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Bench form check
I’ve been trying to clean up my form a bit but I can’t seem to get my bench right. I feel my elbows flare out too much, and I can’t seem to cue myself into that not happening. Is my bar path off? Grip to narrow (or too wide)? And I know I’m doing 6 reps here, about half the time I do a 4 day split and half the time I run a Candito 6 week for variety. Please don’t shun me! Any advice would be appreciated.
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✓ Member
Your wrists are a much bigger problem than anything your elbows are doing. Get them to neutral, not over extended like that.
WTF are you talking about with your programming? How's that working out for you my undermuscled friend? Best advice you're gonna get is to quit fucking about and run a proper LP.
✓ Member
Thanks for the note on the wrists.Originally Posted by Dillon Spencer
And yes, I'm "undermuscled" right now aware of that compared to most people here.
✓ Member
Sorry if I came off as snarky, I do that sometimes without intending to. Most of the people here were undermuscled at some point, myself included. Rip would probably tell me I still am! On the first form check video I ever posted, one of the first comments was "Gain 40 lbs. Immediately."
It's just baffling when people know enough to come by here to look for form advice, but then take that advice and go off to apply it to some program that's either going to be far less effective at building the strength and muscle they desperately need, or completely inappropriate for their level of advancement as a lifter. I wasn't meaning to cast aspersions by pointing out your current state of muscularity, just pointing out that it would suggest that you are very much a novice lifter, and therefore exactly the type of person for whom a Novice Linear Progression is intended. Instead, you're hopping back and forth between two different programs that are meant for more advanced lifters, with the results to show for it. If you can resist your need for "variety" for a few months to run an LP, I'll bet you a beer nobody refers to you as undermuscled ever again
✓ Member
FYI I took that tip about the wrists and today felt waaaay better (not like with my wrists gimped back I ever felt pain or anything, but I felt stronger today). Again, thanks for the tip.
And I did run what I thought was a good LP (by the book as best as I could do on my own sans coach). I weigh 175 now, but when I finished my LP I was 205. Things in life changed and I needed to drop the weight. I’m steadily increasing my strength still, but I know it would be increasing faster if I ate more and committed to gaining the weight/strength. And I’m still super grateful for the Starting Strength info and community even if I’ve slightly diverged off the standard path.
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Hey Justin!
Looks like Dillon has you all covered with the form here.
Are you trying to weigh 175 now for any specific reason?
✓ Member
A couple reasons. One minor one is I started playing flag football again in a pretty competitive league and I play db/wr, and I’m able to keep up with the guys 15 years younger when I’m lighter. It’s not forever and it’s only a rec league at the end of the day but for now I enjoy it and you only get so many spins around the earth. The bigger reason is being put back into the dating scene, which, uh, is fun enough as is. At some point in the future I’ll make weight training more of a priority (I’d love to do a powerlifting meet sometime). Right now I’m happy still lifting 4 times a week and seeing slow gains while sacrificing quicker gains for keeping my weight a bit lower. Vain? Yes. But it is what it is.
TMPHBITEU
Don't date women who like skinny men.
✓ Member
Can this quote be made into a t-shirt?
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