The Westside Barbell dynamic method

[jp_ottawa]

In this thread let's post a Q&A on how to use max effort and dynamic effort days to improve your strength. I am relatively new to this approach, and have lots of questions that someone may be able to answer.

[jp_ottawa]

In yesterday's workout, I had the following questions:

I've been following a seminar by Dave Tate and got some pointers on dynamic effort days. First off, DE days are not strictly about bands and chains, but moving the weight quickly. If you can't move the weight quickly, there's no point in adding bands. You might as well do some plyo work or toss a med ball (both valid exercices).

My specific dynamic weakness is in the eccentric part of my bench. Lowering the weight slowly increases your time-under-tension, and reduces your explosiveness in the concentric part of the lift. I feel there is no point in working with band tension if I want to work my eccentric bench speed. Today, I worked with 50% of a 1-rep max where I don't break form. Given that my raw max is around 300 pds, I am applying 300 pds of pressure on a 150 bench. That pressure should translate to some rapid triples, but I really need to speed up the eccentric motion. Any advice would be helpful.

[LtL]

Normally a slow eccentric is a sign of not being confident of your bar path. Try chalking the middle of the bar and wearing a dark shirt. Check your shirt after each set: you should have one, thin line. If you have a thick line or worse multiple lines, there's your problem. Once you have grooved that bar path, speeding up the eccentric shouldn't be an issue. I will add that I'm not a fan of an overly speed descent on the bar, you still need to control the weights.

LtL

[Fazc]

When yo partner hands you da barbell, you need to:

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by LtL

Normally a slow eccentric is a sign of not being confident of your bar path.

On a serious note, yeah LtL summed it up here. Pavel has written a hell of a lot on a speedy descent for Benching (not just for Speed Benches) and it has worked a treat for me. A speedier descent will leave you with more energy to perform a speedier ascent. It also makes the pause look more prominent to the judges.

You really just need to drop that bar (under control) like it's hawt.

[jp_ottawa]

Thanks guys. Yeah, sounds like I need to fix my bar path. Makes sense. I'll update later on how its working out.

[jp_ottawa]

Here's an update. As a warmup on my max effort bench, I chalked the bar and saw that the bar path is not always the same over reps. I'm trying to fix that. One thing that seems to help is to keep my entire body as tight as possible throughout the lift. That means no slacking in the legs, butt, and upper body. Its harder than it sounds, but it seems to work.

I will keep checking my bar path until nothing moves any more. Tweaking my form is a pain in the ass, but I'm sure it will be worth it in the long run.

[BendtheBar]

I try to stay tight. Not sure if this was mentioned, but concentrate on rowing the bar towards your chest during the eccentric. This will help with back and arm tightness.

[J_Byrd]

To really answer this question fully, I really need to know how you set up on the bench.
1. How is your arch?
2. Where is your foot placement?
3. Are you able to keep your shoulder blades together, and lats tight?
4. Are you brining the bar down with the lats, or are you losing your arch?
5. What is your bar travel on the way up? Is it straight up, or is it in an arch?

The bar travel will not be perfect every time, but you need to know what your strongest groove is. You are right with the concept that there is no need to add bands/chains untill you can move the given weight as quickly as it needs to be. Its not about how much weight you move, but more about the explosiveness you complete the lifts with. To give you a reference point, I use 205 when I am doing some Dynamic effort work. I have benched well over 700lbs in a shirt. Most people are shocked with the amount of weight you can add to your benchpress in just a few weeks of working on set up and form.

[jp_ottawa]

Originally Posted by J_Byrd

To really answer this question fully, I really need to know how you set up on the bench.
1. How is your arch?
2. Where is your foot placement?
3. Are you able to keep your shoulder blades together, and lats tight?
4. Are you brining the bar down with the lats, or are you losing your arch?
5. What is your bar travel on the way up? Is it straight up, or is it in an arch?

The bar travel will not be perfect every time, but you need to know what your strongest groove is. You are right with the concept that there is no need to add bands/chains untill you can move the given weight as quickly as it needs to be. Its not about how much weight you move, but more about the explosiveness you complete the lifts with. To give you a reference point, I use 205 when I am doing some Dynamic effort work. I have benched well over 700lbs in a shirt. Most people are shocked with the amount of weight you can add to your benchpress in just a few weeks of working on set up and form.

Thank you, these are very good points.

Arch: for my arch, I focus on upper back, and can fit a 6'' foamroller under my back. My bodyweight is mostly on my traps, but it tends to shift downward as a pull the bar down.

Foot placement: my feet are placed flat, past the bench. If I tuck my feet under my body, I can't keep them flat (the meets I go to follow IPF rules).

Shoulder blades: to get tight delts, I try to pull the bar apart at all times during the lift. to practice, I take a mini band, and pull it apart with my wrists as I bench.

Lats: that's a weak point for me. How can I practice keeping my lats tight as a pull the bar down, and maintain my arch?

Bar travel: I press the bar in a straight line as much as possible. other guys like to push towards the rack, but I find it easier just to press up.

I'm hoping you are right and I can add some pounds to my bench by getting my setup right.