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Originally Posted by TheStang00
the bar is steel right? it wont break. itll bend before it breaks. you havent seen a 45 lb bar with 600lbs on it before have you.... it bounces and bows a lot but its still ok.
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He's using a 15lb bar, but i think he'll run out of space on the bar before the bar breaks. also it depends on the properties of the steel, there are some steels that are very brittle, others that are very maliable.
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Originally Posted by TheStang00
as far as bench pressing form goes, you will find that you can lift more if you dont just lay flat. your hips must remain on the bench, but if you pinch your shoulder blades in and consequently push your chest out some you will lift more as it gives you a better angle for your pecs. and it is legal to do it in lifting competitions, but you need to keep your feet flat and your hips on the bench.
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this will allow you to lift more weight but you're cheating yourself. it will end up hurting you in the long run. you're not only using different muscle groups to lift the bar, but you're putting more strain on your back than you should and you can end up with back problems, shoulder problems, etc. the reason you see alot of powerlifters with joint problems is because they use bad form to cheat the bar up, sure you might impress yourself but you'll also hurt yourself.
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Originally Posted by TheStang00
now about gaining more from doing more weight in your optimal range. you may tear your muscles more and look bigger, but you wont benefit as much athletically because you wont have that range of motion. so its really a matter of preferance. when i lift im not out to body build, im trying to really become stronger in a useful way, not body build.
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now this depends on what his goals are. if he's trying to build muscle, then he wants to tear more muscle so his body will build more than he had. going with your strongest range of motion and the highest weight will build the most muscle. if he's looking for increased power over his entire range of motion then he should do most of his range of motion. when you work a certain range of motion, it will also work 15 degrees on either side. so if you only work until your uper arms are parallel to your body (ie your upper arm and forearm make a 90 degree angle) it will also strengthen 15 degrees lower than that.
You probably arent's stretching alot. stretching will help your strength somewhat but will greatly prevent injury and will help you be quicker (you don't have to fight your tight muscles so you can be quicker), help posture, range of motion, etc. so make sure you stretch everything before and after every workout. this will help you with your bench press and other excercises. i know you might feel awkward because not alot of people stretch, but it's essential to keeping fit and healthy.