Touch chest on bench or not?

[torontodude]

If you can with comfortably then you should...i can't because of shoulder problems.

[440Charger]

I dont. 0.5-1" above chest for me. When going heavy, touching the chest begins to hurt my left shoulder?

I do the same

[Godson]

touch the chest @!

[FASTBOATS25]

You can pinch your muscle tissue with your humerus and coracoid process if your elbows go past 90 degrees, but i feel you get a better all around chess workout by touching chest

[RANA]

Yes I touch, but nice and slow NO bouncing

[papaaj]

Touching the chest would be the highest range of motion so im assuiming that its the best thing to do. I do it anyway.

Oh and dont bang or bounce the bar off ur chest you can reall get hurt I used to do this when i first started and stopped after I started getting rib pains from it. I still see it done and it really isnt a good idea ribs can be broken and you dont want that.

[can4521]

i agree 100%

if preventing injury is the purpose then touching your chest is acceptable, however i know a lot of people who lift and dont touch their chest just to be able to do more weight

i have a friend (who i might add, is 30 lbs lighter than me, and im NOT a big guy) who tries to be a hero and throws on the weight I usually do on my heavy set. takes the bar off the rack, and maybe goes a FOOT (yes ONE FOOT) away from his chest. I tell him he's only working half of his chest muscle, he tells me "its not beneficial" to go any lower (i personally bring the bar an inch from my chest)

as far as i know he doesnt have a shoulder injury... would there be any other reason to do this ??? easier to build strength cuz you can scale up the weight more maybe??

[admirals56]

i have never not touched chest

[Amorphic]

sometimes i do sometimes i dont, as long as you dont release tension and use your chest to cheat theres no problem with the bar just barely touching.

[largerthannormal]

100% agreed with amorphic..form first guys

[perfectbeast2001]

if you are injured then you should adjust all exercises so that they do not create worse or further problems. If you do not have an injury or disability then failing to touch your chest when benching just means your a *****.

[BabyGravy]

Touch the Chest lightly, its the only way

[woody77black]

if you are injured then you should adjust all exercises so that they do not create worse or further problems. If you do not have an injury or disability then failing to touch your chest when benching just means your a *****.

agreed

[STRONGMAN91]

light touch, dont bounce