"I guess I was just naive," says Lambert today. "Shoulder injuries are common on the bench, and very often, that's because of poor shoulder position.". Im keeping a bit more core tightness if Im using this style, says Samuel. The number one beginner oversight in my opinion is not knowing to use leg drive and then subsequently doing it incorrectly when attempting it. This can easily be fixed just by consciously thinking about speeding up on the way down or counting a tempo in your head and ensuring it doesnt take you more than 1-2 second to reach your chest. If their purported best is within the last 10 years, weve generously gone with can bench press. Otherwise, its could bench press. So, lets get on with it. Want to learn about the best tempo for bench press? "The bench press is, at its core, a more loaded version of a pushup," says Samuel, "and you'd never ever arch your back on a pushup. Sweat soaked the cutoff Steeler T shirt and shorts; the soggy blond hair was matted over his brow. "It was 6-0, 6-2. Nonetheless, only one Big Ten schoolWisconsinshowed any interest in him, and at one point Lambert thought of seeking a basketball scholarship. (204 kg.) The Steelers were 9-7 and failed to make the playoffs in the 1980 season. Felt pretty light. The most I ever lifted was 330 lbs.. . See details. PowerliftingTechnique.com also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. There were six veteran linebackers in camp at Latrobe, Pa. when Lambert showed up for his rookie season. Barbell pressing is great, says Samuel, but its also the most advanced form of the flat bench press, and it requires a bit more than pressing the bar. "Henry was always nice to me the few times I saw him," Lambert says. Everything you need to know about one of the most popular strength training exercises. Linebacker Jack Lambert of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the bench in We may earn a commission through links on our site. However, just because your upper body may be mobile enough to bench without a warm up doesnt mean it should. Tagliabue said the idea stemmed from difficulty in getting new stadiums built in key cities. "This will turn on your lats, and it will further protect your shoulders. I hit hard, all right, but I hit fair. "Something like this never happened to me before," Widenhofer says. Want to more details on why you may want to widen your group? Unverified. Sure, but what's harder to believe is that Jack Lambert, who has just turned 24, could have achieved the phenomenal success of the past two years as rapidly as he has, particularly when one studies the unimpressive base from which he rose. So if you're unsure, start with an unloaded barbell or a pair of dumbbells at your chest, and find the right position that allows your forearms to be perpendicular to the ground at this point," says Samuel. Should Your Elbows Be In or Out For Bench Press? That can be one way to build a big, strong chestbut it's not the only way, and it's certainly not the safest, most effective way for everyone. Breathing in the bench press is important because it is directly tied to bracing which, in the bench press, is important for keeping your chest up and maintaining stability throughout the lift. The bulldog grip is where your thumb is wrapped around but your finger tips are pinching the bar rather than wrapping around. "It's good for the legs, good for changing direction fast and keeping your eye on the ball," Lambert says. Related: Strongest Pro Wrestlers of All Time, Set new goals, then achieve them. Even when he wasn't on the field playing defense, Lambert was hopping on the sidelines like an animated pogo stick, huffing and puffing through his gapped front teeth, eyes rolling madly, exhorting his teammates on offense and howling invective at the Cowboys. In the 1979 regular season finale vs. the Bills, the Steelers needed a victory to win the division and secure a bye. "Think about turning the pits of your elbows toward your head," says Samuel. A pair of dumbbells can be friendly to any natural asymmetries you may have., Core Tension. "It was all right the first three or four times, particularly during the hot part of the season, but then when we played Oakland here in the AFC championship game and it was six below zero out there." He rattles his false teeth in a simulacrum of a shiver. This equates to 390 lbs., but because its hard to accurately equate one-rep maxes with high reps, weve rounded that up to four plates per side. "I'm trying to keep the teams in good situations in the biggest market in the country," Tagliabue said in reference to the Rams' and Raiders' threats to move. I didnt want to, but he insisted so I did. If you move a bit differently on one side of your body than the other, the barbell isnt friendly to that, says Samuel. But the Bears reportedly don't want three division foes that play in dome stadiums. "I give away 20 pounds every time I step on the field," he allows. Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. In 2022, Jonathan Majors played a triumvirate of beefed-up roles: a supervillain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a boxer in Creed III, and a bodybuilder in Magazine Dreams. Is Your Bench Press Weak Off The Chest? bench press for Terry Crews, but cannot verify that big number. Its like youre crushing your chest or just transferring all its weight out of your upper body. Beginners will sometimes grip too narrow and not be able to recruit their pecs well enough while powerlifters will opt for a generally wider grip, but its also possible to be too wide where you are no longer able to activate your triceps well enough. A smallish 6'4" and 218 pounds, Lambert hoists as much as 375 pounds to maintain the muscle tone he needs to paralyze rival ballcarriers. Press Releases ; Asked and Answered . It can also make you lose support in your arch and place stress on your lower back. Arnolds biggest verified bench was 441 lbs. Your goal: Keep your forearms perpendicular to the ground for the entire life of each bench press set. Ham has been there an hour already, slamming balls against the wall and getting his "game face" on. Lambert was. He chuckles to himself. And if you want mountains of muscle, you need that load to grow. Additionally, training heavy builds a reservoir of strength and power that can serve you well even when youre aiming to focus on hypertrophy with lighter weights. Not keeping your butt on the bench. Max Strength. 10 things to know about Cowboys legend Randy White: From his brief This will at least help you learn correct form and technique, says Samuel. We've seen claims of a 475-lb. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. "I was chasing Chuck Foreman near the end of the first half when Joe Greene landed on my right ankle," he remembers. "Who's Nureyev?" Could he bench more in later years? (136 kg.) With Lambert at 218, Ham 220 and Russell at 214, the Steeler linebacker corps is one of the lightest in the NFL, but Lambert's philosophy of impact over weight infuses each member of the trio. She has a BSc in Life Sciences from McMaster University, a Postgrad Certificate in Public Relations from Humber College and is currently pursuing a MSc Occupational Therapy at Western University. It's just that simple! Wrestler/actor John Cena was 38, and those are 25 kg. How much did Jack Lambert weigh when playing? On another occasionand this is where the legend-makers' day was madehe picked up Cowboy Safety Cliff Harris by the shoulder pads and "bench-pressed" him straight into the ground. Then, during a little friendly tussle in the locker room, Gerela threw a can of Fanta cream soda that caught Lambert on the ear. Under serious load, that can be a mechanism for shoulder injury., If youre new to the bench press game, start with the bodybuilding style of bench press. Take advantage of this, says Samuel. Jack Lambert, leaping off the bench, voiced his displeasure, and probably would've done a lot more if not for teammates holding him back. How old is Jack Lambert? for a single without either wrist wraps or elbow sleeves. Lambert may be a bit accident prone, and with his relatively slight bone structure he could find the injuries catching up with him before his career has peaked, but that's the price of high spirits and aggressiveness. "Out!" We have invested millions of dollars in our own test labs and factories, so our tools will go toe-to-toe with the top professional brands. Take a look at my article on Which Bench Press Is The Hardest? JWBS-14DXPRO, 14" Deluxe Pro Bandsaw, 1-1/4HP, 1Ph 115/230V. One thing that has helped me get more strength with the lift-off is not setting my glutes on the bench until the bar has been lifted off and has reached its starting point. (136 kg.) (204 kg.) This ferocious tackle by Lambert, who picks up and body slams former teammate Mike Collier like a rag doll, is a concise resume of the butt-kicking the Steelers delivered that day as they steamrolled toward their 4th Super Bowl title. ), you'll want to set your body up to bench press for success. (2023 Update), FAKE MUSCLES: CGI Can Give Any Actor a Super Physique, Stacey Bentley, Womens Bodybuilding Pioneer (1956-2019), WORKOUT PLATEAU: How to Smash Strength Barriers, 2023 Mens Pro Bodybuilding Schedule (Updated), Cedric McMillan (1977-2022): The Life of the 2017 Arnold champ. AFS-1000B Air Filtration System, Remote Control, 1044 CFM, 1Ph 115V. 445 lbs. Much like a pushup, you need your shoulder blades to squeeze together as you lower the weight, says Samuel. This bench press variation can be done on either a flat or incline bench. This is something that I have seen even well-trained athletes do out of habit, but it is something that should be avoided if possible. The best photos of Jack Lambert throughout his career. 