Episode 69 of Barbell Radio, I speak with 57kg Japanese Bench Presser, Akane Ishibashi who is a national record holder in both raw and equipped bench, 123.5kg in raw and 140kg equipped.

She is widely known in the national and international powerlifting community for the small range of motion (closed to zero ROM) that she creates by using her flexibility and technique to arch. She received more traction when Powerlifting YouTuber Jonnie Candito of USAPL had mentioned her in his YouTube video, using her bench form as an example of why IPF bench rules should be changed.

In this episode, she speaks about her own journey with the bench press starting from when she first started training to why she decided to compete in this extreme form, as well as her views on criticism that she receives online.

バーベルラジオ第６９回は、57kg級の日本ベンチプレス選手、石橋茜選手です。石橋選手は５７㎏級で、ノーギアとフルギアのベンチプレス日本記録を持っている最強選手（ノーギアは123.5㎏、フルギアは140㎏）でもあり、パワーリフティング界ではベンチプレスの可動域をゼロにするフォーム、「ゼロベンチ」を作り上げた選手として注目を集めています。このエピソードでは、ベンチプレスを始めた理由、ゼロベンチをやろうと思った理由、極度のアーチを作る必要性、など普通では聞けないお話をたくさん聞くことができました。

Timeline

02：00 How did you get into lifting?

08:02 How much do you squat/deadlift?

09:20 What is "Zero Bench"?

15:20 Flexibility vs Technique

18:07 Training for the Zero Bench

23:35 What can people learn from Japanese Bench Pressers

26:00 People who criticize your arch

35:20 Butt coming off the bench/

38:20 Are Japanese people more understand of Zero Bench

40:15 On Jonnie Canditos request to change the rules

44:45 How important is the range of motion?

52:20 Equipped bench and arching

58:10 Athletes you look up to

Jonnie Candito YouTube "Why The Bench Press Rules SHOULD Be Changed (ft. Sean Noriega)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7ADqvqgnsI

Akane's YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0bg0gswV7LW8jHoKOlkGzQ

Akane's Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/magmaakane/

Barbell Radio

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