posted Tue, 11/11/2014 - 05:22
1651
Slingshot?
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Has anyone here had any experience using the slingshot to overload their bench presses? If yes could you detail your experience with it? I'm thinking of investing in one to use every 3rd or 4th week, to get myself used to higher weights on the bench and hopefully that will slowly translate into an increased load on the bench raw.
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What Tonytulo said is somewhat true but I wouldn't say the SlingShot is a total waste. I actually have the SlingShot. It will help assist you on the lower end of bench press but its all you from the half way point to your lock-out position. What this does is allows you to strengthen your lockout and allows you to build confidence to handle more weight. So if you were struggling to lift with let's say 225lb the band may allow you to handle 275 or more weight. Again this strengthens the half way to lock out position of the bench press movement. So when you go to remove the sling-shot after a few workout sessions with it. Mentally & physically 225 won't be an issue because you've handled more weight before. Now instead of being fatigue from the negative part of the movement & the lockout position you can now exert all of your energy towards actually moving the weight itself. If the lower part of your bench is your weak point try strengthening your back up. A big back gives you stability and a foundation to hold the weight. When you lift from the lower part of the bench your lats act as springs. A strong back equates to a strong bench usually. I say buy the sling-shot and incorporate the other things the guy was talking about as well. Why limit yourself? Use everything to your advantage!
sling shot=speed it does nothing for the lockout. the lockout would be band tension and or chain tension aka gets heavier at the top. the sling is it stretched at the bottom of the movement than it sling shots you to the top , it is ok to get used to moving heavy weight but so isn't reverse bands which is essentially the same thing with multiple uses , standard use of a band strengthens the lockout gets heavier at the top aka gains lbs. depending on the color of the band also starts gaining lbs. around the middle of the movement and if you wrap them real tight it gains lbs. right of the chest right up to the lockout , reverse band lets you use heavier weight as to strengthen middle of your movement and emphasizes the top , weight is lighter at the bottom of the movement as its helping you push off the bottom than gives you all of the lbs. after the middle of the movement. another help with middle of the movement / and lockout is board presses 1 board , 2 board , or 3 board depending on where your weak point is. chains move and help with stabilizer muscles and the higher you get in the movement the heavier it will get. the sling shot is purely a speed tool it will not really help with strength , just as a shirt wont. depending on the shirt single ply , double ply , denim what have you some will ad 25 to 75 lbs. onto a bench depending on the person and the fit of the shirt, it will not help you gain strength , it will let you get used to using heavy weight , but go ahead and take that shirt off after a few months and grab that same weight and try , you'll drop it on your neck. if I had to rate a sling shot on a 1 to 10 id give it a 2 , I would say the sling shot is the Arnold arm blaster of power lifting, not really relevant and isn't a staple. if you power lift you need to get stronger over time with assistance movements and figuring out your weak parts of your lift , a sling shot doesn't help strength just helps with speed and come meet time you don't get your sling shot.
HOW DARE YOU! Blasphemer!!!!
xub3rn00dlexGym heavy, I think I'm gonna go with Tony's advice and just avoid it all together. I already have several things that while great at first I end up not usin when I'm at the gym. As much as I'd love to try it id rather save my money for some more bands (I already have a few, and hanging them off the rack and doing reverse band benches again will equal the same thing as tony states, and I already have them in a few resistance strengths) tony, I do have a question. I've been paying closer attention to try and figure out what my weak points are and I noticed that it's not so much a strength issue but my triceps get insane pumps that limit my repetitions and weight. I've been taking taurine to try and ease it but it doesn't seem to help much, any idea on a solution?
its not that his advice is necessarily wrong , I just believe in order to make your lifts better work the weak point for example if my deadlift's weak point was off the bottom I would be doing deficit dead lifts or dead lift deficits with band tension , I wouldn't put on a suit because sure the suit will get rid of the sticking point all together while it was on and help add 50 to 100 lbs. to my deadlift it would not fix my weak point or help me build my strength on the dead lift, it would only help move more tonnage and get used to training in a suit and if you train raw isn't going to help things at all. to find weak points if your power lifting it will be where you fail on your single 1rm , doubles , or triples . so if your struggling with your lock out I wouldn't necessarily say your triceps are too pumped they might not have enough to carry the load, you could try rack benches where you pre load your pins in a power rack just above your half way point on your lift to over load the top end , also board presses , you want to over load the top end of your bench movement. try that than also work on your speed imagine a coiled up spring on your chest , when you unrack you slowly bring the weight to your chest than come pause time you explode off the bottom to get your lift , practicing that explosiveness is a key factor also. a sling shot helps a lot with form in general , but so doesn't practicing good form lol. like I said work the top of your bench if that's the weak point if your power lifting and if your power lifting your rep range shouldn't be above 5 to 6 reps as it is.
xub3rn00dlexNo I understand completely. He's right, but for what I am trying to get out of it, it would seem wasteful spending. It's good that I asked the question, because I was clearly on edge and swaying back and forth unable to decide which route to take. I appreciate both sides of the debate and the answers. I haven't done rack benches in over two years, so maybe it's time I incorporated them back into my workout. I will definitely reconfigure my chest/tricep workout, and see how it goes in several weeks.
xub3rn00dlexThank you for the advice. I will consider getting it, just to try it if anything. how do you use your slingshot? I was thinking of doing a once every three rotations, but you seem to suggest using it extended for a certain amount of rotations and then going raw for a certain amount.
it depends where your weak point is if your weak point is off the chest it'll help a lot but wont beat actually working your assistance exercises , if your weak point is at the top do partial lock outs, board presses , chains ,plus work on your triceps, lower part of the chest bands , off the rack from the bottom , overloading on the bottom., if your assistance is up to par and your just trying to muckle ahold of heavy weight than sure but was far as using it for all around training ehh the other shit helps strengthen the sling just lets you add weight , almost like a shirt.
Couldn't have put it better...you can also use reverse bands instead of chains same premise though
xub3rn00dlexThanks guys. I figured it was like having a bench shirt without actually having a bench shirt lol, you just confirmed that suspicion. I'll stick to what's tried and tested then and save me some money
much appreciated guys.