Due to my form, I don’t think I maximize leg drive tbh, but what I do is flex my calves and quads first, then I try driving my entire foot down against the floor. Hope others chime in here. I will PIN this comment to get more feedback 🤞
@@UFpwrLifter thank you I really appreciate it and after watching the whole video I’m sure I be able to pass 225 doing your strategy and get back to my 315 squats
I used to bench with my toes touching the floor thinking I was using leg drive, however that only works for some people. You can try that and imagine pushing into the floor with your toes and see if you get a more stable bench. But what works for me is when I sent up as if I'm going to bench with my toes touching the floor, but then I slide my feet forward do they at flat amongst the floor. I make sure that they aren't just flat and I'm just laying flat, I position myself where my feet are behind my knees, putting myself into a slight arch, and bench like that. It feels the most stable for me like that and I feel as if I'm able to press harder into the ground, as theres more surface area connecting with ground and my feet. This also only works for some people, cause some people are comfortable with such an arch. Whatever you do just make sure that you can feel your legs pushing into the ground, and you dont lift your butt up from doing so. Best of luck bro
@@doctordeath2551 Leg drive is really only pushing the floor away as if you wanted to slide your body horizontally off the bench. Since the weight of the bar is pinning you to the bench pushing the floor away pushes your chest up and prevents your chest from collapsing during the lift which would make the lift harder.
Think about driving your traps down and backward into the bench. Derive that power and push from your legs as part of your setup. and make sure your cheeks are also squeezed so help engage full posterior chain.
*Benches 315 for easy paused reps at 150* "Im still learning from you guys.." Man, come onnn You're so humble!! We need more people like you in the world, keep up the good work 💪🏼💪🏼
Thanks for watching and commenting Pedro. I may be decent on the bench, but I’m truly learning from you guys on everything else in the gym 💯. Let’s continue to elevate each other and this industry.
It seems like you're like one punch man, you just kept benching and benching and you got to 405. Some people try their whole life and they'll never get there. The bottom can be the hardest part but for some it's the lockout or the middle all depending on their individual weaknesses
@@CanariasCanariass I’ve always struggled the most with the middle of the rep. Pause benching for the last year or so has def done awesome things for the bottom of my rep though
I've found, especially during COVID, that working out the back at the local park with pull-ups helped a ton with my bench. If you're taking a more powerlifting technique to benching, a thicker, wider back can make a huge difference in settling down into that pocket and really driving that bench press. Cheers!
I used your pyramid set up 3 days a week to go from a max rep of 130 to 235 in about 1.5 years. I was stuck at 235 for awhile and before I could switch it up COVID hit and I lost a lot of progress. I came back in August and continued the pyramid set up to get my max back up but after a two months in I decided to switch it up. I started doing more reps and less weight. My body was in so much shock because I trained for almost two years using your pyramid set up. I now do a 10 10 6 10 pyramid set up and I’m currently at 185 for 10 reps. I can confidently say my max is 255 now because I decided to switch up how I trained my chest.
Thanks for sharing Ray! You gained 105lbs over 18 months on my program? If so, that’s a new record from what I’ve heard. And glad switching it up gained you even more. Next milestone, 275!! You got this!! 💪🙌👍
Checking in for #3plategang 💪🏾💪🏾 I think you've inspired most people to reach that 315 milestone if they haven't already. What's helped me push past milestones has definitely been increasing weekly volume and then training a lagging body part. For me strengthening my pull-up and lat pulldowns helped by focusing on really squeezing the upper back. This will translate to bench to keep your back tight as a solid base when pressing.
This man is such an inspiration for me. I am kinda thin and people have always ridiculed me for my weight and less than average strength but this video goes to show “strength is not measured by one’s size but by the one’s of one’s strength”
I weight trained 4 times a week for years with 2 days benching. One day flat bench, one day inclined and barely saw progress in my bench. Switched to 3 times a week alternating one day 4x4 and one day 4x8 and increased my max bench by 30lbs in 4 months. I agree that if you want to increase your bench you should consider benching 3 times a week.
I never ever do one rep max but I’ve been doing 250lbs for reps and I’m gonna try 315 or something close to it on Friday. I’m super excited and your videos help and motivate me. I’m also not the biggest guy either at 189 5’11 so I like being the underdog much like yourself. Keep up the videos my man.
Holy crap your kids have gotten huge! It’s kinda cool to have first seen your vids when they were just little ones, and the periodic growth over the years
Was on your pyramid routine around 1.5 years ago and went from 190 to 245. Around that time I felt some pain in my shoulder/chest/under arm, and stopped benching for around 3 or 4 months. Thankfully it wasn’t a complete injury, but I still didn’t feel right when I finally tried to bench again. The pandemic hit and gyms closed, so that ironically gave me around 4 to 6 more months of not benching to heal. I tried to hit 225 again right before the shut down, and couldn’t quite get it. Coming back from the shutdown I went back to square 1 and really dialed in my form and realized that that was why I strained myself in the first place. I’ve restarted the pyramid again and lowered the weight, and everything feels a million times better. Got a max attempt on Monday. I really appreciate the videos, and you’ve got a beautiful family. Keep grinding 💪🏽
Keep posting the content, even though gyms are closed in my area, I've been been lifting at home and putting more emphasis on my bench press. I'm especially appreciating the pause reps, it really makes me aware of my bench form and what feels best.
Almost there with the pullups you want to do full extension down but don't pause in that position like the guy next to you did ( don't lock out ). then pop back up. You are an inspiration btw man. Keep doing you!
