Keep it Tight!

[WilldBill88]

Found this on Andy's Blog, thought it was a good tip.

How To Work Out Your Weaknesses And Get Strong: Part 2

By Andy Bolton

Pulling Big

Here we are going to look at technical weaknesses.

At first sight, the three powerlifts (squat, bench press and deadlift)
may look like easy moves to master.

However, you only have to go to your local commercial gym or
“fitness and health center” to see that most people performing the
Squat, Bench and Dealift are doing so with lousy form!

And what does lousy form mean?

It means LESS STRENGTH and MORE INJURY RISK.

Not good.

So, if you want MORE STRENGTH and LESS INJURY RISK (and I’m
guessing you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this) – pay
careful attention to the tip I’m about to share with you because
it is vital on all 3 lifts…

How To INSTANTLY Improve Your Squat, Bench And
Deadlift

Tightness is the key to strength.

If you don’t know how to get tight – you will never reach your
strength potential.

The other day, a friend of mine (who is also a powerlifter) asked
me what mistake I see most lifters making.

I replied…

“That’s easy – they are too loose under the bar”.

In other words – they don’t know how to GET REALLY TIGHT.

Let me tell you – you must practice getting tight on very single
set you do. I don’t care whether it is 95 pounds or 995 pounds,
you must get tight.

And it is only through repeated practice that you will learn to
stay tight with heavy loads.

Here is a drill that my friend Pavel likes to get people to do
to learn to get tight. Do it with me right now.

It’s a 3 step drill that goes like this…

1. Sit down, relax your body and now FLEX YOUR RIGHT
BICEP as hard as you can – but only focus on the bicep

Feel the tightness

2. Stay sat down, relax your body and now FLEX YOUR RIGHT
BICEP and your RIGHT FIST as hard as you can.

You will notice much more tightness when you squeeze your
fist as well as your bicep.

3. Here’s the best part and the true lesson in tightness that I
want to teach you today.

Stand up.

Yes, just do it – STAND UP.

Now do the following as hard as you can:

- Claw the floor with your toes

- Tense your Quads

- Squeeze your Glutes

- Flex your Abdominal muscles

- Tighten your Lats

- Squeeze both fists

and now….

- FLEX YOUR BICEPS

If you do this correctly and with meaningful effort – you will feel
incredible tightness. (Your body will probably shake with the
effort).

It is this tightness that you must try to recreate throughout your
body on your squats, bench presses and deadlifts.

Many people try to find weaknesses that are more advanced than
they are.

If you cannot get tight – you do not need to be worrying about
hamstring weakness on your squats or tricep weakness on your
benches.

Tightness is king.

Work on it.

Talk to you soon,

Andy

General Strength Training |