How to train upper body like a powerlifter??

[skaz915]

I have a big and strong lower body. I can squat 450 for reps but when it comes to upper body not so much. I can bench 225 twice on a good day. I can get upper body to grow but strength responds slowly. A forum member suggested i train upper body like a powerlifter. Is this essentially high weight low reps and long rest in between?? Should i train upper body like i do legs, i mostly do drop sets for squats. For example 10 plates on bar then 8 then 6 then 4 then 2, no rest in between. So one set is actually 5 sets.

[Java Man]

Yes high weight, low reps. For upper body, deadlifts work your traps lower back and lats quite a bit believe it or not.

Bench and heavy dumbbell presses for chest.

Military/Arnold press for shoulder mass.

Barbell rows and pull ups for lat mass

Reverse close grip benches and skull crushers will put thickness and strength in triceps. Weighted dips build strength in both chest and triceps, plus the ancillary tie ins like anterior delts for instance.

Preacher curls (aka Larry Scott curls) and incline dumbbell curls for biceps. Good old fashioned Olympic bar curls will do it too.

5x5s can be applied to upper body not just lower, and check out Marcus300's HIT thread:
http://forums.steroid.com/anabolic-l...ary%2A%2A.html

[Docd187123]

So you're looking to get stronger in your bench specifically or upper body in general? Where is your sticking point on the bench. PL training isn't just about high weight low reps and long sets. There's many different methodologies you can follow. Which one is best for you will depend on a bunch of factors.

[Khazima]

So you're looking to get stronger in your bench specifically or upper body in general? Where is your sticking point on the bench. PL training isn't just about high weight low reps and long sets. There's many different methodologies you can follow. Which one is best for you will depend on a bunch of factors.

Exactly, strength is not built by maxing out every session, most of the strength for most powerlifters is built in the 75-90% range. My bench sucks, but it's been responding best to 3x a week, 2 heavy sessions and a power session (3rd session, power is basically active recovery).

Try something like a 5x5 or 5x3 or if you're more advanced in your bodies capabilities try some different programs and just play around with it. I really liked canditos 6 weeks program for my bench, i'm using the same progression principle (for bench only) right now in preparation for a meet.

[skaz915]

Upper body in general but chest is disproportionately smaller than the rest. Sticking point in bench is when dbs are touching my chest not mid point like most. I'll try out some suggestions and see what I like/ what is working

[swolehead]

flat bench sets of 3 warmup 10 next set 6 then 3s till you find your weigh 5 sets of 3 at that weigh drop down do 2 sets of 12 after streach and call it a day that's how I do it I got my max to 370 using this method

[600@50]

If you're sticking point is at your chest start by always pausing your reps. It doesn't have to be very long just 2 or 3 seconds. You'll probably need to lower the weight you've been using. Spoto presses and regular DB bench can help your start. Begin with pausing all of your reps and you'll see improvement.

[skaz915]

If you're sticking point is at your chest start by always pausing your reps. It doesn't have to be very long just 2 or 3 seconds. You'll probably need to lower the weight you've been using. Spoto presses and regular DB bench can help your start. Begin with pausing all of your reps and you'll see improvement.

Did some light weight db presses this am pausing at the bottom and i could definitely feel the difference.

[jackfrost88]

From my experience in powerlifting for ~ a year, and got good upper body strength gains there are a few movements which really helped. Definitely pushpress for shoulder strength and good carryover to the benchpress. Bench press for 5x5 and doing variations such as adding chains, pausing, speed benching really helps. Switching to 6x4 or 6x3. Then building up to heavy single for strength test after several months. Another big one which a lot of people overlook is upper back strength. Shrugs / shrug variation and bent over rows do wonders. Hope that helps!

