All Over Strong

What is going on with your lower body when benching? While the bench press mainly uses the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps, the lower body provides additional power. Without stability and power from your core and legs, you lose potential strength, can plateau quickly, and run the risk of injury.
For help with your bench and other lifts, reach out to [email protected] or 415-940-9572

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before pulling the weight off the floor for deadlifts, there are things to know from head to toe...
1. Head should start and remain in a neutral position
2. Chest should push forward and up to engage the lats
3. Back should be flat
4. Weight should be dominantly in the back of your feet
For help getting started, reach out to [email protected] or 415-940-9572

you either want "it" or you don't. You decide the it. You decide how to get there. You decide what to do. It's all about your decisions. You do or you don't actually want "it"...

: While the judges have checklists for every lift, how your body executes lifts is equally important. For squats and deadlifts, you need to keep your feet planted. For bench press, your entire body requires stability and control. Just because you complete the judges checklist, does not mean you completed a technically perfect and safe lift. For help with the big 3 competitive lifts, reach out [email protected] or 415-940-9572

: squats and deadlifts are posterior loaded exercises meaning the majority of your weight should be distributed through your heels and midfoot. Your toes however should not come up, but grip the floor to create better stability to help prevent you from falling backwards.

: Similar to other lifts, everyone's squat stance is different. How you hit the required depth for competition depends on your build and the movement of your joints. For help finding depth and standing back up safely, reach out! [email protected] or 415-940-9572.

hand placement on the bar isn't just about arm length. For help with your bench or any of the competitive lifts, give us a shout...415-940-9572 or [email protected]

when competitive lifting for squats, the main focus for judging is depth. In a previous post, we discussed the impact of hand placement and grip on the bar. In this post, we are focusing on the glutes and abdominal area. Once lifters drops into the pocket, they need to be able to stand back up - ideally using their glutes and midsection. There are many ways to train the glutes and abs to work, such as a box squat. In the top pictures, the lifter benefited from a little bit of back weight to help activate her abs. In the bottom pictures, the lifter simply needed to face objects creating a wall to eliminate the excessive lean forward - forcing her to engage the glutes immediately.

When competing in bench, there isn't a timer on the chest pause/press command. When the bar comes to a complete stop on your chest, the press command is issued.

many variables contribute to the deadlift starting position. In these pictures, two lifters are pulling sumo - one because of torso length and the other because of leg length. The conventional lifters have different starting heights because of leg length relative to torso. For help finding the best starting position and executing a beautiful, technically sound , hit us up! 415-940-9572 - [email protected]

your hand placement on the bar for a squat is almost as important as your bracing. Keeping your hands closer to your shoulders creates greater tension on the bar providing better control. In the top picture, you can see the lifter comes forward with a wider grip. In the bottom picture, not only does the lifter get a little more depth in his squat, but his torso stays more upright and he has better control through the entire lift.