Powerlifting VS Bodybuilding

**Skyler** · 06-23-2010, 05:15 PM

OK, so though I train like a bodybuilder, when I do basic compound movement, like bench press, deadlift, or squat, I perform them like a powerlifter.
When i do a chest day, I always start with either flat bench, or incline bench.
When i do flat bench, I arch my back, I use a pretty wide grip, and though I do a few warm up sets with 10-15 reps, my working sets are in the 2-6 rep range (only for bench press, nothing else)
I have never had a bench press related injury, EVER.
Well, my big buddy comes down to my gym to work out with me today and its chest day. We start with bench. Now he benches completely different. He goes completely flat back, narrow/medium grip, and does it very slow and controlled on the way down, with a light touch, then presses back up. I do my reps faster, with a "hard" touch and go approach.
The way i do bench is what works for me. I get regular strength gains, my chest feels great, and my chest is actually one of my dominant bodyparts.
Well, as we bench, he starts giving me crap about my technique, says that I might be using more momentum than muscle.
So just to shut him up, I bench like him, flat back, high up on my chest (above my nipples, where usually I land the bar right below them), controlled reps, etc. The only thing I didn't change was my grip.

Well guess what happened!? I DID get all the same weight i usually do, except after bench, boy oh boy did my front delt/pec minor/collar bone hurt! It hurt the whole rest of the workout, and now I am at home, and it is worse than ever.
My FIRST BENCH PRESS RELATED INJURY!!!!
And all because I did bench press, as he refers to it, the "right" way.

What I am asking is two things really:
1)What are some different opinions on how bench press should be performed
2)What type of injury do you think I may have?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

**goodlifting** · 06-23-2010, 11:03 PM

im with you as far as technique on bench pressing is concerned. i was taught to keep a tight arch in my back and feel the pressure on my upper back.

benching with your lower back flat against the bench while bringing the bar down a bit higher on your chest is going to put more pressure on your shoulders. i believe if you used the same weight that you use with your usual technique was too much for your shoulders to take with the trial tech that your buddy used. this is most likely why you strained yourself.

i've been to plenty of powerlifting competitions and seen accomplished lifters use the tight arch technique without injuring themselves (aside from freak accidents).

i believe that keeping your lower back, lats, shoulder blades relatively tight will lower the chance of injury while competitively benching or doing a bodybuilding wo.

however, if anyone else has any other input in concern for maximizing bodybuilding gains for the chest please chime in.

**CDiesel313** · 08-12-2010, 02:35 PM

Next time you bench throw a light weight on the bar, probably around 95lbs. Have your buddy stand on the side of you and bench your normal way (bach arched etc.) and have him tell you how far your elbows come down once the bar is at your chest. They shouldn't go too far past your body at all if any. Then bench like him, flat back etc and do the same thing. Odds are, when you bench like your friend, your shoulders will go past the bench causing a greater rotation and strain. If you're used to benching like a powerlifter don't switch to please him. Your shoulders will catch hell benching like your buddy.

Watch this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh3t6T-nqP0

Dave also just put out another series of videos called "So you think you can bench?" Very informative videos on technique. Especially for powerlifters...

**zabster151** · 08-12-2010, 04:51 PM

ok so bench press if you want a big wide chest get a nice wide grip preferably ring finger on the outside line on a BENCH BAR NOT A SQUAT BAR. they are set up for more of a close grip bench witch is more trycep then chest. and for the arching your back thing you do not want to do that unless its your last rep and only if you have to. consider it your body giving your chest a push. first of all its bad because it hurts your disks and nervs in your back. second its taking away from your chest workout when you do it every rep. remeber most of your gains are in the negative. lightly tap your chest then drive it up

as for your injury its probably from doing the fast reps with to much weight straind rotator cuf and strained tendons around collor bones. i sugest lower the weight reps between 10-12 through some creatine in because it floods the muscles with water thats why it makes you look puffy helps with the rcovory glutamine wont hurt eather.

**CDiesel313** · 08-12-2010, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by zabster151

ok so bench press if you want a big wide chest get a nice wide grip preferably ring finger on the outside line on a BENCH BAR NOT A SQUAT BAR. they are set up for more of a close grip bench witch is more trycep then chest. and for the arching your back thing you do not want to do that unless its your last rep and only if you have to. consider it your body giving your chest a push. first of all its bad because it hurts your disks and nervs in your back. second its taking away from your chest workout when you do it every rep. remeber most of your gains are in the negative. lightly tap your chest then drive it up

as for your injury its probably from doing the fast reps with to much weight straind rotator cuf and strained tendons around collor bones. i sugest lower the weight reps between 10-12 through some creatine in because it floods the muscles with water thats why it makes you look puffy helps with the rcovory glutamine wont hurt eather.

I'm pretty sure he means he sets up on the bench with an arched back. Not that he arches his back in the middle of a rep in order to push the rep out. That being the case, he isn't taking away from chest development at all. When you roll your shoulder blades into the bench and set up with your lower back arched you still get all the same benefits plus more. You reduce the risk of injury to your shoulders plus you're able to use more weight and I shouldn't have to tell you what that means. As far as possibly going to fast, I can see the point there. Especially with the heavy weight...

**zabster151** · 08-12-2010, 05:17 PM

i thought he was meaning every rep just to get it out. dident want to see him injure himself basically i am saying "form over weight"

**heyyallsup** · 08-15-2010, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Skyler

Well guess what happened!? I DID get all the same weight i usually do, except after bench, boy oh boy did my front delt/pec minor/collar bone hurt! It hurt the whole rest of the workout, and now I am at home, and it is worse than ever.
My FIRST BENCH PRESS RELATED INJURY!!!!
And all because I did bench press, as he refers to it, the "right" way.

What I am asking is two things really:
1)What are some different opinions on how bench press should be performed
2)What type of injury do you think I may have?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'm recovering from that same problem right now. The physical therapist told me that if you user the same heavy weight with back arched and then without the back arch, an injury will likely occur because you loose RC stability.

Good luck!