This Bench for Reps program is launching in just a few short hours. And as promised, I got an advanced copy of the program to give you a heads up on what you are gonna get. As always, Mike and Chandler delivered a quality program. The went over many aspects of benching that many coaches neglect.
There is more to this program than just the 8 Week Challenge. They go into detail on proper form, some of these tips alone will add pounds to improve your bench. They also help you understand the way to address your weak points. Not only that, they show how to choose exercises to correct those weak points. Again these are things that most bench programs leave out.
If you have hit a plateau, or are looking for something different in your bench press routine, this is a program worth checking out. As I said, the benefits of it will last you much longer than 8 weeks. The information on form, and rep schemes are something that you can continue to incorporate into your training .
While I know that I have already written The Truth About Internet Judges, just consider this it’s epilogue. While writing the That’s One Strong Mother... article, I included the above video. It shows Marisa Inda deadlifting 335lb @114lb. Obviously, it’s a lift as awesome as Marisa is herself.
However, as previously stated, when you do something awesome people are going to be critical. Apparently that is just the world that we live in these days. And true to form, a beautiful mother of 2 deadlfiting almost 3X bodyweight qualified for unsolicited criticism.
Now normally I try to avoid these discussions since they generally go nowhere. Whoever is criticizing is only doing so because they are projecting their own issues. And let’s be honest here, this is a beautifully intimidating feat of strength to some.
So here is the reply that caught my attention…
Jason Fyda - eeeeek! I don't think a strength coach or a judge in a weightlifting competition would count either of these as a rep with that rounded back. If you are inspired by this as a weightlifter, that is great, but please refer to someone with better technique to follow and learn from.
If you actually read what he said, I hope your head doesn’t explode. I think mine almost did, which is why I chose to reply. My reply…
1st. This is NOT a Deadlift Tutorial it is a successful PR Attempt
2nd Weightlifters do Olympic Lifting. Powerlifters Deadlift.
3rd. On a Max Effort attempt form breaks down, you cannot have 100% Effort and Perfect Form.
4th. In a Powerlifting meet this attempt would pass with 3 white lights, they don't judge form they judge locking the weight out which she did.
Is it too much to ask that people KNOW what they are talking about before they attempt to criticize people?
Honestly, I was not trying to attack the guy. I was just trying to calmly point out the errors in his observations. And if my head almost exploded after his first reply, his second reply literally blew my mind…and made me very sad for the state of affairs in the Strength and Conditioning Community.
Jason Fyda - Form breaks down, lift doesn't count, unless it is in a crossfit class, then I guess you just do whatever you want. Your second point makes no sense. Third point, then you just aren't strong enough, go back to training. I guess I am not a 'powerlifting' judge, But I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a USAW weightifting coach, exercise physiologist and I have been training as an athlete for more than half of my life (I am 30). I'd say I have a pretty good idea of how to DL!
I am sure you can tell why I almost had an aneurysm. This was NOT some 18 year old keyboard warrior. This was someone that invested in their education. This was someone that is certified by the NSCA to train people, and also a qualified USAW Weightlifting Coach. As it turns out he even played D-1 football for a prominent program. So the fact that he got this so wrong saddens me about the return he got on his investment in education.
I will leave you to go and read the remainder of the discussion if you like. Who knows where it will go from here. I just think it is a sad commentary on the Strength and Conditioning Community. If this is the level of understanding that this higher education is turning out then we are in trouble. A coach like Jason is trying to be a legitimate Strength and Conditioning Coach. He has paid the money, and spent the time to get certified at the highest level. Yet after training athletes for years, these are still things that are embedded in his way of thinking. It's more than likely not even his fault, it's what he has been taught. Unfortunately it's wrong, and more unfortunately he paid for that knowledge.
As far as the video goes, yes Marisa's back rounds a bit on these pulls. That is one of the points of Max Effort work. First you test yourself to see where you are at. Second, you look for where form breaks down so you know what the weak link is for you to work on. To Jason's point, is lifting with less than perfect form dangerous? I can only answer that by saying that it's NOT the safest thing ever. However, whether or not it's worth it is up to you. Let's face it, whenever you want to be Elite at something you are going to make sacrifices. If you think about it, most sports can be dangerous. Even Jason may have been effected by this. He was an Offensive Lineman, and weighed 275lbs. That is pretty much a requirement of the position. Is it the healthiest or safest thing? Not at all. Does he more than likely have some nagging injuries from his football years? Hopefully not, but probably. Jason did and Marisa is doing what needs to be done to excel at the sport they are passionate about.
There are two things that I hope you take from this article. Sadly, just because someone has a legitimate certification and a solid background does not guarantee that they know everything about Strength and Conditioning. If you are looking to hire a coach, choose carefully. More importantly, ignore the critics and do what you are passionate about. We don't choose our passions because they are safe. We choose them because they are necessary to make life worthwhile. Truth be told our passions usually choose us. You have to realize that it is going to cost you something. You cannot have laser like focus on multiple things. So whatever you are focused on will cause you to have to ignore other things. Whether or not it is worth it is up to you. At the end of the day, luckily YOU are the only one YOU have to answer to.
So what should your lacrosse workouts consist of? Well lets look at the demands of the sport. To be a successful lacrosse player you must possess physical qualities, such as strength, agility, muscular endurance, flexibility, and quickness. In fact elite level lacrosse players are among the most highly conditioned athletes in the world.
You often here the expression, “it is not a sprint it’s a marathon.” What makes lacrosse unique is that is both. It requires athletes to have the endurance to withstand the constant motion during the course of the game. However, endurance alone is not enough. You must also possess excellent short burst speed, as well as the ability to start and stop on a dime. Because of this your workouts must address both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers.
To play elite level lacrosse you also must possess a powerful upper body. Your ability to stick and body check is determined by your ability to generate force. We all know that force = mass X acceleration (squared). To increase your ability to generate force you must increase your mass, and your ability to accelerate that mass.
Not only that, but the added muscle mass will help you absorb being on the receiving end of such hits. It is true that they let you were pads to play lacrosse, however the best protection you can have is additional muscle mass. Think of it as armor. It increases your ability to hit, and to be hit. Ultimately, it makes you a force to be reckoned with, which is what we are trying to do here.
So how do we address all the requirements of the sport in our workouts? We have to find a balance between speed, strength and endurance. We have to added muscle mass in the right places without overdoing it and becoming muscle-bound and slow. We have to find that perfect balance to build the perfect lacrosse athlete.
All things being equal, the stronger, better conditioned athlete will win. This is especially true for a hybrid sport such as lacrosse. The programming of your lacrosse workouts should reflect this.
