“I find my sun resistance varies more by region than diet.
In the Persian Gulf areas, I’d tan, but I don’t recall ever getting a sunburn (my ancestors were Vikings – my blond hair is darker than my skin, and I cook like a lobster). Further inland, in northeastern Iraq (Zagros Mountains), I developed a minor tan but only burned a little when some of my buddies got the bright idea to suntan on the roof of a bunker and fell asleep. Even in the Empty Quarter of Abu Dhabi, we’d spend hours on quads or trying to snowboard down sand dunes… no burn.
There’s a lot of dust and other particulate in the air in those regions – I don’t know if that made the difference, but there was a noticeable difference in how little I’d burn in 120° sun in the ME vice the scaly hell from the 65° sun at the Ren Faire near Phoenix last week.”
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It is said an immovable force can do nothing to an immovable object. Whoever believes this clearly never watched “The Canadian Forklift” Jessica Buettner pick up very heavy objects in the gym.
On Mar. 13, 2023, Buettner shared an Instagram clip of herself capturing a 220-kilogram (485-pound) raw back squat. Buettner wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves to assist in the strength feat. According to the caption of the athlete’s post, the lift ties Buettner’s all-time personal record (PR). The powerlifter’s all-time raw competition best remains a 218.7-kilogram (481.7-pound) squat from the 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Powerlifting Championships.
Buettner’s squat training is connected to her ongoing preparation for the 2023 IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships on Mar. 25, 2023, in Sheffield, England. After competing in the 84-kilogram division during a record-breaking performance at the 2023 Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) Nationals, Buettner will move down to her usual 76-kilogram category, where she is the two-time defending IPF World Champion, in the contest.
Buettner alluded to augmenting her squat training because of inspiration from record-setting peers.
One of them was Karlina Tongotea, the 76-kilogram raw squat IPF World Record holder (223 kilograms/491.6 pounds). The other was reigning European Champion Agata Sitko, who holds the raw bench press World Record in the 84-kilogram division (147.5 kilograms/325.1 pounds).
“I watched [Tongotea] squat 230 kilograms (507 pounds) in training and [Sitko] bench 146 kilograms (321.8 pounds) as if it was nothing,” Buettner wrote. “It’s not a question of if World Records are going to get broken at this point. Sheffield is going to be something to see!”
Buettner will not be the only notable powerlifting titan featured at the 2023 Sheffield Championships. Three-time 84-kilogram IPF World Champion Amanda Lawrence also plans to make some noise in England.
Based on her training progress, Buettner has the potential to outshine her contemporaries during the proceedings. Whether that becomes the case might just be a matter of taking advantage in a friendly back-and-forth competition between superstars.
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On Mar. 12, 2023, Joe Sullivan shared an Instagram clip of himself capturing a raw deadlift of 345 kilograms (760.6 pounds) during a training session. The powerlifter utilized a sumo stance and a hook grip, and had just a lifting belt adorned for the strength feat. According to Sullivan’s post, it’s the athlete’s first deadlift personal record (PR) in roughly six years after suffering a severe nerve injury. (Note: Sullivan stated the timeframe as seven years, but given the date he described as his last PR, that is likely a typo.)
Sullivan’s comments about finally breaking through a deadlift plateau present an interesting timeline for the world-class competitor.
The athlete noted that his last true raw deadlift PR of 340 kilograms (749.5 pounds) occurred during the 2017 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Kern US Open. Sullivan would subsequently develop “nerve pain” and “nerve damage” sometime in 2018, but he didn’t specify how the injury occurred.
All of that said, Sullivan hasn’t shied away from attempting pulls in competition in the time since he developed his injury. According to Open Powerlifting, the athlete has attempted at least one deadlift in every contest of his career dating back to April 2008, though his post-injury performance was clearly impacted — after 2018, Sullivan did not successfully pull any heavier than 317.5 kilograms (699.9 pounds) in competition. He also hasn’t recorded any PR, in training or in competition, eclipsing that 749.5-pound pull from roughly six years ago.
Moving forward, despite a slight struggle with this specific pull, Sullivan seemed to imply that this deadlifting milestone would mean more attempts at new personal achievements in the future.
” … And even though the down command was a little quick today, we’re nowhere near done,” Sullivan wrote. “It’s just a little farther now with a smile on my face.”
