bench technique

[Bertz]

Yes i am new to the forums but not to lifting. Up until this past summer I had always brought the bar down to my chest then pressed it up, I saw someone else do it without tocuhign there chest. I ask why and they say your never supposed to drop your elbows below the bench because you can damage your shoulders and thats teh correct way to do it. I responded much better doing the bench press like this....

but i get **** from a lot of guys now saying im not doing it the right way thast not a bench press and blah blah blah

is that the correct form? to be considered a rep is it supposed to touch your chest?

[Bertz]

i at least expected a few flames!

[Bobcat50]

tucking your elbows will help alot with the shoulder problems, allow stronger muscles to do the pressing, shorten your stroke, and still let you touch

[Juggernaut]

I prefer the bar touch when I do bench...I like the full range of motion.

[Njectable]

me too, i always bring it all the way down and touch my lower pecs

[Bertz]

alright, so do you guys think the article i read on the "correct" way of benching is to never lower your elbows below the bench? im guessing no one ever heard of it?

it was on an old poster on the wall of the gym i used to work out at

[Fat Guy]

I have a friend who is training for a power lifting comp and he does one month of board work, one month of floor presses and then one month of regular flat bench presses. On the board work and the floor presses his elbows never go below his back. His bench has increased dramatically because of his training so I would think it would not affect you in a negative way. I personally have a shoulder injury and I like the floor presses. However, in the power lifting competition you have to bring the weight down to your chest, pause it, then bring it back up, and lock it out before it is counted.

[AG5678]

Yes i am new to the forums but not to lifting. Up until this past summer I had always brought the bar down to my chest then pressed it up, I saw someone else do it without tocuhign there chest. I ask why and they say your never supposed to drop your elbows below the bench because you can damage your shoulders and thats teh correct way to do it. I responded much better doing the bench press like this....

but i get **** from a lot of guys now saying im not doing it the right way thast not a bench press and blah blah blah

is that the correct form? to be considered a rep is it supposed to touch your chest?

Thank You! You are correct you should NOT touch your chest because then you disengage it. Your friend was right eventually by going all the way down you will blow out your shoulders. Think about when you bring the bar all the way down you are no longer working your chest you start to work your shoulders by not bringing it down you continue to work your chest. Just practice it by yourself the more far back your arms go back you stop working it. Congrats you are the many few that actually know what they are talking about in this area.

[Juggernaut]

Thank You! You are correct you should NOT touch your chest because then you disengage it. Your friend was right eventually by going all the way down you will blow out your shoulders. Think about when you bring the bar all the way down you are no longer working your chest you start to work your shoulders by not bringing it down you continue to work your chest. Just practice it by yourself the more far back your arms go back you stop working it. Congrats you are the many few that actually know what they are talking about in this area.

Or it could be that they don't have much of a chest.....the bar touches my chest and my elbows don't go below my chest but an inch or so.

[dr.shred]

YOU SHOULD TOUCH YOUR CHEST CMON NOW! do you see the anyone of the best benchers in the world not touch there chest? Of course, not. You want to rotate your arms in as if they are almost touching lats, keep your wrists straight, and have a huge arch in your back as if your butt is almost off the bench, but keeping your butt touching, and drive through your feet. I see people at the gym and everyone benches so flat. Look at the world record holder in bench. That should be reason enough right there. Anyone who doesn't touch there chest is a p*ssy.

[AG5678]

YOU SHOULD TOUCH YOUR CHEST CMON NOW! do you see the anyone of the best benchers in the world not touch there chest? Of course, not. You want to rotate your arms in as if they are almost touching lats, keep your wrists straight, and have a huge arch in your back as if your butt is almost off the bench, but keeping your butt touching, and drive through your feet. I see people at the gym and everyone benches so flat. Look at the world record holder in bench. That should be reason enough right there. Anyone who doesn't touch there chest is a p*ssy.

Bro what you said sounds so fukin stupid. Lets see you say that in 30 years 1.) you have no research why to bring it down to your chest! or do you? 2.) your only research is if you don't your a puss* or about powerlifters Come on bro i think you smarter than that. Im going to see if i can reach STEELE to see if he can explain to some of yall.

[Bobcat50]

Bro what you said sounds so fukin stupid. Lets see you say that in 30 years 1.) you have no research why to bring it down to your chest! or do you? 2.) your only research is if you don't your a puss* or about powerlifters Come on bro i think you smarter than that. Im going to see if i can reach STEELE to see if he can explain to some of yall.

1) if you bench like he said, the bar doesnt touch your chest, it hits low sternum/upper abs. plus your shoulders arent abducted, reducing their rotation.
2) if the question was asked on the powerlifting forum, why would you not expect the answers to have something to do with powerlifting or powerlifters?