I love this because it shows what the body is capable of if you try. I’m like 170 and can only bench 2 plates but I’ve been getting a little bit of gains, but I can’t stay consistent in my workout schedule 👍
For pullups, make sure you do a full range of motion. Fully locking out on the bottom with your arms straight, and when going up, make sure your back posture is straight and your chin is above the bar. When coming down, do not drop yourself, make sure you control yourself. Also if you want to learn it the really strict way, do not use leg momentum at all.
I'm planning to hit 225 @150bw before christmas. Been stuck at 180 for while. I hope this video helps and I will come here after 6 weeks to tell how it went.
I tried your routine as you outlined m w f .The following monday I felt no strength gain on the single rep sets.I thought with the 72 hours rest I would feel great.Don't go by me because I'm getting old now,my squats are going up which is strange because I have sciatica. You are doing a lot of reps with the three day routine. I never did three workouts per week,in my youth.I did the four day mon tues thur friday.Chest shoulders and triceps on mon and thursday the rest of the body on the other two days.The four day is more of a bulk and power routine,since you rest 72 hours between workouts and 96 hours over the weekend.Your routine you do your reps ending before failure.I give you all the credit for doing all those singles,my muscles felt like dead wood.At your height and weight I don't think anyone in the world is benching 400 pounds,if they are 153 pounds they probably are 5 feet tall.Your arch I don't see it,some of these guys arches are ridiculous, they make me laugh! I see you are favoring one side,is that an imbalance you are trying to fix?
Hey man, thanks for giving it a shot and your candid feedback is appreciated. Quick question, did you try it for 4wks or just one week? I am aware of the right arm imbalance. Not sure if it’s just strength or something off on my form. I just started paying attention to it over this past week. Good luck on your continued journey! Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@UFpwrLifter I tried your workout a couple of months ago,I was using a narrow grip about inch wider from where the knurling starts.The lockouts were very hard,all super slow.I think I was stale with that width.Now I switched to a wider grip ring finger on the rings.I just did three workouts with the new grip,time will tell.
You seem like a genuinely nice guy. I’ve seen people in the gym that are much bigger than you, but couldn’t lift half of what you can, walk around like they are King Kong, with bad attitudes. Great advice. Thank you.
I have a question if you don’t mind. I’m new to your videos and I’ve heard you mention the pyramid a couple of times. Could you point me to the video where you explain this maybe?
Changing it up and doing variations such as feet up close grip pin press floor press etc helps tremendously. This can be applied to the other lifts as well.
Awesome advice. I love all of the new and different ways. Not too many people repeating the same thing! Someone looking for a plateau breaker video... hopefully they read up on these comments 💪🙌👍
Suggestion for the calves. Standing calf raises are going to work your gastrocnemius while sitting will work the soleus. You probably want to focus more on the gastrocnemius as that's the muscle that'll give you're calves the bigger look.
I've been following you for quite some time now- good to have you back! I'm concerned about your bench form though- your right side seems consistently lower on the press then the left side- and I have to say I've never noticed that before on any of your lifts pre-Covid. I think since you are about to add weight I'm compelled to point it out- you should focus on the right side so the bar travels up level (or more level anyway). Good to see other lifts in the content now too- I only point out the right side lag because you're so damn strong (way, way stronger then me- a fun inspiration!) that I don't want that to cause an injury or imbalance as you start to move back up to your big big numbers approaching 400.
Thank you so much for sticking with me even through the inconsistent uploads. This is what I mean by not deserving you guys. Also appreciate you looking out and pointing out the imbalance. I’ve been keeping an eye on it over the past week to see if I can figure out why it’s happening and will continue to. Thanks again for being here.
Thank you for the informative video. My kids actually put me on to you. Im an older man (about to hit 50) who use to train consistently heavy when young (that was then). I stopped for quite sometime. However, now with teenage kids who have gotten into weight lifting and are especially in awe with the “bench”, they’ve motivated me to try and make a comeback. It will be a slow process to start and build up, but I’m looking forward to the journey with my kids. Thank you again, G30
George, that is great to hear the kids are getting you back into it. I’m sure them seeing their dad pushing hard and staying disciplined is motivating them for more things than just the bench press. Keep having that open mindset and being a good influence for them. Look forward to hearing your journey and progress.
doing the same thing over and over agian isnt a bad thing, specially when it works like ur benchpres. ur squat is gonna go up no matter what ur doing since u just started them. for pullups you could try them weighted, or do a closer grib(more range of motion) hitting the bar with ur colour bone each rep, i recently started doing those full pullups and the gains are insane
seeing someone else getting their PB or lifting crazy weight really motivate me. the weight really felt the lightest when there are ppl to motivate you
Hey! So for the pullups I’d make sure your scapula is packed down and back to protect your shoulders, and that will also improve your form as far as your lats being fully activated. When I saw you do them I noticed your upper back round out a bit and the end of the pull which is limiting your gains and lat activation, also always try to do pullups with your legs uncrossed as it will activate that core a bit better and remove any energy leaks coming from not having everything tight and activated. Ps Love the benching tips, currently recovering from back surgery and your videos get me anxious to get better soon and get back on that gains train!
I'd suggest going for a neutral grip on pull-ups and doing deadhang reps with weight in the 3-5 rep range (after you can do 12-15 bodyweight reps). Your bench is already meaty for your bodyweight so if you started working weighted pull-ups I def think the extra back strength would help out your others lifts significantly.
