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I push flat footed Kenny. The key to getting leg drive is that you basically try to drive your body forward. The movement is similiar to moving a chair backwards that you are sitting in.

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Thanks TimD.

Yeah. I don't see how you can get much leg drive on your toes. I've tried it a little and it felt weird.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

I don't think it's being on your toes per se; but when you arch and pull your feet back, the heels come up. Then you're spring loaded for the drive.
I sorta stink at explaining things. Limited vocab in English


* by "explain" I mean state something out of my butt that may be total malarky; however, it seems right at this hour. I'm pretty sure you've read why some prefer to be on toes

fwiw, I like flat footed because the legs are cramp prone

Thanks! I like the chair analogy, makes perfect sense. I was also having a real issue with my a$$ coming off the bench but I brought my feet further forward and it helps, also seems to help if i push my knees out like a squat.

Oscar, you explained it well - "spring loaded". Also, when I go up on my toes I can get a much bigger arch, to such an extent that when the bar hits my chest, it's as if it's desperate to spring back up.

On the other hand, extreme arched back benching really took it out of me. I think I enjoy the flat footed style more - it's definitely more comfortable and feels more like an actual press than my previous circus-act style. The only thing I don't enjoy is pressing less weight but, I can live with that. I think i'll be stronger in the long run.

I've also noticed that the majority of great raw bench pressers are flat footed...

There's other things i've discovered about my technique. I think I tuck my arms "too" much and I think i need to purposely flare my elbows as I reach mid point. Right now I'm programmed to fight the flare but, it's natural if you think about the bar path.

I'm not changing anything major for sunday as it's too close but i'm really excited about training going forward.

KPj

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Thanks TimD

To add some randomness, now that i've got my head around it....

I knocked down an 11 year boy with my car a few weeks ago. That was screwed up. It was dark, lots of rain, although I wasn't speeding (was actually below the speed limit).

He jumped out from behind a parked car and I never spotted him until he was right in front of me. I slammed the breaks on and skidded to the side, landing on the central reservation. This meant my car, as well as hitting the boy, bumped up on the kirb. It sounded like I ploughed straight over the top of him.

I've never had a strong desire to die but, when my car finally stopped, I just wanted to die. I did not not want to get out. Of course, I did, and the boy was on his feet limping around looking for his phone and kept saying "sorry mate, sorry".

I clipped his hip and burst my head light, got a slight dent in my bonnet. I flagged down a passing police car.

Everything turned out ok. He was taken to hospital as a precaution. Luckily all he had was a very sore a$$. My head light and bonnet, whilst expensive, seems like a bargain. The police were great.

What a messed up night.

When my dad taught us all to drive, he used to say, "you could kill someones baby", and we've mocked him ever since for being so extreme. Well...... You really could kill someones baby, even if you're not doing anything wrong or wreckless.

Life seems to enjoy hitting you with a sucker punch.

I'm also moving house fri/sat - good timing!

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Thanks TimD

When I finally made 225 after 15 months of effort, it was because of an adjustment that day to tuck, I was tucking too much. I could very clearly feel my strength, leverage and advantage collapse as I lowered past the sticking point.

At 215 that day it was so ugly at the sticking point I knew everybody in the gym was thinking I was done.

But 220 flew right up because I flared a bit more, just past 45 degrees.

Then it was 225, ah sweet satisfaction.

I'm just glad I still have something to offer... Oh, and I was going to add pushing your knees out like a squat, but it seem you naturally picked up on it.

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Thanks TimD.

funny video

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Yeah. Why don't people talk about the pushing your knees out thing. I thought it just felt right to me.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

I would really like to make some of those Coaches Eye videos that Mark Bell at supertraining does, so I can slow things down and talk over what is happening, and draw some lines pointing at things as I say it. I've got the app but I can't take myself seriously. And I think a Scottish accent always sounds wrong on a video.

I have some real good comparisons to make already, from some older videos to newer videos, in terms of form and what i've been working on (and my training partners), how we addressed it and how it progresses.

An example would be, "adam starts with his hips too high and shoulder too far infront of the bar, when the rep starts he's pulled even further forward. So we cue him to get closer the bar, fall back on it, and push the floor away with his feet, and this is what's happened over the couple of months" then you have a before and after of the same weight being lifted, or more weight being lifted with better technique.

I've used the app with clients, though, and it's worked really well for the visual learners.

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Thanks TimD

I was working at the opening of a new gym tonight. First time I've ever been paid to train and drink beer. At the same time no less!

For all of the old geezers like me out there, you might appreciate that this was the last song being played on the piped in music as I ended my last Dutch coffee shop visit for my return to the us.

My Dan John book arrived in a plain brown wrapper, you think he slipped in some girlie pictures?

maybe there's some liquor in it

You're going to really enjoy competing if its anything like competing on my side of the pond. It was an awesome, uplifting experience, and I was really impressed with how supportive the crowd and judges were when I benched just the bar and skipped my other two attempts (having similarly blown my shoulder for a second time boxing edit: maybe that was the parkour time? It was awhile ago). I had the same goal as you going in in that I just wanted to perform my personal bests on the platform, although to be fair (and honest) I did dehydrate down a weight class to compete against a smaller number of guys and have the opportunity to set a record, however briefly it stood.

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don't you know there ain't no devil
that's just god when he's drunk