[dr.shred]

all i have to say look at the how the best do it....bodybuilders aren't the best, ronnie coleman doesnt even go all the way up. the best benchers do not flare their elbows out and they have such an arch in their back that it decreases the distance they have to actually push the weight. I hear other people asking why do box squats? Simple answer is that the best squatter and the world record holder from westside barbell swears by them. There is reason enough right there, same thing with bench, if the best benchers in the world bench this way then they must be doing something right. No bodybuilder could hang with any of those guys from westside in terms of technique and that is why they are the strongest people on the planet.

[AG5678]

1) if you bench like he said, the bar doesnt touch your chest, it hits low sternum/upper abs. plus your shoulders arent abducted, reducing their rotation.
2) if the question was asked on the powerlifting forum, why would you not expect the answers to have something to do with powerlifting or powerlifters?

This starts to go beyond powerlifters this starts to get into physics NEWBIE

[dr.shred]

This starts to go beyond powerlifters this starts to get into physics NEWBIE

ok explain, i dont know how there is much more to say...the best bench like that...end of convo.

[AG5678]

ok explain, i dont know how there is much more to say...the best bench like that...end of convo.

yea w/e bro

[BARBENDER29]

I always touch my chest.But I train for competition and in comp you must touch your chest.I'm not saying that your method of bench is wrong but it's just notthe way I train.

[dr.shred]

yea w/e bro

ya w/e bro...ya thats what I thought you have nothing to back up your opinions. Thats all you have is opinions. Get some facts then we'll talk.

[AG5678]

ya w/e bro...ya thats what I thought you have nothing to back up your opinions. Thats all you have is opinions. Get some facts then we'll talk.

o ok if your saying like that. Shi* i'll have my facts

[dr.shred]

good luck...in case you were wondering this is the powerlifter forum. there is no such thing is a powerlifter that touch his chest because if they don't it doesnt count in competition.

[powerfreak777]

the only way to bench is the one that counts, flat feet, shoulders, head, butt on bench, and touch the bar to the chest, very old basics

[dr.shred]

exactly....

[anabolicwannabe]

crap i just hijacked his thread by accident. can anyone please PM me a photo illustration of a box squat. url or something. not here thanks.

[Bobcat50]

about it being about physics, an arch shortens the distance the bar has to travel, and if you set up correctly, gives you a more stable base to push from, so less force is wasted and less is needed because the bar doesn't move as far. and it is biomechanically more sound to not make your shoulders rotate any more than necessary so that you keep them out of a fragile position with max or near max weights. go to the arnold classic, watch the best benchers in the world, and see how their elbows are. im not a physicist, but if it didn't take a ton of the stress off their shoulders, i'm pretty sure an 800 or 900 lb load would do some damage

[dr.shred]

o ok if your saying like that. Shi* i'll have my facts

still waiting for those facts....

[AG5678]

don't worry bro you'll see them it might take a couple of days though

[dr.shred]

ya a couple years.

[AG5678]

This is by far the most common exercise done on the bench. And it's one only a small percentage of exercisers do properly. Most people destroy the stability of their shoulder joints, but forego real development of the chest when they bench.
Three reasons exist for this:

Improper body alignment. Watch the typical gym rat do a bench press, and what do you see? Shoulders rotated forward. This recruits the front deltoids and takes some weight off the chest. It's cheating. And, it sets you up for injury. Keep your shoulders back, by trying to touch your shoulder blades together. Do not push through your feet. Keep your back in its normal arch or even flat. You can cheat to save yourself if you are at the bottom of a rep and can't lift the weight. Save these other muscles for that, and exercise the ones the bench press is meant for.

Too much weight. Most people simply cannot bench their own body weight. If you are benching this much, very likely you are benching incorrectly. You may be able to bench that much, but the odds are against you. The average adult American male cannot bench 100 lbs in good form. In a misguided effort to impress himself or others, he will use improper body alignment to hoist the amount of weight he would be able to hoist if he'd been benching properly to begin with.

Improper motion. Many people try to bench right off the rack. No. Lift the weight up slightly from the rack rests. Straighten your arms immediately. Then, bring your arms forward, so the bar is over your nipples. Then, slowly lower the weight. Do not touch it to your chest--people do this and bounce it off their chests, which is cheating. You will be able to feel a sticking point near the bottom--that's when you stop for a second or so, then slowly push the weight up. Don't lock your arms out at the top.
Other safety tips apply to bench-pressing, but these will allow you to overcome the most common problems associated with this exercise. Always check pins, collars, and other safety devices. Don't assume they are correctly in place.

There you go bro this is the site i got it from http://www.supplecity.com/articles/benchsafely.htm

Thats all i can say about it. And i hope your answers not "We'll the powerlifters do it so it has to be right" This is the PROPER way to bench

[bluethunder]

I have to say things got interesting here. I am NOT a powerlifter but a bodybuilder. Both AG5678 & Dr Shred have good points as I think both are correct. I myself agree with AG and never touch my chest(or rarely) removing stress on the pec major/minors. I am one for feeling the muscle being worked. Also no one has mentioned the placement of the hands or grip distance as this too will affect potential shoulder girdle injuries when benching. I also agree with Dr in powerliftling you have to touch your chest/pause then lift evan arching your back as long as the butt/feet remain. Bottom line is benching can and do take different forms which one you do dictates what you are trying to accomplish either powerlifting for one rep max strength or bodybuilding for shape and size. Lets not get confused between powerlifters & bodybuilders and yes this is the powerlifting forum...

