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Thread: Rip: How to Fix Powerlifting

  1. #1
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    Default Rip: How to Fix Powerlifting

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  2. #2
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    Brilliant. I'd like to see all these accepted with maybe one caveat: The bench pause rule. You mention that a possible solution to keep the pause rule is to have the lifter self-govern it without commands. If we were all in a room voting on new rules this is the one I'd vote for: Lifter-driven pause.

    And to join you in controversy: I'm doubtless a rarity especially among clergy for this, but I'm entirely with you on the PEDs rules. Some substances are of course outright illegal in various countries, but I see no value in setting the enforcement at competition/athletic federation level. I'd like to see the answer to this question worked out in real-time on the platform: Short of bionic implants and kevlar suits, how strong can a human be?

  3. #3
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    Why do you like the pause for the bench but not the squat?

  4. #4
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    I agree with all of this but the sumo. I’m on the fence with that one. I personally can’t do it. Hips just don’t like it. I have seen the 4 inches to lockout Rip has talked about, however. It’s true the Olympics don’t have spotters but someone to slap you in the face when you pass out!! 😜😜😜😜

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Why do you like the pause for the bench but not the squat?
    It's entirely arbitrary. Just a matter of personal preference.

  6. #6
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    Not a lot to argue with in that article. My own experiences in USPA meets (the only ones I competed in other than an intramural BS meet at SIU) indicated pretty consistent, albeit less than perfect judgement on squats. Although the most recent one I was at in Tulsa was by far the worst with respect to squat depth. I suspect the quality of judging gets attenuated somewhat as the distance from the West coast origins of the federation increases. I commented on it in a post-meet survey I got in email too.

    The hand distance thing for the bench press is a good suggestion as is the touch and go, but how to implement it fairly and consistently seems dicey. Unless I missed something vital in the article anyway.

    Sumo, I dunno. I get the reservations over it, but . . .

    Drugs now. I have always considered drugs and gear anathema. I lift raw. I don't even use the permitted knee sleeves or wrist wraps in the USPA Raw division. The minute the USPA implemented a drug tested division, I entered it and never intend to lift in an untested division. That said, I do use creatine and I drink way too much coffee. Although I never took any form of caffeine during a meet. Just the usual too much coffee every day.

    Finally, I saw what I would consider entry manipulation for a medal hunter. He not only entered in bench only and deadlift only, he managed to enter in push/pull and got three gold medals. That's some serious BS.

  7. #7
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    So of course I went and watched Paul Jordan with 760. I wish I hadn't.

  8. #8
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    Great article. a few differences:

    1) no pause needed in any lift and no commands either.

    2) I disagree about sumo and bench hand width. Unless we are going to start measuring the distance the bar travels in all the lifts (which would help me as Im 6'4"), Im fine with shorties using their shortiness to complete a lift. For example, in bench, they should do away with the rings and just left everyone grab the angle they feel strongest in. Theres no width requirment for feet in the squat, why make one for hands in the bench? Get the best angle you can and squat push and pull. By the way, Strength Central has a video showing the WR in each class for deadlift - 1 for sumo and 1 for conventional. Up until about the 275 weight classes, the sumo record beats the convetional record. At 275, the convetionals start getting stronger than the sumos. As Rip pointed out, weight classes are height classes. Tall people pull convetional.YouTube

    3) I dont care about decorum in "sport". Powerlfitign is fun and so is heavy metal. I dont mind the spectacle. Its not a colonoscopy - its supposed to be fun. But yeah, watching benching is boring AF

    4) drugs are fine. Leave us alone.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Why do you like the pause for the bench but not the squat?
    I have a couple of valid concerns with the "pause" and "rack" commands on the bench press and I'm curious to hear your thoughts Rip. I agree with your position on both and think the commands should be completely removed. There are some areas that need to be addressed though.

    First, if touch-n-go becomes the standard we are going to have guys coming in trying to bounce extremely heavy weights off of their chest. This is an obvious liability that would need to be controlled for in some way. I'm not sure how to do this without enforcing a pause but I'm sure we can come up with something.

    Second, the rack command stops the lifter from trying to "bench-press-into-the-rack." This is another obvious risk because if he misses the pins as he was barely locking out 405, the bar is likely come crashing down (onto the safeties hopefully). We've had to correct this on many novice lifters so it is a known phenomenon. The same goes for the unracking. I've coached an actual coach who combines the eccentric phase with the unracking of the bar (i.e. the bar comes off the hooks and immediately gets lowered with zero effort to get set up).

    I would like to add that the bench press should be performed in a monolift (NOT THE SQUAT THOUGH) because that eliminates the need for a spotter, makes the lift entirely the responsibility of the lifter, and allows the lifter to clear the face before even unracking the bar.

    In short, if we can control for the idiocy that we've all see with unmoderated bench presses, the unmoderated touch-n-go on a monolift should become the standard.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    The other issue with spotters is that often who become a spotters for the meet is a function of availability. Many of the spotters have no idea what they're doing and look like they couldn't squat a quarter of the weight the squat attempt is.
    Starting Strength Indianapolis is up and running. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching session.
    I answer all my emails: ALewis@StartingStrengthGyms.com

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