For calf raise i like to do them in sets of 20 Burning sensation 20 full range of motion reps with no bouncing flexing in both of the top of the motion and the stretch on the bottom of the motion
Hey man! Good form on the pullups! You are stable going up and coming down. The only thing you should improve is how far you go down. Drop down until your elbows are no longer engaged, almost like a dead hang and then go back up like you normally do. This will provide a good stretch for your lats.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll have to move over to the other machine where I do triceps (was too busy that day) bc the one I used in this video wasn’t high enough for me to go all the way down. Keep the comments coming, I appreciate it!
When I started training, improving my grip strength just helped with all areas. I would really include pull-ups, suitcase carries, and carrying the bar with a towel for 30 seconds. I’m sure your grip strength is INSANE. This just helped me out, figured to put it to use.
Keep up the great videos and comments on your success in lifting!! I personally think that consistency and hard work in any endeavor, weather it be lifting, education or relaxing and having fun with your family is the key element in a successful life!! You very apparently have mastered all three elements and still remain humble and appreciative of other opinions!! Very commendable in this day and age!! I am eighty one and still do set obtainable goals for myself every day!! "OBTAINABLE" BEING THE KEY WORD..Once that goal is reached,set the next goal and drive toward it!! Goal success,goal success, builds confidence!!! Beautiful family, that is what is missing in our society today...VERY SAD!!!
Thank you for your perspective. I appreciate it! Totally agree you have to put in the work to get the results you want and sometimes it might not come right away, but don’t give up! Thanks again!
About 10 pm for me right now and I just finished a ton of studying and homework. I was planning on pushing my chest workout to tomorrow, but this video reminded me the importance of consistency. Gonna go crush it! Thanks man!
Happy to inspire you to remain consistent! Those long days can be tough so just a reminder to always listen to your body first! Glad you got it done and back safely with a nice burn 💪🙌👍
I met nicks strength and power at the Arnold classic Columbus 2019 and there's a video of his recap showing me talk to him about covering a story about you i thought more exposure could help you out, your videos are inspirational keep it up man!
Been loving the content recently bro, and consistency! I will definitely be trying your tips out, I've been stuck at a 245 lb bench for months 😂 mostly due to the fact that I've been cutting weight
Thanks for watching and commenting. You guys are inspiring me to keep at it. Yes I can’t imagine gaining strength while cutting, I have a hard enough time maintaining strength without cutting!
On the pull ups try and maybe go all the way down to full extension on the elbows. This makes it so u can stretch and target your last more... at least for me
I really appreciate the informative video, Ik I commented on one of your previous videos, and it’s nice to see that you made a video to especially address the plateau situation and what to do to overcome that, Ik I’ve been struggling with getting over the 315 hump on bench when all of my other lifts have been drastically increasing, so I’m gonna give it a shot of what you said to do in the video and I’ll let you know what wonders it does for me! Thanks again!
Love the family clips and great that the kids are opening up with the singing! That's really hard to do even in front of family. Also man kids now a days pickup dancing so quick. I'm trying to strengthen my weighted pull ups and will use your tip of 80% of 1 rm get in at least 20 reps. You should train pull ups on a bar that's a little higher so that you can come down just a tad bit more. Other that you're form is always near perfect.
Thanks for the view and comment!! You’re right about the singing thing, it takes some courage! Also this is not my normal pull up bar, the one I typically use was taken that day so I substituted. Now that I have a little better form than before, I’ll try it on the high pull up bar. Thanks again!
Paused bench is the absolute cheat code to a consistent bench. I like to do reverse pyramid sets, I do my top set touch & go, get my ego lifting out of the way, then my working paused sets feel much lighter
Testing my max bench tomorrow! You always give me inspiration! Hoping to get into the 300lb club tomorrow... woot woot! I'm 21, 190lbs, 5'9". PR is 295. Going to crush it tomorrow.
Payse reps are pure reps for sure. I also support your extra set to get the reps for the day which in turn gives the aforementioned "interest" reps. Its great for motivation. I would suggest a set of pure negative reps of no more than three reps with a maximum of 15 lbs over the max weight you are safely working to achieve, once every week to week and a half. The spotter MUST be ready to "snatch" the weight at the very moment it touches your chest and be able to manage at least 80% of it back to the top. Do not lock at the the top but get very close. Also heavy negative shruggs once a week, no more than six reps and or light smith machine overhead shruggs 3x20, hands two palm widths apart or wider, S L I G H T locked bend in the elbows.
@@UFpwrLifter LMK if you want me to explain the negative shruggs. I had the best mentors when I was learning. You can see some of my videos on my channel under my name. Haven't put any up for a bit. Lol I get some looks in the gym too. Thanks for the great content!!
Another great video! I'm going to make another plea for you to consider weightlifting shoes. 5:40 - 5:50 If you look at your right foot, even planted, you can see your heel shifting on the descent of your squat. Your depth is great. As a top-level athlete in the bench press, I know you would agree you're losing some power and stability there (more injury risk, too). Try experimenting with your toe-angle in your stance during warmups to see if you can't find a smoother position. You're motivating so many people like me, love the frequent uploads!
Thanks for the feedback! They have been ordered and should arrive next week some time. Should be in new videos in the next couple of wks. Can I wear the sneakers to/from gym or only inside the gym? Thanks again!
@@UFpwrLifter Keep them for the gym! I got my pair around 2 years ago and keep them in a plastic grocery bag, inside my gym bag. They still look brand new. If you wear them indoors for the gym they will last for years!
My max flat bench was 295x1 my squats were 405x3 d/l was 435x2. bench is always the weakest of the 3 power lifting movements, traditionally, but his trys are super strong as we see here.