In terms of recent accomplishments, Sullivan captured the all-time raw World Record back squat of 385 kilograms (848.8 pounds) for the 100-kilogram division in late September 2022. He achieved the mark during a third-place performance at the 2022 USPA Raw Pro. Prior to this competition’s third-place result, Sullivan had won six straight contests dating back to November 2017. The most notable among those victories might be a triumph in the 2020 WRPF The Showdown where he achieved his highest ever raw total of 910.5 kilograms (2007.4 pounds).
Whatever future the holds in store for Sullivan, whether high-level competition or training PRs, he’s likened to make it bright. By finally breaking the seal on his deadlift proficiency and returning to form, the powerlifting world could be his oyster.
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On Apr. 1, 2023, Europe’s most powerful strongmen will determine who stands the above the rest. The contest will be the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM), which will take place in Leeds, England. With the roster featuring defending champion Oleksii Novikov already announced earlier this year, the organizing body, Giants Live, has shared the competition’s expected events.
2023 Europe’s Strongest Man Events
The 2023 ESM will be a single-day competition comprised of five distinct events. Here’s an overview of the events for the European strongman contest.
At the time of this writing, specifics have not been offered on the details of each event. Such information concerning exact implements, weights, and potential formats may be shared at a later date.
Novikov is the defending ESM champion, but there is no shortage of potential top contenders for his title. Athletes to watch might include fellow Ukrainian countryman Pavlo Nakonechnyy, who captured a victory in the 2022 Giants Live World Open last summer. The third-place finisher from the 2022 ESM, Georgia’s Konstantine Janashia, should probably also not be discounted. Two-time Britain’s Strongest Man (2020, 2023) and 2020 ESM runner-up Adam Bishop could be another one to watch.
As for a dark horse, Masters deadlift World Record holder Rauno Heinla could also be in the mix, as the Estonian possesses the requisite power for a shorter contest like the 2023 ESM, compared to multi-day contests like the World’s Strongest Man. Heinla had to withdraw after the third event during the 2022 ESM and may be seeking a degree of redemption.
Here’s an overview of the complete roster for the 2023 ESM:
Notably, some events, like the Log Press Ladder and Castle Stones (an Atlas Stone name variation), could be game-changers for competitors. That’s because two-time reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Tom Stoltman and his brother Luke Stoltman (the 2022 runner-up), who are proficient in both, are not participating in this year’s ESM iteration. Such a development potentially leaves a lot of points on the table for the prospective winner.
Only time will tell whether Novikov can build on his ESM title. The Ukrainian athlete will likely enter this ESM as a heavy favorite to win. However, with the precise format unknown and a few new faces on the roster, it would be anyone’s competition to take a stranglehold of.
On Mar. 10, 2023, Mr. Olympia commentator and former International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League competitor Bob Cicherillo, posted a YouTube video to his Voice of Bodybuilding channel explaining how to judge a bodybuilding contest properly. Within his rationale, he offered specific clarity on why Walker ultimately fell short of a second AC title in three years.
Dauda was simply the most well-rounded of his peers.
“Why did Samson [Dauda] win the Arnold over Nick [Walker], [Andrew] Jacked, and everyone else?” Cicherillo asked rhetorically. “Because he had the best of all worlds: shape, symmetry, proportion, size, conditioning, and presentation. He had it all. Was he the best in every one of them? No, but you can’t make the case for someone else overall … I keep getting a lot of responses, ‘Yeah, but Nick [Walker] won this pose, this pose, and this pose.’ It doesn’t work like that, folks … He loses to Samson, outright, when it comes to shape, symmetry, and proportion. … Overall, Samson had a better physique and that’s why he ended up in the winner’s circle.”
As for Walker’s individualized disappointment, Cicherillo seemed to speak to the athlete directly. The commentator made it clear he believed Walker appeared in tip-top shape. However, he had lost some of the mojo that once made him one of bodybuilding’s fastest rising stars.
“Nick Walker was tremendous,” Cicherillo said. “If he looked like he did at the [2022] Olympia, he probably would have won. But he lost a bit of the ‘freak factor,’ bringing it down a little bit. That was probably a mistake on his part. You’re not going to streamline a physique that can’t be streamlined. Nick, go back to being a ‘freak.’
