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Bench press
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ChinkNasty
New member
I never throw my hips off the bench, always keep my feet flat, shoulder blades retracted, and get a good arch in my lower back sometimes but always keep the hips flat on te bench...I do 'tuck' my feet as far back as they'll go (like almost directly under my hammies) though and that will help with the leverage sometimes...
Extra_Strong
Well-known member
Ozz2001 said:
Your back should be ARCHED !!! Your butt should not leave the bench.
shoulder blades together. your traps and you but should be all that touches the bench. well you can rest your head .. and legs like said before..
when you back is arched. it is in its stronges postion..
If you back is flat.. on the bench you are doing it wrong.!!!
here .. look at this.. The Bench Press http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397331
bignate73
New member
i arch just fine. i tuck my legs back so that even with leg drive my hips dont come up, if anything what would be considered my ass MIGHT come up but my legs squeeze the bench so you can't tell. hehe.
as for "don't arch its bad for your back"....says who? certainly not some of the strongest benchers in the world who also happen to load up nearly a half a ton of weight on their back and take it for a ride. they MUST have bad backs.
feet up on the bench while benching seems to be way a riskier move IMO. thats like taking one of the wheels off of a cannon before firing. you just wouldnt take 2 legs off a table and then try to set something heavy on it would you?
want to learn the most effective leverages to move alot of weight, talk to powerlifters and OLY lifters. their sports is based on eliminating wasted movement, longevity in the sport (health) and the most productive lift.
as for "don't arch its bad for your back"....says who? certainly not some of the strongest benchers in the world who also happen to load up nearly a half a ton of weight on their back and take it for a ride. they MUST have bad backs.
feet up on the bench while benching seems to be way a riskier move IMO. thats like taking one of the wheels off of a cannon before firing. you just wouldnt take 2 legs off a table and then try to set something heavy on it would you?
want to learn the most effective leverages to move alot of weight, talk to powerlifters and OLY lifters. their sports is based on eliminating wasted movement, longevity in the sport (health) and the most productive lift.
Anthrax said:
Just my .02 cents here....the bench has long been a lift that has seen the most concentration from the pectoral region strenght...Poper bench strength, and I mean REAL strenght, not triple denm shirts, not super arch and not on tip toes...
The power of the bench lies primarity from the shoulders, back and triceps...the back should stay FLAT on the bench as well as the head with feet underneath you for extra push but FLAT on the floor. When the press is made you should squeeze the lats in and tighten all the muscles including the glutes...Louis Simmons from Wesside Barbell Club has produces some of the strongest benchers around by utilizing these techniques...again, for good bench train TRIS as heavy as possilbe, shoulders, and back...functional strenght lifts I might add not just the bodybuilding type ashetic lifts...This after some practice, shouls yield some dramatic results on your bench...Not to mention assistance lifts for the bench such as floor presses, board presses, chains, bands, etc...I do know what I speak of so any further help just shoot me a PM...and good luck!!!!
Tankm1
Extra_Strong
Well-known member
humm seems to me a big major muscle group was left out hummm MAYBE CHEST!!! but if you do it like he says ya mostly shoulder...tankm1 said:Just my .02 cents here....the bench has long been a lift that has seen the most concentration from the pectoral region strenght...Poper bench strength, and I mean REAL strenght, not triple denm shirts, not super arch and not on tip toes...
The power of the bench lies primarity from the shoulders, back and triceps...the back should stay FLAT on the bench as well as the head with feet underneath you for extra push but FLAT on the floor. When the press is made you should squeeze the lats in and tighten all the muscles including the glutes...Louis Simmons from Wesside Barbell Club has produces some of the strongest benchers around by utilizing these techniques...again, for good bench train TRIS as heavy as possilbe, shoulders, and back...functional strenght lifts I might add not just the bodybuilding type ashetic lifts...This after some practice, shouls yield some dramatic results on your bench...Not to mention assistance lifts for the bench such as floor presses, board presses, chains, bands, etc...I do know what I speak of so any further help just shoot me a PM...and good luck!!!!
