Attack my Weaknesses

I just read a reply by Phill in another thread and it opened my eyes. I think I should put together a few tests to see what exactly my weaknesses are. If I analyse my lifts and my numbers, I should be able to target what I need to work on.

The thread was about powerlifting, but it would apply to the athlete the exact same way.

TESTS:

-Squat
-Deadlift
-Bench Press
-Standing Long Jump
-Chinups (max reps)

Would this be a good set of things to test? I may also test my row, I’ve noticed my weak spot is about 1 inch before the bar reaches my chest.

Sorry if this was common knowledge to everyone else, but I just never thought of things this way.

Is there anything I should be looking for when I do the tests (probably in 2 weeks cause thats the testing week of my program)? Where my weak spots are, comparing lifts to each other…

I’ll post them up here once I get them so you guys can analyse the information.

Thanks for the help

Chins will be dependent on bodyweight so if you’re a heavy guy don’t be too bummed if you don’t have great numbers!

I know for myself things work out roughly this way…

Squat and dead… about 20kg in differenve so maybe look for them to be roughly equal.

Bench and row… My row’s like 80ish % of my bench.

Read “The Best Exercises” by Dan John. It is in the most recent article section.

He only uses 3 specific tests:

Deadlift WITHOUT straps
Bench Press
Standing Long Jump

I haven’t done any tests yet, but my guess is this:

BW: 193 lbs

Bench Press: 165 lbs (no weak spots)

Back Squat: 235 lbs (weakest at bottom)

Deadlift: 325 lbs (no straps, double overhand, weakest at bottom)

Chinups: 12 full reps (maybe more, weak spot at top)

I don’t know my SLJ, but I’ll test it soon.

Bench looks very weak for your body weight. If you’re an athlete also test athletic movements, such as:vertical jump, kip and whatever else people suggest.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
I haven’t done any tests yet, but my guess is this:

BW: 193 lbs

Bench Press: 165 lbs (no weak spots)

Back Squat: 235 lbs (weakest at bottom)

Deadlift: 325 lbs (no straps, double overhand, weakest at bottom)

Chinups: 12 full reps (maybe more, weak spot at top)

I don’t know my SLJ, but I’ll test it soon.[/quote]

You need to work on all your main lifts.

You want ATLEAST a 225 (2 plates) bench, a 315 (3 plates) squat, and a 405 (4 plates) deadlift.

Those are good numbers for your milestone days. At this point, you’d benefit from some progressive overload schemes. Keep these waves from 6-8 weeks or they’d lose their efficacy as your CNS would get more drained towards the end of longer waves.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
I haven’t done any tests yet, but my guess is this:

BW: 193 lbs

Bench Press: 165 lbs (no weak spots)[/quote]

Except the whole lift.

You don’t have any weak points. You’re just weak all over. I don’t mean that as an insult, but it is a little ridiculous for you to be so worried about imbalances when you can’t even bench your own bodyweight. You need all-over strength. If your program is balanced (presses AND pulls), you don’t have anything to be worried about right now. Just get those lifts up.

People worry about the small details too much.

Bro I really think that the time you spend correcting or worrying abotu imbalances is better spent pushing heavy weight.

At your strength levels any imbalances that you do manage to create won’t be too severe anyway. Probably not even noticable at all.

I realize the bench press is a bad example since I have no weak spots other than the entire lift. But for example my weak squat, I’m the weakest coming out of the bottom so are there any specific exercises that would help me the most knowing that the bottom position is where I need to most work? At the moment I’m using front squats.

[quote]tigerak02 wrote:
You need to work on all your main lifts.

You want ATLEAST a 225 (2 plates) bench, a 315 (3 plates) squat, and a 405 (4 plates) deadlift.

Those are good numbers for your milestone days. At this point, you’d benefit from some progressive overload schemes. Keep these waves from 6-8 weeks or they’d lose their efficacy as your CNS would get more drained towards the end of longer waves.
[/quote]

Could you give me a link with the basics about progressive overload schemes?

I think the program I’m doing right now is decent, you can see my log in the strength sport section.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
Bench Press: 165 lbs (no weak spots)

OneEye wrote:

Except the whole lift.

[/quote]

That’s still really F#(@'in funny, and I’ve read it about 6 times now.

[quote]Modi wrote:
vision1 wrote:
Bench Press: 165 lbs (no weak spots)

OneEye wrote:

Except the whole lift.

That’s still really F#(@'in funny, and I’ve read it about 6 times now.[/quote]

Laugh it up, but you know what I ment.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
Modi wrote:
vision1 wrote:
Bench Press: 165 lbs (no weak spots)

OneEye wrote:

Except the whole lift.

That’s still really F#(@'in funny, and I’ve read it about 6 times now.

Laugh it up, but you know what I ment.[/quote]

Just trying to keep it light, didn’t mean anything by it.

Use it as motivation. Bring all your lifts up, and you’ll be heading in the right direction.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
I realize the bench press is a bad example since I have no weak spots other than the entire lift. But for example my weak squat, I’m the weakest coming out of the bottom so are there any specific exercises that would help me the most knowing that the bottom position is where I need to most work? At the moment I’m using front squats.[/quote]

Your missing the point… all your lifts are weak so don’t focus on specifics just worry about improving on the basics. I gaurentee you allready have the strength to squat much more you just need more practice to learn to tap into that strength. Like was said you just need a basic balanced program and hit it hard, the improvements will come without having to try and find/target weaknesses.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
I realize the bench press is a bad example since I have no weak spots other than the entire lift. But for example my weak squat, I’m the weakest coming out of the bottom so are there any specific exercises that would help me the most knowing that the bottom position is where I need to most work? At the moment I’m using front squats.[/quote]

Dude believe it or not… Almost everyone is weakest outta the bottom of a squat. It’s normal. Why do you think people can quarter squat like 25% more than below parrallel…?? It’s the most biomechanically disadvantageous position.

If you come out of the hole on a squat then you’ll probably finish it. Look at where most powerlifters miss their squats like.

For pullups do a 3 or 5 RM. As an athlete, focus on SAQ stuff and conditioning is necessary as well as lifting.

[quote]Modi wrote:
Just trying to keep it light, didn’t mean anything by it.

Use it as motivation. Bring all your lifts up, and you’ll be heading in the right direction.
[/quote]

I was just joking, but there weren’t any emoticons to show emotions.

[quote]bruinsdmb wrote:
For pullups do a 3 or 5 RM. As an athlete, focus on SAQ stuff and conditioning is necessary as well as lifting. [/quote]

I got 4 reps with BW + 35 lbs about a month ago.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
For pullups do a 3 or 5 RM. As an athlete, focus on SAQ stuff and conditioning is necessary as well as lifting.

I got 4 reps with BW + 35 lbs about a month ago.[/quote]

THat was all out effort tho right??

The problem that I see with many people doing chins is that they go all out every week on them.

Would you go all out with max poundage on a bench press or squat and then wonder why it isn’t increasing???

[quote]Hanley wrote:
THat was all out effort tho right??

The problem that I see with many people doing chins is that they go all out every week on them.

Would you go all out with max poundage on a bench press or squat and then wonder why it isn’t increasing???[/quote]

Yah that was pretty much all out, but It was my testing week (in my program). I think your right though, I go all out too often. I go to almot failure everytime I do bench press, and that’s the the exercise where I have had the lease progress.

Would it sound about right to go 1 rep short of failure on the last rep of the last set for each exercise?