It might be a little strange to hear that a bodybuilder’s ripped physique was too “streamlined” or too lean, so to speak. Though, with Walker taking home third-place and runner-up results at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and 2023 AC, respectively, it might be a critique he should consider. With enough refinement, perhaps the athlete known as “The Mutant” could find himself on top of a podium again in the coming months.
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Most know Dexter Jackson for his Mr. Olympia victory in 2008. However, the bodybuilder is widely renowned as one of the greatest bodybuilders in the history of the sport. For over 20 years, from 1999 to his retirement after the 2020 Mr. Olympia, Jackson was a prolific competitor. Judging by some recent training clips, the 53-year-old has still got his muscle-building mojo.
On Mar. 11, 2023, Jackson posted an Instagram video of himself working through an assortment of arm workouts, including a variety of biceps curls and triceps pushdowns. Just two days later, Jackson shared another clip where he performs various back movements, including seated cable rows and dumbbell rows. It is unclear if both videos were filmed the same day, but Jackson has an identical outfit adorned in each recording. Either way, they showcase a ripped Jackson seemingly powering through his training as he once did in his heyday.
It’d be impossible to parse any serious competitive intentions from two tidbits of Jackson getting after it in the gym, but his videos could be related to a pending comeback. With the 2023 Masters Olympia returning this late summer in Romania, the now-older Jackson would qualify for the hallowed contest. Notably, Jackson won the 2012 Masters Olympia — the last time the competition was held before its upcoming return.
A potentially lucrative prize would await Jackson were he to make a competitive comeback at the 2023 Masters Olympia. In late February 2023, the contest’s organizing body revealed that the overall prize purse would be $229,000. Jackson would also potentially not be the only older established athlete, past or current, to feature in the competition. Due to a younger age, seven-time Olympia winner Phil Heath must wait for at least two iterations, but former 212 Olympia champion (2019) Kamal Elgargni has stated his interest in potentially aiming for the Masters crown at 51 years old.
Regardless of his coming steps, Jackson’s overall resume has stood the test of time.
In the late-2000s, Dexter Jackson shocked the bodybuilding world. After the end of Ronnie Coleman’s mostly unprecedented Mr. Olympia dynasty run, Jay Cutler looked poised to follow in his footsteps. As Cutler vied for a third consecutive title in 2008, the then-three-time Arnold Classic (AC) champion (2005-2006, 2008) Jackson would topple the defending Olympia king. Jackson rising to the top of bodybuilding right as a new “Hulk” emerged might be one of the more legendary Olympia victories in the competition’s history.
To this day, “The Blade” is one of only four bodybuilders who have ever won at least one AC and the Olympia. The others are Coleman, Cutler, and Brandon Curry. Jackson is also the only bodybuilder to win the AC, Mr. Olympia, and Masters Olympia titles. Here’s an overview of the main achievements from Jackson’s competitive career:
Dexter Jackson | Career Highlights
Arnold Classic champion: (2005-2006, 2008, 2013, 2015) — The record for the most AC wins
Even if Jackson doesn’t return to a stage, it’s probably not surprising to see him continue to crush it with weights in hand. Icons like Jackson may retire from formal competition, but that doesn’t mean the fire to improve ever goes away.
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Chances are, if Denise Herber sets her mind to lifting a staggering amount of weight, the German powerlifting goliath will succeed. As Herber showed in a recent strength feat, if her barbell is loaded up, she will be leveling up.
On Mar. 11, 2023, Herber shared an Instagram clip of herself capturing a 275-kilogram (606.2-pound) raw deadlift during a training session. According to the caption of Herber’s post, the deadlift repetition is a personal record (PR). Herber utilized a sumo stance and a mixed grip for the pull. It is unclear from the video if Herber used a lifting belt, but it may have been worn under her shirt. Otherwise, the powerlifter had no other equipment adorned for the achievement.
The deadlift PR milestone aside, Herber’s pull might be more significant for another reason: she used the video post’s caption to announce an attempt at the all-time raw World Record in the 75-kilogram weight class. The current honor belongs to Kristy Hawkins. According to Open Powerlifting, Hawkins deadlifted her record of 277.5 kilograms (611.7 pounds) in a first-place performance at the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro.
“It was my last heavy deadlift session,” Herber wrote of her upcoming ambitions. “I think I’m ready for that all-time World Record attempt of at least 278 kilograms (612.9 pounds) in the 75-kilogram class.”
