October 13, 2011

A good goal is like a strenuous exercise

Rant and Tip for October 13,2011

Quote: “A good goal is like a strenuous exercise - it makes you stretch.” Mary Kay Ash

Good Morning everyone! Found this quote and wanted to share it with you. I guess for those of us who set our exercise goals and exercise hard, we must be ahead of the game. If you already are stretching to reach your goals, that is good news. You probably already set goals in life and know how to work towards achieving them. The rest of you I hope you are getting encouragement and help through this blog.



I went to Albany Strength last night and work with the bench shirt again. I did not go heavy and continued to work on stroke and my form. With the bench shirt you tend to bring the weight a little farther down on the chest. However this is not always the best thing. In a competition you have to touch your sternum and the judges watch that closely. Secondly if you bring the weight to far down your chest you are not loading the shirt properly. You want and need to force the shirt to stretch at the right point. This loads the shirt and your muscles for the explosive power to throw the weight up. I have more to learn about lifting with the shirts but I have till April to get there.

Benching for a meet and benching to put on muscle like a body builder are to different benching styles. If your goal is to get a bigger chest, you will need to flatten out your arch in your back a bit. There should still be a small space that you can fit your hand in at the small of your back, but that is basically it. Also a wider grip will help you isolate and hit the pectoral muscles giving them a good pump. When benching for meets, you want a big arch this helps keep your shoulders tight, and will shorten the distance you need to push the weight. I try to do both types of benching. I want a larger chest and also some big numbers on my bench press. Pick your bench-press goal accordingly and lift the way that is best for you.

How are you doing with your change in eating? I am trying not to use the word diet because it always seems to have a negative feel to the word. This should not be a negative process in your life. I guess this is why I call it a lifestyle change. To me it just sounds better. After all it is a lifestyle change just like someone who quits smoking, or chooses a different career. You can do this and will be successful if you are able to get the negativity out of the thought of this being just another diet. I have said this before, while the way of eating I have chosen works for me, you may have chosen a different approach. This is ok, just remember this is a lifestyle change and you need to make it permanent. If you do not it will be like every other diet out there and you will put the weight back on. Yes I used the word diet; however, I wanted the negative effect.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Bench Press: (Courtesy of http://www.myweightlifting.com/bench-press-tips.html)
Retract Shoulder Blades & Stick Chest Out. Bringing your scapulae (shoulder blades) together will naturally bring your chest out. This essential bench press tip has three beneficial effects:
o Stable Foundation. First, your shoulder blades and the surrounding upper back muscles give you a solid foundation off of which to push.
o Shorter Range of Motion. Second, the combination of retracted scapulae, a flexed upper back and a puffed out chest decreases the distance you need to push the barbell.
o Shoulder Health. Finally, you save your shoulder joints and scapulae from injury; leaving your shoulders protracted with scapula hanging all willy-nilly can only lead to shoulder issues down the road.

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