Old Forum Weak upperbody

[Rush]

Welcome, I'm new here. Glad that i have an opportunity to join StrongFirtst revolution.

About my problem, I'm 186 cm tall and my weight is about 90 kg. For the couple of months i've worked with kettlebells and barbell. My body is changing and my strength is moving constantly forward. I'm proud of my 180kgx3 deadlift with a good form, i can C&P 24 kg kettlebell with a 1,2,3 ladder, pull up 10 times with thumbless grip. But i feel that my upperbody is not improving as good as my lowerbody. Deadlifs and swings worked very good on m hip strength and right now i'm working on hip mobility to learn proper way to squat (100kgx3 with bad form). Every upperbody exercise is very hard for me to improve. To obtaint 24 kg C&P i had to duck tape 1/2 kg weigth to my 17,5 kg kettlebells and work slowly to 24 kg, it took me about one year. Right now i'm focused on PTTP, and my Bench Press is still at 75x5 and not improved at all during last 3 months. same thing happened to me half year ago with Military Press, my MP even weakend.  To obtain my 10 pulls i had to work hard with ladders, but my friends who worked with me right now can do about 20. Last time i had a little talk with trainer in the gym and he told me that I'm tall, my arms are long, and i have a heavier leaver to fight with my muscles and my progress is harder. Why my progress is so minimal?

Right now i'm trying to improve my power breathing and searching for the leak in my upperbody strength. I'm on a block training, 2 weeks on pttp and 2 weeks on Program Minimum (swings+TGU) and gymnastics.

 

[Steve Freides]

Jaroslaw, find yourself a local SFG-certified instructor and get some in-person coaching on your press technique.   Also get Pavel's "Enter The Kettlebell" and use it as your reference.

10 pullups  is not weak at any size - be proud of what you've accomplished!

If your barbell squat form is not good, do not practice it!  Find a suitable way to squat and practice that instead.  Start with the wall squat (shown in Enter The Kettlebel and elsewhere), progress to a kettlebell Goblet Squat and from there to one- and two-kettlebell Front Squats.

After you feel your press technique is solid, consider following the Rite of Passage from Enter The Kettlebell, without any 2-week cycles, just follow the schedule "by the book" and you are almost guaranteed to make pressing progress.  Use the option to superset pullups with your presses if you want to improve those as well.

-S-

 

[Rush]

Steve, thank you for the response!

The problem is that in Poland there aren't any SFG-certified instructors at this moment. Information about training i'm gaining from books, DVDs and forums.

Right now i'm working with the modified wall squat shown from Deadlift Dynamite, to improve mobility of the hips and also do 24kg kettlebell goblet squats and 2x17,5kg kettlebell front squats. Not for reps, just for the technique of the movement. After two weeks of those squats i'm feeling a lot better with squatting movement.

Is it a good idea to do mix RoP with PTTP in block training? After two months of Program Minimum/Gymnastics mixed with Deadlifts (PTTP) i feel much stronger and tighter. Only Bench Press is a problem right now.

 

[Steve Freides]

I would not mix the ROP with anything else - it is designed to be done by itself through 5 x (1-2-3-4-5) with a given weight and then a short rest and a test.

I know we have excellent instructors in Hungary - perhaps a vacation there is in your future?

You can post a link to a video of yourself lifting and people here can comment - that can sometimes be helpful.

Good luck to you.

-S-

 

 

[Pavel]

Jaroslaw, for now I would limit your training to the three powerlifts plus a few swings (see my last blog) and get-ups.  And a lot of food.

 

[Rif]

yes, a LOT of food.

is Dariusz nearby?
https://www.facebook.com/dariusz.walus?ref=ts&fref=ts