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Seanzilla: All right, so the reader has faithfully followed
this program for almost two years and they’ve finally become one
of the best benchers in their gym; hitting 405. Not many powerlifting
pioneers trek out of the 400’s without their bench shirt on. What
alterations to training need to be made after the four wheels have been
successfully pressed?
Kennelly: Beyond the 405, you should be switching up your program
every time you plateau. Start increasing the intensity and/or volume of
your lockout/triceps work. With your speed training, fluctuate between
40-60% of your 1RM, changing every few weeks. You can train the triceps
harder than you train your chest and shoulders, so focus more on increasing
the weight of your lockout work. Keep the same basic program structure.
Advanced methods would be shirt work, chains and bands, alternating grips
on the board presses, different board heights (depending on where the
bar is stalling), incline rack work and decline board work (not too steep
of a decline bench). Also, you can increase your caloric intake, get more
sleep, drink more water, take a week off at least once every three months
(maybe even two weeks off), train your legs harder, work heavy barbell
rows, moderate heavy deadlifts for reps and hammer curls for the bicep
brachialis (important bench stabilizers.) Start putting in time building
core strength at the end of your workout (medicine ball work and weighted
crunches) and complete your training day with a high rep explosive movement
to stimulate the body! Also, start to work heavy negatives (lowering phase
only), static holds in the power rack at lockout and mega heavy, five
and six board presses to get used to the heavier weights that you’ll
be attempting to bench in later cycles.
Seanzilla: Let’s say that there’s this lifter who’s
been putting in regular training sessions at the gym for a couple of years
and that they’re really starting to put up some good numbers. This
person wants to enter a benchpress contest, but they’ve never been
to one and they don’t even know where to go to find out the what,
when and where. How does someone go from being a strong pusher at the
gym to being a benchpress competitor?
Kennelly: The internet is a great source of information
for powerlifting. Many of the federations have their own websites now.
You can log on to the following organization home pages; www.WorldPowerlifting.org,
www.WABDL.org, www.USPF.com, www.USAPowerlifting.com, www.WorldPowerliftingCongress.com,
and www.APA-WPA.com. Another valuable information source is the powerlifting
magazines. You should also pick up a copy of Monster Muscle Magazine (1-800-268-2248)
and Powerlifting USA (1-800-448-7693) and check out their upcoming events
calendars. When you track down a show in your area, call up the local
promoter and find out what you need to do to sign up. Get a copy of the
contest rules and familiarize yourself with them. For weigh-ins, show
up, weigh in and get out without getting caught up in the pre-contest
drama. Attend the rules meeting and ask as many questions as you need
to ask. Bring a friend along to assist you with your gear, your hand offs
and for making sure that you are ready when it’s your turn in the
flight. Some contests feature a RAW (no bench shirt) division and you
can start out benching there if you’re not prepared to purchase
any powerlifting gear. When you’re ready to get geared up and bench
big, go with Inzer Advance Designs. Inzer is the industry leader and you’ve
got to be wearing the best to keep up with the top competitors. When you’re
at the contest, watch some of the flights before yours to get a good idea
of what the competition process looks like.
If possible, attend a couple of powerlifting competitions before you compete
in one and talk to the lifters and promoters. You can also contact a promoter
and volunteer to be a spotter/loader at their next contest. Setting up
and taking down a powerlifting platform, working in the warm-up room and
spotting/loading on the platform will put you right in the middle of the
action and your immersion into the competition process will be invaluable!
As a spotter/loader, you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to
talk with the winners and you’ll go home a wiser, and soon to be
stronger, lifter.
Seanzilla: When at national and world competitions, I’ve
seen heavyweights who can bench well over six hundred pounds without their
bench shirts on and some who, without their gear, would get crushed with
that kind of weight. But, when the shirts go on and the lifters take the
platform, they’re all in the running for first? Are you comfortable
with the strongest lifter not always winning a strength sport competition?
