45-Incline Press as the Only Pressing Exercise? Minimalism reasons.

[Jason Donaldson]

It's almost as if we've thought about this before.

Thought, talked, written, taught, modelled,...

To the OP, I'll suggest this: Critical thought is good, and analysis is useful. However, particularly for pursuits in the physical world, cogitation should complement experience, not replace it.

I personally screwed around over a long period of my life with exercise and training, and ultimately lost a lot of time, health, and opportunity. Later on, when I submitted to the program and ran it through, the efficacy became apparent. Do it for real, try it for a solid, genuine six or nine months, then see how it makes sense. Six months is a drop in the bucket, so the risk is low. Don't mess with it.

The experiential and the theoretical, properly integrated, are mutually supportive. Don't try to figure it out conceptually prior to the work - that's how the ancient Greeks "figured out" that rocks fall and flames rise because of the mutual attraction of their constituent elements. Made sense, seemed to work...but it was wrong.

[Fleischman]

Thought, talked, written, taught, modelled,...

To the OP, I'll suggest this: Critical thought is good, and analysis is useful. However, particularly for pursuits in the physical world, cogitation should complement experience, not replace it.

I personally screwed around over a long period of my life with exercise and training, and ultimately lost a lot of time, health, and opportunity. Later on, when I submitted to the program and ran it through, the efficacy became apparent. Do it for real, try it for a solid, genuine six or nine months, then see how it makes sense. Six months is a drop in the bucket, so the risk is low. Don't mess with it.

The experiential and the theoretical, properly integrated, are mutually supportive. Don't try to figure it out conceptually prior to the work - that's how the ancient Greeks "figured out" that rocks fall and flames rise because of the mutual attraction of their constituent elements. Made sense, seemed to work...but it was wrong.

Jason, this reply is very helpful. And convincing. I will the program as prescribed. Thank you and everyone else in this thread. See you all around.

[JFord]

Satch, thank you for this question. You are right: the Incline Press is a seated exercise that will not train the lower body. If only (or Rip) could come up with a way to Standing 45-degree Incline Pressing...

This seems tantamount to finding an exercise that involves standing upright while standing at a 45 degree angle to the ground. I’m reminded of discussions I had in high school about whether “If God is truly omnipotent, can He create a triangle with four sides?”

Mark’s a bright guy. Wouldn’t you rather he devoted his time to coming up with a program that increased meaningful strength without having to get out of bed?

[VNV]

This seems tantamount to finding an exercise that involves standing upright while standing at a 45 degree angle to the ground. I’m reminded of discussions I had in high school about whether “If God is truly omnipotent, can He create a triangle with four sides?”

Mark’s a bright guy. Wouldn’t you rather he devoted his time to coming up with a program that increased meaningful strength without having to get out of bed?

Can a three-sided object be a four-sided object?

Eventually you run up against the principle of non-contradiction, even in strength training.

[Steven Kalin]

Are you pulling with your lower body in the deadlift?