About Benching

[Pi Kapp729]

here is the deal... the controlled rep of lightly touching your chest and exploding up until just before your arms lock is what most consider the ideal press. But if you want to build power and size you need lift with more weight and when lifting more weight your shoulders will not be able to move the weight at the bottom of the lift, therefore one must cheat(in moderation) to complete the lift. This statement should not be construed to mean every lift should be with more weight than one can gracefully control. Variety is the key! Slow controlled with light as well as going heavy and cheating to a certain extent to place maximum resistance on the pecs.

 

[bouncer]

Fuck 'HARD' that made me laugh

I'm a chest toucher, with my elbows flaired out parallel with the bar to minimize tricep involment. But who here does dips in their chest routine ?, I always do, and like barbell benching I always touch my chest to the dips cross member. Which means bring my arms well below parallel giving my pecs another kick ass stretch.

Regards

Bouncer

 

[MadCow1]

Wow - this thread went from proper execution to a "why it's okay for me to cheat" thread.

I have long arms too - I still touch my chest. This is called the bench press. It's about executing a movement not about how life is unfair and you can't bench as much as a short armed guy if you are forced to touch.

If you have a variation of the movement (a kinder term for cheating) then don't call it 'bench press'. It may work far better for your body type but it is not a 'bench press'. Your shoulders may not allow you to do the 'bench press'. Perform the movement your body allows but do not be deluded into thinking you are 'bench pressing'.

This is like the chicken legged fuckin' A who squats with 400 and never gets close to parallel. He would be pinned to the ground if he ever attempted a strict 225.

 

[Riker29]

Anyone that really knows anatomy is going to tell you to NOT hit your chest, or even touch it.

That stretches things out too far, and places too much stress on the anterior deltoids and other parts of your shoulder as well (and take you that much close to tearing a rotator cuff).

There are SOME (few) people that can go that low and not cause potential damage, but they are the excpetion.

Kerks24 has it right.


Trust me, a lot of the reason guys have shoulder hurt a lot is NOT due to DOMS, or even some shouler exercies, its becuase they place undue stres on their shoulder while benching (and they do lateral raises wrong as well - but that a whole other problem).

 

[champion]

.

How far you lower the bar depends on your body type. For skinny people (I'm one of them) lowering hte bar all the way to your chest loads the anterior deltoids too much. THis is dangerous because the anterior deltoids were not designed to support this much weight at that angle. You are also not benefiting your chest by lowering it that far. I agree with lowering the bar slowly and in a controlled manner with a very slight pause at the bottom but the distance needs to be judged by the lifter. You need to be intune with your body and feel at what point the load is being taken off you're pecs and being placed on your delts, at that point, stop and begin the concentric portion of the rep.

All you guys that feel like you've ripped your armpits the day after you bench are going to far down and hurting your delts. The only reason for not going that low is there is no additional benefit to it and it MAY cause injury.

EXACTLY!!!

 

[MadCow1]

What is anatomically correct for the body or ideal for an individual is of no consequence.

There is a proper execution to the bench press lift. Any variation is just that - a variation - and not 'technically' correct.

I wish everyone the best when training but a bench press is a bench press and if you don't follow the correct technique you are using a variation. Call it a 'half press' if you want but it does not qualify as the classical lift.

For example - no one awards medals for someone who cleans a weight and then chooses not to jerk it because it may cause joint discomfort. Nice clean - Red lights - next lifter.

 

[Spunky]

I like to put 4 plates on each side and have a buddy get on each side of the bar and lift it for me... i always make sure there are alot of people around so i can look like im doing it..

ever see those guys that load up a shitload of weight and kindda just sit on the bench but u never see em lift it? I guess they do that so ppl will think they can bench that much. who knows.

 

[vdevil]

I squat ass to the floor. and pull my deadlifts off the ground. I do not touch the bar to my chest......I
I feel my chest stop working and my shoulders kicking in. I want to keep maximum tension on my chest, not my shoulders. I do that on shoulder day.

It destroys my shoulders and causes much pain on chest day. To tell you the truth, I like dumbells alot more.

I dont want huge overpowering front delts like most of the p. lifters I know and mostly everyone else for that matter. Stopping an inch or two above the chest allows me to avoid this.

 

[bissenmir]

Last night everyone did bench proper. Now it's ok to cheat. I'm with madcow1 on the press.

What about squats.

How many of you go all the way down to 90degrees, pause and lift? or do they hurt your knees?

 

[Crag]

Nice link, Wrogun
(http://www.gymamerica.com/gti/exercise/exercise_animated_demo_index/1,4263,1_,00.html)

BUT I CAN NOT BELIEVE THEY FORGOT PULL OVER IN CHEST EXERCISES!!!
One of the most effective chest exercises i suppose.