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Mark Bell, owner of Supertraining Gym in Sacramento, California, can bench press 854 pounds at 275 pounds bodyweight.

Some world-cla.s.s bench pressers use near-contortionist form to compete: a full back arch with the feet under the hips (or even closer to the head). This shortens the distance you need to press-a good thing for adding poundage-but it can produce injuries in novices and intermediates.

Mark uses a stable slight bridge and places his feet flat on the floor. He uses this form to bench 854 pounds, so there's no reason you can't use it to bench 500 pounds or less.

Here is the process: [image]

Top view of set-up.

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Side view of before and after set-up. Notice that his heels are approximately under his knees.

1. Lie on the bench with your head half off of the edge.

2. Take your power grip (Mark has his ring fingers on the smooth bands), lift your chest to the bar, and pinch your shoulder blades together as if holding a penny between them.

3. Keeping your b.u.t.t in place and your shoulders pinched, arch your back and push your shoulders down toward your hips.20 4. Reset your back on the bench and aim to have the top of your head aligned with the edge of the bench. Mark is the size of a truck and can't quite manage. Most of you will not have that as an excuse.

5. Now your shoulders are protected. This position will be quite uncomfortable, and it should be.

6. Your legs and glutes should be fully tensed, and your toes should be pushed into the front of your shoes. If your legs and glutes wouldn't be fatigued after 20 seconds, you're not contracting them hard enough.

7. Now you're ready for the hand-off from a spotter. Never bench alone if using free weights.21 8. The spotter should, using an alternating grip like in the deadlift (see Lamar's photos in the last chapter), lift the bar off the supports and help move it to just over your nipples.

9. Now that you're supporting the weight over your nipples, depress your shoulders fully-as if you were starting a rowing movement-before bending your arms. The less you have to bend your arms to get to the bottom of the movement, the safer it will be and the more weight you will be able to lift.

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Depressing the shoulders before bending the arms. Compare the height of Mark's elbows in both photographs. He's lowered the weight 34 and his arms are still straight. Compare the height of Mark's elbows in both photographs. He's lowered the weight 34 and his arms are still straight.

10. Crush the bar with your grip and lower it to the sternum or highest point on your abdomen, tucking the elbows a little closer to your sides in the lowest 1/2 of the movement.

11. Press straight up in the shortest line possible. If struggling with the weight, you can flare your elbows slightly outward in the top 1/2 of the movement to bring the weight toward the rack, which will help with full extension.

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End of Chapter Notes 17. I had, however, just set a personal record. It wasn't technical improvement, nor was it from training-it was from doing max vertical jumps beforehand. This hyperclocking of the nervous system was precisely why DeFranco had me jump first. See "Hacking the NFL Combine." I had, however, just set a personal record. It wasn't technical improvement, nor was it from training-it was from doing max vertical jumps beforehand. This hyperclocking of the nervous system was precisely why DeFranco had me jump first. See "Hacking the NFL Combine."

18. Tim: The percentages are provided to help you personalize the program. Take "140 (70%)8, 1 set," for example. 140 is 70% of my starting 200-lb. 1-rep max (1RM). But if your individual 1RM is 150 pounds when starting the program, you would simply multiply 1500.7 to arrive at 105 lbs. Later in the program, if you see "133%," it means you multiply 1501.33 and use the resulting 199.5 lbs. for that set. Tim: The percentages are provided to help you personalize the program. Take "140 (70%)8, 1 set," for example. 140 is 70% of my starting 200-lb. 1-rep max (1RM). But if your individual 1RM is 150 pounds when starting the program, you would simply multiply 1500.7 to arrive at 105 lbs. Later in the program, if you see "133%," it means you multiply 1501.33 and use the resulting 199.5 lbs. for that set.

19. Please note that all weights are per dumbbell. For example, "60 lbs (60%)" represents 2 60-lb. dumbbells, which total 120 lbs., or 60% of the starting 1RM. Please note that all weights are per dumbbell. For example, "60 lbs (60%)" represents 2 60-lb. dumbbells, which total 120 lbs., or 60% of the starting 1RM.