I’ve seen awesome lifters bomb out at major contests because they
got wrapped up in the shirt game and couldn’t get the bar down to
their chest. I’ve watched lifters add over two hundred pounds to
their bench thru the skilled use of heavy duty powerlifting gear and shirt
benching techniques. I’ve also seen top lifters lose by a wide margin
because they didn’t max out the technology that’s now available
to them. What are your thoughts?
Kennelly: The keys to benchpress success are getting
the most out of your training, building up your muscular strength and
learning how to lift with your bench shirt. Just like in other sports,
technique plays just a big a role as brute strength. In modern powerlifting,
it doesn’t matter how much you can bench without a bench shirt,
what matters is what you put up on the platform in your battle armor.
If some beats me thru technique and science, then I return to the training
hall and reemerge a few months later, stronger than my foes!
Seanzilla: When lowering the bar on the bench, the back is playing
a major role in the stabilization process. How would you describe the
technique for using your back when benchpressing? What should the lifter
be focusing on?
Kennelly: When you’re setting up on the bench,
pinch your shoulder blades together and roll your shoulders back/down
into your lats – pinch and roll. Lie on the bench, grab the bar,
pinch your shoulder blades tightly together, roll your shoulders down
towards your lats and then hold that position thru the bench. If you use
this technique, you’ll find that you’ll automatically be using
your lats to stabilize the weight because your back will be tight and
solid. As the bar is lowering, you should be flaring your lats and the
upper/inside of your arms should be pressing into them. So, because your
upper back is so important in the stabilization of heavy weight, you should
be putting in a lot of work in the gym building up your upper back and
widening your lats for a stronger squeeze! Also, as the bar is lowering,
push your head back into the bench pad rather than following the path
of the bar with your head/eyes and you’ll better maintain your arch
and you won’t lose your tight base. If you let your head come up
off the bench, your back will flatten out and you’ll lose your leverage.
Seanzilla: You came in 3rd place this year at the Arnold
Classic with an 821 benchpress! (Until this year, no one had ever benched
800+ pounds at the Arnold Classic.) Your 821 was a world record for the
308 pound class though (the 1st and 2nd place finishers were superheavyweights.)
You’ve placed in the top three for the past three years, with 2003
being the year that you took home the gold. No one has ever won the WPO
Worlds twice, but you’ve got another shot to repeat in 2005! What’s
your game plan?
Kennelly: This year I was over trained at the Arnold. I took
a week off, after the finals and hit an 850 at the APA NW Championships
– that’s 29 pounds more! I attribute my overtraining to using
too heavy a weight for too many pre-contest weeks. There’s a saying
in powerlifting that “you don’t want to leave your best lift
in the gym” and that’s precisely what I did this time around.
This fall and winter, I’m going to be spending a lot more time training
in my bench shirt so that my technique is maximized and so I’m totally
used to hitting max attempts in one particular style of gear. I’m
also going to sit down with my journal and spend more time mapping out
my training cycle, so that I’m hitting my heaviest weights at the
contest and not a month before. You can only run in the red for a couple
weeks at a time and I forgot that reality.
Seanzilla: I know that you’re a big proponent of
full barbell squats. What’s your training schedule for these? I
know that heavy leg training increases a lifter’s benchpress, but
why is that?
Kennelly: When you train your legs heavy, you stimulate
your body’s production of hormones because you’re using the
largest muscles in the body and your system is going into overdrive to
repair and recover from the stresses you’re putting on it. I’ve
heard of university studies that have shown that intense full range squatting
increases your output of growth hormone! My bench was stuck at 380 for
months until some gym veterans convinced me to start squatting on a regular
basis (not 1/4 squatting, full squatting.) At that time, my max squat
was only 315, but I built it up to 500x10 within a year and my bench jumped
from 380 to 460! Strong legs also add stability to your body when you’re
pressing so, the stronger your legs, the more stable you are when lifting
heavy. If you don’t believe me, trying hitting a max bench with
your feet off of the ground!
Seanzilla: It seems that, the higher up the competition
ladder you go, the more the lifters are modifying their powerlifting gear.
