Couple Training Questions

[Sfla80]

29 y/o male, 5-10 176 would say about 11-12% bf. I have been trainging for maybe 3 years now, intense traing for maybe 8 months now though. I have a couple of technique question. Basiclly same question different exercises.

When doing a chest workout, i have always done and been told always come down to your chest and touch it. Rescently been talking to new people at the gym, very strong and fit guys that seem to know what they are doing. And they were telling me never break the 90 degrees when doing a bench press. So i am confused about this now, and not sure which i should be doing. I am puttin up descent numbers, 250 4-6 times on flat bb. 85-90 db on flat and incline 6-8 times.

The other 2 questions are about the same, but different exercises. Squats i am coming down to 90 degress, but watching videos of body builders and football players, their arse is maybe a foot or 2 off the ground. Same thing with leg press....i see guys with their knees almost touching their chests while pressing. Legs im doing, 315-325 squats 6-7 reps....presses 14 total caddies about 6-7 reps.

So i am just wondering if i have been doing everything right, i always thought every exercise i do with good form, but now im questioning myself. I have had great gain rescently. But still i want to be using the best form possible even if it means dropping weight. Any help on this would be great.

Thanks guys.

[sully15]

With doing bench presses, bring it all the way down to your chest and try pausing on your chest for half a second so your not bouncing it off your chest. Your not working your chest nearly as much when you only come down to a 90 degree angle. You can probably lift a lot more when you only bring the bar down to 90 degrees, but try not giving a shit about how much you lift compared to other people in the gym.

[sully15]

Squats... personally I go as low as my legs possibly let me go every time. But I've heard of one week going down to 90degrees and the next going "ass to the floor" and switching every week. But just make sure your at the very least going to 90degrees, I see too many guys not even doing half that and thinking they can "squat" 4-5 bars on each side.

[Klimax]

Generally the more rom the more muscle stimuli.

[redz]

I am not sold on bringing the bar all the way down myself either I am 6'2" and have an 80" reach and once I get that far down the stress on the shoulders isnt worth it. I like to leave about 4" between the bar and my chest. Its a perference, i can go right down but dont because I have found little benifit to it compared to the risk of injuring a shoulder. Its easy for the 5'8" guy with short reach to tell people to come all the way down but the formula really isnt that simple. I move the bar in a much larger motion than you do even with leaving gap between the bar and my chest.

[Sfla80]

Thanks guys, with bench press i never bounce off the chest....But the only time i pause is when im doing maybe 12-15 reps. When i am pushing weight i touch my chest slightly. My other problem is, for some reason, it is a habbit, and i think i lose strength from it...on the first rep of bench i come down very slowly, but after that i rep them out. Think im losing from doing that? Squats i only do 90...i definately would have to drop the weight to do the "ass to the floor". Which i dont mind at all....i would rather get the most and having perfect form then putting up alot of weight.

[Klimax]

If you show your body at the beach, the girls won't ask how much you squat and bench; so stress your form: you'll obtain more size and have less chances to get injured. The weights other people lift don't have to concern you. I know it's easier to say than to do.

[sully15]

If you show your body at the beach, the girls won't ask how much you squat and bench; so stress your form: you'll obtain more size and have less chances to get injured. The weights other people lift don't have to concern you. I know it's easier to say than to do.

Exactly. If you look like you can bench 500 pounds and some other guy CAN bench 500 pounds but looks like he can only lift 200 pounds... you win... unless you do power lifting competitions of course...

[Jfew44]

I'm 6'4" and I bring the bar all the way down and touch my chest. The key to eliminate shoulder problems is the degree your elbows are from your body. Dumbells are a great way to switch it up and get a better ROM. I have tried keeping the bar 3-6" from my chest, not for me.

I can tell you from experience that football players rarely go more than 90 degrees on squats. When you are involved in that kind of sport, your knees are your lifeline, and the stress of going more than parallel puts too much pressure on them. Also, vary your reps more. Some weeks I wont go less than 10-12 reps, some weeks I'll stick with 3-5.

[Sfla80]

jfew44....vary my reps even now when im on my buulking cycle? I definately will try if it works. I never thought of switching weekly....i only switch reps/sets/weight on total routine changes..lets say on average 4-6 weeks. What i do change week by week is changing my excersises and the order i do them in.

Ok and like said i totally agree with the form, id rather being preforming the exercise perfect then putting on alot of weight. It is hard to do, because you always want more weight but if thats what it takes im doing it lol.

Squats...hard to tell if im doing 90 degrees or lower or higher. I was talking to someone the other day, he said a good way to judge is putting a bench behind you, and squating till your butt touches the bench...without actually sitting down on it.....im 5-10 remmeber...would that be a good way to go about it??

[redz]

I have squated with a bench under my butt before, seems to work I prefer not having it now but when I first started I did that to make sure I was going down far enough.

[Sfla80]

yeah i might drop the weight and try it....are all benches about the same height then?

When im doing 300+ on squats should i be wearing a belt also?

I doubt i will be doing that much.....i just dont think im going down far enough thats the only reason.....i go further then most i have seen but still. And still feels good to be able to hold 335 and do any kind of movement when im only 175 myself. But like i said and you guys said...form is the most important thing. ill try 225 on omnday and see how it works.

One other problem though with that....yesterday was my leg day, i wanted to do bb lunges so i went down for first rep and was fine...but for the oppostie leg (which i shot my glute on friday on that side) It feels like i am tearing the muscle. I dont really have pain from the shot but it definately is limiting some movements...such as lunges and leg presses. So im now wondering what its going to be like going further on my squats.

[Sfla80]

i should have posted this thread in lifting tech. huh? just realized that

can you move a thread to another forum if your the op?