using dumbells to ancor the bands on each side of the bar.

    Stay strong,

    xxxl83

  9. #9
    Biff77 is offline Junior Member
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  10. #10
    powerliftmike's Avatar
    powerliftmike is offline ~Elite AR-Hall of Famer~
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    Quote Originally Posted by reardbandit View Post
    but with bands you gotta have a bench w/ band pegs, and we don't.
    No you dont. You can just choke them around the power rack crossmembers..Thats what I do for all reverse band work. For conventional band work you can choke around bottom crossmembers, heavy dumbells, or even drill out a hole in the rack and put a bolt from a hardware store through it.

  11. #11
    powerliftmike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smokeyd View Post
    we put plate on and then strap bands from one side to the other underneith the bench. just did it this weekend
    Exactly.

  12. #12
    Biff77 is offline Junior Member
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    Last edited by Biff77; 06-02-2009 at 12:11 PM.

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