Doesn't the use of legs vary depending on how you want to train? Ie. Bodybuilder is different to strength?
Bodybuilding is all about size with strength being a side effect, Powerlifting is all about strength and size is kept to a bare minimum. When bodybuilders lift there focusing on isolating and stressing a perticlar muscle. When powerlifters lift, there trying to use as many muscles as possible to lift as much as possible. That's all pretty basic but when you bench (or squat/deadlift) you really want to lift as much weight as possible. The reps will vary depending on your goals but IMO the form should be the same for all these big lifts.
Keen to read this.
Also, are you going to share with us your hints for benching? I remember you saying the guys at PTC helped you get it right, including how to use your legs properly?
I must throw in a disclaimer that what I'm going to describe is second hand info from PTC and that if anyone here wants to really learn how to lift they need to visit them in person! Or a gym that's just as good but for PL'ing PTC is very much in the top league of Australia.
Deadlift:
Deadlifts are pretty simple once learnt. You walk up to bar and pick it up making sure you keep a straight back.
-You should place your hands as narrow as possible without going closer then shoulder width. It needs to be comfortable but the wider your hands, the higher you have to lift the bar and the harder it will be. Shoulder width or just wider is good.
-Feet should be placed anywhere where they don't push out on your arms and your shins need to be roughly 5" back from the bar. Your knees must be inline with your toes! My stance is pretty narrow and my feet angle out abit. As long as your knees don't push your arms out and your knees are inline with your toes then you're good to go.
-With your feet in place and your hands on the bar you need to squat down enough so that your scapular are directly over the bar. Your knees should go forward so that the bar touches your shins. Your ass might be way in the air or down low, it doesn't matter. Grab the bar, and squat down only as much as you need to so that your scapular are straight up from the bar. Adjust you feet distance from the bar as you go so that the bar is close to your shins.
-You must keep a straight back, Look forward, chest up and tailbone flat.
-Take up the slack so you're under tension and then push the floor away from you like a leg press. The second that bar gets to your knees you need squeeze those glutes and thrust your hips forward to complete the lift.
-You should always finish the lift with shoulders back, you can do this during the lift or sort of shrug it at the end, it needs to be down in competition for it to be "locked out"
-Thats it!
-Before you bend down to grab the bar, take in a deep breath and push you stomach out. Sort of take the air into your belly and not your chest. This helps keep yoru core tight. It also applies to every other lfit.
-Do not breathe during your lift. If you're repping, do as many reps as possible before breathing. Stop, take a breath and keep going, don't "breath in on negative, breath out on positive" or whatever, it's pointless.
-Walk up the to bar and lift it ASAP! This should take 1.5s or less. Focus on what you need to do before you walk up to the bar. Then walk upto the bar and lift some goddamn heavy weight!
-Arms must be straight the entire time, imagine they are ropes and your hands are hooks.
Bench:
The goal of the bench is to get as tight as possible (uncomfortable tight) and press the bar off yoru chest.
-Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back as much as possible. Get someone to touch you right in the middle there and then focus on that point and squeeze as much as possible. They need to be down and in, not "shrugged" and in. I push my shoulders down and then squeeze back really tight with my arms out to my sides.
-When you've done that and you're on the bench, bring your ass towards your head (along the bench) so that there's an arch in your back. This just tightens everything up even more and focuses the pressure onto the top of your back inbetween your shoulder blades.
-Place your feet on the ground with solid force. If someone bumps your leg, it shouldn't move at all. At this stage your back is really tight and your as stable as possible.
-Grab the bar and set your hand to the right width for you. Use the outside ring markings on the bar to set grip width. This is always 83cm. Knurlng in the middle can change, the rings don't/shouldn't.
-Get the bar into position without moving your shoulder blades. You need to remain tight! You will probably need a spotter to help lift the bar out on big weights. If your shoulders slide out doing this and you're not tight anymore, then you need to start again.
-Once the bar is in position over your lower chest you need to lower it whilst keeping your elbows in as much as possible, Mine are at a 45 degree angle. If your elbows flare out so that your upper arms are in line with each other then you could do some serious damage to your shoulders! It's also neglecting your lats.
-Bring the bar down to the point just below your pecs.
-you MUST touch your chest. Bounce it off your chest, don't just tap it lightly. Obviously don't drop it on your chest or your going to hurt yourself. Just enough so it touches your chest and not just your shirt or whatever.
-PUSH that bar straight up! Make sure it goes directly up and not towards your shoudlers. Straight = shorter distance and it's safer.
-Push the bar back into the rack hard and fast, make some noise, and then drop it into the pins/hooks/rack.
-done.
-Before you lift the bar off the rack (for a 1RM) or before you start repping, take a deep breath and perform the WHOLE reppetition before breathing out.
-The tighter you are, the better base you have to push off. Tightness is everything.
-Big bench comes from epic batman lats. Use them when you bench.
-You must keep forearms directly under the bar so the full force is transferred through the base of your palm and not your wrist.
I'll probably edit this later to include squats too, or to fix anything. Also I left out the leg drive thing for now as I know how to do it but I can't physically do it lol. It's tricky as but it helps.
Edit: iridedh, That's a solid way to lose weight. Low carbs zero sugars will help you shred kilos fast! However if you stay on low carbs constantly then you'll never grow any muscle and you still need plenty of fats so you don't go insane. Keto is probably the most successful diet around and it cycles carbs. I'm not sure excactly how it works but you basically have very little/no carbs for 4-5days and then you eat heaps of carbs for 2 days and then repeat. This cycling provides the benefit of low carb fat loss and high carb days for msucle building.
I think that's how it works... haven't really looked into it.