What I do for pull-ups is this: 1. Cross my legs at the ankles. 2. When you get to the top, hold for at least a second longer aka paused reps. 3. When you're at the top, lift your head just a little higher over the handles (like an inch or two).
Your squat form is fantastic. Keep it up🤙🏽✌🏽 Also, your pull ups were good too if working your mid back and lats is what you’re going for. -You 100% deserve a greatness✌🏽
I found heavy dips to help with my bench and getting used to heavy loads. Also chest flies to really feel the chest contraction and get a lot of blood pumping to the chest to prevent fatigue from the 3 days of bench sessions.
My best plateau break for bench is about 50 pounds above my absolute max in the eccentric portion of the lift only. Lowering it as controlled and slowly as possible. Puts a lot of stress on your cns bc it knows the weight is too heavy. Tricks it into letting you get stronger over time bc your cns thinks you're going to die if it doesn't let you use more strength.
@@UFpwrLifter yes. Using heavier weight than my max has worked wonders for me in the past. A spotter is very helpful in keeping it safe. No problem I love the videos keep it up!
You should think about getting a pair of weightlifting shoes. It will help perfect your form. I went from 169lbs to 221lbs in less than 5 years (2008 - 2013) from benching, deadlifting, squatting, squatting and squatting. I’m Vietnamese and Pakistani. I’m 48 years old. I’m a little under 5’10” nowadays. I may make a few videos (in the next coming days) for informational purposes.
Quick question how to use leg drive?
I know it’s a silly question I played football but I never actually knew how to use proper leg drive
Due to my form, I don’t think I maximize leg drive tbh, but what I do is flex my calves and quads first, then I try driving my entire foot down against the floor. Hope others chime in here. I will PIN this comment to get more feedback 🤞
@@UFpwrLifter thank you I really appreciate it and after watching the whole video I’m sure I be able to pass 225 doing your strategy and get back to my 315 squats
I used to bench with my toes touching the floor thinking I was using leg drive, however that only works for some people. You can try that and imagine pushing into the floor with your toes and see if you get a more stable bench. But what works for me is when I sent up as if I'm going to bench with my toes touching the floor, but then I slide my feet forward do they at flat amongst the floor. I make sure that they aren't just flat and I'm just laying flat, I position myself where my feet are behind my knees, putting myself into a slight arch, and bench like that. It feels the most stable for me like that and I feel as if I'm able to press harder into the ground, as theres more surface area connecting with ground and my feet. This also only works for some people, cause some people are comfortable with such an arch. Whatever you do just make sure that you can feel your legs pushing into the ground, and you dont lift your butt up from doing so. Best of luck bro
@@doctordeath2551 Leg drive is really only pushing the floor away as if you wanted to slide your body horizontally off the bench. Since the weight of the bar is pinning you to the bench pushing the floor away pushes your chest up and prevents your chest from collapsing during the lift which would make the lift harder.
Think about driving your traps down and backward into the bench. Derive that power and push from your legs as part of your setup. and make sure your cheeks are also squeezed so help engage full posterior chain.
this is the most wholesome fitness chanel on yt change my mind
this is real content. 90% of the other channels is a circus show
@@FIa5h If it's Jujimufu then it's made to be a circus show, and that's OK.
Don’t forget scooby1961
Eric Bugenhagen
Ah, the Three F's everyone should have; family, fitness, and fishing.
You forgot firearms
And friends 💪
@@HaloDude557 agree
*Benches 315 for easy paused reps at 150*
"Im still learning from you guys.."
Man, come onnn
You're so humble!!
We need more people like you in the world, keep up the good work 💪🏼💪🏼
Thanks for watching and commenting Pedro. I may be decent on the bench, but I’m truly learning from you guys on everything else in the gym 💯. Let’s continue to elevate each other and this industry.
@@UFpwrLifter You do 2x your bodyweight that's a life time goal for most people
It seems like you're like one punch man, you just kept benching and benching and you got to 405. Some people try their whole life and they'll never get there. The bottom can be the hardest part but for some it's the lockout or the middle all depending on their individual weaknesses
Haha yeah he definitely has good genetics! That's why I'm so interested to see where his squat will go!
That’s a great point on different weaknesses for different people. Thanks for calling that out.
Bottom part is definitely the hardest part for me too, and I guess for most people mechanically.
@@CanariasCanariass I’ve always struggled the most with the middle of the rep. Pause benching for the last year or so has def done awesome things for the bottom of my rep though
@@JustaDudeTryinToLearnPiano fr i started implementing pause benches and my bottom position control has significantly increased
You’ve defo got me wanting to squat again, also I’ve just started deadlifting again so would love to see you give it a go! 💪
I've found, especially during COVID, that working out the back at the local park with pull-ups helped a ton with my bench.
If you're taking a more powerlifting technique to benching, a thicker, wider back can make a huge difference in settling down into that pocket and really driving that bench press.
Cheers!
I used your pyramid set up 3 days a week to go from a max rep of 130 to 235 in about 1.5 years. I was stuck at 235 for awhile and before I could switch it up COVID hit and I lost a lot of progress. I came back in August and continued the pyramid set up to get my max back up but after a two months in I decided to switch it up. I started doing more reps and less weight. My body was in so much shock because I trained for almost two years using your pyramid set up. I now do a 10 10 6 10 pyramid set up and I’m currently at 185 for 10 reps. I can confidently say my max is 255 now because I decided to switch up how I trained my chest.