20. The movement is like an upright row, as if you were pulling the bar up to the top of your forehead. The movement is like an upright row, as if you were pulling the bar up to the top of your forehead.

21. I know some of you will do this anyway. If you do, DO NOT use collars. This allows you to dump the weight, one side at a time, if you get trapped under it. I know some of you will do this anyway. If you do, DO NOT use collars. This allows you to dump the weight, one side at a time, if you get trapped under it.

FROM SWIMMING.

TO SWINGING.

HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM EFFORTLESSLY IN 10 DAYS.

I always wanted to be Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up. I can't fly, but swimming is the next best thing. It's harmony and balance. The water is my sky.-Clayton Jones, president and CEO of Rockwell Collins Swimming had always scared the h.e.l.l out of me.

Despite national t.i.tles in other sports, I could barely keep afloat for 30 seconds. This inability to swim well was one of my greatest insecurities and embarra.s.sments.

I'd tried to learn to swim almost a dozen times, and each time, my heart jumped to 180+ beats per minute after one or two pool lengths. It was indescribably exhausting and unpleasant.

No more.

In the span of less than 10 days, I went from a two-length (2 20 yards/18.39 meters) maximum to swimming more than 40 lengths per workout in sets of two and four. From there, I moved to one kilometer in the open ocean, then onward to one to two miles. The entire progression took less than two months.

This chapter will explain how I did it after everything else failed, and how you can do the same.

At the end of January 2008, a good friend issued a New Year's resolution challenge: he would go all of 2008 without coffee or stimulants if I trained and finished an open-water one-kilometer race in 2008.

He had grown up a compet.i.tive swimmer and convinced me that, unlike my other self-destructive habits masquerading as exercise, swimming was a life skill. Not only that, it was a pleasure I needed to share with my future children. In other words, of all the potential skills you could learn, swimming was one of the most fundamental.

I agreed to the challenge.

Then I tried everything, read the "best" books, and...still failed.

Kick boards? Tried them. I barely moved at all and, as someone who is usually good at most sports, felt humiliated and left.

Hand paddles? Tried them. My shoulders will never forgive me. Isn't swimming supposed to be low-impact? Strike two.

It continued for months until I was prepared to concede defeat. Then I met Chris Sacca, formerly of Google fame and now an investor and triathlete in training, at a barbeque and told him of my plight. Before I had a chance to finish, he cut me off: "I have the answer to your prayers. It revolutionized how I swim."

That was the turning point.

The Method Chris introduced me to Total Immersion (TI), a method usually a.s.sociated with American swim coach Terry Laughlin. I immediately ordered the book and freestyle DVD.

In the first workout, without a coach, I cut my drag and water resistance at least 50%, swimming more laps than ever before in my life. By the fourth workout, I had gone from 25+ strokes per 20-yard length to an average of 11 strokes per 20-yard length.

In other words, I was covering more than twice the distance with the same number of strokes (thus expending half the effort), and there was no panic or stress. In fact, I felt better after leaving the pool than before getting in. I couldn't, and still can't, believe it.

I recommend reading the Total Immersion book after after watching the DVD, as the drills are nearly impossible to understand otherwise. I was unable to do the exercises from pages 110 to 150 (I cannot float horizontally and have a weak kick) and became frustrated until the DVD enabled me to test technique with propulsion. watching the DVD, as the drills are nearly impossible to understand otherwise. I was unable to do the exercises from pages 110 to 150 (I cannot float horizontally and have a weak kick) and became frustrated until the DVD enabled me to test technique with propulsion.

My Eight Tips for Novices Here are the principles that made the biggest difference for me, and pictures follow:

1. To propel yourself forward with the least effort, focus on shoulder roll and keeping your body horizontal (least resistance), not pulling with your arms or kicking with your legs. This is counterintuitive but important, as kicking harder is the most universal suggestion for fixing swimming issues. This is counterintuitive but important, as kicking harder is the most universal suggestion for fixing swimming issues.