2013 Highlights . And we get her done." After Huff, with his rages and that toothless smirk of glee in the midst of havoc, there came the Chicago Bears' Dick Butkus, who boasted publicly (and giggled privately) that he soothed himself to sleep before a game with reveries of dismembered quarterbacks. Check out Wide Grip Bench Press: Is It Better? 354 lbs. You can play with other approaches later., Need more proof? Verified. That's the first time in history that all three linebackers came from the same team. He was aided by two big breaks. Yes, youll have to learn to manage the instability of the dumbbells, but theyre less restrictive than the barbell, too. We weren't dominating defensively. (143 kg.) (150 kg.) Most people will tell you that benching is just about pressing the bar up and down; however, the ideal bar path for the bench press is actually a J shape where you press slightly horizontal as well as vertical. Related: Method Man Pulls 500-lb. (161 kg.) Heaving the bench press is when you sink the barbell into your body and rely on your legs ability to propel your chest up to get the bar off your chest. That's the name of the game." "This is critical," says Samuel. I compare 9 bench press variations to determine which one is the hardest. The speed of the bar on the eccentric may change throughout your lifting career, but for good reason. For any difficulty using this site with a screen reader or because of a disability, please contact us at 1-800-444-3353 or cs@harborfreight.com. Witnessed. If hes joined it since, hes yet to let us know. No. Photo Index - Sorted by Manufacturer | VintageMachinery.org powerlifting total. If youre chasing max weight instead of total chest development, that makes the move slightly easier. Translation: You can move more weight. Unverified. We converted this to a one-rep max. I am the teammate that leads my team to . "The first two we won more with our defense and in the last two our offense was stronger," former Steelers middle linebacker Jack Lambert said while in town over the weekend. Coaches, teammates, opponents and writers used those three adjectives consistently when describing JACK LAMBERT, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Class of 1990. As Lambert ran, he clicked his two false front teeth in time to some inner musicnot the Horst-Wessel-Lied, as the legend makers might contend, but probably just plain old folk rock. I won. Bench Press Tempo: How Fast Should You Bring The Bar Down? If you really want to level-up your bench press, you'll consider doing the exercise with dumbbells. We couldn't have that. Position: FB 40 Yard Dash 5.00 5-10-5 Shuttle 4.32 Bench Press 295 Squat 405. "The action of your lower body is critical on a bench press, especially if you're dealing with a barbell and pushing heavy weight," says Samuel. Whether you're using dumbbells or barbells (or kettlebells! "There wasn't a single game in which I didn't make a number of glaring errors," he says. But the next attempt at a third straight Super Bowl came up very short. It also might not be the lift you need most. We computed a one-rep max based on the 8 reps with 225 Brad Pitt reportedly benched when getting yoked for Fight Club (1999). 400 lbs. Consider that a spark, a blessing in disguise . Jack Lambert is 70 years old. Needless to say, Lambert's teammates are among his most ardent fans. Football World Is Celebrating Steelers Legend Jack Lambert Today Or are you mostly working out with the aim to build massive muscles? Jack Lambert was not a fan of quarterbacks. However, as small as they may seem, a little adjustment on the way you land on your chest, set up your upper body or form tension throughout your legs will in many cases be just the thing your bench needed to get to the next level. He came to the Steelers a tough, skinny kid out of Kent State, and he found a spot on a team that was just reaching the crest of its greatness. That shifts the focus of your chest development slightly. (152 kg.) Witnessed. The reason: You get to work on controlling your stabilizing muscles and finding your most natural arm position. It had been a tough morning for a football player in early summer, and the prospects for the afternoon were no less physically agonizing: three hours of tennissavage, slamming action on the court with his pal and rival Jack Ham, the Steelers' outside linebacker. As you lower the dumbbells toward your chest, keep flexing those back muscles; it should feel like you're pulling the dumbbells to your chest. "Last season Terry took to sticking cups of water under my shoulder pads, where I have them up there on top of the locker," Lambert says. "Dumbbells force you to figure out how to get stabilizing muscles working, and find your proper forearm slot.". PowerliftingTechnique.