Tankm1
what the hell is the deal?? you do not put your back flat on the bench
you arch it simple arch.. WSB ers ARCH there back. you are using them as a ref.. go back up there and read that link.. i posted above.. that is how you bench.. plus you should arch your back or be close in most all exersises.. squat , bench, dead lift,
blut wump
New member
I watched some powerlifting World championship on television a couple of weeks back and almost every bencher had a massive arch in his back. Some more than others but I didn't notice anyone with no arch.
I know what you mean about lifting your glutes off the bench. Sometimes after I've started a set I've lifted my glutes due to being unhappy with my position and I've found that the weight had felt lighter. I've never tried it with a weight near my 1RM. I do know, however, that all the PL federations will fail your lift for doing it and that's usually a sign both that it helps and that it isn't considered safe.
I know what you mean about lifting your glutes off the bench. Sometimes after I've started a set I've lifted my glutes due to being unhappy with my position and I've found that the weight had felt lighter. I've never tried it with a weight near my 1RM. I do know, however, that all the PL federations will fail your lift for doing it and that's usually a sign both that it helps and that it isn't considered safe.
KillahBee
New member
Ozz2001 said:
I went to a bench seminar by Vinny Dizenzo in March during a strongman comp and he broke down all the techniques involved with benching (most of which I had no idea about). He spoke about really arching your lower back, squeezing your shldr blades together, sqzing your ass, and arm/elbow placement. He also spoke about foot placement. It was very interesting (the arching back thing seemed odd to me, but I tried it and it felt better/stronger). He gave several reasons for arching your back, including the idea of pushing your belly up more, which decreases the ROM you have to make with the bar in PL meets. Interesting stuff.
wnt2bBeast
New member
keep your ass on the bench!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
move your feet further behind to help keep your but down .. otherwise the lift is no good if your ass comes off the bench!!!
you got teh right idea squeezing the glutes..thats one thing i need more work on staying tight at the bottom somtimes the weight just wants to flatten you out
move your feet further behind to help keep your but down .. otherwise the lift is no good if your ass comes off the bench!!!
you got teh right idea squeezing the glutes..thats one thing i need more work on staying tight at the bottom somtimes the weight just wants to flatten you out
Illuminati
New member
wnt2bBeast said:
second this one. if you want a massive bench, you got to learn to arch your back. squeeze you shoulder blades together to create a stable platform for your body on the bench. arch your upper and lower back as hard as you can. KEEP YOUR ASS ON THE BENCH. tuck your feet under you...
Extra_Strong
Well-known member
ilpadrone
New member
Illuminati said:
I got into powerlifting at 17 y/o and I have trained with guys here in holland
that bench 500Lbs+ and we always:
1) keep our feet stable on the ground, +-shoulderwide, a bit behind your knees
2) shoulders flat on the bench
3) back arched good, but ass on the bench!
I know you didn't asked for it, but try practice your breathing, this helped me
a lot to handle more weight. I see too many fail with this so;
1) Breathe in as much as you can on the way down (linearly, reaching max volume in the lungs when you tip your chest)
2) Keep that breath in only short!-till you're over your dead-point, then
immediatly start exhaling by letting escape the air controlled (making sort of TSSSSSS sound)
Good Luck, SF
Akahpellah02
New member
i heard that when u arch ur back the reason why it is easier is because u are making the distance you have to lift the weight much smaller... for real strength gains in your chest ur back should stay flat imo
Extra_Strong
Well-known member
Akahpellah02 said:
it will not effect the chest as much. if you are flat..
you always should arch your back.. is it how the body it made it is most effectiant. you should try doing incline with your back straight.. good luck with that..
DaPit26
New member
i try not to arch except for maybe that one last extra rep. I'm benching 360 now at the end of my set and when i arch with that much weight i always feel a shitty pull in my lower back. that's why i really don't try and arch unless if i really have to. i may arch on a maxout though. It just seems that if you want to build your chest, don't cheat.
wnt2bBeast
New member
bignate73 said:
im not sure how he can set an arch holding ANY weight in his hands let alone 365?????lol
wnt2bBeast
New member
lilpumper said:
i saw the funniest thing..
guy with his feet up on the bench pulled in close so that his heels are near his butt..belt on with like 165 on the bar lol and he would bench and then he would bring his ass up to te bar and he was grunting loudly the whole time lol
i really had no clue what it was he was trying to accomplish lol
Quadsweeps Sister
New member
wnt2bBeast said:
He was using his "Reverse (butt) Thrusters" to catapult the weight up into the atmosphere.