Herber will try to officially eclipse Hawkins at the 2023 Extreme Powerlifting Coalition (XPC) European Championship. The contest will take on Mar. 26, 2023, in Siedlce, Poland.
Here’s an overview of Herber’s all-time competition bests. Note: According to Open Powerlifting, Herber has never recorded a raw competition squat or total.
In competition, Herber has not fallen short of first place since March 2019. Overall, the powerlifter can count eight victories in 10 career contest appearances. Herber has come out triumphant in the last five contests she has participated in, including the 2022 WRPF Ghost Clash 2.
One need only watch Herber destroy a deadlift of over 600 pounds to understand the sheer power she possesses. Any other context, like her competitive history or weight class, might be irrelevant. For the high-performing athlete, capturing the raw deadlift World Record would be another expected demonstration of her unique prowess.
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On Mar. 9, 2023, the King of the Lifts Instagram page reposted one of powerlifter Kasemsand Senumong’s recent raw deadlift build-up sessions. The clip features Senumong pulling 70, 120, 170, 220, 260, 290, 310, and 320 kilograms (a range of 154.3 to 705 pounds) from a sumo stance, with support from a lifting belt, during a staggering training session.
According to Open Powerlifting, the last deadlift in the clip — 320 kilograms (705 pounds) — is 19.7 kilograms (43.6 pounds) more than Senumong’s all-time raw competition best. That competition pull is also the all-time raw World Record for the 66-kilogram division under the International Powerlifting Federation’s (IPF) jurisdiction. The athlete achieved that mark, along with the raw total World Record (710.5 kilograms/1,566.4 pounds), during the 2022 Asian Powerlifting Federation (AsianPF) Championships.
Senumong, sometimes referred to as Sensei Opor, posted the original video clip as part of a training montage on his own Instagram page on January 13, 2023, but it was recently reposted on his gym’s page. The recent repost brought the feat of strength to the attention of King of the Lifts, which regularly features powerlifting PRs from lifters around the web.
A dominant force in the Asian continental powerlifting scene for several years, Senumong is both the reigning 66KG Thailand National Champion and the Asian Powerlifting Federation (AsianPR) continental Champion. Based on his deadlift polish, it looks like the young man in his late 20s is ready to add another title to his resume.
Here’s an overview of Senumong’s all-time raw competition bests:
Kasemsand Senumong (66KG) | All-Time Raw Competition Bests
Deadlift — 300 kilograms (661.4 pounds) | IPF World Record
Total — 710.5 kilograms (1,566.3 pounds) | IPF World Record
After coming in seventh place in the 66-kilogram division during his 2022 IPF World Championships debut, Senumong likely isn’t done. The competitor apparently intends to have another crack at it this summer. Even if he doesn’t come out on top, he may drastically improve his initial performance.
Should Senumong transfer his recent top training deadlift to the 2023 IPF Worlds in Valetta, Malta, it seems apparent he’ll extend both of his record marks while potentially taking home a World title. Sweden’s Eddie Berglund is the defending 66-kilogram World Champion, and the 2023 IPF Worlds contest is scheduled for Jun. 11-18, 2023.
On purely a statistical basis, Senumong might already be the best 66-kilogram powerlifting competitor in the world. He just has to show it on the biggest IPF stage. On this front, the coming June could be a fruitful and historic event for the athlete.
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“How much do you bench?”
It might be the most frequently asked question among hardcore “gym bros” and experienced gym veterans looking to establish a pecking order, as well as curious beginners looking to strike up a conversation. It’s also one of the most popular (if misguided) ways to inquire about someone’s strength, fitness, and general capability in the gym.
Credit: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock
Some might consider the notion of bench press-specific status ridiculous, but you can’t erase the reality of the situation. Also, some people just want to have a big bench press for themselves. You may as well position yourself to move some impressive numbers, and move the weight safely.
Here’s how to fine-tune your bench press, optimize your technique, and set up a plan to start pushing bigger weights.
A strong bench press is built around one thing: Stability. Here’s a step-by-step approach to creating a good environment for a big lift. It all begins with a good starting position before you even unrack the weight.
Step 1 — Find Your Contact Points
Credit: Morit Summers
Once you’re positioned on the flat bench, the bench press requires four points of contact. Your two feet placed firmly on the floor counts as one point. Your butt and upper back are two more points, as they’re pressed hard against the bench and remain in place throughout the lift.
