Very interesting debate/discussion!
I'm not familiar with these guys so take what I have to say with a grain of salt . . . but it felt like at some points in the video they were moving the goalpost a bit. Numerous times they stated that "what people are really asking is if they can design all their training around kettlebells, maces, etc...."
Well....Yes they can. But what's the intended goal being discussed?
Then they seem to try to tear down KB training as dogmatic while espousing the barbell as best, without (please timestamp since I seem to have missed it) ever saying "for elite athletes" or even really specifying what kind of conditioning it is best for. The video seemed kind of vague to me to be honest.
I can't argue with the fact that the barbell can be easily loaded to very high weights. That's why I got a set.
I might be splitting hairs or derailing a bit here but these are some interesting things I saw pop up in this thread:
Loaded pushups are equal or superior to bench - full anterior chain activation with a closed chain movement, bench is open chain movement and pairs lower posterior chain activation with a push, something the body will almost never do in a dynamic setting.
I agree here.
Definitely disagree with this one. In the British military the biggest cause of non deployment status is due to shoulder injuries and that it due to massive volume of push ups.
When the shoulder isn't pinned back it leaves one prone to shoulder and rotator cuff injuries.
When the scapula
hugs the ribcage well, can move freely and coordinates well with the movement of the humerus there is
less chance of rotator cuff injury. Never anywhere outside of bench pressing do you immobilize your scapula when you move your arm. This is all pretty well documented.
In the BP the safest thing to do is immobilize the scaps. Outside of that.... I can't think of another situation where you do. I'm not knocking BP but i think folks who bench need stuff that trains scapular motion in their routine, upward rotation and protraction, specifically. Pushups naturally train that, if properly done, as per:
PU also allows for greater shoulder mobility and greater ROM at lockout because. It also frees the hands to adopt however much rotation is needed to increase room at the shoulder joint.
Push ups being the standard physical punishment for decades. Push ups being used in PT.
It has never made sense to me to punish those you want to become strong by exposing them to overuse injuries.
Since I think it might be fair to say that volume seems to take precedence over technique in the case of the military, I will venture this "guess": the reaching muscles (serratus, lower traps, etc
all the muscles that rotate the scaps) never get properly trained and thus fatigue faster than the big, prime movers such as the delts and pecs. Once the reaching muscles fatigue, scapulohumeral rhythm ceases to function well and
then you end up with joint injuries, especially as the volume increases. If the shoulder moves the way it is structured, and training volume does not exceed recovery, there should (in theory and in my experience) be far less injury.
Side
side note: I will also venture that more crawling and rocking pushups (and variations of the two) may translate better to military conditioning. Linear/standard pushups are better for power but crawling and rocking are far superior for full body (and
shoulder) stability and would likely translate well to maneuvering around, under and through obstacles. They can be loaded very easily, even with a pack.
Barbell for max strength and size, other things for everything else imo.
Ok that's my two cents here