Yahoo! Bench Press article: What's wrong with this picture?

[VincePIC]

Screencapped this from the Yahoo! home page today.
This is what Rip and the coaches are up against.
yahoo-bench-image.jpg

Question for anyone who would know: How would I make this image larger in this post? The actual image I screen capped is quite a bit larger.

[Sean Herbison]

Oooh, I know this one. The problem is that they say "the bench press is the king of strength training."

[Sean Herbison]

Good job, Vince, you got me looking at Yahoo's "fitness section," and now I'm sad, and it's only 9 in the morning.

Most of it is just inane, but then there are occasional "gems" like this: Fat-pride Activist Inspires Curvy Girls to Show Some Skin This Summer.

[CJ Gotcher]

Hm... what's wrong with it? Where do I begin?

Mistake #1: Wrists too far forward.
Mistake #2: Lifter's too small, needs more milk.
Mistake #3: Maybe it's just the small picture, but it appears the lifter is wearing a Wonder Woman bracelet or a second watch on the left wrist
Mistake #4: Yahoo still takes itself seriously.
Mistake #5: The article itself. The whole thing. Virtually every word. https://www.yahoo.com/health/get-str...250104762.html

[Atlas]

Looks like he is doing a thumb less bench press, which is just plain suicide.

[BareSteel]

The people who write these articles are journalists. They have to go with what their sources tell them, hit a deadline, and probably juggle several other articles to churn out rather quickly. If they interview Rip, or Wendler, or someone like that - they get an article we appreciate. If they get someone who teaches Bosu ball training or muscle confusion, they end up with something that we don't agree with. Sometimes the editors funnel sources to journalists directly, so the journalist never thinks to contact anyone else.

The problem is that the journalist doesn't have the understanding of the basic adaptation model to question methods that don't fit. Since it's not a heavy investigative piece, it naturally doesn't receive the same research time or attention.

Hopefully, most people who become interested in bench pressing from the article alone begin more specific research on technique and programming.

[Nick Klemetson]

Hopefully, most people who become interested in bench pressing from the article alone begin more specific research on technique and programming.

This leads to an interesting discussion that was starting up in a different thread. I forget which one. The question I asked myself is...

Someone decides they want to get fit. Where do they go to get started?

Here's some options...

1. Infomercial
2. Magazine
3. Local PT at their neighborhood gym
4. A currently "fit" friend
5. Google - "fitness for beginners"
6. "Exercise" section at a bookstore


There's many more, I'm sure. I know when I started out in 2009, I used infomercials. Thanks to Chuck Norris, I bought a Total Gym. It wasn't even a Total Gym though. It was a freakin' knockoff. I then spent (wasted) the next two years doing more infomercial stuff.

To follow up on Baresteel's comment, I did do more specific research. I don't think I can trace the entire flow chart of how I got to Starting Strength, but I got there eventually.

It seems most people don't get to the point of doing that additional research. In short, Rip needs an infomercial. Imagine that!

[VincePIC]

Looks like he is doing a thumb less bench press, which is just plain suicide.

^^This is what I saw in the photo. Unsafe imagery. I wonder if it's a stock photo or if they took the photo for the article.

[mweitz]

In short, Rip needs an infomercial. Imagine that!

That would be a short Infomercial....

Buy the fucking book, read the fucking book, don't whine to me when YNDTP, reread the book.

In order to be an effective infomercial, you would need some paid body guy, a cheap version of the Burgener & Rippetoe bar, some cheap plates and bumpers and a redone DVD with lots of colors and more mainstream music.

You could get the whole thing; book, DVD, and weight set for 4 easy payments of 99.95. But wait, if you are one of the next 50 callers, Rippetoe will yell at you via Skype during one of your workouts AND we will drop the 4th payment!

[VincePIC]

Oooh, I know this one. The problem is that they say "the bench press is the king of strength training."

This, too, Sean. Scary donuts.