Lastly, your head must also be firmly against the bench and stay put during each repetition. When you set up, get your eyes directly under the bar before taking the weight out of the rack. This four-point setup is the foundation for a good quality set.
You may have noticed that your lower back is not in contact with the bench, and that’s actually an important distinction. Some lifters believe that having an arch in the lumbar region (lower back) when bench pressing is dangerous for your spine, when truthfully, the arch must be there.
The bench press is considered a horizontal pushing exercise (due to the position of the load relative to your body), which means the force angle doesn’t line up to create spinal loading the way a standing overhead press, squat, or deadlift would affect your lower back. The joint that bears the most load during a bench press is your shoulder joint, not your spine, so arching your lower back doesn’t expose it to any significant strain.
Once you’re in place, it’s time to get your hands on the bar.
Step 2 — Get a Grip
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Most barbells you’ll find at a typical gym will have knurling on either side for grip, but also some shiny “rings” on even points on each side. In competitive powerlifting, those rings represent grip-width boundaries a lifter isn’t allowed to exceed.
If you’re not a competitive powerlifter, you can use the rings as reference points as to where your hands belong. Depending on what’s comfortable for your arm length, align the same finger on each hand with the ring on either side. Many lifters will opt for either their middle or ring fingers, but everyone’s preferred grip will be slightly different.
Just be aware of setting your hands too close together with your pinkies far inside of the rings. This morphs the exercise from a standard flat barbell bench press to a close-grip bench press which emphasizes your triceps. (1)
Once your hands are in place, close a strong fist around the bar and you’re ready to lift.
Step 3 — We Have Lift Off
The way you take the bar out of the rack is more important — and more technical — than meets the eye. Safe and efficient technique requires your shoulder blades to remain retracted (pulled together) on the bench. This helps to arch your lower back while elevating your chest and ribcage.
The small “press” that might happen as a lifter takes the bar out of the rack can pull your shoulders out of position (with protraction, the opposite of retraction). Protracted shoulders will make your chest sink down and place more stress on the shoulder joints as a result. This is difficult to correct by the time the weight is in your hands, making it tough to re-adjust.
Making the effort to raise your hips during lift off can help with this, placing them back down as soon as the bar’s unracked and in position over your chest. Lifters without a spotter can use this method to begin the movement in a strong position without sacrificing form.
Step 4 — Lower and Press
Credit: Hryshchyshen Serhii / Shutterstock
The bar should descend under control to make contact on your chest. Aim for touching the bar to your mid- or lower chest, and make that point of contact consistent from rep to rep. The finished, locked out position should be a bit more in line with your upper chest or shoulder-level, meaning the bar will travel on a slightly slanted path.
Always remember that a true testament of strength in a big lift like this doesn’t come from how quickly you can perform the reps, it comes from how slowly and well-controlled you can perform them. Especially on the eccentric (lowering) phase, take the speed down a couple of notches. You can even add a pause with the bar on the chest to exert even more control over the weight — just be sure to stay tight and not relax under the weight.
Make each individual rep count and you’ll slap on strength and size.
Bench Press Mistakes to Avoid
Nobody wants to become the next “YouTube fail” video, usually featuring people butchering the bench press movement or, worse, getting into life-threatening situations due to a disregard for safety. Make sure you’ve got your bases covered by stopping these issues before they start.
Lifting Your Hips
Aside from giving yourself a lift off (if needed), your glutes should never leave the bench during the exercise. Lifting your hips won’t make you any stronger on the lift. It’s simply a cheat tactic and an indicator that the weight is too heavy to lift properly. This is the bench press equivalent of doing standing biceps curls and leaning your upper body back to get the weight up.
Credit: Serghei Starus / Shutterstock
Keep the movement honest to your ability. You’ll build strength over time when you apply good form.
Half-Repping
Stopping shy of full range of motion — from full lockout to the bar touching your chest — does nothing to properly service your chest muscles (the prime movers of the bench press) or access the strength the body can put into the weight. (2)
If you feel like you can only perform half reps, chances are the weight is too heavy, your shoulders are too unstable, or both. Instead, reduce the load and practice staying tight through full range of motion.
Credit: Sarayut Sridee / Shutterstock
If that still hurts your shoulders, it could be due to weakness in the movement itself or it could stem from a lack of upper back strength to stabilize and protect the shoulder. Make sure your training plan includes plenty of upper-back pulling exercises like face pulls or reverse flyes.