2. Keep yourself horizontal by keeping your head in line with your spine-you should be looking straight down. Use the same head position that you maintain while walking, and drive your arm underwater vs. attempting to swim on the surface. See Shinji Takeuchi's underwater shots at 0:49 seconds ( Use the same head position that you maintain while walking, and drive your arm underwater vs. attempting to swim on the surface. See Shinji Takeuchi's underwater shots at 0:49 seconds (www.fourhourbody.com/shinji-demo) and Natalie Coughlin's explanation at 0:26 seconds (www.fourhourbody.com/coughlin). Notice how little Shinji uses his legs. The small flick serves only to help him turn his hips and drive his next arm forward. This is the technique that allows me to conserve so much energy.

3. In line with the aforementioned video of Shinji, think of swimming freestyle as swimming on alternating sides, not on your stomach. From Wikipedia's TI page: From Wikipedia's TI page:1

"Actively streamline" the body throughout the stroke cycle through a focus on rhythmically alternating "streamlined right side" and "streamlined left side" positions and consciously keeping the bodyline longer and sleeker than is typical for human swimmers.

For those who have rock-climbed or bouldered, it's just like moving your hip closer to a wall to get more extension. To test this: stand with your chest to a wall and reach as high as you can with your right arm. Then turn your right hip so it's touching the wall and reach again with your right arm. Making this small rotation, you'll gain three to six inches. Lengthen your vessel and you travel farther on each stroke. It adds up fast.

Below is what a full stroke should look like, demonstrated by TI founder Terry Loughlin. Notice the minimal flick of the legs used to rotate the hips and body. This sequence of photos should be your bible for efficient swimming: [image]

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4. Penetrate the water with your fingers angled down and fully extend your arm well beneath your head. Extend it lower and farther than you think you should. This downward water pressure on the arms will bring your legs up and decrease drag. It will almost feel like you're swimming downhill. This downward water pressure on the arms will bring your legs up and decrease drag. It will almost feel like you're swimming downhill.

The first photo below ill.u.s.trates the typical inefficient "reach," and the second ill.u.s.trates the proper point of entrance, much closer to the head.

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Once the arm enters the water, it extends down at an angle.

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Don't impinge the shoulder by lifting it too high. If you rotate your shoulders properly, it's not necessary.

5. Focus on increasing stroke length (SL) instead of stroke rate (SR). Attempt to glide farther on each downstroke and decrease the number of strokes per lap. Attempt to glide farther on each downstroke and decrease the number of strokes per lap.

6. Stretch your extended underwater arm and turn your body (not just your head) to breathe. For each breath, you should feel the stretch in your lats (back) on your lower side, as if you were reaching for a cookie jar high on a shelf a few inches out of reach. This will bring your head closer to the surface and make it easier to breathe. Some triathletes turn almost to their backs and face skyward to avoid short gasps and oxygen debt (tip from Dave Scott, six-time Ironman world champion). For each breath, you should feel the stretch in your lats (back) on your lower side, as if you were reaching for a cookie jar high on a shelf a few inches out of reach. This will bring your head closer to the surface and make it easier to breathe. Some triathletes turn almost to their backs and face skyward to avoid short gasps and oxygen debt (tip from Dave Scott, six-time Ironman world champion).

In your first practices, breathe on every other stroke.2 Once you become more comfortable breathing on your "weak" side, I encourage you to practice breathing every third stroke, which will force you to alternate sides. Once you become more comfortable breathing on your "weak" side, I encourage you to practice breathing every third stroke, which will force you to alternate sides.

Remember to exhale fully and slowly while your face is underwater. If you don't, you'll need to exhale and inhale when you bring your head out, which will mean feeling rushed, swallowing water, and exhausting yourself.

Remember to exhale underwater, and "extend to air" (video: www.fourhourbody.com/extend-air).

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Look for your hand.

