Patrick O’Connell is a well-established organizational administrator who guided High Speed Rail 2 Ltd. (HS2) in the UK as interim director. His focus with HS2 was on launching an ambitious project that will connect London and the Midlands through a high-speed train linkup. Passionate about fitness, Patrick O’Connell has trained for powerlifting competitions in his age group, with an aim of setting new records.
Making progress at bench pressing and moving up weights requires specific strategies, including building up lat strength. Even on a bench, the entire back is engaged in moving the heavy weighs, with the lat muscles being critical. One way of increasing lat capacity involves performing bent-over rows using a barbell.
This foundational exercise involves holding the barbell with the palms facing down, the torso bent forward nearly parallel to the floor, and the head kept up. Starting with the barbell hanging down, maintain a stationary torso while bringing the barbell up toward the body.
With the lift occurring on the out breath, the elbows are kept up near the torso so that only the forearms do the lifting. The contracted position at the apex of the lift can be augmented by contracting the back muscles and getting a full lateral workout, which in turn boosts bench pressing strength.