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. You can't hide a weakness if you have one and teams will exploit it. In 2017, the then-49-year-old rapper/actor tweeted: Hit 225lb 20x on bench today [NFL] combine style then hit 335lb for a freshen up. If swapping out your barbells for dumbbells sounds like gym heresy, you need to step back and think about why exactly you're working out. How tall is Jack Lambert? We calculated the 140-pound comedian/actors one-rep max based on a video of him benching 225 for three reps in 2017. (136 kg.) Having your butt come off the bench in training may not be terribly detrimental, but it is cause for red lights in competitive powerlifting and should be avoided at all costs by those training to compete. He held out of training camp in 1984 (he spent most of the time fishing) and didn't play in any of the Cowboys' preseason games before eventually signing a five-year, non-guaranteed contract. "The fourth one we won, our offense played really well," Ham said after a panel discussion at the Smithsonian. 325 lbs. A good place to start is about shoulder-width apart and if you wish to widen it from there go about 1-1.5 outside of shoulder width apart. A LIVING LEGEND CALLED MEAN SMILIN' JACK - Sports Illustrated Dec 12, 2017 - Linebacker Jack Lambert of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the bench in this portrait circa 1975 during an NFL football game. Flaring of the elbows means sticking them out to the side so they become almost in line with your shoulders. ", Other oldtime Steeler fans liken Lambert to the tough players of the team's early, losing yearsmen like Ernie Stautner and Bobby Layne, who hurt you when they played you, win or lose. How much can you bench? 450 lbs. Unverified. Jack Lambert was born in Mantua, OH. Another way to practice not letting your wrists bend back is using a bulldog grip, perhaps just as a drill. Never stop pushing. Not using leg drive. According to a tweet by sportswriter Spencer Hall: For the record, Nellys bench press was around 270 at one point. As Jack Lambert reported to camp last week for his 11th Steeler season, he still seemed larger than life. Hand Position. Your goal: Keep your forearms perpendicular to the ground for the entire . Or do you want more overall power and to pile up reps? says Samuel. (184 kg.) In a 2018 video, Hemsworth reps out bench presses with 195. Lambert would get up at 6 a.m. on Saturday and drive the 2 hours to Pittsburgh in his Cougar, then watch eight hours of movies per weekend, studying the pro linebacker formations and sets. Though most alumni hockey games are relatively tame, Lambert jokes that his role is to be the enforcer and there is little doubt he still could be. How to Bench Press with Perfect Form - Dumbbell and Barbell Bench Whether you're using a barbell or dumbbells, the width of your hands is a critical bit on the bench press. "You don't have that burst of speed or that step you had before. 12 Bench Press Alternatives to Blow Up Your Chest - SET FOR SET "It's easy to have your forearms perpendicular to the ground at the top of each rep, but you have to maintain it at the bottom. Meaner than Greene. This issue can be worked on through longer paused bench press, t-shirt press, and building your pec strength through accessory movements. Intense. And Tim Rossovich of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers, who enlivened team parties by setting himself on fire before making his entrance, then cooled off by eating the cocktail glasses. