Russel VS Gibbs (IPF Worlds 2018)

Geez guys disagree, sure, but make it less personal. It doesn’t help either side of the argument whatsoever

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First of all, I was trying to help the kid with his back rounding issue. Rather than trying to understand the advice that I was presenting, he got all rude and argumentative. I will call out anybody who acts like that, regardless of age. If my kids try that kind of shit it will be the same thing, fortunately they aren’t idiots. This was an example of biting the hand that feeds you, I was trying to feed him information and he behaved like an asshole.

I don’t know what you find feminine about me, the only time you would have seen me is in the videos I posted in my log or in the picture at Josh Bryant’s seminar this past weekend. But the fact that you have an eye for male femininity, work in prisons, and are into MMA says a lot about you - you sound like one of those chicken hawk sexual predators that work in the prison system in order to get easy access to fresh meat. That’s why you’re into MMA, you like the feeling of another man’s skin against yours, and not only that but you get to make him submit to you. After that, you get to have your way with him. I see what you’re all about.

Related to the issue of bench ROM is grip width. In particular, it’s interesting that some of the smallest lifters use the maximum legal grip width. Proportionally, this would suggest that some of the larger lifters would benefit from an even larger grip width were it legal. On the other hand, some of the largest lifters aren’t even using the maximum grip width. Thoughts? Should grip width requirements change or be weight class dependent?

That is pretty interesting

On topic but not the original topic or the flame feat but would judging bench depth really be that hard like compared to judging squat depth. From the side you can see the point of people’s elbows and the bench pretty clearly

If you look at the history of powerlifting this was actually an issue a long time ago, some guys were gripping out at the collars. Combine that with a huge arch and there will literally be no pressing - just an unrack followed by “start, press, rack” and the bar stays on the chest with elbows locked the whole time. You can say what you want about the guys with big arches but the bar actually moved, here in many cases it wouldn’t.

If you were to increase the max legal width significantly then the hooks on the rack would get in the way, only a matter or time before someone loses a hand. Changing max width for different weight classes doesn’t really make sense either because there isn’t a huge correlation between bodyweight, arm length, and distance from shoulder to shoulder. Too many variables. This is probably the most arbitrary rule of all in the sport but it has been there since the beginning and there isn’t another logical option that I’m aware of. If you can think of something then let me know, but right now things seem to be fine as they are as long as judging is consistent.

That is true but there are some people who would be incapable of breaking parallel. For example, there are some guys who have short arms and are so thick that they can’t do floor press because the bar will touch their chest before their arms touch the floor. If I gained 50lbs or so that could happen to me, the bar already grazes my chest.

Basically don’t look at actual ROM and look at it as touching the bar to your chest is the equivalent of squatting below parallel. To make it equal you would have some guys doing board presses and others using a cambered bar, for squat some guys would have to squat deeper than others, for deadlift some would pull off blocks and others from a deficit. Check this post from Kabuki Strength coach Brady Cable:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhM7SuuFWVH/?taken-by=brady_cable

I see if the requirements are just being SHW with a power belly and having short arms then there’ll be quite a few guys around like that.

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It’s not really that simple, you still need to be strong. Look at Jeremy Hoornstra, not only is his bench way ahead of everyone else in the 242s and 275s but he would be competitive against SHWs. And while he isn’t slim he doesn’t have a massive gut or stubby arms and he doesn’t arch. Plus he uses a pretty close grip too. You can use leverages to your advantage but you can’t fake strength, there are plenty of guys in the 242 class who can set up with a big arch but none of them can touch Hoornstra.

Take a look at this video of Erik Willis, 120kg champ at IPF worlds this year. He didn’t break any world records but he has the Canadian records for bench and deadlift (maybe squat too, I would have to check) and again he benches with little or no arch and he has long arms too. I have met this guy at several meets and discussed training and lifting, never did he complain about big arches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wh9-x7FYrM