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Mythicwrld
"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more."
Jim Ouini
New member
I always assumed butt on the bench was a rule. I'm no powerlifter but in competition if it comes off I thought it was cause for disqualification.
Practically speaking if we'd see someone with their butt off the bench on inclines we joked he was doing flat, if his butt was off the bench doing flat we said he was doing declines.
There was one guy at the gym like that.
Practically speaking if we'd see someone with their butt off the bench on inclines we joked he was doing flat, if his butt was off the bench doing flat we said he was doing declines.
There was one guy at the gym like that.
Ok fellas, lets beat this dead horse up a bit more shall we?
Some futher points and some from reading other threads...
There are a dozen ways to skin a cat but the bottom line is how hard did you work at it to skin it? (Wicked analogy I know)
The chest (pecs) has small mucles in relative size to the rest of the upper body, traps, delts, poterior and anterior...not to mention the rear of the upper and lower latismus area...
Ive seen Chinese lifters basically bend backwards to perform a lift with an arm;s lenth of about 9 inches!!!!! Now can u imagine what this looks like? Green lights or not!!!!
I never said there was anything wrong witha TIGHT small back , natural arch...our backs are made with natural arch curvatures or therefore our bending and meneuvering would look and seem robotic..What I meant what that the back itself, uppper and lower including the glutes should all be extremely squeezed together along with the lats when the press goes. If someone wants to keep that SMALL natural arch in the back area that is perfectly fine...WHEN people start arching that back in the hopes of a couple of extra inches they are inviting invterbrate trouble as well as possible sciatic nerve strains....
The CHEST does play a part in the bench but not to the extent most novice benchers would realize...the chest mucles need work and if you think about it , once the bar reaches the line away from the chest area after a few inches what takes over? The squeezing lat muslces, the strong shoulders, the the TRIPCEPS....Why do you think benchers wear bench shirts...to prevent injuries? Well yes but more No than yes...The tighter the shirt in the pec area the more spring the shirt will give off the bottom allowing the Tris and the shoulders to take over...
What gets my goat is the guys that wear triple denim suits that require a football team to assist gettin it on!!!! That coupled with a back arch of 18 inches and a guy who has stubs for arms, this to me is NOT a true bench but harks on the problem of bench powerlifting....
I have ever only competed in an Inzer single ply poly as was required and believe it or not, that single poly prob gave me an extra 20-30lbs of spring off the bottom area of chest, no shi#!!!!! But the meets were strict as for as arching ass on the bench and feet had to be FLAT on the floor for duration of lift after good pause and rack signal...
I feel most bench meets these days should be RAW with a pause to see what MEN can REALLY DO!!! It has gotten out of hand....
As far as the comment on squats and deads, of course you must bend your back, if you didnt have a nice straight tight arch then you'd end up in a whell chair!!!!!! BUT don't think that if you do 100 dumbell presses and 2000flyes during a chest workout your bench will trmemendously improve...It would actually have a less negative effect on you...Also, since Im ranting...I also suggets doing bench assistance lifts on bench days versus actual benching!!! This could be different height board presses with nice pauses, floor presses, close grips with bands and chains, amonst a ton of other things....also, when you have strong TRI's as one should for bench meets, when you decline and press, your arms should be tucked closer towards your sides downward and push up with a slight arch to your lockout position...this will take out some of those weaker pec muscles some of the beach boys like and may cause injuries if your arms come out too far such as bicep tears , etc.
I hope some of my conjecture has helped a few and for those that feel Im full of shite, well, it happens, I will continue to train and get strong and you will continue to train and get strong as well...to each their own...
Good luck everyone!!!!! Happy Benching!!!
Tankm1
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