What kinds of custom work have you seen and what are your thoughts on
the different levels of gear, the increasing role that the gear is playing
in how much is being lifted and whether or not the gear should be more
regulated and limited?
Kennelly: The most lucrative powerlifting related industry is
the gear manufacturing business. This opportunity to make a substantial
profit keeps the companies, and sponsored lifters, diligently working
on new designs and modifications (the gear companies want the winners
to be wearing their brand) The shirts are now being sewn out of really
impressive material; from powerfully rebounding polyesters (like the Inzer
Rage and the Inzer Annihilator) to super stiff denims (like the Inzer
blue and black double denims.) The shirt patterns are also improving and
their offering better shoulder and chest support and these new generation
shirts are much more resistance to blow outs than the previous models
were. More lifters are using shirts with multiple layers, they’re
getting the shirt’s stress points reinforced with thicker seems.
Benchers are using shirts with open backs which allow them to pull the
collar down and make the shirt fit tighter. You can get a scoop collar,
which keeps it from choking you during the lowering phase of the lift.
I’ve seen shirt collars that run across the shoulders, which act
like a bungee cord between the arms (pulling your arms back together when
you come off the chest.) One time, I saw a shirt with wrist straps sewn
across the inside of the chest! Some of the denims have poly coated canvas
inserts in the chest panel to protect them from blowouts (this lets you
use a tighter fitting shirt.) Quite a few of the national competitors
are going to the tailor and getting their gear custom altered to fit as
tight as possible (the tighter the fit, the more the gear will assist
with the lift.) Since almost all of the federations only allow single
and double ply shirts, layers of fabric are being melded together with
hot glue to form double thick layers. I choose not to fight the technological
advances. The training philosophy that a pro athlete takes is that it’s
best to simultaneously strengthen and condition the body while mastering
the techniques and sport specific products; improving on all three fronts.
If a lifter shows up the strongest, with flawless technique and with the
most scientific gear made, then they will be virtually unbeatable! Don’t
cloud your brain over what the other guy’s doing to try and get
ahead, just go forth and conquer!
Seanzilla: That was killer when you came out to Six Feet
Under’s rendition of Judas Priest’s song “Grinder”
at this year’s Arnold Classic! A lot of the nationwide club chains
are now playing music that’s so watered down; it feels like you’re
training in a grocery store or elevator! Should independent gyms be playing
rippin’ loud rock as a guerilla marketing tactic to lure in hardcore
lifters? Should the franchise gyms be setting up powerlifting/bodybuilding
rooms so the freaks can train under more motivating conditions? What do
you think about the pacification of today’s gyms (now, mostly fitness
clubs.)
Kennelly: In each city, there should be a designated hardcore
gym(s). I understand that, in order for a large scale facility to turn
a profit, they need to appeal to the masses and the billboard charts are
where to go for what they should be playing. But, loud music is a necessity
for me when I’m training heavy and I hate wearing headphones when
I’m in the gym. It makes it too difficult to communicate with your
training partners and you feel like you’re in a bubble when you’re
hearing what others are not. If you’re lifting to your favorite
music, you’ll push harder and make that much better the training
process. When I went to Hawaii to do some guest lifting, I trained at
one of the 24 Hour Fitness and they had a designated powerlifting room!
The counter guy said that it was a place for their members to get crazy
and I thought that was a great idea! To keep the gyms from turning their
backs on the obsessed, hardcore lifters should support their local independent
gym and independent gym owners should make their gym freak show friendly
and leave the franchise gyms to the yuppies if they ignore the needs of
the strong.
Seanzilla: You’ve released an absolutely awesome
competition benchpress training book, called The Kennelly Method - Building
A Monster Benchpress.
