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Old 08-13-2012, 12:08 PM   #2
Bearded Beast of Duloc
Max Brawn
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 79,946
Training Exp: 20+ years
Training Type: Powerbuilding
Fav Exercise: Deadlift
Fav Supp: Butter
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Interesting list. Posting for discussion...

1. Good Mornings as a Main Movement

But I got greedy.

My big mistake was, "If one is good, four is better." I figured if I could deadlift 650 pounds while doing good mornings with 225 for 10 reps, my deadlift would improve accordingly if I could good morning 405 for 10.

That kind of thinking rarely works in lifting as there's always a point of diminishing returns with assistance work. That's why a smart, strong experienced lifter can get more out of less.
2. Dynamic Bench Press with Bands

using the dynamic bench press in my training did nothing for my bar speed and really pushed my bench press poundages back. It wasn't until I slowed down the eccentric portion, took the bands off, and eventually took the whole movement out of my training that I saw results.

Replacing the dynamic bench press with presses, chain suspended push-ups, dumbbell bench presses, dumbbell incline presses, and Bradford presses finally got my bench press really moving. These were all done for higher reps and high volume.

If someone wants to keep the movement in their training, I highly recommend using a controlled eccentric
3. Triceps Extensions

Triceps extensions killed my elbows. Dumbbells or barbells, the weight or the implement didn't matter; extensions wrecked my elbows so bad that I could no longer unrack an empty barbell without incredible pain.

With extensions, like the good morning, people get caught up in the weight they're using. At a certain point, the extension starts to resemble some kind of extension/press hybrid. If you get to that point, just do close-grip bench presses and stop lying to yourself.
4. Switching Exercises

This should really read "Switching Exercises Too Often" as there's some merit to keeping your mind fresh with new challenges. But I was switching exercises every week, a myriad of Max Effort exercises used for squatting, deadlifting, and bench pressing.

I used different board presses, variations of good mornings, different bars for box squats, different heights for box squats, and chains, bands or chains and bands for each. Hell, setting up some of these exercises took more work than the lifting.

What happened was I never got good at anything. If you love changing your lifts, use 2-3 different variations of each and pound them into the ground. Track and establish your personal records, including 1, 3, and 5 rep maxes for all of them.
5. Abandoning Athletic Roots and Knowledge

Simple things such as box jumps, long jumps, jumping over objects, sprints, and jumping rope can make a huge difference in your training. People ask me all the time about dynamic work and how to implement it into the 5/3/1 training program. The answer is simple: be an athlete. If you want to be fast, train like fast people do. That means sprints, jumps, and learning how to be quick.

It's no coincidence that some of the strongest people in the world have athletic backgrounds. They all possess both strength and speed, and speed is best developed through a well-rounded program that includes some "athletic" based movements.
6. Lack of Balance

This might be the biggest mistake I made. If you've attended one of my seminars in the last few years, I always start off by saying that there are three things that a training program must have, regardless of who you are: strength, flexibility/mobility, and conditioning.

Destroy That Which Destroys You

"Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado."

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