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images His weight, listed at 245, didnt increase much during his five seasons in and out of the NFL, but did his bench press? He's meaner than Greene! You then should brace your core and hold your breath while also allowing a small and controlled breath to come out throughout as you work to press the weight. He particularly improved his pass coverage, which helped let the Steelers stick with a straight 4-3 defensive alignment. Keeping the shoulder blades retracted can be addressed through various ways including, warming up the lats and shoulder blades, focusing on keeping them retracted throughout all reps, creating a stable arch as well as using leg drive. "I don't think it ever happened here. Jack Lambert Body Slams Former Teammate - YouTube Verified. (109 kg.) When training for Wonder Woman (2017) Gal Gadot claimed to bench 85 lbs. (175 kg.) A small-town kid from Mantua, Ohio (pop. 55 lb.) However, a full range of motion, competition-approved lift requires the bar to make contact with your chest. For more details on the bench press lift-off check out How To Properly Do A Bench Press Lift Off (Step By Step). If your bench press max matters to you, youll need this tool. I'm damned glad they didn't let me go back out there. Lambert asks, deadpan again. Church bells across the Monongahela River tolled noon. There's no room here for easy sentimentality. So I just grabbed Harris by the pads and flung him down. The visiting team gets 40 percent of the gate in the regular season. He's not just meaner than mean. Finding your bench press is weak off the chest? 17 Exercises That Will Improve Your Bench Press Strength, 10 Tips For Powerlifting With A Physical Job, 17 Squat Mistakes (How To Avoid & Correct), 19 Deadlift Mistakes (How To Avoid & Correct), 55 Powerlifting Mistakes Competitive Lifters Make, Top 19 Deadlift Mistakes (How To Avoid & Correct), Bench Press Wrist Position: 5 Rules To Follow, Inconsistent landing on the chest (too high or too low), The Most Effective Bench Press Warm Up (Science-Backed), The Proper Way To Use Leg Drive For Bench Press, Let one of our coaches help you get stronger, The Bench Press Arch (How To Do It, Benefits, Is It Safe). Home - Jet - JET Tools - Quality Woodworking Tools "That's a lot, but all three of us are fast and relatively light. Related: Michael B. Jordan Workout and Diet Tips. That cut took eight stitches. This is precisely how mean Jack Lambert can be. That's what I'm the proudest of.". He recently claimed his best bench press was 525, but legends can grow with time. It certainly seems like a Rocky-sized workout fanatic shouldve benched at least 285, but, based on Stallones own contemporary account, 385-400 is dubious. (184 kg.) 9 Tips To Break Through A Bench Press Plateau (Definitive Guide), In a powerlifting competition, you may get called for the bar sinking on your chest after you have received the press command, You are more susceptible to having your glutes come off the bench, You are not building strength off the chest. Instead, you'd push for core and glutes tight. "You get a negative response from people who have a tradition of being negative," Tagliabue said, according to the Associated Press. Landing too high will cause you to use your shoulders too much and potentially put you at risk of injury, while landing too low will cause you to dump the bar and lose tension on the way down. "In fact, there still isn't. To read more on touch and go bench pressing check out Touch and Go Bench Press: Should You Pause or Not? (122 kg.) 8. Heaving the bar is a lesser known mistake and something you may not be watching for especially as a beginner but its something you should avoid getting into the habit of doing. It does another thing, too. Lambert plays it regularly with friends "to keep the strategy cells healthy. I can't help but chuckle every time I watch this clip. Retracting the shoulder blades is a crucial step when setting up the bench press because it keeps the shoulders safely locked into place and less likely to shift around and potentially cause injury. Or you can do it the other way around. Lambert had played intramural hockey at Kent State. Our pass rush and linebacker play dropped off. Wiggling or shifting your foot after you have already set up your entire body may be something you dont even realize youre but its because you feel like your feet arent in the right position. 315 lbs. Add to Compare Add to Wish List. "He's our spark, our spearhead," Greene says. Jack E. Lambert, Jr. - Chief Executive Officer - LinkedIn Some flaring on the pressing portion of the lift is acceptable. For Smilin' Jack, the logic paid off. During Super Bowl X in Miami last January, Lambert ran stride for stride with Dallas' Preston Pearson on one deep pattern and batted the ball away from a sure touchdown. Its important to have a good sense of what your bench press looks like from all angles to determine where you might be going wrong and potentially holding yourself back from a strong bench. The discussion stems from the need to put the expansion teams, Jacksonville and Charlotte, somewhere. There are two general schools of thought when it