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Can some people just not bench alot?

G

G Lapagola

New member
i have trouble gaining alot in bench compared to my workout partners. i crush them in all other aspects of lifting except when it comes to flat barbell bench. i have a far superior back, bis, tris, legs, shoulders, and better in most chest. however i just cant compete in bench. i know its an ego thing, but i wish i could bench more. any ideas? thanks.

ps- 6'2" 200, been training 3 years.

chest:
flat bb-6,4,2,1
incline db-7,5,3
flys-3x8 or so
dips-3x failure.

i take all sets to failure
 
Your height is the reason your bench suffers. A 30" arm lifts twice as much weight as a 15" arm when the bar has the same weight for both lifters. I am taller than you by a couple inches. I use 230 on the seated row and lat pulldown which is 15 pounds more than I weigh and more than I work out with on the bench. Guys say my long arms help on exercises I'm good at...that is bullshit.
Another possibility is that some people don't have the right shoulder joints for benching.
 
Do not worry.The bench press is an overated exercise in my opinion anyway.I personally do dumbell presses instead.Also remember you should only try to better your own lifting maximums rather than the people you train with,that type of ego competition can lead to accidents and injury.
 
Could be your form. Here's a great link for form on the bench:

http://www.testosterone.net/html/body_115b600.html

You shouldn't train under three reps very often because you'll adapt very quickly and not make strength gains. Work on the weak links: triceps, delts, and definately do some external rotator cuff work if you never had. They are essential for shoulder stability. To a certain extent your back is involved in the exercise, so start doing some real back work!!

Here's the link for working external rotators, one of them is a cable, the other is a dumbell:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Infraspinatus/CBExternalRotation.html

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Infraspinatus/DBExternalRotation.html

My bench is also horrible and I did some reseach and this is what I found. Good luck to you and strengthen yourself!
 
Last edited:
Athleticfreak,

Yea, I'm a big dumbbell press fan. I haven't done bb bench press in a while.

Test boy,

Taller guys have the disadvantage of having to move the weight a greater distance. However, they have the advantage of tortue on their side. The longer your arms the less force you have to exert to move a particular weight. Think of a wrench, its a lot easier to losen a bolt with a larger wrench.
 
I'm the same way man. I'm roughly your size and I've been at it for eight years now. Best I've ever been able to bench is 275. It used to bother me to, the ego thing and all. But you learn to accept it as a weak spot, like everyone has. It's ultimately no big deal.
 
DaCypher said:

Taller guys have the disadvantage of having to move the weight a greater distance. However, they have the advantage of tortue on their side. The longer your arms the less force you have to exert to move a particular weight. Think of a wrench, its a lot easier to losen a bolt with a larger wrench.
Click to expand...

No actually they have torque against them. Think of a seesaw.

Imagine a fat person sitting on far end of the thing and your muscles are at the pivot point trying to lift him up, If he moved closer in you would have alot easier of a time.

Its exactly way the further out the dumbbell flys are from your body the harder they are.





For twisting things you would have the advantage like you said.
Because now you the one at the fatguys end and your working againts the pivot point so the farter out you are the easier wrenching would be. (though no one twists w/ there arms straight out and its more a amtter of grip)
 
Enock said:


No actually they have torque against them. Think of a seesaw.

Imagine a fat person sitting on far end of the thing and your muscles are at the pivot point trying to lift him up, If he moved closer in you would have alot easier of a time.

Its exactly way the further out the dumbbell flys are from your body the harder they are.





For twisting things you would have the advantage like you said.
Because now you the one at the fatguys end and your working againts the pivot point so the farter out you are the easier wrenching would be. (though no one twists w/ there arms straight out and its more a amtter of grip)
Click to expand...
Enock is right on the money. I'm so sick of seeing 5'5" guys with 550 lb. bench presses that raise the bar 5" when they put their hands by the weights. Then they tell me my long arms help me!:mad: This has been explained ad nauseum in various fitness publications and physics courses.
 
Bodybuilding is more about range of motion than about weight, longer arms means a longer range of motion on the bench which I think makes it a more effective exercise.
I'm not real tall but have long monkey arms, great deadlift as a result but have never been strong on the bench, but the flip side is my chest is generally more developed than the guys in my gym that bench more.
It's all about perspective.....
 
needsize said:
Bodybuilding is more about range of motion than about weight, longer arms means a longer range of motion on the bench which I think makes it a more effective exercise.
I'm not real tall but have long monkey arms, great deadlift as a result but have never been strong on the bench, but the flip side is my chest is generally more developed than the guys in my gym that bench more.
It's all about perspective.....
Click to expand...

Very well said. It's all relative.
 