Using Collars on the Bar
This isn’t necessarily a point about increasing your bench press, but it’s an important issue any time you’re benching heavy. It might sound counterintuitive or controversial but, if you’re lifting alone, securing the weight plates with collars is a potentially high-risk maneuver.
Credit: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock
Common sense would say you usually “should” secure the weights to prevent them from moving around. The truth is that, if you do fail a rep and manage to get pinned to the bench, it could spell danger if you’re not strong enough to press the bar off your chest all the way back up to the rack. You can’t always rely on rolling it down over your hips and waist (which can be extremely painful and uncomfortable on its own).
If you’re a person who lifts unsupervised at home, it’s best to leave the weights unclipped so that, in the event of failure, you can tip the weights off one end of the bar and free you from being stapled. It’s better to crack a couple of tiles on the workout room floor than to crack a couple of ribs or your larynx.
Three Tips for More Gains
Getting the basics down is a good first step, but taking things to the next level involves a little deeper thinking, where this exercise is concerned.
Leg Drive
Tuck your feet closer to your butt to create a knee angle inside 90-degrees. This is essential to taking advantage of a very important and overlooked principle — the bench press is more than just an “upper body” exercise.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
In truth, your legs have a serious role to play in promoting overall bracing and tightness. As you press, think about driving your feet into the ground hard. The bar isn’t just moving away from your chest, it’s moving away from the floor, so this cue will come in handy to add more strength to your lift by increasing overall muscle recruitment. (3)
Tuck Your Elbows
If you want to protect your shoulder joints, focus on improving bench performance while using a slightly narrower grip (as opposed to a relatively wide grip) and tucking your elbows during the movement.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
The closer your upper arm is to your torso, the less vulnerable position your shoulder joints will be put into. Your shoulders will instantly feel happier, more stable, and more powerful by aiming your elbows more forward than sideways.
Use a Thicker Bar or Thick Grip Attachments
Using a larger diameter bar with more surface area spread across the palms of your hands usually feels more comfortable once you get used to the unique grip. It also can reduce joint stress in the elbows and shoulders by increasing forearm recruitment and muscle tension for added stability. (4)
The greater diameter disperses the load and reduces the pressure transferred to your joints. If you don’t have access to thick barbells, you can use thick grip attachments like “Fat Gripz.” This simple pair of removable handles can be one of the most useful tools to have in your gym bag, since it can be used with any exercise that requires grabbing a barbell, dumbbell, or handle.
Build a Better Bench: Methods That Work
If you’ve been training in the gym for a while, the classic 3 x 10 or 4 x 6 might not really be doing the job to get you past your strength or size plateau. If your lifting numbers aren’t budging, it’s worth thinking a bit further outside the box to find ways to stimulate your chest.
One-and-a-Half Rep Bench Press
Especially if a lifter has longer arms, it can be a hassle adding muscle to the chest for a better aesthetic. The relatively long range of motion and massive amount of lockout space a lifter will have to move through can make the triceps and shoulders take over a typical chest pressing pattern. This leaves the chest less fatigued over the course of a set.
Performing a “one and a half rep” bench press involves unracking the barbell and lowering it all the way to chest level. Remain tight and press the weight from chest level to halfway up, and pause. Your upper arms should be at roughly 90-degrees. Lower the weight once more to chest level, and then press all the way up to the top — that entire series counts as one single repetition.
This high-tension technique will make your chest work more than your triceps and shoulders because the latter two muscle groups aren’t significantly involved in the bottom-half of the movement.
Your chest is in the strongest biomechanical position, and is the most involved, through this section of the exercise, and the one-and-a-half rep technique takes advantage of that. Three to four sets of four to six reps would be ideal here, remembering that each “one and a half” equals one rep.
Cluster Sets
Cluster sets deserve more mention than they often get when it comes to increasing your strength and size. Understanding how the body works from a physiological level can help create more appreciation for cluster training and its import.
When it comes to short bouts of explosive power like a 100-meter dash, a first down in football, or a heavy, low-rep set of weight training, the body relies on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as its primary source of energy to make muscles work hard.
The ATP stores leave the body after 10 to 15 seconds and the primary muscles in use begin to shut down and create lactic acid as a byproduct. It usually takes one to two minutes to sufficiently replenish these stores of ATP in the affected muscles.