7. Experiment with hand swapping as a drill. It's difficult to remember all of the mechanical details while actually swimming. I short-circuited trying to follow half a dozen rules at once. The single drill that forced me to do most other things correctly is hand swapping. It's difficult to remember all of the mechanical details while actually swimming. I short-circuited trying to follow half a dozen rules at once. The single drill that forced me to do most other things correctly is hand swapping.

This is the visualization I found most useful: focus on keeping your lead arm fully extended until your other arm comes over and penetrates the water around the extended arm's forearm. This encourages you to swim on your sides, extends your stroke length, and forces you to engage in what is referred to as "front-quadrant" swimming. All good things. This one exercise cut an additional three to four strokes off each lap of freestyle.

8. Forget about workouts and focus on "practice." You are training your nervous system to perform counterintuitive movements, not training your aerobic system. If you feel strained, you're not using the proper technique. Stop and review rather than persist through the pain and develop bad habits. You are training your nervous system to perform counterintuitive movements, not training your aerobic system. If you feel strained, you're not using the proper technique. Stop and review rather than persist through the pain and develop bad habits.

Gear and Getting Started Ready to give it a shot? If you have a phobia of swimming, you're almost there. Don't screw it up by choosing the wrong gear or the wrong pool. Some closing recommendations:

1. Gents, don't swim in board shorts. I tried this in Brazil and it's like swimming with a parachute behind you. Terrible. Get some Euro-style Speedos and streamline. Be cool on the beach and opt for efficiency in the water. I tried this in Brazil and it's like swimming with a parachute behind you. Terrible. Get some Euro-style Speedos and streamline. Be cool on the beach and opt for efficiency in the water.

2. Get good goggles. I tried them all, from Speedo Vanquishers to Swedish swim goggles. In almost all tests, I needed to tighten the various straps every 100125 meters to prevent chlorinated water from blinding me. I tried them all, from Speedo Vanquishers to Swedish swim goggles. In almost all tests, I needed to tighten the various straps every 100125 meters to prevent chlorinated water from blinding me.

I now use nothing besides the much-acclaimed (and rightly so) Aqua Sphere Kaiman goggles, which are well sealed and can be tightened without removing them from your head. Leakage is nonexistent. These are the only goggles I'll ever need.

3. Start practicing in a pool that is short and shallow. Use a lane in the shallow end (four feet or less in depth) and opt for a pool that is no longer than 20 yards. It's easier to focus on technique in shorter pools. Once I adapted to 20 yards, I moved to 25 yards, and then (once I could do 10 100 yards with 3045 seconds of rest between sets), I moved to an Olympic-sized 50-meter pool. Use a lane in the shallow end (four feet or less in depth) and opt for a pool that is no longer than 20 yards. It's easier to focus on technique in shorter pools. Once I adapted to 20 yards, I moved to 25 yards, and then (once I could do 10 100 yards with 3045 seconds of rest between sets), I moved to an Olympic-sized 50-meter pool.

Hard to Believe I never ever thought I'd say this but: I love swimming.

This is RIDICULOUS, as I have always HATED swimming. Now, whenever possible, I make time to do laps. It's like moving meditation.

I'll swim for two hours and sneak out later to get in an extra session. I still can't believe it.

What about the one-kilometer open-water race? Oh, I didn't forget about that. I wasn't able to find a practical race scheduled near me in the last quarter of 2008 (as much as I would have loved to visit Bonaire, it was a bit out of the way), but my friend excused it. For good reason. Four months before my December deadline, I had gone home to Long Island to spend my birthday with my family and closest friends.

One morning, I woke up early and went to the ocean. I was calm, despite the waves, and I stood on the damp sand at the edge of the whitewash looking out for a long time. Then I approached the lifeguard stand.

"How far away is that house?" I asked the lifeguard on duty, pointing far down the beach at a red rooftop.

"Almost exactly a mile."

"Great. Thanks."

With that, I started walking and, 20 minutes later, stopped in front of the red roof. I put on my Kaiman goggles, took a few deep breaths, said, "f.u.c.k it," aloud, gave a sharp kiai kiai-like yell, and got in the water.