Sport Dynamix

Here are some of the most common errors we see in our clients when bench pressing:

Over/under tucking elbows:
The cue to tuck the elbows originated in the early days of powerlifting, and for some reason, has never been corrected. We CONSTANTLY see coaches instructing their clients to tuck their elbows as far in as possible when bench pressing. This can lead to increased stress at the shoulder joint as well as result in a suboptimal bar path when pressing. To fix this, remember to keep your lats tight throughout the movement and keep your elbows directly under your wrists at all times.

Not arching your back:
Whilst you do not need to maintain as extreme an arch as a competitive powerlifter, bench pressing with an arched back incurs 3 MAJOR benefits:
1: The lumbar and thoracic intervertebral are safer in this position as they are protected against posterior herniation (ie. You won’t slip a disc)
2: The more decline pushing angle reduces stress on the shoulder joint
3: You’ll be stronger in this position due to greater pectoral activation, meaning you can increase load on the bar

We hope that this video helps you bench press more safely and efficiently!

Hey fit fam! We’re back with another workout Wednesday. Today’s theme, the bench press. Follow along for a couple of our favourite accessory exercises to improve your bench press performance.

Unilateral chest press:
The unilateral chest press requires perfect coordination between all primary muscles recruited in the bench press: the pecs, shoulders and triceps. In order to master the bench press, it is crucial to ensure synergy between these muscles during the movement. What we like even more about this exercise is that it improves shoulder stability, and allows you to focus on each side of the body individually, reducing the chances of muscular imbalances between sides occurring.

Dips:
Dips are the king of bodyweight compound movements (movements that use more than one major muscle group). Because the bench press is also an upper-body pushing compound movement, the benefits from dips translate directly to the bench press. Dips require the use of the pecs, shoulders and triceps in the same way the bench press does. This helps to train and improve the movement pattern required to push the bar off of your chest.
Pro tip: Hold a dumbbell between your feet if you’d like to add some extra weight!

Plyometric push-ups:
Pressing big weight on the bar requires large recruitment of your fast-twitch muscle fibers (think sprinters vs. marathon runners). These are activated through heavy lifting and explosive movements. The push-up directly mimics the bench press, with the only difference between the two being the direction that you’re facing! Plyo push-ups exclusively recruits fast-twitch fibers to produce large amounts of force in a short amount of time, which is exactly what you need to lift heavier weights. An added bonus with this movement is that numerous studies have shown that plyometric exercises improve range of motion AS WELL AS reduce risk of injury!

We are looking forward to seeing you guys and gals crushing your fitness goals soon!

The bench press is favoured by boets around the world due to its ability to target the chest, shoulders and triceps synergistically. BUT, due to common limitations in mobility and stabilizer control, its common for injuries to occur during this movement.

Add these mobility drills into your warmup to improve your bench press and reduce the risk of injury!

1: Standing Pec Stretch (pectoral mobility & flexibility)
2: Banded Internal & External Rotations (rotator cuff strength & stability)
3: Push-up Twists (pectoral & shoulder mobility & stability)
4: Thoracic Foam Rolling (upper back mobility)

Drop a comment below and let us know if these movements helped you out with your bench press!

Struggling to deadlift HEAVY with good technique? Give these exercises a go!

Pull-ups:
Mastering the pull-up is one of the most efficient ways to improve deadlift technique and performance. This is because pull-ups teach you to recruit ALL the muscles of the back in a synergistic pattern. This translates into deadlift technique as deadlifts require all the muscles of the back to fire together to produce force.

Barbell Bent Over Rows:
Bent over rows are a great way to teach your posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, lats and traps) to brace while under load - a fundamental part of deadlifting safely and efficiently.

Unilateral Farmers Carries:
The farmer's carry is an amazing accessory to deadlifts. This movement challenges the core to brace and stabilize the spine while load is applied from a single side. This ensures that both sides of the core are working equally to protect the spine during deadlifts. They are also a great way to improve grip strength (if done with heavy enough weights)!

Throw these exercises into your leg-day routine to help you improve your squats!

1: Heavy unrack & hold
Everybody wants to be able to squat ridiculous amounts of weight but once that loaded bar is on your back, your confidence tends to hit the floor! Try loading an extra 10 – 20% more than what you are comfortable squatting to the bar and practice unracking, bracing and then racking the bar to get used to heavy loads on your back. When you reduce the weight and start with your working sets, the lower weight should feel like a breeze!

2: Pause squats
With a relatively low load (40% of your max weight), get down into your lowest comfortable position and hold the bar there for 3 seconds at a time. This will get your body used to producing power when it’s in that ‘sticking point’ of the squat AS WELL AS improving form and mobility.

3: Goblet Squats
The goblet squat is a great aid to squatting form as the shift the center of gravity forward, allowing you to get lower into the squat. This helps your body get used to sitting in a deeper position and producing force from the bottom of a squat.

We hope these movements help you squat like a toddler again!

Ever seen a toddler crouching on the ground without PERFECT form?

Squatting is a fundamental movement all of us are able to do. Through extended periods of sitting, not squatting regularly and muscles tightening up, we tend to lose touch with our ability to squat safely and efficiently.

The BIGGEST hindrance to unlocking your full potential in the squat is MOBILITY.

Add these 4 movements to your leg-day warmup to get you back to squatting “Ass-To-Grass” again!

1: The World’s Greatest Stretch (hip & thoracic mobility)
2: Weighted Ankle Glides (ankle mobility)
3: Hip Internal & External Rotations (hip mobility)
4: Goblet Squat Weight Shifts (ankle & hip mobility)

If you are looking to get fit and smash all of your fitness goals then reach out to us on 064 894 8946 or drop us mail on [email protected]

We are now taking PT clients at our Blouberg studio! 💪🏼
Pop us a message and arrange your slot!