[swolehead]

good advice above also didn't even think of this untill now are you benching like a bodybuilder or a powerlifter because there similar but different

[skaz915]

good advice above also didn't even think of this untill now are you benching like a bodybuilder or a powerlifter because there similar but different

Not really sure of the difference but i kept my arms SLIGHTLY tucked and dig my heels into the ground trying to get that extra bit of push from my legs

[jackfrost88]

good advice above also didn't even think of this untill now are you benching like a bodybuilder or a powerlifter because there similar but different

I assume your going for strength from your post so take a powerlifting bench stance. Legs tucked under, shoulders blade pulled down and back. Arch in the back and grabbing the bar as tight as you can the whole range of motion with an explosion at the bottom once you touch your chest. On a powerlifting bench you will touch around your nipple line, explode up and almost "rock" the weight back. Tough to explain but differs from a bodybuilding bench because your weight is not moving up in a straight line. Tough to explain but watch some powerlifting videos and you'll notice

[skaz915]

I assume your going for strength from your post so take a powerlifting bench stance. Legs tucked under, shoulders blade pulled down and back. Arch in the back and grabbing the bar as tight as you can the whole range of motion with an explosion at the bottom once you touch your chest. On a powerlifting bench you will touch around your nipple line, explode up and almost "rock" the weight back. Tough to explain but differs from a bodybuilding bench because your weight is not moving up in a straight line. Tough to explain but watch some powerlifting videos and you'll notice

Nope that make complete sense. I'll still check out some videos. Thanks for all the advice guys

[Buster Brown]

I like 8/6/5/3/3/3 for a Rep scheme on my compound movements on upper body. Another one I like that is geared more towards hypertrophy is 8/8/6/6/5/5.

[pushit_05]

A couple things to keep in the back of your head that have helped me continuously progress:

1) Train for the rep range you want to be good at. Sets of 10 reps can make you stronger but it won't teach you to peak for 1 rep maxing.
2) Volume is key to everything. The more you do something the better you will be at it. I have never gotten better at something by not doing it. Not once in life.
3) Don't worry so much about form. Try and find the most comfortable spot for you. I used to arch huge but it effected my lower back and hurt my DL total. Now I keep my shoulders back and use whatever natural arch comes with that.
4) Always clench your ass and flex legs.
5) Triceps, front delt, and middle/upper back make huge benches.
6) Keep everything simple.

[pushit_05]

I like 8/6/5/3/3/3 for a Rep scheme on my compound movements on upper body. Another one I like that is geared more towards hypertrophy is 8/8/6/6/5/5.

I like this a lot but I do it in reverse so each previous set acts as an over warm up for the next set.

[Buster Brown]

I like this a lot but I do it in reverse so each previous set acts as an over warm up for the next set.

Too each their own. I personally don't like wasting to much energy on warm up reps. I prefer to do a single rep to bridge a decent jump in weight. I find the above rep schemes to be extremely efficient .

[pushit_05]

For sure, I have defenitly followed a program very similar to the pyramid you posted and got stronger. Over warm ups are not wasted energy as they basically act as a mini pyramid in one set. I mean, its all just picking things up and putting them down lol.

[600@50]

3) Don't worry so much about form. Try and find the most comfortable spot for you. I used to arch huge but it effected my lower back and hurt my DL total. Now I keep my shoulders back and use whatever natural arch comes with that.

Actually your form is probably the most important thing you need to concentrate on. Why do you think you have guys yelling verbal cues to the lifter as it's being performed? You hear cues to stay tight, bring the bar down, squeeze the bar, sit back and many others that work for the lifter. Perfecting form makes the lifter efficient and helps prevent injury. You obviously took this too far if you hurt your back while benching. The bench setup should be very uncomfortable in order to stay tight and efficiently tranfer power to the bar.
To say don't worry to much about form can be applied to the casual gym visitor but definitely not to someone intent on maximizing their potential on a lift. It takes YEARS to learn to bench correctly.

[Buster Brown]

600 is dead on and i would also like to add that how else do you think guys competing at a certain weight class continue to get stronger ? They keep improving there technique.

[pushit_05]

I honestly think you guys focus way to much on other things besides just lifting heavier. All of our bodies have a natural position that allows us peak performance in any given lift variation. Your job should be to find that not mimick what other people say. The only way you can find that is by lifting heavy weight often. Sit back, bar down are both ONLY applicable to geared lifting. Raw lifters loose a TON of torque by belly benching or sitting to far back. Olympic lifters are known as being technically the best squatters and NONE of them "sit back".

The bench setup should not be uncomfortable at all. Idk who it was that started that but its absolutly terrible advice. Should you be tight? Yes. I agree that form is important but each person must find their own form and telling people to do things that are "uncomfortable" is how they become injured.