Becky!
Thanks for following! My bench has gone up quite a bit lately. From April 2012 to November 2012, it went up 20 pounds in a meet. Now, since that November to this April, it has gone up around another 20+ pounds. I'm not sure if the gains are coming quicker, but since I finally benched that plate milestone, it might just seem that way. Haha!
I will say, though, in December, when I went to Westside and Louie told me that I needed to spend more time benching with my feet up and without an arch, that has been one of the things that has made my bench jump up the most. Before, my bench was all leg drive. Now, I actually have some upper body strength. Also, I've been working with Ross Bowsher on programming, and he is a freakin' genius with that stuff!
Anyways, there are no dumb questions! As for the belt, it might help if you aren't thinking about pushing your belly up when you bench to reduce the range of motion. For me personally, it doesn't help much, but I know a ton of lifters who use it. I will say this, though, when you see a multi-ply lifter benching with a belt, the belt is there to keep the shirt in place, so keep that in mind.
You could always send me a video of your bench, and I can see if I can help you out!
Kill that first meet!
Jennifer Petrosino
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