comes to bench pressing, both motivated by the purpose of the move. "If you start on the barbell, you can easily develop bad habits, or let the bar dictate your arm position," says Samuel. he asks just before he gets in. Up Arrow Down Audio Back 5s Back 10s Back 30s Calendar Chart Check Down Left Right Up Chromecast Off Chromecast On Close Closed Captions Bench Off Bench On Broad Off Broad On Vertical Off . yells Ham when Lambert pops a serve into the net. Lambert had begun the workout three hours earlier with weight-lifting exercises in a fetid chamber deep in the bowels of the stadium, bench-pressing as much as 375 pounds straight overhead. ", Having mastered the intricacies of the Steeler defense his first year (he calls defensive signals with assistance from Defensive Coordinator Bud Carson on the sidelines), Lambert set out to refine his skills. deadlift all in the same workout for a 1000-lb. Pittsburgh's young middle linebacker, Jack Lambert, plays with a vicious Butkus-like intensity that makes him special even on a team of stars, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Then you should set your shoulders and the rest of your body in position before externally rotating your arms before pulling the bar off the rack. (175 kg.) You should not only bring up your core body temperature but you should also engage in dynamic stretches as well as activation exercises such as band pull aparts or scapular push ups to fire up the shoulder joint. Using dumbbells to press can do plenty for your technique, including challenging your core and other stabilizing muscles. Try These 6 Things. You also need to twist the bar aggressively, something called breaking the bar, to do it safely., Not everyone needs to do that, and itll depend on your fitness goals. Age: 25 Prim. Jack Lambert Autographed Photos, Signed Jack Lambert Inscripted Photos 33 years ago this week, he announced his retirement from the #NFL. Lambert had begun the workout three hours earlier with weight-lifting exercises in a fetid chamber deep in the bowels of the stadium, bench-pressing as much as 375 pounds straight overhead again and again until his tendons popped like Chinese firecrackers. On December 4, 2020, the 49-year-old rapper/actor, who is currently on a personal fitness quest, posted to Instagram a video of himself benching 315 for four reps. On January 18, 2023, he topped this at age 51, benching 315 for five reps, though with elbow sleeves (unlike the earlier PR). To avoid this, actively press your neck into the bench as youre setting up your arch and shoulder blades and work to maintain it while you lower and press the bar up. The latest ogre is John Harold Lambert, better known as "Smilin" Jack" because of his dour visage, who at age 24 has risen to the top of the demonological heap more rapidly than any other legend in a sport that thrives on them. PHOTOS: Highlights - Jack Lambert - Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert is auctioning his personal football collection, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.Lot. One Pittsburgh sportswriter has called Lambert ' "the Nureyev of linebackers," a clear reference to his ability and balance in the middle of muddle. And yes, it can drive serious chest and triceps development. Those in pursuit of chest hypertrophy, often bodybuilders, arch their backs only slightly, keeping a flatter torso. THE BENCH PRESS is one of the all-time great strength training exercises. It was easily 110 on the airless AstroTurf floor of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium as Smilin' Jack took the last of his morning laps around the empty, shadeless arena. The Hulk is in a virtual tie with The Rock and Bautista. Avoid doing that, and youll focus on your overall chest a bit more., Youll also insulate your chest against injury. If it is a mobility restriction preventing your from creating an arch, foam rolling and doing more upper back accessories can help. While not everyone will encounter all of these problems, its likely every lifter has at least made a couple of these as a novice, beginner or even as an intermediate. Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977 - Harbor Freight "Great," says Smilin' Jack. This 2015 bench press is the only videoed one-rep-max on our list. Ham said the decline started before the fourth title and came quickly. 270 lbs. Jack Lambert has kept an incredibly low profile since retiring from pro football nearly 35 years ago. Former Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert loving life - Akron Beacon Journal Related: Chris Hemsworth: Workout and Diet, 300 lbs. Verified. Unverified. Personal Statement.