I have been working towards enhancing my physique by focusing on developing my Triceps and Pecs. I've made good progress, and learned many things on this set path. I remember as far back as when I initially started. I would be doing pull-ups as I eyeballed the Bench Press across the room. I was proud of doing bodyweight exercises, and figured my muscles would develop through them, but I also longed for myself to attain a reputable Bench Press number. No matter the amount of Push-Ups, the chest muscles could only be under so much stress via bodyweight.
I began Bench Pressing, and scheduled it all wrong of course, and I used gloves nonetheless. It took me a very long time to build my Bench strength, and it took far more injuries than Deadlifting ever caused, and I would say more than even Squats. The Bench Press is particularly deceiving. What could be easier than laying on a bench and pushing something away? Well, it turns out, nearly everything is easier than the Bench Press.
Something I've noticed that applies for all lifts is that 'beginners', whilst lifting light weight opposed to a lifting veteran lifting heavier, is not braced for heavier weight. For example, if someone walks in the gym and can bench 180lb for their 1RM, you'll probably noticed that they're not braced to lift heavier. Lifting is about leverage, and when lifting lift, certain leverage doesn't or something can't be applied. I supposed I first witnessed this through the Deadlift. It's not easy to rep 135lb and make it look clean, whereas with 250lb, I find it easier to maintain form. I can sink my weight into the lift, whereas I'd fall over with 135lb. So instead of looking at other people and thinking that they're weak; make it a point to realize they are probably lifting as heavy as they can with their current technique, diet, rest, knowledge, etc. In this sense, people aren't weak or strong, they're intelligent or brute.
I believe my technique improves in any given exercise after I've researched the lift via watching form and tutorial videos, reading articles, reading controversial opinions on parts of the lift, studying the anatomical form and functions of the targeted muscles, and both thinking about the technique in my head and practicing it in the real word, and finally analyzing my results, predictions to fully understand why things are happening exactly how they're happening.
I've found much success in developing my back through Deadlifting 3x a week, and at times even more. I've also found success in Squats through adding variations and frequency. So now I'm applying this logic to the Bench Press - the last of the big 3. That Bench Press variation is simply Bench using dumbbells. Powerlifters frequently perform it as an auxiliary exercise.
In forgetting my Dip belt this morning for both Weighted Dips and Weighted Chins, I decided to do Muscle-Ups with 6 reps of dips atop the Pull-Up bar. I did 10 sets altogether, so that's 60 dips, and I realized that performing a dip on a single bar with a prone grip is like a Bench Press, but using your bodyweight as the weight. When you do a dip on the standard parallel bars, you're using mostly Triceps, although you can lean forward to utilize more chest. I believe even more of the Pecs are utilized in the single-bar prone grip dip. Another place you could do these dips is on a Smith Machine barbell. It would be a little tricky to setup with a Power Rack or Squat Rack, but could be done.
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