Bench Presses, How deep?

[the_paradise_garage]

Ok I searched for this info but found nothing
my gym instructor told me to do bench press just going down til my arms are on a 90° angle... but, i have seen some guys going lower and some guys even hitting their chest while doing this...
what do you guys think is better?

 

[sysopt]

Depends on how long your arms are and depends how big your torso is. Even if you have long arms and a smaller torso, I think you could go a little below parallel.

 

[Freak Show]

It also depends on if you have a preexisting shoulder problem. In that case I would stop at 90 deg. or at least fold up some towels and place em on your chest. If you don't have shoulder problems, I say use a fuller range of motion and touch your chest.

 

[muscledog95]

To prevent bouncing try going all the way down but dont touch the chest. Hits the chest,trics, and shoulders hard

 

[theoak01]

i touch my chest but dont bounce

 

[Ingram]

The bar should touch your chest (touch not bounce). The only reason one would not bring the bar all the way to the chest is if he/she has a shoulder problem. You can only train so much in one day, you might as well train properly.

 

[The mann]

i say bring the bar to your chest but touch a little lower .....if you are touching high on your chest your shoulders rotate more and you feel pain when you have a injury..i have fucked up both shoulders so i had to change my form and it was for the better.i bring the bar below my nipple and pain is ALOT less.i definately would touch my chest with the bar...check form as i stated and see if that helps........

 

[muscledog95]

I touch my chest as well, ive just experiemented and it seems a lot harder to go all the way down but not touching the chest. Just my experience

 

[riskybizz007]

it depends on how my shoulder feels. If it's ok i go all the way down, but usually just an inch or 2 above the chest. If shoulder hurts i'll go down about 5" before i hit my chest. Feels a lot better doing it that way, but a lot more difficult going heavy.

 

[the_paradise_garage]

I know! i can lift a lot more when i just do it 90°

 

[FarBeyondDriven]

I used to always stop about an inch or two above my chest. I have been trying to go all the way down but impossible with heavy weight. And the shoulder issue is definetely true, I hurt my left rotator cuff two years ago and it will flare up if I am not careful

 

[DaCypher]

I've been told that below 90° (where you upper arm is parallel with the ground) the stress is taken off of you chest and put more on your shoulder. So if you want to work your chest you shouldn't have to go below parallel. This could be wrong, its just what I've heard. I don't do bb benchpressing very often so I don't worry about it.

 

[needsize]

Bodybuilding is all about range of motion, you may not be able to bench as much by bringing it all the way to your chest, but do you want a heavy half bench or a fully developed chest?

 

[bignate73]

Bodybuilding is all about range of motion, you may not be able to bench as much by bringing it all the way to your chest, but do you want a heavy half bench or a fully developed chest?

that being said then, it would make more sense to do just cable flyes in order to work the pec major's full range of motion. bench pressing is a movement specific motion, not muscle specific. many muscles working together to press, how much each muscle is working at different points in the range of motion is whats being discussed. below 90 the leverage changes and the anterior delt picks up the slack. if someone is benching for chest only, then a shorter "range of motion" would be better and safer, but still would hinder a full contraction/range of motion for pecs, since the hands are fixed and not allowed to come in.

 

[needsize]

I agree that below 90 degrees the anterior delts do take up more of the slack, but the chest is still involved. I think it's the same as squats below parallel, a popular line of thought is that below parallel your glutes are doing all the work, I disagree though. I have found, in my training anyway, that once I started taking those exercises below 90 degrees that my chest/quads became far more developed.
Just my 2 cents though

 

[estropes]

I always bring it down to my chest slowly. Touch my chest for a count of 1 and push back up. That way I know I'm not cheating by bouncing.

 

[Lord_Suston]

Alwaysbring the bar to your chest but do not slam it on the chest. Try to bringg it to the nipples becauselower my cause more emfasis on your teis and higher will hurt your rotator cuffs. Unless you have an injury you should always perform a full length rep cause patial do not stretch the whole muscle belly.

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

um, I'd have to take a good look at the chest of someone that says dont touch your chest with the bar while benching. Were you impressed with his development? Even better than benching are dumbbell presses which allow an even greater stretch.

 

[DaCypher]

heavywear,

Well, the funny thing is, the guy that told me that was a hardcore powerlifter, he is going to break the record for bench press in the over 60 year old category. So he goes all the way down to his chest because of powerlifting rules. So I haven't actually seen anyone not go all the way down (that really knew what they were doing and weren't just cheating by doing half reps).

And yes, I'm a huge fan of dumbbell pressing.