Kennelly: Thank you. I put a lot of time and thought into the
writing of this book and I spent many weeks going back and forth over
the copy with the editors and graphic designers. The Kennelly Method opens
up with my complete lifting history, in detail, up thru my hitting the
world record 800.5 pound benchpress. The bulk of the book covers my nutritional
plan for strength building, powerlifting equipment, benchpress boards,
bands, and chains and how to train with them, pages of primary pressing
lifts and assistance exercises, setting up a training cycle, and advice
for the day of competition. If someone picks up a copy of my book and
consistently follows the program that I’ve laid out within, then
they will soon be benchpressing poundage that were previously way out
of their reach. The Kennelly Method is 63 pages, full color, paperback
book and it’s loaded with instructional photos and detailed training
advice. It retails for only $15 (plus $5.50 for priority mail shipping)
and you can get a copy by mailing in a check or money order to Ryan Kennelly,
PO Box 5847, Kennewick, WA, 99336. If you’d like to have the book
autographed, just let me know who’d you’d like me to make
the autograph out to and I’ll be happy to sign it for you. Also,
please make sure and include your complete mailing address and your phone
number and/or email address, thanks.
Seanzilla: In the gym, I’ve seen lifters bench with/without
their thumbs wrapped around bar, with a medium width grip, with a wide
grip width, with/without wrist straps. What’s the best technique
for gripping the bar when benching heavy?
Kennelly: Always use wrist wraps and, when you’re
wrapping them, make a very tight fist to get the most out of the potential
ligament support they offer. The weight of the bar will try and force
your hands open, so you want to be trying to squeeze the bar to dust and
the wrist wraps will aid you with your crushing grip. When benching, keep
your forearms directly underneath the bar for maximum leverage and to
protect your bones. Your wrists should be totally straight the whole time
you’re benching and the wrist wraps help with this by casting the
joint. As you’re lowering the bar, tuck your elbows, squeeze the
bar as hard as you can and try to break it (like uncooked spaghetti) and
that will keep your elbows turned inwards. Your grip width should be somewhere
between pinky on the ring and pointer finger on the ring when you’re
lifting heavy.
Seanzilla: In the second installment of this article series,
we discussed your regular daily training dietary plan [Meal One: 1 bowl
of rolled oats, six hard boiled egg whites, one glass of juice and one
glass of milk Meal Two: 1 Eclipse “The Shake” RTD protein
drink, 1 Eclipse Complex 24 Multi-Vitamin tablet and some essential fatty
acid capsules Meal Three: 1 can of tuna fish mixed in with a green salad
and 5 grams of Eclipse Creatine Monohydrate mixed into 1 glass of water
Meal Four: 1 Eclipse “The Shake” RTD protein drink and 1 Eclipse
Complex 24 Multi-Vitamin tablet Meal Five: An 8-16 oz. steak, two pieces
of whole wheat toast and a glass of water Meal Six: 5 grams of glutamine
mixed in with a glass of orange juice and 5 grams of creatine mixed in
with a glass of water Meal Seven: An 8 oz. hamburger on a whole wheat
bun, a green salad, some fresh fruit, and a glass of water Meal Eight:
An Eclipse “The Shake” RTD protein drink Meal Nine: 5 grams
of Eclipse Glutamine Powder mixed with orange juice and 2 Eclipse Humatropil
p.o capsules Meal Ten: Six hard boiled egg whites, a glass of milk, and
a glass of water.] Your bodyweight seems to fluctuate between 275 and
300 pounds and at around 10-12% body fat. At the Arnold Schwarzenegger
WPO Bench Worlds, the heavyweight class is 276+ and some of your competition
is showing up weighing close to 400 pounds! A bigger belly means less
distance for the bar to travel (less distance means less work and bigger
weights.) I know that at times, you’ve really pushed the pedal down
on your caloric intake, trying to add torso mass while still maintaining
an athletic build. Gimme a crash weight gain diet plan that you’d
follow for a couple months when you’re trying to get your weight
above 300 pounds.
Kennelly: When I’m going up in weight, in addition
to the Eclipse supplements mentioned above, I’ll add four Champion
Nutrition Superheavyweight Gainer shakes. That’s 6,000 quality calories,
in easy to drink shakes, per day! Then, late at night I mow down 2 dozen
fish sticks just before going to bed! Trust the Gorton’s Fisherman
when you want to become a mass monster! When I’m weight gaining,
I’m also a big fan of buffets. (Buffet owners fear the BenchMonster.)
