Sheiko questions

I've just started the Sheiko's beginner's program and have several questions:

1) Any perceived drawbacks to substituting decline bench for flat bench? (Flat hurts my shoulder, and I have no immediately plans to compete (unless someone knows of a meet within 2 hrs drive of Vancouver)).

2) What is the rationale for the large number of sets performed after the sets at the highest weight? I have been exhausted after the top sets and have dropped these.

3) Do any of you following the program add any direct work for calves, traps, or lats (I realize deadlifts address the last two)?

4) If I perform decline, rather than flat, should I substitute incline presses for the prescribed dips?

Thanks, -Phil Hardwidge

Do you arch at all on your bench? Are you retracting your shoulder blades, keeping the bar low during the descent and pushing your chest out with 'big air'.

All of those are legal and make the flat bench a lot like the decline bench.

There are often meets within a 2 hour (or slightly more) drive of Vancouver. Found 2 in Washington in March. There won't be a BC meet until summer because Nationals are in March. http://bcpowerlifting.com/ http://www.washingtonusapl.com/ usapl_wa_state_meets.htm

What is it that hurts your shoulder? If it is rotator cuff or joint pain, bringing in the elbows and/or the grip may alleviate the pain. Dips are much like the declines although if you arch in the decline it's a lot like a flat bench.

Been doing this (slightly modified) for a little over 2 weeks. It's hell but I love it.

In addition to not being a good choice if you ever want to compete, you're probably getting less deltoid work, which may be a concern given the lack of overhead presses etc.

I think these are aimed at hypertrophy. May or may not be part of your goals. Are you doing the whole workout in one pass? I find it's a lot more managable to split into morning and afternoon workouts, so that on the squat-bench-squat-bench-assistance days I do just one series of each big lift in the morning and the next series in the evening, with the assistance stuff thrown in whichever workout I have more time for that day. Aside from the first day, which I did in one pass and had to drop weight on the last bench set, I have gotten in all the prescribed sets this way.

Calves no, they do get some work from the squats and deads though. I swear even after just two weeks my legs are getting bigger, calves included, nonetheless. No measurements and I've been eating a lot but it seems like the muscles are growing.

I did ditch the flyes (since bench is my best lift, and I am strong off the chest) and replaced them with rows to hit the lats and traps a little more. So far my lats (and even biceps) don't seem to be withering away from neglect.

Thanks Bob! -Guess I am going to have to improve my technique on flat bench now.

It is a burning sensation and tightness in the rotator cuff area. Thanks for the advice on technique.