Thanks for sharing Ray! You gained 105lbs over 18 months on my program? If so, that’s a new record from what I’ve heard. And glad switching it up gained you even more. Next milestone, 275!! You got this!! 💪🙌👍
@@UFpwrLifter thanks man! It involved consistent bulking. Went from 152 lbs now sitting at 185 lbs body weight.
What's the pyrimid setup?
What is his program by any chance ?
@@rayravel7309 whats the pyramid setup like if you dont mind sharing?
This guys strength is out of this world even post quarantine especially at 150
Checking in for #3plategang 💪🏾💪🏾
I think you've inspired most people to reach that 315 milestone if they haven't already. What's helped me push past milestones has definitely been increasing weekly volume and then training a lagging body part. For me strengthening my pull-up and lat pulldowns helped by focusing on really squeezing the upper back. This will translate to bench to keep your back tight as a solid base when pressing.
That’s great, thanks for the advice!!
He is actually in 4 plate gang lol
@@407182269chi he is outstanding tho lol the majority of the people won't ever touch that. So I bumped it down to a more realistic level lol
That guy in the orange shirt in the first bench clip was like.... now wait a minute LOL
there are three orange shirts in the first clip got me confused bruh xDDD
This guy is a G I love his vibe and positivity during these times, thanks man
Yes sir, we gotta spread the positivity. Thanks for watching and commenting 💪🙌👍
Been watching you for a couple years now. I’m glad you’re uploading more often man! Keep up the grind and I appreciate your work ❤️
This man is such an inspiration for me. I am kinda thin and people have always ridiculed me for my weight and less than average strength but this video goes to show “strength is not measured by one’s size but by the one’s of one’s strength”
you’re a beast man, will keep these in mind
What helped me get through plateaus is
1.close paused reps 75-80% 4sets of 3 reps
2. Spoto press 85% 4 sets 3 reps
3. Light explosive paused reps 50-60% 4 sets of 6 reps.
1. Monday, 2. Wednesday, 3. Friday
Solid plan! Thanks for sharing.
@@UFpwrLifter thanks glad to contribute!
how do you not f up your shoulder benching so much?
@@Robetea1 benching not bad at all for shoulders if you use proper technique and enough complementary back work to prevent imbalances
I weight trained 4 times a week for years with 2 days benching. One day flat bench, one day inclined and barely saw progress in my bench. Switched to 3 times a week alternating one day 4x4 and one day 4x8 and increased my max bench by 30lbs in 4 months. I agree that if you want to increase your bench you should consider benching 3 times a week.
Thanks for the testimony!! That’s the magic number!
I stopped doing incline altogether and just focused on flat bench. Feel like incline is useless unless you're on gear
I never ever do one rep max but I’ve been doing 250lbs for reps and I’m gonna try 315 or something close to it on Friday. I’m super excited and your videos help and motivate me. I’m also not the biggest guy either at 189 5’11 so I like being the underdog much like yourself. Keep up the videos my man.
Good luck man, lmk how it goes!!! 💪💪
When your kids grow up and watch these videos they will realize (if they haven’t already) what a cool dad they have!
Holy crap your kids have gotten huge! It’s kinda cool to have first seen your vids when they were just little ones, and the periodic growth over the years
For sure man, thanks for watching!
Nothing is more satisfaying then watching long benching 143kg for reps right before bed after a long day work👍😎
Was on your pyramid routine around 1.5 years ago and went from 190 to 245. Around that time I felt some pain in my shoulder/chest/under arm, and stopped benching for around 3 or 4 months. Thankfully it wasn’t a complete injury, but I still didn’t feel right when I finally tried to bench again. The pandemic hit and gyms closed, so that ironically gave me around 4 to 6 more months of not benching to heal. I tried to hit 225 again right before the shut down, and couldn’t quite get it. Coming back from the shutdown I went back to square 1 and really dialed in my form and realized that that was why I strained myself in the first place. I’ve restarted the pyramid again and lowered the weight, and everything feels a million times better. Got a max attempt on Monday. I really appreciate the videos, and you’ve got a beautiful family. Keep grinding 💪🏽
Great job on the initial gain and figuring out your form. Good luck Monday and beyond! Thanks for watching and commenting!!
being a dad must be so awesome!
It's not
Keep posting the content, even though gyms are closed in my area, I've been been lifting at home and putting more emphasis on my bench press. I'm especially appreciating the pause reps, it really makes me aware of my bench form and what feels best.
My bench is my worst lift worse than half my deadlift so this video was very helpful
Almost there with the pullups you want to do full extension down but don't pause in that position like the guy next to you did ( don't lock out ). then pop back up. You are an inspiration btw man. Keep doing you!
Thank you!
thanks for the tips my body weight is 150 and could only bench my same weight now im at 205 for 3 reps at a weight of 150🙏🏽
I love this because it shows what the body is capable of if you try.
I’m like 170 and can only bench 2 plates but I’ve been getting a little bit of gains, but I can’t stay consistent in my workout schedule
👍
2 plates is good man! You can only play the hand your dealt. Keep trying to get it when you can, you can still slowly gain strength!
For pullups, make sure you do a full range of motion. Fully locking out on the bottom with your arms straight, and when going up, make sure your back posture is straight and your chin is above the bar. When coming down, do not drop yourself, make sure you control yourself. Also if you want to learn it the really strict way, do not use leg momentum at all.
Try using gymnastic rings with a five second pull up and a ten second release to hang!! This really works the lats and controls the movement!!
