Some of the others bad habits from that article:Found it, it's that Cressey dude.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...the_seven_habits_of_highly_defective_benchers
Habit #1: Always missing lifts
I remember back when we used to lift in high school, and we'd bench 4-5 days a week. At the time, I was about 4'11" with a giant afro (imagine Seth from Superbad) and a whopping 115lb. bench press -- but I (like all the guys around me), knew freakin' everything! Why?
Well, because I could just come in and bench and add five pounds every time I came in. It took me from a 45-pound bench press (yes, just the bar) to a grinder at 135 that made chicks want me and guys want to be me. Riiight.
Unfortunately, the road beyond 135 wasn't that simple. While I started to grasp that I couldn't hit a personal best every day, it took me quite a while to realize that even expecting new personal best each week wasn't reasonable. So, along the way, I missed lifts...a LOT of lifts.
In fact, I probably missed that 230 bench press at least 100 times before I got it. And, even then, I have to wonder if I had misloaded the bar or there had been a momentary lapse in gravity.
It wasn't until I stopped missing lifts that my progress really took off. Instead of getting stapled by 235, I hit multiple clean singles at 220 or got sets of 3-5 in at 85% or so. And, the more I succeeded with this mindset, the more I realized that there were times that I walked into the gym where I didn't even plan to come close to failing on a bench press.
Eventually, all these things "clicked," and I found myself writing for two days. The end result was a compilation of all these thoughts and strategies in an e-book, The Art of the Deload, that discusses planned reductions in training stress.
I don't know what do you guys think?
Habit #2: Not using leg drive
I think I have my legs tucked under like this, not sure if I use the drive though. In general, I haven't thought about bench press technique in a long time. I should.
Habit #3: Not hammering the upper back
Yah, since reading up on possible causes of shoulder pain, I've been giving special emphasis to strengthening my back and getting it as strong as my front. That's why I do rows and pullups/pulldowns twice a week, and the presses only once. I think it's working.
Habit #4: Not pulling the bar down
Interesting concept. Will have to give this a try. But maybe I do it already, in the sense that my lats and shoulder blade muscles are properly tensed? Several people have said this is key, so I'll try to be more conscious of it.
Habit #5: Not rotating main exercises
I dunno, I really don't want to start hassling with a decline/incline bench. But I do dips, and Sid's landmine presses might be a good substitute for the incline press. Also, I intend to do more DB Bench Presses at some point, and cross-over flyes if my shoulder tolerates it OK. So I think I may have enough variety already built in.
Habit #6: Not training bar speed
I get this a bit with different rep ranges. I think if I start doing strikes, kicks, power cleans, box jumps, step-ups, bench hops, medicine ball toss, etc., more regularly, as specified in my 'program', then I'll be training explosiveness quite adequately. I suppose I could do high rep/lo weight squats, deadlifts, bench presses, etc., but it comes down to only having so much time for any of this. These kinds of articles are always telling you that you're not doing enough of something. Makes my head spin.
Habit #7: Not getting handoffs
Not feasible for me at the moment. I like training alone in my garage.