Knowing that, you can take advantage of this replenishment phase while still lifting heavy weights. A set of three reps can be extended to four or even five total reps if short breaks are taken between each individual repetition.
This mini-rest will partially replenish the stores of ATP available in the body. This can improve your strength over time and also expose you to a higher cumulative volume of heavy reps, which can lead to more muscle growth. Here are some of the most effective ways to use clusters.
Single-Rep Clusters
Put 90-95% of your one-repetition max on the bar. This weight is typically a two-rep max, but you’re about to do four reps with it. Perform one repetition, and rack the weight for 10 to 15 seconds. Then take the weight off the rack and perform another before re-racking it. Repeat until you’ve performed four reps. Rest at least two minutes and perform a total of two to three full sets.
Resetting between single reps also allows you to ensure correct technique on each separate effort.
Multi-Rep Clusters
Put your five-repetition max on the bar. Perform four reps before racking the weight and resting for 10 seconds. Take the bar off the rack and perform two more reps. You’ve just performed six reps with your five-rep max. Complete three to five full sets.
This is a good way to increase time spent under tension (TUT), which benefits muscle growth, while working with slightly lighter-than-max loads, which won’t impact recovery as much as very heavy lifting. (5)
High-Rep Clusters, aka Ladders, for Size
Plenty of heavy lifting can do a number on the nervous system, especially if heavy lifts are employed on the regular. A good change of pace (that doubles as a great way to break a size plateau) is to use high-rep methods with the same approach.
Ladder sets are just the ticket. Use your 10 to 12-rep max weight. Perform a mini-set of two reps, then three reps, then five reps, and finally 10 reps with 10-second breaks between each mini-set.
This creates 20 reps of muscle-building stimulus with a weight that “should have” only allowed 10 to 12 reps. One or two sets can be plenty. It’s a psychological killer as much as it is a muscular killer, all while keeping the nervous system in check due to the higher rep range and relatively lighter weight.
Go Build a Bigger Bench
The bench press is arguably the most popular lift in the gym. With that prestige, it should be the most properly executed, but that’s not always the case. With this information now in hand, you’ll be set apart in the gym and will have found a way to train smart while also training hard. Soon your performance will be turning heads and you’ll have a reliably impressive answer next time you’re asked “how much do you bench?”
References
Saeterbakken, A. H., Stien, N., Pedersen, H., Solstad, T. E. J., Cumming, K. T., & Andersen, V. (2021). The Effect of Grip Width on Muscle Strength and Electromyographic Activity in Bench Press among Novice- and Resistance-Trained Men. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(12), 6444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126444
Pinto, R. S., Gomes, N., Radaelli, R., Botton, C. E., Brown, L. E., & Bottaro, M. (2012). Effect of range of motion on muscle strength and thickness. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 26(8), 2140–2145. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31823a3b15
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“I wonder if the massive demand for students in the STEM fields has led to a decrease in academic rigor. More students means more research, which leaves colleges with relatively fewer/less-qualified reviewers to oversee and troubleshoot.
Plus, there is little short-term incentive for universities to chase away paying students. Long-term, allowing sub-par students to succeed only hurts the sciences – but academia today is very compartmentalized and ethics is about as far from STEM as any discipline can be.
I’m not suggesting that STEM professionals are any less ethical than anyone else; just that ethics have become a legal checklist rather than true moral principles. There are, no doubt, truly ethical professionals out there who remain uncompromising in their standards; I just worry they’re the academic equivalent of the northern white rhino – old and infertile, just waiting to see which is the last of a once-proud breed.”
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
Powerlifter (@deniseherber_)
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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In the Persian Gulf areas, I’d tan, but I don’t recall ever getting a sunburn (my ancestors were Vikings – my blond hair is darker than my skin, and I cook like a lobster). Further inland, in northeastern Iraq (Zagros Mountains), I developed a minor tan but only burned a little when some of my buddies got the bright idea to suntan on the roof of a bunker and fell asleep. Even in the Empty Quarter of Abu Dhabi, we’d spend hours on quads or trying to snowboard down sand dunes… no burn.
There’s a lot of dust and other particulate in the air in those regions – I don’t know if that made the difference, but there was a noticeable difference in how little I’d burn in 120° sun in the ME vice the scaly hell from the 65° sun at the Ren Faire near Phoenix last week.”