Db bench press

[BlondBomber]

I would have to disagree with you bignate73. The form that powerlifiters utilizie while performing the bench press is good for two things: 1. strengthening the bench press motion, 2. developing the delts and triceps. It is true that if you ask most PLers that they will contend that they get enough chest work, but that is false. I once had a PLer tell me that floor press and board presses would hit my chest hard enough in response to an inquiry of mine into the fact that my chest being underdeveloped (this was at the time when I was PLing competitively). Also, most PLers have too high of a level of bodyfat to tell if they have good chest development, and the lean ones I have met normally have overdeveloped delts and triceps. Johhnie Jackson is one of the few PLers that I have ever seen that has good chest development, this is due in larger part to his old school non-Westside style of training.

 

[curgeo]

If you get pec stimulation from it, give it a shot....but make sure whatever you do doesn't hurt. Do inclines hurt your shoulder? Howabout fly movements. Make sure to experiment with different positions....you will know what activates your chest and what doesn't.

I am a powerlifter and I tend to agree with blonde. I was a bodybuilder for years so my chest development is pretty good, but most of us don't work our chest to improve our lift. I do work because I want to maintain a little chest mass and it helps when getting the explosion of the chest without a shirt. When I train my bench I mostly do an ME movement and 1 or 2 tricep exercises as this is the most important to get lockout.

I agree with Nate in the fact that a lot of PLifters have good chest development from what I have seen. You still get some pec stimulation, but not BB pec stim from pressing the way we do.

gt....usually when I press I have palms facing together and I do get a chest benefit from it, but again, you need to experiment with your own body to find out what works. Do a couple of different exercises to see what hits your chest the best. Just make sure to keep your elbows a little tighter to your body like Nate said. It's the rotation on your shoulders that is causing you pain. You might even try not coming so far down when you press. I don't touch my chest when doing incline barbell press, not because I am trying to shorten the ROM but because if I go any farther, it hurts too much.

I think when you press with your palms facing each other your elbows are tighter to your body and when you bench normally, you flair your elbows out....Am I correct?

 

[bignate73]

here is how i understand things:

if you are weak off the chest ie: the beginning part of the ROM, you need to work your lats and chest more. more rowing, pullups, illegally wide bp, db press, palms facing, floor presses in some cases. this is how i understand it.

the further up your ROM that you are weak, the more delt and tricep you need to add in. more floor presses, board presses.

understanding the transition to dominance of each muscle group throughout the movement can help those that use this compound movement as a "chest builder" or whatnot. then that trainee can select exercises that are more specific. whoever told blondbomber that board presses would help his chest was misinformed. generally speaking board presses are great for lockout work, working with a shirt.

the next thing to consider is ROM of the humerus. here is the test, how much ROM do you have with an elbows flared BP? now tucking the elbows a bit how much more ROM do you have? maybe thats not the only argument to substantiate my claim, but then we have flexibility. most people who bench elbows wide can't touch their chest without shoulder pain, because the ant. delt is stretched so much. even less ROM and a potential red flag! so its a matter of possible "max" stimulation in the eyes of BB'er, with greater injury potential OR less stimulation, as its thought, and a more safe movement.

next argument: constant tension. constant tension is bunk as it relates to this movement. if you want constant tension do slow flyes. you'll get more ROM and thus more tension throughout this ROM. The point of a compound movement is progressive overload. you can progressively overload a group of muscles and also distribute it over multi joints. keep the constant tension stuff to isolation movements, that involve only one joint. you don't hear about people bragging on a PR on side raises, flyes, or leg extension. its not thier purpose.

So here is the choice:
bench safe, bench specific to the "weak" points you want to bring up (if its cosmetic, learn the mechanics of a bench press and find out what exercises you need to use to target that area), use isolation exercises as accessories. moderate rep flies as a follow up. just like a PL'er will do max effort work, which would seemingly fry their triceps, then do some moderate tricep work later in the workout or later in the week to keep improving.

just my take. its hard to apply PL'ing principles when the lift is performed differently. elbows flared makes the lift somewhat different to diagnose. but a slight change can improve safety, longevity and give you some means of "pinpointing" what you want to achieve from bench pressing without taking away from the effectiveness.

my $.02

 

[curgeo]

very nicely said Nate.

 

[gtjacko]

Cheers guys

seems like i've got a few options to try. I think the point about the elbows being flared out too much could have hit the nail on the head! i have always tried to keep my elbows staight out to the side as i thought this this was "perfect form", so you reckon alowing my elbows to come in a bit more to my body say at a 45 deg angle is perfectly OK as far as form is concerned?

as for doing inclines i have never felt the pain. Because i am able to see myself in the morror as i do the lift i make sure that i dont go too deep, my palms come down to my chin level. whereas doing the flat bech, and with the heavy sets i cant visually check on myself for how deep im going. The strain is on the left side only, maybe i went too deep, combined with elbows flared out, and there is a bit of a strain there.

ive got a ten day hol coming up for christmas, so i wont be touching any weights, that will give my body plenty of rest and when i come back i will make some alterations to my bench pressing movements.

thanks for the tips...............jacko

 

[powerlord]

Damn good advice,I've been looking for a thread like this,my chest is lagging and my delts are huge,now I know why and how to correct.Thanks.