who here doesnt touch their chest on bench?

***Mr. Sparkle*** · 01-27-2004, 11:53 AM

Wait before you make fun listen to this. I played baseball for years, 10 years and 9 of those years I threw wrong. My elbow was lower than my shoulder putting a strain on my rotator. Also I was always told when benching that if it doesnt touch your chest then it doesnt count. So thats what I did. So these two problems togther made me have some serious shoulder pain. Some times my shoulder would hurt longer than my chest.

So I talked to one of the trianers any my gym. I work out at 24 hour fitness, so this one paticular guy knows his stuff, anyway he told me to go down to 90 degrees with my elbows. So basically stopping 3-4 inches above my chest. I have been doing this for 2 years now, and I have no shoulder pain anymore. So else doesnt touch your chest, or do you feel that its cheating?? Also I love those guys that arch their back so much that I could put a vollyball under them. I watched a lot of them the past few months and saw this. When they touch their chest their arms hit 90 degrees.... so pretty much we are doing the same thing. so what is your opinion>? am I a cheater?

-MS

**scottninpo** · 01-27-2004, 01:13 PM

your trainer sounds like a real brain surgen j/k
why didn't he just recommend switching to dumbells? i have had the almos exact same experience, with baseball and shoulder pain from benching, i switched to dumbells three years ago and haven't had any problem since, i actually go down farther with the dumbells than i did with the bar

**sp9** · 01-27-2004, 01:22 PM

No you are not a cheater. You are not in any competition with specific rules. You are doing a smart thing. Shoulders are one of the most pesty, injury prone parts of your body when it comes to lifting weights. 90 degrees is fine with the bar. Scott is also right. With dumbbells you can get a better (the best) range of motion and your shoulders should be great. Dumbbells never hurt my shoulders and I go passed where a barbell would hit my chest.

**Dude-Man** · 01-27-2004, 01:29 PM

I'm one of those that think if you're doing barbell bench, go all the way down. If you can't, you shouldn't be doing it. The reason why is because most people don't go all the way down because they can't do as much if they do. They're building their ego, not their muscles. By not going down all the way you're not working your chest as hard as you should be, you're mostly using your triceps. I'm not saying this is the case with you, as obviously there's a different reason. Move over to dumbell bench if there's pain, you'll be doing yourself a favor and see better growth in your chest. Also, try experimenting with arm angle. I don't keep my elbows out during bench, i tuck them in closer to my body. That helps cut down on the little bit of shoulder pain that i do get during the full, proper range of motion.

Swellin · 01-27-2004, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by chrisAdams

I'm one of those that think if you're doing barbell bench, go all the way down. If you can't, you shouldn't be doing it. The reason why is because most people don't go all the way down because they can't do as much if they do. They're building their ego, not their muscles. By not going down all the way you're not working your chest as hard as you should be, you're mostly using your triceps. I'm not saying this is the case with you, as obviously there's a different reason. Move over to dumbell bench if there's pain, you'll be doing yourself a favor and see better growth in your chest. Also, try experimenting with arm angle. I don't keep my elbows out during bench, i tuck them in closer to my body. That helps cut down on the little bit of shoulder pain that i do get during the full, proper range of motion.

Chris, while I pretty much agree with you on all of these points, there is really only one point that I would argue.
As for the ability to do more weight by not going all the way down.....
Consider this...try a set....stopping 2-3 inches above your chest. Control the weight the entire time. Stop the weight on the bottom for a count, and blast it up. It seems to take more energy to stop it above the chest...no rest and power to the top.

I do the full range of motion. all the way to the chest, complete with a pause. Sometimes, I try different things....just like what I mentioned above. I don't do it very often, but it certainly feels different.

**sp9** · 01-27-2004, 02:04 PM

I agree with Chris partially, but I stop at about 1 inch above my chest and my shoulders stay feeling great. You get to a point in life where avoiding injury becomes more and more important. In the last year I have sprained a wrist (2 months recovery), a back (1 month light lifting), and my shoulder (stopped shoulder workouts for 4 months). I am very careful now because I don't want to have any involuntary time off.

This becomes even more important during a cycle, what a waste a slip up and injury can make of your gear use.

**nevaenuf** · 01-27-2004, 02:06 PM

I have always touched my chest but I am considering starting to stop when my arms are parallel.

**DBarcelo** · 01-27-2004, 03:22 PM

I let the bar stop just above my chest. It's so close it looks like it's sitting on my chest, but it doesn't quite touch. When I tried moving up in weight too quickly, I had pain in my shoulder (only the left one). I started to move up in weight in 10lb incraments instead of 20 lb and I'm okay now. I've also stopped a few inches from my chest and I was able to press more weight. And, arching your back a little lets you put more direct pressure on the pecs. I don't think you should be able to fit a basketball or voleyball there, but it should be arched with your feet on the ground. I've had my feet up on the bech with me at one point because of lower back pain also.

**JGK** · 01-27-2004, 03:29 PM

I bring the bar down to my chest controlled and then explode it up. I've always gotten stuck about 3" above my chest so for the last three weeks I've been doing triple and single floor press on ME day. So far I feel like I have gained a lot of power in the upper portion of my stroke. We'll see how it is in a few weeks.

I thinkt he only time you shouldn't bring the bar all the way down is if you have bad shoulders or you are doing something like board presses.

**cb25** · 01-27-2004, 04:55 PM

i only go to 90degrees. IMO there's no need to strain the shoulders and go below there...

**bermich** · 01-27-2004, 05:12 PM

The whole reason for not touching the chest is because when you bring the bar all the way down to your chest, it acts as a bounce to help push the weight back up. Its just isolated bench press and helps people if they are sticking at a certain weight.
You can do the same thing 3 different ways. Bring the bar down super slow, push the bar up super slow, or both.
Not touching the chest helps you concentrate on form and also keeps you from arching your back.
To keep from arching your back, keep your feet off the ground.

**JGK** · 01-27-2004, 07:54 PM

Or you can pause on the chest.

**bigol'legs** · 01-27-2004, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by JGK

Or you can pause on the chest.

i dont suggest a pause... your letting up the pressure on your chest... relaxing.

I do touch my chest... but the closer I get to my chest ... the slower the bar goes.. more concentration.

but i dont do bars anymore... im stickly DB's.. and im seeing AWESOME size gains on my chest.

**JGK** · 01-27-2004, 08:50 PM

I pause because it is required in powerlifting competitions. I stay tight throughout the lift and don't relax until the weight is racked.

***Mr. Sparkle*** · 01-27-2004, 11:40 PM

Well I recently went to barbell again, for a really long time I used dumbells. I switch every 6 weeks or so. My strenth gains have gone up a lot with the barbell, but I think my size is lacking.... thanks for the input guys

**bermich** · 01-28-2004, 03:03 AM

I have to agree on the bumbell thing now. I started doing incline dumbs as my general workout and started seeing 50 percent more results than straight bar.
Started doing dumbell bench and can feel the burn more next day. Plus it helps even out strength on both arms

**Shud** · 01-28-2004, 06:48 AM

for those that dont go all the way down on flat barbell do you also not go all the way down on inlcline??? just wondering as theres a much bigger gap between bar and chest, because your arms get to the parallel at a higher point than they do on flat....(i hope that made sense)....

**Shud** · 01-28-2004, 06:49 AM

oh...i stop anywhere between my chest and 1 inch from it...

LM1332 · 01-28-2004, 01:53 PM

I personaly dont go all the way down either i stop 1 inch or 2 inchest about my chest and when i push up i dont go all the way up either i keep my elbow always bent so this way it takes off a lot of stress from other parts of the body and keeps it all on the chest