[AG5678]

I have to say things got interesting here. I am NOT a powerlifter but a bodybuilder. Both AG5678 & Dr Shred have good points as I think both are correct. I myself agree with AG and never touch my chest(or rarely) removing stress on the pec major/minors. I am one for feeling the muscle being worked. Also no one has mentioned the placement of the hands or grip distance as this too will affect potential shoulder girdle injuries when benching. I also agree with Dr in powerliftling you have to touch your chest/pause then lift evan arching your back as long as the butt/feet remain. Bottom line is benching can and do take different forms which one you do dictates what you are trying to accomplish either powerlifting for one rep max strength or bodybuilding for shape and size. Lets not get confused between powerlifters & bodybuilders and yes this is the powerlifting forum...

thanks blue. 1.) i wasn't talking about powerlifters the question was asked what is the proper way to bench. He wasnt't asking what are the rules for powerlifters using the bench press. There may have been a confusion with Dr. Shred.

[dr.shred]

Like i said before this is the powerlifting forum. It may be less stressful, but not more beneficial to not touch your chest. Like your article said I previously stated the importance of not flaring your elbows or benching flat. Most people bench incorrectly because they flare their elbows out so much causing damage to their shoulders. This is true yes, but powerlifters much touch their chest when competing. I have competed before and benched 345 with pause and butt flat and complete lockout. I know the difference. If you do not maintain the correct form or do not hit your chest the lift does not count. Another thing to consider if you do not touch your chest is that your chest will not get the full stretch it needs to grow for bodybuilding. Some times i use a cambered bar which allows you to go even deeper for a more of a stretch in your chest. Their are many different opinions on this matter, however the most recognized in the world ie. Charles Poliquin, Louie Simmons (Westside Barbell) would I agree with me. In fact, a lot of my research has come from these people. These people are world renowned and have produced some of the strongest people in the world. So you will never see a powerlifter not touch his chest.

-SHRED

[AG5678]

Like i said before this is the powerlifting forum. It may be less stressful, but not more beneficial to not touch your chest. Like your article said I previously stated the importance of not flaring your elbows or benching flat. Most people bench incorrectly because they flare their elbows out so much causing damage to their shoulders. This is true yes, but powerlifters much touch their chest when competing. I have competed before and benched 345 with pause and butt flat and complete lockout. I know the difference. If you do not maintain the correct form or do not hit your chest the lift does not count. Another thing to consider if you do not touch your chest is that your chest will not get the full stretch it needs to grow for bodybuilding. Some times i use a cambered bar which allows you to go even deeper for a more of a stretch in your chest. Their are many different opinions on this matter, however the most recognized in the world ie. Charles Poliquin, Louie Simmons (Westside Barbell) would I agree with me. In fact, a lot of my research has come from these people. These people are world renowned and have produced some of the strongest people in the world. So you will never see a powerlifter not touch his chest.

-SHRED

Like I said before I can careless about what power lifters do the question was what is the correct way to Bench. Again when you touch your chest you disengage it. When you disengage it, it DOES NOT work you chest anymore it immediately works your shoulders. END OF STORY

PEACE
AG

[dr.shred]

well you keep benching your way and I'll keep benching me and we'll see how benches more.

[AG5678]

thats fine and you can talk to me in 30 years when your having shoulder problems then we can see who benches more.

[dr.shred]

ya thats why the guys at westside at at 50 years old benching over 500 still.

[carbs-rule]

I think the whole point in keeping the bar off your chest is not to let it bounce or rest on it, though one can easily keep it from doing so and let it skim the chest at the same time. I use dumbells instead of the bar, and the bar-portion of the dumbell will definitely cross your chest line. It probably doesn't make much of a difference either way.

[dr.shred]

u don't see any powerlifters bouncing because its not a legit bench.

[AG5678]

ya thats why the guys at westside at at 50 years old benching over 500 still.

yea lets do a survey how many of them are on juice?

[dr.shred]

this has got nothing to do with juice, there are many comps that test for juice.

[dr.shred]

Like I said before I can careless about what power lifters do the question was what is the correct way to Bench. Again when you touch your chest you disengage it. When you disengage it, it DOES NOT work you chest anymore it immediately works your shoulders. END OF STORY

PEACE
AG

BTW that website you got that info from was a complete piece of s*it. Nothing to back anything up from anyone. Get some real info next time. Thats like most personal trainer exams they say never do more than 5 set and only do 8-15 reps for everything complete bs. Bro you gotta get with the program.