Progress - Adrian Larsen

In power lifting, progress is measured in training. We look at the training we are doing and record our progress and down falls. This is a way to critique our training and what works and what doesn’t work. Over the years, several different implements have been used to increase strength. For instance, we have boards or foam boards to work on range of motion. We also use chains hanging off the bar. Another implement often used is bands. You can use straight weight and do eccentric pressing, or long pauses on the bottom. You can also purchase a sling shot and use that tool in training in a variety of ways.

Over the last few years I have seen a trend of something that is a little bothersome. At times, people seem to have forgotten why these implements were invented. They were not invented or placed in your training to give you “PR’s” to blast on social media. These tools were developed to help you train to become stronger and better. Too often, I see folks trying to use the tools in a fashion to go as heavy as possible. For example, a reverse band bench with 700 lbs while wearing a slingshot doesn’t equate to a 650 raw bench. We need to go back to the basics of working as hard as we can in the gym and not using these tools to boost our egos. For some people this could be a huge slap in the face or you may disagree. But in order to get stronger you need to do things that will be difficult.

Rethink your training. If you are using implements to aid your training, make sure they are not making your training easier. Use these tools to make your training harder. Not worrying about if you can post a PR on YouTube. For instance, let’s say you have a goal to bench 400lbs raw. I would use the sling shot in a variety of ways to help you get there. Not too post lifts of benching 500 with a sling shot, that doesn’t assist you as effectively. Here are some suggestions I would focus on to reach a raw bench goal. Every heavy bench day I would work with sets of 400lbs in a sling shot for reps. Maybe use the sling shot for eccentric pressing with 400lbs. Or use the sling shot to do a long pause on the chest with your desired weight.

Remember, use these tools to strengthen your weak areas and make your strong areas stronger. These implements are out there to help you in training to reach your goals; not to write down a PR in a log book that doesn’t matter.

Boards

I get asked regularly, how I incorporate board pressing into my raw bench routine. The simple fact is I do not incorporate them at all. Boards are a fun implement to use while training in a bench shirt. Otherwise they are not as useful. Now, before people start telling me that it has helped them in training great. But it is not as useful as other methods in training. For a great deal of time in my training I would do board pressing, and really focus on lockout work. Now I do not find that doing lock out work is a complete waste of time. I do feel you’re not training as efficiently as possible.

When people fail a lift toward the lock out or end of the press. The simple fix isn’t to jump in the gym and train lockouts. Every person is stronger on a four board press than full range. So the issue isn’t focusing on your lock out strength. The issue is you need more speed off your chest. The more explosive and speed from your chest the more likely you’re going to lock out your press. So how do you fix the issue of failing toward the top of your lift. There are a few things to do that could help. First try doing dead pin presses from the chest. This is a very easy thing to set up and is very effective. Also from time to time work with long pauses on the bottom. Even incorporate a sling shot with that. This is the best way to handle heavy weight and pause at the bottom of the lift.

If having spotters is an issue due to training on your own stick with the dead pin presses, or you can do floor presses with dumbbells. Pausing at the bottom of the lift. There are options out there.