BigMike- I guess it's a matter of context notice I said "perfect for isn't the same for everyone," after learning everything I could about technique, it seemed to me that bodybuilding is just like any other sport. Take baseball for example. Look at the different styles of swings between the big HR guys, McGwire, Sosa, Griffey, Canseco etc... While they all have/had very unique swings, it worked equally as well. None of them were as pretty as Griffey, but apparently were as or more effective. Take the bench press, where there are different techniques used by so many people. Where do you put your hands? Do you focus on an explosive concentric movement, a smooth even pace, a slow eccentric? Do you touch the bench to your upper chest, somewhere between the clavicle and sternum, or just above the sternum, about even with the lower pec? Are your feet on the floor, on the bench, or in the air? Is your back flat against the bench with your shoulder girdle relaxed, or is it arched, or is it arched and your shoulders are contracted and pulled as close and as low as possible? From a physiological standpoint, should bench press be your main chest builder, or should inclines? And what level of incline, based on how your individual technique effects the plane in which your pecs contract? (I'm a stickler for this one, I prefer incline for building muscle, bench for strength, or both for a general workout)
Determining the "proper" technique must be based on how your body responds to the way you attempt to perform an exercise. You can find an advocate for every form, every technique, every "trick" method, every tempo... Your "perfect form" might be the worst thing I could do, and vice-versa.
EDIT: Ronnie coleman is throwing around big weights that ARE heavy for him, and has done so always (according to him) to get to where he is now. There are no competitive bodybuilders who aren't on steroids, and lots of them use less weight with what is considered "better form" than what Ronnie does, but it doesn't seem to make a big difference. I once saw flex wheeler at a gym in sacramento doing what I thought was a warm up set on the bench - 225lbs, very fast, very smooth, and at most 3/4 range. Never appeared to even get tired, or break a sweat, or struggle at all. he finished up there and went on to some flyes, I thought "Oh, he was just getting a pump going." Nope. He used no more than 35 punds for what I guessed was 7-8 sets of flyes. Again, not full reps, elbow bend varying greatly throughout the range of motion, and very fast paced. That was it. He meandered around the gym and touched a few pieces of equipment, but nothing even worth noticing. I talked to one of the gym owners (he worked at his own gym, imagine that?) and he said people always asked him the same thing, and that as far as he knew, that was his "normal workout."
And thanks for the welcome!
<message edited by dudely lubekin on Thursday, August 18, 2005 2:02 PM>