I'm planning to hit 225 @150bw before christmas. Been stuck at 180 for while. I hope this video helps and I will come here after 6 weeks to tell how it went.
Please let us know. Good luck!
How’d it go
Only discovering your channel now. I'm only at 1 plate rn and its inspiring to see someone as strong as you
watching your content makes me want to go to the gym everyday so I can push these number in the next 5 10 years
I tried your routine as you outlined m w f .The following monday I felt no strength gain on the single rep sets.I thought with the 72 hours rest I would feel great.Don't go by me
because I'm getting old now,my squats are going up which is strange because I have sciatica. You are doing a lot of reps with the three day routine. I never did three workouts per week,in my youth.I did the four day mon tues thur friday.Chest shoulders and triceps on mon and thursday the rest of the body on the other two days.The four day is more of a bulk and power routine,since you rest 72 hours between workouts and 96 hours over the weekend.Your routine you do your reps ending before failure.I give you all the credit for doing all those singles,my muscles felt like dead wood.At your height and weight I don't think anyone in the world is benching 400 pounds,if they are 153 pounds they probably are 5 feet tall.Your arch I don't see it,some of these guys arches are ridiculous, they make me laugh! I see you are favoring one side,is that an imbalance you are trying to fix?
Hey man, thanks for giving it a shot and your candid feedback is appreciated. Quick question, did you try it for 4wks or just one week? I am aware of the right arm imbalance. Not sure if it’s just strength or something off on my form. I just started paying attention to it over this past week. Good luck on your continued journey! Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@UFpwrLifter one week
The weaker side goes up first.If I continue for 4 weeks how much gain did you make?
@@UFpwrLifter I tried your workout a couple of months ago,I was using a narrow grip about inch wider from where the knurling starts.The lockouts were very hard,all super slow.I think I was stale with that width.Now I switched to a wider grip ring finger on the rings.I just did three workouts with the new grip,time will tell.
You seem like a genuinely nice guy. I’ve seen people in the gym that are much bigger than you, but couldn’t lift half of what you can, walk around like they are King Kong, with bad attitudes. Great advice. Thank you.
Hope it helps you out 💪🙌👍
I have a question if you don’t mind. I’m new to your videos and I’ve heard you mention the pyramid a couple of times. Could you point me to the video where you explain this maybe?
You’re awesome man, you give me motivation to finally hit the 2 plates I’ve been longing for.
Get it brother!!!!
Changing it up and doing variations such as feet up close grip pin press floor press etc helps tremendously. This can be applied to the other lifts as well.
Awesome advice. I love all of the new and different ways. Not too many people repeating the same thing! Someone looking for a plateau breaker video... hopefully they read up on these comments 💪🙌👍
So true: The rising tide rises all boats. You don't lose anything by helping someone else out.
I love this! Never heard it before 💪🙌👍
Suggestion for the calves. Standing calf raises are going to work your gastrocnemius while sitting will work the soleus. You probably want to focus more on the gastrocnemius as that's the muscle that'll give you're calves the bigger look.
I've been following you for quite some time now- good to have you back! I'm concerned about your bench form though- your right side seems consistently lower on the press then the left side- and I have to say I've never noticed that before on any of your lifts pre-Covid. I think since you are about to add weight I'm compelled to point it out- you should focus on the right side so the bar travels up level (or more level anyway). Good to see other lifts in the content now too- I only point out the right side lag because you're so damn strong (way, way stronger then me- a fun inspiration!) that I don't want that to cause an injury or imbalance as you start to move back up to your big big numbers approaching 400.
Thank you so much for sticking with me even through the inconsistent uploads. This is what I mean by not deserving you guys. Also appreciate you looking out and pointing out the imbalance. I’ve been keeping an eye on it over the past week to see if I can figure out why it’s happening and will continue to. Thanks again for being here.
Your a humble man doing it the right way. You do deserve the following!
Thanks for being here and commenting 💪
Thank you for the informative video. My kids actually put me on to you.
Im an older man (about to hit 50) who use to train consistently heavy when young (that was then). I stopped for quite sometime. However, now with teenage kids who have gotten into weight lifting and are especially in awe with the “bench”, they’ve motivated me to try and make a comeback.
It will be a slow process to start and build up, but I’m looking forward to the journey with my kids.
Thank you again,
G30
George, that is great to hear the kids are getting you back into it. I’m sure them seeing their dad pushing hard and staying disciplined is motivating them for more things than just the bench press. Keep having that open mindset and being a good influence for them. Look forward to hearing your journey and progress.
doing the same thing over and over agian isnt a bad thing, specially when it works like ur benchpres. ur squat is gonna go up no matter what ur doing since u just started them. for pullups you could try them weighted, or do a closer grib(more range of motion) hitting the bar with ur colour bone each rep, i recently started doing those full pullups and the gains are insane
Nice! Thanks for the tips, I appreciate it!!
seeing someone else getting their PB or lifting crazy weight really motivate me. the weight really felt the lightest when there are ppl to motivate you
Brilliant tips and awesome content again bro
Thanks for watching and commenting 💪🙌👍
Hey! So for the pullups I’d make sure your scapula is packed down and back to protect your shoulders, and that will also improve your form as far as your lats being fully activated. When I saw you do them I noticed your upper back round out a bit and the end of the pull which is limiting your gains and lat activation, also always try to do pullups with your legs uncrossed as it will activate that core a bit better and remove any energy leaks coming from not having everything tight and activated.
Ps Love the benching tips, currently recovering from back surgery and your videos get me anxious to get better soon and get back on that gains train!
