Joining the chain gang

How much you benching? It’s a question that can be heard in every gym, in every language, in every country. From my perspective, the answer doesn’t mean much because I’ve seen guys throw up monster numbers on the bench only to turn around and squat feathers. But as long as it’s going to be treated as the gold standard of strength measurement, we mine as well be the guys dropping jaws, right?

To that end, let me introduce you to my new best friend: chains. After years of struggling with a stubborn bench that just wouldn’t break through a dreaded plateau, I’ve recently scoured for news ways to train and the Westside Barbell technique of using chains has instantly become one of my favorites (in addition to Hell Week). First, what you need to do is make your way down to Home Depot (or Lowe’s – let’s not start that argument) and purchase two sets of 5/8″ chain in five foot lengths. Each five foot segment will weigh roughly 20 lbs., so you’re looking at adding 80 lbs. to the bar. Don’t forget to buy two segments of smaller chain as well which will be used to hang the larger chain segments from the bar so that roughly 1/3 of the chain is resting on the floor when the bar is racked.

Now that you’re set up, lets go through a quick lesson in isokinetics and the underlying philosophy behind the chains before we start banging out reps. “Isokinetics” is essentially defined as challenging your muscles against an object that moves but increases in resistance until the point where the object can no longer be moved. In other words, as you lift the bar and lower it to your pecs, more of the chain begins to pile on the floor, making the weight that you are controlling lighter as you descend (eccentric phase). As you proceed to lift the bar and ascend (transitioning into the concentric phase), you push more of the chain off the floor, resulting in increased weight and resistance the higher you get the bar.

This type of training helps to promote bar speed and also forces you to work through every sticking point that you may have. In addition, the exercise minimizes joint stress and muscle soreness because it gets lighter on the way down, reducing the stress on the shoulders and joints but still allowing you to train heavy as it adds weight on the ascent. Finally, the chains force your stabilizing muscles to work overtime to control the weight in a smooth and direct manner. I think you will also find, as I did, that once you return to your regular chest routine, the explosiveness you have out of the gate will be quite impressive and allow you to fight through those heavy weights, putting up bigger and bigger numbers on the bench. That was the goal all along, right? Now get out there and drop some jaws.

For more information on benching with chains, CriticalBench.com has a great article you can check out here.

Box squats 101

It’s a gym scenario that’s all too familiar: somebody inevitably loads the squat bar with back-breaking weight, gives a loud shout to announce his presence and then commences to lower the bar two inches before re-racking it with ground-shattering authority. Aside from a lack of form that subjects the lifter to injury risk, he has minimized the range of motion to a point where his hamstrings and glutes are getting very little benefitial exercise or explosive strength training.

Now cue up the same scene with a box behind the squatter that forces him to lower his hips to parallel with the floor or further in order to sit and our problems are solved. By placing the box behind the lifter, it teaches the proper form of squatting back, not down, in order to sit. Furthermore, a proper box height will assure the squatter of achieving a hips-parallel or break-parallel stance with every rep (and soon without a box). But the greatest benefit of box squatting is the explosiveness and strength the trainee will develop in his quads, hamstrings, glutes and hips by utilizing a static-overcome-by-dynamic work approach.

In order to perform the box squat correctly, the lifter should take a very wide stance with toes either pointed straight forward or angled slightly out (I prefer the straight forward method). Take a wide hand grip and tuck in your elbows so as to utilize the lats. Keeping your head up and looking forward, proceed to slightly arch your back and draw the chest up, lift the bar off the pins, and then take your stance two to three inches in front of the box (maintaining a very wide stance). Begin to squat back, not down, keeping your back arched, abs pushed out, and your head up at all times. Once you reach the box, relax ONLY the hip muscles for an instant, and then forcefully flex them by pushing against the bar. It is important to remember that when beginning the drive upward, raise your traps into the bar first and don’t begin the movement by pushing your feet to the floor. By pushing with your feet first, you can and will expose your back to a dangerous and potentially harmful position.

As a big proponent of the static-overcome-by-dynamic work approach, I really like this exercise. It teaches proper form, builds explosive strength, and is actually less stressful on the lifter than a full squat and can therefore be trained more frequently. Please note, however, that this workout is geared more towards powerlifters and those seeking to build explosive leg strength – not bodybuilders looking for bulging quads. The lifting approach differs greatly from a bodybuilder and a powerlifter, and although my philosophy tends to blur the lines and incorporates both, this is a topic I will address in greater detail in a coming article.

For more information regarding the box squat, I encourage you to read Louie Simmons’  “Why You Should Box Squat.” Louie, in practical terms, is a powerlifting animal and THE source for all things strength related. Just ask the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and…you guessed it, New England Patriots. For his biography, click here. I also recommend that if you want to try the box squat, follow Louie’s Westside Barbell routine and try training at 50-60% of your one-rep max for 8-12 sets of 2 reps.

Here’s a video to illustrate the exercise…

One hell of a week and the results that followed

I just put my body through a rigorous five-day workout plan aimed at increasing overall strength and packing on muscle mass. “Hell Week” as it is known, was well worth it, but I would only recommend it for experienced lifters and those not faint of heart. Perhaps even more surprising than seeing results after only one week was the simplicity of the routine — bench press, squat, deadlift, repeat.

Known as the three principle compound exercises of weightlifting, the bench, squat and deadlift are considered necessities for anyone looking to get bigger and stronger. The reason is that each of these movements incorporates a number of different muscles in order to complete one repetition of the exercise. For example, the bench press requires the lifter to use the pectoralis major and triceps brachii as primary muscles, while drawing in the front deltoids (shoulders), traps and back as secondary muscles. In much the same way, the squat and deadlift spread their focus among various muscles, allowing the lifter to fatigue different groups in one movement and therefore achieve a greater effect. (I would argue that the standing barbell military press could and should be considered a needed compound exercise as well, but that is for another post).

Anyway, despite my skepticism at the beginning, I gave this workout a shot and to my surprise, I can’t argue with the results.  After 10 minutes of cardio (aim for 150-200 calories burned) I performed a warm-up set of each exercise (12 reps at 60% max), followed by three sets to failure in the six to eight rep range (4 reps is okay for the last set as long as you up the weight and fail out). Beginning with the bench press, I performed each set with roughly two minutes of rest in between, which is one minute longer than I would take during my regular workout, and then progressed through the squat and deadlift. That’s it, the whole workout. I performed this routine for three consecutive days before taking a rest day and then finishing with a final two-day push.

After only five days of this routine, my deadlift, which was my weakest area of the three heading into the week, jumped 20 pounds for roughly three to four more reps. My bench press, which tends to reach a certain point and then plateau, also rose by the same amount (which for anyone struggling with a stubborn bench knows is an amazing move) and my squat, which I considered my strong point, rose another 30 pounds for one to two more reps.

Now please note, the idea of Hell Week is that it is a maximum fatigue routine that should only be performed once a month (I prefer the first week). Performing the same three exercises for consecutive days without giving your muscles time to heal and rest forces you to adjust and shocks your body into dealing with the heavier weights. It may take some getting used to mentally, but I urge those of you looking for a boost of strength to give this workout a shot and like me, you may just be surprised with the results.