Bench Press Form

**lzicc** · 07-06-2005, 06:53 PM

When you do bench press, do you let your wrist bend back or should you keep them straight?

When I bench, my wrist bend back to support the weight, but I am thinking that this is incorrect. Keeping the wrist straight with your arm seems hard to do.

**NewlyDesigned** · 07-06-2005, 07:53 PM

I keep mine straight, Im not sure if this is the proper way but it is how i was taught and how i percieve you are suppose 2 bench.

**chest6** · 07-06-2005, 07:56 PM

If your wrists were straight..wouldnt the weight be like impossible to support without it falling out of your hands?

**justin2305** · 07-06-2005, 08:53 PM

keep the wrist straight, if u bend them where do u think all the stress from the weight is going... that would be very bad and stressful on the wrists

**chest6** · 07-06-2005, 10:23 PM

maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong...are you saying keep your wrists locked? I can't really get a picture of this seems like I couldn't hold the weight if I did that.

**homeboybonanza** · 07-07-2005, 05:00 AM

Just because your hand is bent back doesn't mean the stress is shifted more on the wrist. HOWEVER...when the wrist is bent back to provide a more solid grip and surface area the bar SHOULD NOT be resting back toward the fingers....that would stress the wrists. The bar will rest in the palm

**Jantzen4k** · 07-07-2005, 08:15 AM

straight and locked

**lzicc** · 07-07-2005, 10:01 AM

When I bench, my wrist are bending back. The bar seems to be in the middle of my hand. When I go to move the bar closer to the front of my hand so that I can lock my wrist, it does not feel as comfortable. It feels like the bar may slip out of my hands.

I have minor wrist pain and I believe that is why. I must not be using proper form when gripping the bar.

From the research that I have read lately, the wrist should be locked straight with your forearm if I read that correctly.

Here is a link of what I found from doing a google search:

http://www.dolfzine.com/page628.htm

It just does not feel comfortable to me. I may have to retrain myself with lighter weight until this feels comfortable and fix my form.

**homeboybonanza** · 07-07-2005, 11:35 AM

LOL. Go ahead and lock your wrist straight as you read this, then see how easy it is to manuever or push the fist back toward the forearm. Not very stable is it? Now go ahead and make a fist as if you were gonna hit someone in the nose with the heel of your hand...try again to push your hand back. Will it move? Pretty solid and stable right? Ok. Now you can do what makes you happy. I have a solid bench (315x10, 425x1) and my wrists never hurt. I even do close grips with 295. Check out some powerlifters, they'll tell you.

**lzicc** · 07-07-2005, 06:50 PM

I just want to make sure that I am using proper form. So you are saying that for proper form you would hold the bar in the middle of your hand instead of locking it straight and let it bend back? Just want to make sure. I have small wrist, so that doesn't help either.

I know that locking my wrist straight does not feel very comfortable to me.

**NewlyDesigned** · 07-09-2005, 10:13 AM

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...enchPress.html
Notice how the wrist is straight and locked. This is how I do it and I feel its the right way. Hope that helps.

**chest6** · 07-09-2005, 04:16 PM

I'm sure I do it right i dont know...maybe just thinking about it got me confused rather than actually doing it.

**robkesl** · 07-09-2005, 09:27 PM

when i bench i actually hold the bar with the meat of my thumb. hmmm how to explain. i dont hold it like your suppose too,, i use an overhand grip but my thumb doesnt wrap around it stays with the rest of the fingers. if you can get that. for me it takes less pressure of my wrist. and i keep my wrists sorta locked, due to not being fully in my grip i have to bend alittle, but the weight is still lined up with my forearm.

**chest6** · 07-10-2005, 01:03 AM

I know what you mean...I do that until I get to my work sets usually.

**collar** · 07-10-2005, 05:33 PM

i dont know what u mean by bending back
but i push with the ball of my hand
like the hardest bits of my hand like at the back
near the thumb
nowhere near the fingers

**robkesl** · 07-10-2005, 07:29 PM

ok hopefully i loaded these in the right order, this is what i mean by bending back, look at my wrist from the correct form, to my form, i bend my wrist back, because of the way my grip is. works for me!