dumbell bench vs. bar

[Monger]

Adaptation is exactly why.

If you're progressively maxing out on a movement, week after week, and are incrementally increasing your percentage, YOU WILL PLATEAU, there are no two ways about it.

In order to allow yourself to continue lifting max weights, while remaining ahead of the strength curve, by choosing to perform a relevant movement that has similar biomechanics will allow you to get stronger in the given movement, without causing CNS burn out.

I can

 

[ENTROPY]

What would you substitute squats and DL's with? Just different stances? I didn't think there were substitutes for these two exercises.

Front squats.

Unilateral squats.

Goodmorning variations.

Forward sled drags

Box squats.

Pull throughs.

Glute ham raise.

Hyperextensions.

Rack pulls.

Etc, etc...

 

[Monger]

Front squats.

Unilateral squats.

Goodmorning variations.

Forward sled drags

Box squats.

Pull throughs.

Glute ham raise.

Hyperextensions.

Rack pulls.

Etc, etc...

Cool. I was thinking Hypers, ham raises, and sled drags were inferior exercises to do a direct substitute for squats or DL. I guess it's just a matter of being different? Also, are the mechanics really that different from box squats and front squats to offer significant variation. I'm only looking at a muscle movement aspect but I'm probably not seeing the big picture. Lastly, I must admit that I don't know what rack pulls, pull throughs, and unilateral squats are. Maybe I'm just used to different terminology. I'm hitting the stickies now to see if I can find them.

 

[Monger]

I must admit that I don't know what rack pulls, pull throughs, and unilateral squats are

I've found them... cool.

One more question. Lets say I rotate some of my main lifts out to avoid a plateu after 6 weeks. Do I sub an exersise for another full 6 weeks or should I sub for maybe 2 weeks and hit the main lifts again?

 

[ENTROPY]

I've found them... cool.

One more question. Lets say I rotate some of my main lifts out to avoid a plateu after 6 weeks. Do I sub an exersise for another full 6 weeks or should I sub for maybe 2 weeks and hit the main lifts again?

Choose one max effort lift for 6 weeks with the remaining exercises as assistance movements. Then choose another max effort lift for 6 weeks, and so on, and so forth.

 

[Madmick]

Adaptation is exactly why.

If you're progressively maxing out on a movement, week after week, and are incrementally increasing your percentage, YOU WILL PLATEAU, there are no two ways about it.

In order to allow yourself to continue lifting max weights, while remaining ahead of the strength curve, by choosing to perform a relevant movement that has similar biomechanics will allow you to get stronger in the given movement, without causing CNS burn out.

I can

 

[Madmick]

Choose one max effort lift for 6 weeks with the remaining exercises as assistance movements. Then choose another max effort lift for 6 weeks, and so on, and so forth.

Would you give an example?

I'm just thinking, I wouldn't want box squats or rack pulls to be my main lift for an entire 6 weeks. If I were to follow this type of rigid structure, I suppose I would conjugate MxS phases with power phases.

Squat-> Jump Squats
Deadlift-> C&J or DB Depth Jumps
Bench-> Medicine Ball Throws (or DB Shotputs a la Ross Enamait...that just looks so cool).

 

[Monger]

Choose one max effort lift for 6 weeks with the remaining exercises as assistance movements. Then choose another max effort lift for 6 weeks, and so on, and so forth.

Thanks for clearing that up. You're always a big help and I appreciate your time.

 

[ENTROPY]

No, there's no confusion here. I'd seen the 6-8 week range for planning, so I wondered why you "always" rotated every 4 weeks (this implied to me that there is no benefit in maintaining a single lift for longer than this period of time).

I didn