Bench question

newby.204

Doing ws4sb3, just have a question about the bench, been doing flat the last three weeks for my ME day and now ive to change to either rack lockouts or close grip, just wondering which one would help my flat or am i over thinkin it?

The Guvnor

I've no idea what ws4sb3 is but both rack lockouts and close grip can have a positive effect on your bench.

TommyKnocker

ws4sb3 = West side for skinny B*stards 3, Which is a well known weights program


M

The Guvnor

Thanks B-Builder!

The name is great!

Do they have ws4fb or ws4mb? LOL

M = muscular and F is obvious! :-)

I'll have a look at the program.

Anything Westside is good but can be pretty hardcore!

Hanley

B-Builder wrote: »

ws4sb3 = West side for skinny B*stards 3, Which is a well known weights program


M

...but primarily amongst internet lifters.

I'd get blank stares if I said it to some of the strongest guys I know.

d'Oracle

Just to be a Bollix.

Why would the strongest guys you know, know a programme for skinny bastards?:D

Remmy

The Guvnor wrote: »

Thanks B-Builder!

The name is great!

Do they have ws4fb or ws4mb? LOL

M = muscular and F is obvious! :-)

I'll have a look at the program.

Anything Westside is good but can be pretty hardcore!

I think they actually do have a westside for fat backstards:D.could be taking the piss though..

kevpants

newby.204 wrote: »

Doing ws4sb3, just have a question about the bench, been doing flat the last three weeks for my ME day and now ive to change to either rack lockouts or close grip, just wondering which one would help my flat or am i over thinkin it?

Doesn’t matter what you pick so long as you go Max Effort with is and it’s a pressing movement. I’d prefer lockouts as close grip stuff hurts me sometimes. You can pretty much do any bench variation though.

The ws4sb3 thing is Joe DeFranco’s thing. Westside was in fashion a few years back, like the Spice Girls, so Joe DeFranco cashed in and released ws4sb (Destiny’s Child), ws4sb2 (The Sugababes) & ws4sb3 (Girls aloud). Now though it’s all about Lady Gaga (5/3/1).

I spent ages writing about Westside simplified here. Hope it helps.

newby.204

read that link before kev,, it was a great help, thanks for the responses lads.

Hanley

d'Oracle wrote: »

Just to be a Bollix.

Why would the strongest guys you know, know a programme for skinny bastards?:D

Strongest guys I know don't know of the program... strongest guys I know are strongest guys I know... strongest guys I know don't know program... why care about program...?

It's not JUST for skinny bastards. He could have as easily called it "westside for sporting performance".

But we;re not talking about sporting performance... we're talking about increasing someones bench?

Kev M

If you've been training long enough and have an okay bench, like you can do more than bw for reps, then lockouts could be okay.. But I'd see most people getting much more out of close-gripping.. Just IMO of course, no scientific argument here, pure bro-science!!

BossArky

newby.204 wrote: »

Doing ws4sb3, just have a question about the bench, been doing flat the last three weeks for my ME day and now ive to change to either rack lockouts or close grip, just wondering which one would help my flat or am i over thinkin it?

Never done rack lockouts myself. Close grip benching seems to have helped me though. 1 heavy bench day per week and 1 light day close grip at about 60% trying to be more explosive. I don't have anything close to a spectacular bench - but this helped me improve.

Hanley wrote: »

...but primarily amongst internet lifters.

I'd get blank stares if I said it to some of the strongest guys I know.

Hehe. That reminds me of a reference I made to 531 in an email exchange I had from London with my current coach in Oz, before moving here in Jan 2010. Edited below.

My email query: On 18/12/2009, at 8:58 AM, BossArky wrote:

Hi Future Coach,

I found your details on this website: <link>

I am interested in joining the powerlifting club. I will arrive in Melbourne at the end of January (from London).

At a bodyweight of ~79kg my current max lifts are:
- military press 65kg
- deadlift 145kg
- bench 90kg
- squat 113kg

I have been following Jim Wendlers 531 programme for the past 6 months and retesting max for each lift this week. I'm 28.

Can normal people like myself just turn up and join?

Thanks for any info.
Regards,
<name>


His reply:
Yes <name>, normal people can take up Powerlifting at <club>, but they are in the minority, we usually concentrate on people with significant psychopathology.

I don't know who Jim Wenders is but if he has you doing those sort of bests at 79kg. bodyweight he must be grappling with personal issues too.

You've got no hope of getting anywhere until you get a proper Coach, people training in a focused (but abnormal) way around you & the correct equipment.

Just turn up at the gym at the address on the website, or call me beforehand on 123456.

See you in Jan.
- Future Coach.

d'Oracle

Hanley wrote: »

Strongest guys I know don't know of the program... strongest guys I know are strongest guys I know... strongest guys I know don't know program... why care about program...?

My brain just melted.

dartstothesea

I meant to also say that surely the lads who're still skinny bastards are the ones that mustn't know about the program...
But yeah^

kevpants

BossArky wrote: »

I don't know who Jim Wenders is

Great quote.

newby.204

having done closed grip my max set was 80kgx3, i was a little dissapointed tbh, ill stick at it for anothet two weeks but i cnat see myself cycling it back in again, as a reference my ME deadlift is 165kg and squat is 137.5kg