Barbell Incline bench made my squat go up

[watchnerd]

I've been working in incline bench a modest once a week.

For about 3 months.

And now my squats (front, high bar back) have gone up.

Pretty simple explanation:

Energy leaks in my upper body, diminishing force transfer in the kinetic chain from the legs to the bar, have been reduced.

Observation:

If you want your squat to go up, don't sleep on upper body work.

 

[WxHerk]

Excellent observation. It’s something easily overlooked that makes a ton of sense. The more tension one can generate locally, the more tension one can generate throughout the entire body.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

FWIW master instructor Shaun Cairns always explains the bench press to be a "horizontal squat"

 

[John K]

I've been working in incline bench a modest once a week.

For about 3 months.

And now my squats (front, high bar back) have gone up.

Pretty simple explanation:

Energy leaks in my upper body, diminishing force transfer in the kinetic chain from the legs to the bar, have been reduced.

Observation:

If you want your squat to go up, don't sleep on upper body work.

Have you also been squatting?

 

[watchnerd]

FWIW master instructor Shaun Cairns always explains the bench press to be a "horizontal squat"

I thought the pullover was the "squat of the upper body"

 

[watchnerd]

Have you also been squatting?

Not for the 3 months I was incline benching.

Only been barbell squatting again for about 3 weeks.

 

[John K]

Not for the 3 months I was incline benching.

Only been barbell squatting again for about 3 weeks.

Interesting. What do you mean by "gone up" ?

 

[watchnerd]

Interesting. What do you mean by "gone up" ?

Able to re-attain previous PR levels in less training time (i.e. in 3 weeks instead of 6-8).

Improved bar velocity.

Subjectively, feeling tighter contact with the bar.

 

[John K]

Able to re-attain previous PR levels in less training time (i.e. in 3 weeks instead of 6-8).

Improved bar velocity.

Subjectively, feeling tighter contact with the bar.

Interesting. What did you 3 months prior to your 3 months no-squats look like? Did you do anything other than incline bench during your 3 month bench block?

 

[watchnerd]

Interesting. What did you 3 months prior to your 3 months no-squats look like? Did you do anything other than incline bench during your 3 month bench block?

Almost entirely dumbbell work for (mostly) upper and (barely) lower body.

DB incline bench, DB OHP, DB rows, DB pullovers, bis, tris.

I'd do some maintenance mode DB split squats once a week just to make sure I didn't regress entirely.

 

[John K]

Almost entirely dumbbell work for (mostly) upper and (barely) lower body.

DB incline bench, DB OHP, DB rows, DB pullovers, bis, tris.

I'd do some maintenance mode DB split squats once a week just to make sure I didn't regress entirely.

All I can say is interesting. I've never seen someone bench their way to a bigger squat.

 

[Steve Freides]

Along these same lines, I am pretty convinced that the three powerlifts help each other. As a DL specialist, squats help my DL start, and I will find my glutes cramping due to leg drive in my bench press. I also find I get additional upper back strength from both the SQ and the BP.

-S-

 

[watchnerd]

All I can say is interesting. I've never seen someone bench their way to a bigger squat.

You probably haven't worked with many with as bad a poverty bench as mine was compared to my squat

 

[Steve Freides]

All I can say is interesting. I've never seen someone bench their way to a bigger squat.

As with most things, I think the right answer is, "It depends ..." If another lift address your particular weakness, however it accomplishes that, it's a good thing.

-S-

 

[watchnerd]

As with most things, I think the right answer is, "It depends ..." If another lift address your particular weakness, however it accomplishes that, it's a good thing.

-S-

My bench was pathetic as I basically never trained it seriously.

So weakness + novel stimulus.

 

[Steve Freides]

My bench was pathetic as I basically never trained it seriously.

So weakness + novel stimulus.

There you go, a good explanation.

NB: Your pathetic bench is probably better than my competition best bench, which currently stands at 87.5 kg.

-S-

 

[watchnerd]

There you go, a good explanation.

NB: Your pathetic bench is probably better than my competition best bench, which currently stands at 87.5 kg.

-S-

Not by much.

Regular flat bench (no crazy PL set up) is a pretty lame 5 reps@105 kg.

That's at a bodyweight of ~105 kg.

 

[John K]

Not by much.

Regular flat bench (no crazy PL set up) is a pretty lame 5 reps@105 kg.

That's at a bodyweight of ~105 kg.

Daggum you are weak.



I'm sure you're cleaning 150kg which makes me feel weak... so...

 

[watchnerd]

Daggum you are weak.



I'm sure you're cleaning 150kg which makes me feel weak... so...

Told you my bench sucks!

Pretty close on the clean -- it's 148 kg.

 

[John K]

Pretty close on the clean -- it's 148 kg.

I have aspirations … the most I ever cleaned was 125kg but that was a decade ago.