Partial ROM Bench Presses: Is this something new?

[blut wump]

Tuck your elbows in and touch down onto the chest no higher than the nipple line, preferably sternum, as Tweakle mentions, and your shoulders should be just fine with the movement.

I used to be the same as many others and hold off from the last couple of inches or so until I decided that it was less safe to be unable to do a full range of motion. I've never failed a weight that I've had any hope of pressing while the bar is right down on the chest. My sticking point is a few inches off the chest so once I've passed that point I might as well touch down. The extra run-up can even help with getting a press though my sticking point.

Sticking points usually arise as one muscle group hands the load over to a different one. When you see people benching in partial ROMs, they are typically staying above what would be their sticking point. This logically suggests that they aren't working all of the muscles that a full ROM would be working or, at least, are neglecting some of the benefits.

 

[apbt14]

I see alot of people doing that partial ROM benches, infact someone criticized me for doing full range of motion benches. I keep my elbows in and let the bar barely touch my chest at the nips then push up. The thing that pissed me off about his critique is that he is a sloppy lifter.

 

[mm107]

dude, not touching your chest is not benching......

you need to learn to tuck your elbows in and dont flare your elbows out....

unless your benching 300+lbs, then you should be touching my man.....besides a half rom bench works out your tricpes/lats and hardly your pecs....just FYI

 

[Y_lifter]

btw - the real reason they do half reps is because they can lift more weight that way. Would suck to go down to 135 and do the lift properly. the chicks wouldn't dig that.

Bingo..

I watched a crowd of wife beater teens doing 8 partial bench presses with 225 get "lessoned" by a trainer. He asked them to drop the weight they were using on the partial benchs and do them properly.

They all were able to complete only 3 reps at the lower weight done correctly.

I got schooled on doing lunges and squats the same way once.

 

[Tweakle]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=l4GzrW2-ovM&search=Samuelsson

I saw this posted on a thread about benching to the sternum.. although he bounces it a little you get the idea.

awesome youtube braintrust comments, as always.

 

[blut wump]

The shirt is doing all the work.

I have the DVD, one of my favourites but Svend's is better.

Lol, the YT comments are awesome. Apparently his curling form sucks. I wish mine sucked like his does.

 

[jnevin]

See, my right shoulder is jacked and I've been told by a number of people to stop about two inches from my chest, pause, and push it up. I haven't felt (much) pain since I switched to doing it that way. I'll just knock some off and go with a full ROM, see how it goes. My pain is from baseball, so probably similar-ish to Koartist.

 

[Y_lifter]

2 inches up isn't really a partial bench press IMO..

I'm talking about dudes that only come 1/2 way down..

 

[jnevin]

2 inches up isn't really a partial bench press IMO..

I'm talking about dudes that only come 1/2 way down..

There's a guy at my gym that does those on the smith machine. He puts 275 on there, just makes it go up and down maybe 3 inches, and getu up looking at everyone like they're pussies. I feel bad for him so I go do screaming curls in the squat rack with just the bar.

I'm lying. I can't budge the bar.

 

[Protobuilder]

Moving your grip in a few inches helps bring your elbows in closer to your body during the descent. this makes it easier to keep the "elbows tucked" position and prevent shoulder strain.