Dont worry about asking questions, i dont mind at all, when somebodys training hard with the advice and you do actually know a lot of shit yourself which makes answering nicer as you get what i mean without me xplaining the same thing again and again. And i must admit, im enjoying this log a lot so keep it up! Many times when you look at someones training and what you think they could be doing you end up figuring shit up for you too, and besides i know theres plenty i can learn from you too
Yes low intensity cardio is for recovery, and as your almost a Yogi, you know the importance of streching too
If you feel sore i would do it about 80% sounds good, its a good balance of doing something and not going overboard.
A great way to understand what you should be doing benching in a pl style is this, when you lower the bar squeeze the bar apart, but slowly start turning your palms towards your pinky, this should help you tuck your elbows toward your sides at the rigth pace, Now when you start pushing the bar back up you squeeze the bar still apart but start turning your palms towards your forefinger, this again should help you flare your elbows to the side at the rigth pace, because at the lockout you have more power when your elbows are flared out, at this point it is safe too. Do you get what i mean?
Yes bro i arch my back, and place the balls of my feet on the ground, squeeze the bench with my thigs(everybody does not do this, but i like it) and lower the bar to my upper abdomen and push with the balls of my feet on the ground when i start lifting the bar back up(note your arse should not rise from the bench). When i was thougth to do this properly i gained 15kg in my bench in one training session, NO JOKE!!!!
Always try and rip the bar apart, this will help you keep your shoulder blades together and the right posture through the lift, also when you lower the bar, squeeze your back together and pull the bar down with your back(think off it as a spring), and once you start pushing the bar back up you flex your whole backmuscles and watch it explode the bar from your chest! This is why big benchers have big backs, my coach use to say that the bench is mainly triceps and back when done rigth.
Thats all really hard to explain but i hope you can understand some of it!
P.S. Benching is great and very macho, but the squat and dead are where its at really