Mike is among the best benchers in the world. He has a competition best raw press of 600 lbs and a shirted press of 860 lbs. Mike’s short term goal is to press over 900 lbs equipped. His long term goal is to simply be the best!
Each month, Mike will answer bench press questions from AtLarge Customers. If you have a question for Mike, please send it to askmike@atlargenutrition.com!
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Do supplements honestly help with your powerlifting or is a proper diet enough?
Mike Wolfe: In my opinion proper supplementation can be of enormous assistance to your training. Protein supplementation is a very common and good example. It can be difficult to consume an optimal amount of protein on a day to day basis from foods alone. This is especially true for larger athletes (those over 200 lbs) and for those looking to increase their size and strength.
Just the chewing alone can get tiresome and it is a great burden on your digestive system to have to process all of that food. A quality protein supplement like Nitrean or Opticen is just so much easier in all respects.
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In general, the biggest mistake most people make with respect to supplementation is that they only buy one bottle and judge products on a short-term trial. You need to give them time to work their magic! The body does not change overnight and the addition of a viable supplement will not change your physique instantly. Let me give you a personal example. When I first used Nitrean I knew it was working (helping me to maintain muscle while losing body fat) but it took 2 jugs before I really started to see what it could do for me. The same goes for Thermocin; the first bottle gave me good results but nothing drastic. I just started my 3rd bottle and I have lost 42 lbs in 2 months!
In summary, YES!!! Proper supplementation combined with a sound dietary and training regimen will provide superior results to just a sound diet and training program alone.
How would you coach someone to use leg drive in their bench press?
Mike Wolfe: Leg drive can be a very important component of a successful lift especially if the bencher is weak off the chest (this being more relevant in raw lifting for obvious reasons).
In terms of coaching I would first recommend the lifter use a wide stance much like George Halbert or Jason Fry. Next, the drive must initiate from the heels. This helps to direct the force towards the bench rather than to lifting the glutes (lifting the glutes has obvious negative consequences).
Ok, it is now contest time. You have just stepped onto the platform and have lain back on the bench. Set your feet firmly on the ground and then take a HUGE, deep breath followed by an overall tightening of everything from your rear delts and lats all the way to your feet. Your coach hands you the bar and you begin lowering it to your chest while simultaneously squeezing tighter and tighter as you go. The bar is now perched on your chest and the judge gives you the “press” command. Drive your heels as hard as possible into the ground and feel the burst of your leg drive as you begin to press. You continue to press to a successful lockout and a new PR!
It is my feeling that leg drive only assists the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the press but in order to receive its full benefit you MUST remain tight throughout the entire lift.
Shoulder work: how much is too much? (Big Gene mentioned lately he has stopped all additional front delt work because he was overtraining them constantly)
Mike Wolfe: Your shoulders are of EXTREME importance to your bench. Now, here is where the answer gets interesting. I agree with Gene that the front delts are highly stressed during benching and I personally do no other forms of pressing or heavy front delt work (I do perform on occasion some “pre-hab” work with light weights and high reps). To do so would result in gross overtraining for me and most other trainees.
I DO, however, believe that the side and rear delts and traps need a LOT of assistance work in order to maximize your bench.
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I train them twice weekly using “face pulls”, rear and side lateral raises, and barbell or dumbbell shrugs. A “face pull” is performed very similarly to a standard pulldown to the front. The difference is that you pull directly towards your nose. This makes the movement into a rear delt and trap exercise. Be sure to lean back at about a 45 degree angle.
I have a favorite version of the shrug as well which I call “high shrugs”. The difference between these and a normal shrug is that you bend at the elbows as you shrug. When you are at the peak of the movement your arms should be bent at almost a 90 degree angle. This movement provides for a terrific contraction of the traps! Give it a try.
Develop your side and rear delts as well as your traps to a maximal degree and you will reap the benefits when you hit new PRs on your bench.
Until next time:
STACK IT ~ ATTACK IT ~ RACK IT
WOLFY!!!
For more information on Mike's background and achievements, see the Mike Wolfe sponsor page!
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