Arching Back in the Bench Press

[musketeer]

A month ago I was trying to bench three plates for the first time and lifted my butt off the bench. My back hurt a little at the time but it's been aching ever since and I can't train more than light. I regularly deadlift with 500lbs and have bent rowed with 275. What's up with my back?

 

[WODIN]

Lower back.

You do good mornings? Focuse on those for a while.

 

[B182]

YOu should only arch your back if your goal is powerlifting competitive performance. In a PL meet, you arch your back (but your butt stays planted on the bench) because it minimizes the distance of the bar between your sternum and maximum elbow flexion, reducing the overall range of movement making the exercise easier due to less work performed so greater weights can be lifted. If you're not training to be a powerlifter, keep your back flat on the bench. And if you are training to be one, keep your ass planted on the bench!

 

[instynct999]

Rest that back for now

do supported movement like machine rows and seated curls and the like

wait til the strain heals before putting undue stress to the area

you ca still lift heavy if you do movements that do not require the lumbar regionlowback-structure integrity to be compromised

 

[squatilupuk]

i had the same problem i started working just free weights for about 8 weeks on the flat bench no regular bar presses went back to the bench with the bar and fixed the problem plus a hell of a lot stronger

 

[Andy13]

A month ago I was trying to bench three plates for the first time and lifted my butt off the bench. My back hurt a little at the time but it's been aching ever since and I can't train more than light. I regularly deadlift with 500lbs and have bent rowed with 275. What's up with my back?

Bro-
Sorry to hear about your injury.. It sucks having to go light.

The best advice you could get in this thread with the information you gave is go get it checked out

Not even Ms. Cleo could tell you what exercises you should or should not be doing.

Take your injury seriously.. Back injuries have a way of sticking around for a while.. and coming back to haunt.

 

[roidpuple]

why not try the chiropractor???
and they are full of info also..

 

[TheProject]

Chiro's a good idea, as are active recovery GM's with a jump stretch band.

 

[roidpuple]

what is an active recovery GM's ?

 

[TheProject]

what is an active recovery GM's ?

What is Active Recovery (AR)?

Just as the name would suggest, AR involves engaging in activities that promote healing in your body. In contrast, passive recovery involves lying around until you feel better. Why would you want to recover faster? Whether you’re looking to gain size, strength, or both, you can do more, and do it more often, if you are recovering quickly. Most athletes are familiar with the process of ripping, and then allowing healing, as it pertains to weight training. This is why it’s rare to see someone training a muscle two days in a row. Unfortunately, some lifters seem to suffer from amnesia once they leave the gym, as they only tend to work for half of the results, completely ignoring the other side of the progress equation: recovery. Over-training/under-recovering can lead to symptoms such as decreased performance, chronic muscle soreness, weight loss, and lack of “fire” in the weight room. The resting heart rate and blood pressure may rise, and sleep patterns are altered. Worst of all, the immune system is compromised and begins to fail. Not only does it fail to perform, but it fails to tell you what is wrong so that you can correct it. This is the onset of illness and injury, irritability, fatigue.

The idea behind AR is to get fresh blood and oxygen flowing through the muscle. A superior form of AR will allow you to avoid eccentric tension on the muscle, which is important, as this phase creates a catabolic environment. This catabolism initiates an anabolic repair response in your body. The last thing you want to do is interfere with this process, as this can mean impeding growth, progress, and potentially overtraining the muscle. So how can you work the muscle without interfering in the healing process? The most common way, until recently, was to simply lift very light weights, or engage in some light cardio like walking. Other forms of AR include massage, hot/cold therapy, stretching, and soaking. Different muscles heal at different rates for various reasons, but you can help them along in just 20-30 minutes a day.

There's a definition for you. GM is just an abbreviation for good morning. If your gym has jumpstretch bands (or some other kind of elastic band), you can stand in the band, feet about shoulder width, put the band around the back of your neck, and do arched back standing good mornings.