Archive for July, 2010

Finally after many months I am seeing a huge pay off in my Bench Press from grip training. I normally do my Bench work on a machine as I don’t have a training partner.

I like to train alone so thats the way it must be. So the stack on my bench machine has 96 KG max. I stack 20 KG plates onto the machine to add weight.

So several months ago I thought I was doing good benching 300 lbs. Yesterday I did 4 reps with 387 lbs. My goal is 400 lbs by the end of the year which should be easy given its only July. My 387 was after 5 sets ranging up from 300 lbs. The odd thing is I don’t feel any stronger than I did months back and honestly apart from my hands and forearms I don’t think I am.

The other trick I know for bench is to squeeze the traps all through the range of motion both up and down. Also you want to do serious stretching with a stick and with swinging arms between each set.

Many of us western strength athletes are shocked when we discover that most of our precious exercises were in use hundreds of years ago in China.

Weight vests, kettle bells, wrist rollers, progressive resistance, all of these and much more are actually part of Kung Fu conditioning. So Kung Fu is a great adjunct to weight training and bodybuilding as practiced in the west.

In addition to the muscle building we have honed in the west the Chinese developed knowledge of electro physiology in the form of the meridians and points that western science did not discover.

They also developed methods for developing the bones and tendons to withstand the rigors of warfare.

Personally I am now 5 months into a daily Iron Palm regime, training to smash objects with my bare hands. I am being very careful to avoid arthritis and damage. Daily I apply Chinese Dit Da Jow liniment. Soon I will begin internal medicine to aid recovery also. I am adding Iron Arm conditioning for my fore arms and in a month will also begin Iron Shirt Chi Kung to condition my entire body.

On top of this I do my regular weights and jump rope cardio. So it makes for a busy schedule.