My training partners and I pillage all the buffets in town! For lifters
on a budget, show up just as the lunch buffet is ending, pay lunch price
and then stick around for dinner (laughing.) The later in the day you
take in your food, the more you’ll retain the calories. Steak and
waffles are other great nighttime snacks. I also make a lot of peanut
butter, bacon, banana and honey sandwiches which go down well with a glass
of whole milk and a Muscle Sandwich for desert! I recently discovered
Muscle Sandwiches and I like them as much as my weight gainer shakes,
so I’m gonna try blending up a Muscle Sandwich with my Superheavyweight
Gainer and milk!
Seanzilla: Do you have any more powerlifting pointers that you’d
like to add to this article’s third installment? What’s some
of the radical stuff you’ve been messing around with in training
lately?
Kennelly: Yes, get yourself an Inzer powerlifting belt and a
pair of Inzer medium length wrist straps whether you’re gonna compete
or not. The belt is great for helping you to build your arch on the bench
and you’ll appreciate the support when you’re training your
back and legs. A good belt is invaluable. Also, if you’re max bench
is over 405 pounds, then you should always be training in a bench shirt
when you’re working with weights above 80 of your max. And finally,
take your time when warming up in the gym and put some muscle balm on
your shoulders, elbows and across your chest to speed up the heating process.
Something crazy that I’ve been trying in the training hall is static
lockout holds on the benchpress with 1,005 pounds! Since the next Arnold
Classic is still over a half a year away, I’ve been building my
unassisted (no gear) bench and I’ve recently hit 600 for 6 reps
and 640 for a triple! Band work is great for building explosiveness and
speed so I’ve been working three and four boards with 600-700 pounds
of bar weight and then up to 300 pounds of band tension. Reverse band
presses (tying the bands to the top of the power rack) in a bench shirt
are something else that I’ve been getting in to and I’m working
with a set up that puts the weight to 905 at chest level and 1005 at lockout.
This is really teaching me to press quickly and beat the weight! I like
lifting with both bands and chains, so every three weeks I alternate between
chains, bands and bands plus chains on my speed work days.
To the readers of BodyTalk - Good luck to all of you with your lifting.
Keep your training schedule consistent, drink your protein shakes and
I’ll see you at the next contest!
About Ryan Kennelly - Ryan Kennelly is the current WPO 308 class benchpress
world record holder with an 821 pound press. He was the silver medalist
at the 2002 Arnold Classic Benchpress Championships, the gold medalist
at the 2003 Arnold Classic and the bronze medalist in 2004. He was the
first benchpresser in history to officially benchpress 800+ pounds (he
benchpressed 800.5 pounds at the 2002 MonsterMuscle.com WABDL North American
Championships in Portland, Oregon). At the 2004 APA Northwest Championships,
he recently broke his own personal record by benching a staggering 850
pounds at only 294 pound bodyweight! Ryan Kennelly has officially benchpressed
700+ pounds over 30 times in competition. That’s more times than
any other benchpresser in history. His personal website is www.BenchMonster.com
and, on his website, you can purchase his benchpress training book (The
Kennelly Method), Ryan Kennelly signature BenchMonster lifting wear, autographed
8x10 photos and magazines and you can also interact with hundreds of other
benchpressers on his BenchMonster forum.
About the interviewer – Sean “Seanzilla” Katterle is
the Advertising Director for Monster Muscle Magazine. He is also a commentator
for Bench America on Fox Sports Net and he is a professional powerlifting
competition announcer. In addition, he is the owner of Hardcore Powerlifting
– a promotional marketing agency that works with tradeshow/contest
promoters and with lifters looking for professional opportunities within
the sport of powerlifting. You can contact Seanzilla by calling 1(800)897-4956
access code 17 or 1(509)747-3451 or via email at Sean@PowerMagOnline.com
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