Appreciate the pull up form feedback!! I will try this tomorrow. Get well soon!! Thanks for watching and commenting 💪🙌👍
You are the only UA-camr that I have notifications turned on.
I appreciate it and hope I can continue adding value for your time 💪🙌👍
You do deserve the following that you have. Keep being a positive person
I'd suggest going for a neutral grip on pull-ups and doing deadhang reps with weight in the 3-5 rep range (after you can do 12-15 bodyweight reps). Your bench is already meaty for your bodyweight so if you started working weighted pull-ups I def think the extra back strength would help out your others lifts significantly.
Most impressive videos on UA-cam
Appreciate you watching and commenting!
loving the family stuff man, keep it up!
You deserve more of a following if anything. I’m honestly surprised more people don’t come up to you and ask for a pic or to say hello lol
Thanks for the video man love it
For calf raise i like to do them in sets of 20
Burning sensation 20 full range of motion reps with no bouncing flexing in both of the top of the motion and the stretch on the bottom of the motion
DUP seems to do it for me
One day with in 6-8 range
Next day in 8-10
Third day sets of 5
Hey man! Good form on the pullups! You are stable going up and coming down. The only thing you should improve is how far you go down. Drop down until your elbows are no longer engaged, almost like a dead hang and then go back up like you normally do. This will provide a good stretch for your lats.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll have to move over to the other machine where I do triceps (was too busy that day) bc the one I used in this video wasn’t high enough for me to go all the way down. Keep the comments coming, I appreciate it!
@@UFpwrLifter you can try holding your feet up behind you in a hamstring curl position if the bar is too low, just gotta make sure there's no swinging
When I started training, improving my grip strength just helped with all areas. I would really include pull-ups, suitcase carries, and carrying the bar with a towel for 30 seconds. I’m sure your grip strength is INSANE. This just helped me out, figured to put it to use.
Keep up the great videos and comments on your success in lifting!! I personally think that consistency and hard work in any endeavor, weather it be lifting, education or relaxing and having fun with your family is the key element in a successful life!! You very apparently have mastered all three elements and still remain humble and appreciative of other opinions!! Very commendable in this day and age!! I am eighty one and still do set obtainable goals for myself every day!! "OBTAINABLE" BEING THE KEY WORD..Once that goal is reached,set the next goal and drive toward it!! Goal success,goal success, builds confidence!!! Beautiful family, that is what is missing in our society today...VERY SAD!!!
Thank you for your perspective. I appreciate it! Totally agree you have to put in the work to get the results you want and sometimes it might not come right away, but don’t give up! Thanks again!
Amazing channel brother. It’s quite motivating to see someone giving great advice while being so humble.
About 10 pm for me right now and I just finished a ton of studying and homework. I was planning on pushing my chest workout to tomorrow, but this video reminded me the importance of consistency. Gonna go crush it! Thanks man!
update if anyone cares lol. i had a long workout and at the end i went super light on bench and just burnt my chest out. pump was insaneee
Happy to inspire you to remain consistent! Those long days can be tough so just a reminder to always listen to your body first! Glad you got it done and back safely with a nice burn 💪🙌👍
I met nicks strength and power at the Arnold classic Columbus 2019 and there's a video of his recap showing me talk to him about covering a story about you i thought more exposure could help you out, your videos are inspirational keep it up man!
That is so kind of you to mention me during your limited time with a celebrity! I am very grateful of you trying to grow the channel!!
Been loving the content recently bro, and consistency! I will definitely be trying your tips out, I've been stuck at a 245 lb bench for months 😂 mostly due to the fact that I've been cutting weight
Thanks for watching and commenting. You guys are inspiring me to keep at it. Yes I can’t imagine gaining strength while cutting, I have a hard enough time maintaining strength without cutting!
On the pull ups try and maybe go all the way down to full extension on the elbows. This makes it so u can stretch and target your last more... at least for me
I really appreciate the informative video, Ik I commented on one of your previous videos, and it’s nice to see that you made a video to especially address the plateau situation and what to do to overcome that, Ik I’ve been struggling with getting over the 315 hump on bench when all of my other lifts have been drastically increasing, so I’m gonna give it a shot of what you said to do in the video and I’ll let you know what wonders it does for me! Thanks again!
Yes please let us know. Thanks for watching and commenting and inspiring me to make this video.
Love the videos! also introvert and shy are two different things
Yea
Agreed. Lyla is both big time. Lucas, not so much.
Love the family clips and great that the kids are opening up with the singing! That's really hard to do even in front of family. Also man kids now a days pickup dancing so quick. I'm trying to strengthen my weighted pull ups and will use your tip of 80% of 1 rm get in at least 20 reps. You should train pull ups on a bar that's a little higher so that you can come down just a tad bit more. Other that you're form is always near perfect.
Thanks for the view and comment!! You’re right about the singing thing, it takes some courage! Also this is not my normal pull up bar, the one I typically use was taken that day so I substituted. Now that I have a little better form than before, I’ll try it on the high pull up bar. Thanks again!
love the video. Look forward to them after work every day
Paused bench is the absolute cheat code to a consistent bench. I like to do reverse pyramid sets, I do my top set touch & go, get my ego lifting out of the way, then my working paused sets feel much lighter
Testing my max bench tomorrow! You always give me inspiration! Hoping to get into the 300lb club tomorrow... woot woot! I'm 21, 190lbs, 5'9". PR is 295. Going to crush it tomorrow.
Good luck!! Let us know how you do.