I consider a good bench press based on how much weight you can workout with based on your bodyweight. For example, if a person weighs 160lbs and can rep with 225lbs, I consider that person a good bench presser. Of course, genetics plays a large role. I do believe that people with long arms struggle. I see numerous guys who are over 6 feet struggle with bench presses and squats. . .these movements do not look comfortable.
 
needsize said:
Bodybuilding is more about range of motion than about weight, longer arms means a longer range of motion on the bench which I think makes it a more effective exercise.
I'm not real tall but have long monkey arms, great deadlift as a result but have never been strong on the bench, but the flip side is my chest is generally more developed than the guys in my gym that bench more.
It's all about perspective.....
Click to expand...

also, the longer the range of motion the more muscle fiber stimulation
 
Right on the money, short guys with barrel chests and short arms like Franco Colombo excelled at benching becuase of their proportions.
Taler guys with looong arms- (I'm one of the being 6'3" with very long arms, suck at benching a lot of the time.
It's funny to hear a much shorter guy with the Franco type build say a taller leaner guy doesn't know as much because he can't bench nearly as much-- it might possibly be the other way around.......
 
I've got short arms, but I have very shallow and small frame/chest/ribcage


so what does that make me? Normal? :spit:
 
I feel the same way... I am 6-1, but my wingspan is about 6'-6". I have just accepted that its lower than everyone else, and just remember that I can squat and dead lift almost twice as much as my workout partner that benches the same.
 
I have VERY long arms too...VERY long arms.

If you are concerned with your bench press...then train it like a powerlifter and hammer your weaknesses till they are your strong points!!!

No excuses...just do it...

B True
 
I am 6'2" with a pretty long wingspan. I can nearly scratch my knees standing up...lol. I'll check...

Just measured...77" wingspan...

B True
 
I am 6'2 and a half mabey 6'3 with a 78' inch reach.

I used to suck at benching but I have worked on it hard for about a year and a half and now I can bench 415 without a bench shirt. I used to suck at benching and I used to attribute it to my long arms but that long armed thing is BULLSHIT! it is no excuse at all you just need to work hard at it and say "I dont care how long my arms are I will become a great bencher and who gives a fuck what short armed bencher can do I will pass most of them anyways!" YOU WILL SUCCEED AT BENCHING YOU LONG ARMED MAGGOTS!! :mix:
 
CytoMel said:
I am 6'2 and a half mabey 6'3 with a 78' inch reach.

I used to suck at benching but I have worked on it hard for about a year and a half and now I can bench 415 without a bench shirt. I used to suck at benching and I used to attribute it to my long arms but that long armed thing is BULLSHIT! it is no excuse at all you just need to work hard at it and say "I dont care how long my arms are I will become a great bencher and who gives a fuck what short armed bencher can do I will pass most of them anyways!" YOU WILL SUCCEED AT BENCHING YOU LONG ARMED MAGGOTS!! :mix:
Click to expand...

AMEN!!!

B True
 
If height has anyting to do with it, then there are alot of men out there, taller than me, with some 'splainin to do. :lmao:
 
vinylgroover said:
Funny how most of the guys i see at my gym with big bench numbers have shit chest development.
Click to expand...

Remember...one does not necessarilly cause the other. I have a decent chest and I flat bench...and have done 427 without a shirt or a liftoff...AND on my crappy bench. I think I MIGHT could get 445-450 on a good bench with a liftoff...but who knows till I actually do it.

I also do inclines:)

B True
 
I know that from a physics standpoint arm length should matter, but Ironmaiden and I were chatting one day and it came up that neither one of us are "built to bench" yet we are both in the 250-300 range. So many factors...speed, form, etc, make a difference. I have REALLY long arms....but if you build up the traps, drive with the legs, bench to the sternum, tuck tight, use a max wide grip...you can work yourself into an 8 inch bench stroke. Add speed to that, and you're all set.
 
b fold the truth said:


Remember...one does not necessarilly cause the other. I have a decent chest and I flat bench...and have done 427 without a shirt or a liftoff...AND on my crappy bench. I think I MIGHT could get 445-450 on a good bench with a liftoff...but who knows till I actually do it.

I also do inclines:)

B True
Click to expand...

True. I have hardly ever done flat bench. I only do incline and dips and my chest has come up great. I see countless gymgoers relentlessly trying to improve their flat bench numbers (mainly through ego driven reasons) yet their chest development is sadly lacking.


I think incline is a superior movement for attaining a good chest. Just my opinion
 
I agree that people with really long arms do have a disadvantage on flat bb. I don't know if they are lifting TWICE what the smaller guy is doing (the 30inch to 15inch comparison)...but there definitely is an advantage to having shorter arms. This carries through to most pushing excercises.

on the flipside, guys with longer arms have an advantage on pulling-type excercises. I see skinny tall guys all the time do good weight with preachers, standing bb curls, etc... they have more leverage in that aspect.

As for me? I'm 5'8 and I can't bench BB for SHIT. My max is around 315 for 4-6 reps (I weigh 195). At the same time, I do 140lb db's for reps...I am much better at db than bb here. I have no idea why
 
I bench around 70 - 80 lbs only...its only one month since I started training though.......doing it for the first time in my life.......5 ' 11, 220 lbs, 29% BF

Raj
 
Hey Raj... I started benching 65lbs on the flat bench when I was 5'11 123 lbs... so don't worry man... we all start somewhere... :)
 
StRoNg_WoN said:
Hey Raj... I started benching 65lbs on the flat bench when I was 5'11 123 lbs... so don't worry man... we all start somewhere... :)
Click to expand...

Yep!!! Good post...

B True
 
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