The bench press is a great exercise to build upper body strength, and for many people it’s their favorite lift. However, an extra degree of safety and attention is required of the bench press. The bench press is the only lift that can actually kill you. One of the most vulnerable parts of the deadlift is during the unracking and racking process. This video details the proper steps to safely and efficiently unrack and rock the barbell during the bench press.
The importance of properly unracking and racking the barbell during the squat is frequently overlooked. This is because lifters often do not feel the need to take it seriously when they are just beginning a linear progression and the weights are still light.
However, poorly unracking the barbell will at best rob you of the energy and strength you need to complete your working weight and at worst lead to a serious injury. Setting up good habits about racking and unracking the barbell will set you up to be successful and safe.
In this video, we will cover how to properly unrack and rack the barbell and show some common mistakes.
A weightlifting belt is an essential piece of equipment!
A belt used properly will add stability and safety to the spine and torso of the lifter. It is common gym mythology that a lifting belt allows the lifters core to disengage but this could not be further from the truth. The belt actually increases the lifters ability to contract the musculature of the core by providing tactile feedback around the waist.
When it comes to getting stronger your training log is an essential piece of equipment.
Keeping a complete and thorough training log means you will progress faster, have more fun and be more aware of how your body adapts and responds. Your training log provides important data that allows you or your coach to make smart and effective programming choices. Seeing your progress on paper is very rewarding and motivating.
In this video, I discuss how to make the most of your training log and show an example log book.
We are thrilled that you have chosen to make getting stronger a priority in your life and so happy you choose Bay Strength to help get you there. Now we want to challenge you to take it to the next level! Everyone knows what you eat plays a huge role in strength training and overall health, but not many people actually keep track of what they are eating and how it is affecting them. This brings us to our challenge: A Month of Macros! Your Bay Strength coaches are challenging you to track your Macros (protein, carbs & fats) every day for the entire month of February. This is not a diet or weight loss challenge, but rather an opportunity to get the most out of your training, learn about proper nutrition, and improve your health, all while getting support from your coaches and teammates.