@@UFpwrLifter I got it easyyyyy! It's on my instagram @strengthwithsetsal
I see you max out on triceps and that gives me alot of insight on what I have been slacking on.
Thanks for continuing to pump out great content and thanks for the motivation!
Thanks for taking the time to comment!!
You got amazing family!!
Payse reps are pure reps for sure. I also support your extra set to get the reps for the day which in turn gives the aforementioned "interest" reps. Its great for motivation.
I would suggest a set of pure negative reps of no more than three reps with a maximum of 15 lbs over the max weight you are safely working to achieve, once every week to week and a half.
The spotter MUST be ready to "snatch" the weight at the very moment it touches your chest and be able to manage at least 80% of it back to the top. Do not lock at the the top but get very close.
Also heavy negative shruggs once a week, no more than six reps and or light smith machine overhead shruggs 3x20, hands two palm widths apart or wider,
S L I G H T locked bend in the elbows.
This is excellent advice. Oh how I miss having consistent spotters!
@@UFpwrLifter LMK if you want me to explain the negative shruggs. I had the best mentors when I was learning.
You can see some of my videos on my channel under my name. Haven't put any up for a bit.
Lol I get some looks in the gym too.
Thanks for the great content!!
Another great video! I'm going to make another plea for you to consider weightlifting shoes. 5:40 - 5:50 If you look at your right foot, even planted, you can see your heel shifting on the descent of your squat. Your depth is great. As a top-level athlete in the bench press, I know you would agree you're losing some power and stability there (more injury risk, too). Try experimenting with your toe-angle in your stance during warmups to see if you can't find a smoother position.
You're motivating so many people like me, love the frequent uploads!
Thanks for the feedback! They have been ordered and should arrive next week some time. Should be in new videos in the next couple of wks. Can I wear the sneakers to/from gym or only inside the gym? Thanks again!
@@UFpwrLifter Keep them for the gym! I got my pair around 2 years ago and keep them in a plastic grocery bag, inside my gym bag. They still look brand new. If you wear them indoors for the gym they will last for years!
U def deserve following u have and an 100x more.
Thanks so much for all the helpful tips in this video. Love the idea of 20+ reps at 80%.
My max flat bench was 295x1 my squats were 405x3 d/l was 435x2. bench is always the weakest of the 3 power lifting movements, traditionally, but his trys are super strong as we see here.
Paused reps always have made me make strength gains
Thanks for the solid advice man. really appreciate it. Keep it up!
You def deserve the following you have!
Loving these, keep em coming man. I might have missed it but what do you do for flexibility? What does your routine look like? Thanks in advance
Thanks for watching! I just stretch ua-cam.com/video/7ND9Qx_eUYY/v-deo.html
You are a huge inspiration that makes me keep going! I’ll get my 315 at some point! 💪
For sure man, keep it going!! 💪
im a simple guy , i see a video of his , i like before i watch it ... gj !!! keep it up :)
I appreciate your effort!!
What I do for pull-ups is this:
1. Cross my legs at the ankles.
2. When you get to the top, hold for at least a second longer aka paused reps.
3. When you're at the top, lift your head just a little higher over the handles (like an inch or two).
Thanks for the tips!
And thanks for yours! 🙏
if your daughter practices singing like you practice bench press she's going to be a superstar
I needed this video and thank you, my bench press is slowly going up
Your squat form is fantastic. Keep it up🤙🏽✌🏽
Also, your pull ups were good too if working your mid back and lats is what you’re going for.
-You 100% deserve a greatness✌🏽
Appreciate you watching and commenting!! I will keep trying to be helpful with the goal of making everyone I interact with stronger 💪🙌👍
Another masterpiece❤
Luv the consistent uploads ❤️
Appreciate the comment!
Love these consistent uploads.
Thanks Jay. Appreciate you 🙌
I found heavy dips to help with my bench and getting used to heavy loads. Also chest flies to really feel the chest contraction and get a lot of blood pumping to the chest to prevent fatigue from the 3 days of bench sessions.
Really enjoy seeing your squat go up as well
Good advice. You're a really big inspiration.
Thank you mr pwalifta 💪🏽🤟🏽
i've been doing pause reps and it's been helping out a lot actually
Pause everything :) Long, you should try pause squats, my quads have definitely grown faster using them. Keep up the good work!
My best plateau break for bench is about 50 pounds above my absolute max in the eccentric portion of the lift only. Lowering it as controlled and slowly as possible. Puts a lot of stress on your cns bc it knows the weight is too heavy. Tricks it into letting you get stronger over time bc your cns thinks you're going to die if it doesn't let you use more strength.
Or just slow eccentrics in general. Like, as slow as you possibly can with a good weight.
Sounds like negatives. Effective and easy to do with a spotter or power rack. Thanks for the advice!
@@UFpwrLifter yes. Using heavier weight than my max has worked wonders for me in the past. A spotter is very helpful in keeping it safe. No problem I love the videos keep it up!
Haven’t been at the gym in a while. Starting back next week. Thanks for the tips
You should think about getting a pair of weightlifting shoes. It will help perfect your form. I went from 169lbs to 221lbs in less than 5 years (2008 - 2013) from benching, deadlifting, squatting, squatting and squatting. I’m Vietnamese and Pakistani. I’m 48 years old. I’m a little under 5’10” nowadays. I may make a few videos (in the next coming days) for informational purposes.
If this guy just sold a program for bench, a lot of guys would buy it
gravitus.com/blog/ufpwrlifter-path-to-410lb-bench-press/
Thank you for posting before a bench day, MWFs please!
pull-ups and squat looks great！