Bench!

[Robbo]

So it only feels slightly ezer as you dont have to worry about controling it?

You just have to deal with the vertical component of the weight but make no mistake about it, you still have to provide the force to lift 400 pounds + to move the damned thing.
It's just that it is done on one vector as against a free weight whereby you have to deal with the weight going off line from the vertical.

 

[chrismrgn]

But make no mistake about it, you still have to provide the force to lift 400 pounds + to move the damned thing.

Lol its gona take me a fair while before im anywhere near 400lbs!

If you have the choice of using both free bar and smith which is recomended?

 

[Tom37]

if im not much mistaken (and dont get me wrong, i may well be), free weights are supposed to be better as they use other muscle groups to keep the bar in place. however, a smith machien will isolate the most important muscles that should be used in bench... i think

 

[Buddha 3]

out of intrest buddah, how much do you bench?

I can't honestly tell you what the maximum is that I can bench. I train with a very specific goal in mind (American football), and how much I can bench once is not "interesting" as such. What is more interesting in that sense is that I can do series of 26 x 100k. After that, I get pretty tired and having a w@nk is out of the question

Sh!t, now I am curious to find out though!

I CAN tell you that I can squat 250k + ....

 

[Dark Stranger]

I CAN tell you that I can squat 250k + ....

Jesus, it must take a long time walking around an un-ocupied house to do that sort of distance

 

[Tom37]

hate squats... so so much... but then again, i guess there kinda important in american football...

 

[yorgie]

If you put 400 pounds in weight on a Smith machine then you have to push 400 pounds plus the weight of the bar.

smith machines make it easier to lift though, i can squat almost 60% more on a smith machine than off of one.

 

[Robbo]

smith machines make it easier to lift though, i can squat almost 60% more on a smith machine than off of one.

If you can describe pushing up 400 pounds as 'easy' then yes I suppose it does ...
As for the 60% figure, I am afraid that's way out and is more like 5% in reality.

On a free bar I suppose I coulda dun something like 370 - 380.

 

[Matski]

If you read stuff by the pro's, even good ol Arnold, you'll see that they do not lift nearly as much (kg) as they are capable of lifting. Intensity, technique and variation in routine gets much better results than pushing out a few reps of the heaviest weight you can find. I have been body building for about 2 years now and started out like that, as most do I guess, but have changed dramatically in the last 6-7 month by doing things properly.

My suggestion is go read, then read some more, set your own goals/strategy and don't try to copy/compete with others.

Personally I wouldn't bother with most personal trainers at gyms either, some of the stuff I see them do with clients is a total waste of time. They get new clients every other week at my gym, which says it all really. Edit: I guess I can't tar them all with the same brush, but the ones at my place are money grabbing wasters.

 

[Robbo]

If you read stuff by the pro's, even good ol Arnold, you'll see that they do not lift nearly as much (kg) as they are capable of lifting. Intensity, technique and variation in routine gets much better results than pushing out a few reps of the heaviest weight you can find. I have been body building for about 2 years now and started out like that, as most do I guess, but have changed dramatically in the last 6-7 month by doing things properly.

My suggestion is go read, then read some more, set your own goals/strategy and don't try to copy/compete with others.

It is true to say that the way you do the lift is much more important than how much you lift.
And it is easier to do a lift properly using a lesser weight than lifting more and sacrificing form with a heavier one.