benching not touching chest?

**BTM0085** · 07-10-2008, 04:30 PM

hey guys. i dont know bros but ever since ive been benching ive brought the bar between 3-4 inches from my chest...Which i never saw a problem with til i took a video of it and realized i should go down further.. i can bench 320 that way...iive been trying lately and i feel as though it feels like i in full extension for fly's when bringing it down... terrible strain on the shoulder..whilenot much difference in the weight im able to press.just very uncomfortable, mabuye this is because of my body type 6'3(average arm length for height about) rather flat chested. heres a pic./...should i make it a point to touch my chest or do whats comfy.?

**Romme1** · 07-10-2008, 04:43 PM

The lower the bar is, the more you activate your pecs.

**TR'05** · 07-10-2008, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by willieboy36

hey guys. i dont know bros but ever since ive been benching ive brought the bar between 3-4 inches from my chest...Which i never saw a problem with til i took a video of it and realized i should go down further.. i can bench 320 that way...iive been trying lately and i feel as though it feels like i in full extension for fly's when bringing it down... terrible strain on the shoulder..whilenot much difference in the weight im able to press.just very uncomfortable, mabuye this is because of my body type 6'3(average arm length for height about) rather flat chested. heres a pic./...should i make it a point to touch my chest or do whats comfy.?

If you're benching 4 inches off your chest, you must have pretty strong triceps. You're taking out a pretty significant portion of the range of motion (and additional muscle recruitment IN THE chest).

If it's a shoulder issue, you should try to get that taken care of.

**RuhlFreak55** · 07-10-2008, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by willieboy36

hey guys. i dont know bros but ever since ive been benching ive brought the bar between 3-4 inches from my chest...Which i never saw a problem with til i took a video of it and realized i should go down further.. i can bench 320 that way...iive been trying lately and i feel as though it feels like i in full extension for fly's when bringing it down... terrible strain on the shoulder..whilenot much difference in the weight im able to press.just very uncomfortable, mabuye this is because of my body type 6'3(average arm length for height about) rather flat chested. heres a pic./...should i make it a point to touch my chest or do whats comfy.?

grab wider????? not benching all the way down is just dumb imo......unless ur doin a burn set but even then....

**200byjune** · 07-10-2008, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by RuhlFreak55

grab wider????? not benching all the way down is just dumb imo......unless ur doin a burn set but even then....

when you bench wider your shoulders are put to use.

**RuhlFreak55** · 07-10-2008, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by 200byjune

when you bench wider your shoulders are put to use.

i was always told wider the better......the wider you go the more chest recruitment you get whereas the more narrow you go the more you recruit triceps

**200byjune** · 07-10-2008, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by RuhlFreak55

i was always told wider the better......the wider you go the more chest recruitment you get whereas the more narrow you go the more you recruit triceps

its tuff to say on that. i mean i dont go narrow. i put my arms on the bar. and look at my foearms and see if there a little past parrellell.

**xlxBigSexyxlx** · 07-10-2008, 08:28 PM

Hands slightly wider than shoulder width.
I usually but my ring finger on the rings.

Go down till about a inch from chest.

Explode up without locking arms at top
nice, slow controlled down movement.

**RuhlFreak55** · 07-10-2008, 08:43 PM

see i'm always at least at pointer finger on the ring

**xlxBigSexyxlx** · 07-10-2008, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by RuhlFreak55

see i'm always at least at pointer finger on the ring

Im either ring or middle.

lol Doc.Sust taught me how to bench.

**MFT81** · 07-12-2008, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by xlxBigSexyxlx

Im either ring or middle.

lol Doc.Sust taught me how to bench.

Good placement, also keeping your elbows slightly tucked in instead of straight out like most do.......

**jc95605** · 07-10-2008, 10:27 PM

If your shoulders hurt you so much try to do DB bench. I think its good to switch from BB bench to DB bench every once and awhile anyway. Thats just my opinion tho.

**Darksyde** · 07-11-2008, 12:16 AM

touch and go baby, touch and go.
there is no reason not to touch your chest unless you have some sort of injury that prevents it, or your doing board presses or something like that.

**doolo** · 07-11-2008, 01:25 AM

Try working on your flexibility, it should help you get more depth without the strain. Stretching each pec for 1 minute twice a day should be good.

**doolo** · 07-11-2008, 01:26 AM

You could also try partials in the low range with a really light weight as part of your routine.

**MFT81** · 07-12-2008, 10:05 AM

God-damnit guys, seriously, If you think he needs to go all the way to the chest for a better "recruitment" of pec fibers, then IMO your wrong.

Dude your 6' 3" Im guessing you've got long monkey arms like myself at 6ft. I DO NOT go all the way to my chest. When you do a bench press you need to go down only until you START to feel a stretch along the chest/shoulders. then press it back up WITHOUT fully locking out the elbows.

Why? because any farther only puts strain on the shoulder joint and takes the stress out of the muscle. If its a flexability issue, and you've got internal rotation in the delts, by all means get that corrected, but do not let a certain point on the body dictate wether you've went through a "full range of motion" Bull-shit.

Its ironic that you even feel how it hurts your shoulders and it feels similar to a fly and you feel it less in your chest. FCK that dude go back to how you were doing it before.

If your not a powerlifter and dont need to touch and pause then dont worry about how much distance is left in your bench rom. Feel that chest slighty stretch and blast that shit up under control, squeeze and repeat.

**MFT81** · 07-12-2008, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Globe

I find it better stopping half an inch from your chest, that way you have to use muscle power to stop the bar, not stopping the bar by letting it hit and bounce of your chest, but if you go heavy thats kind of hard.

I agree......

**RapaciousShark** · 07-12-2008, 11:34 AM

4 inches may be right, just depends on the person (tho it sounds high)...you come down until your upper arms are parallel with the ground. Go lower and you risk injuring your shoulder. There was a pro BB who was a customer of mine who told me that a couple years ago and I've done it ever since. 'haven't noticed any problems with strength or gains and had no shoulder injuries. jmo

**Panzerfaust** · 07-12-2008, 08:15 PM

I put my middle fingers on the rings, go all the way down to get that full stretch and then push up never locking the weight out keeping tensio on the pec the whole time.

**kickinit** · 07-12-2008, 10:09 PM

I go about .5-1inch from my chest, basically as far as I feel I need not to bounce the weight and get the max lifting without sacrificing my target area whatever it maybe.

**wilson9d** · 07-13-2008, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by willieboy36

hey guys. i dont know bros but ever since ive been benching ive brought the bar between 3-4 inches from my chest...Which i never saw a problem with til i took a video of it and realized i should go down further.. i can bench 320 that way...iive been trying lately and i feel as though it feels like i in full extension for fly's when bringing it down... terrible strain on the shoulder..whilenot much difference in the weight im able to press.just very uncomfortable, mabuye this is because of my body type 6'3(average arm length for height about) rather flat chested. heres a pic./...should i make it a point to touch my chest or do whats comfy.?

i had the same problem and i had to retrain myself to use a different form. many tall guys have this problem. neext time try this Technique: grab the bar with both hands and space your grip thumbs length from the wide center rings. Pull you chest up towards the bar and squeeze your lats so you shoulder blades pull together then lower your body back down on the bench. Lift the bar to the up position be sure not to lock out your arms so the tension remains on the pecs. Lower the weight down to your chest and pull your elbows in as close as possible to your body on the way down. The bar should be at the bottom of your sternum in the down position. Do not touch your chest at the down position lower the bar until you have ¼ to ¼ inch between the bar and your chest. Pause for a one count. Then explode back to up position.