PL Style Benching - Help

[st8grad]

Guys, went in to do a run through of day 1 on Madcow intermediate today- Monday being day 1 with suggested weights. Trying to figure out how to switch from the arms out style of benching to the pl style with elbows in. There are some articles talking about it, but none that get very specific on how to keep the technique correct. I got the shoulders pinched and planted correct and the feet in place to drive the weight. I have done that on bench anyway. But my usual grip would be middle finger on the rings. I moved my hands in so that pinkys were on the rings but it still felt like my arms were flared or at least they kept trying to go out that way. Help is very appreciated.

 

[silver_shadow]

maybe a vid would be useful

 

[st8grad]

maybe a vid would be useful

I agree. I think I am overestimating how tucked my elbows need to be.

 

[Lifting N Tx]

I touch a bit below my nipples, which makes it easier to keep the elbows tucked. I also have the pinkies on the rings, though I've seen bars with those at different widths.

I tend to have the bar gradually drift back as it gets higher, but thought that was regarded as improper technique until I recently saw a link to this article. A lot of the comments disagreed with it, but check the comments of Sean Hyson and Jason Ferruggia before you buy into the peanut gallery comments to the article.

So you want you elbows tucked at the start but once the bar is partly up they can start to untuck. As silver_shadow said, a video would also help.

 

[st8grad]

I touch a bit below my nipples, which makes it easier to keep the elbows tucked. I also have the pinkies on the rings, though I've seen bars with those at different widths.

I tend to have the bar gradually drift back as it gets higher, but thought that was regarded as improper technique until I recently saw a link to this article. A lot of the comments disagreed with it, but check the comments of Sean Hyson and Jason Ferruggia before you buy into the peanut gallery comments to the article.

So you want you elbows tucked at the start but once the bar is partly up they can start to untuck. As silver_shadow said, a video would also help.

Or I could work out with Scott Mendelson. Maybe I'll keep reading just in case he is too busy.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

I like to pull the bar to lower chest/sternum. I don't let the bar fall down, or do a controlled descent, I literally pull it down so that it tightens my upperbody up then explode it back out with the tension.

As far as the elbow tuck, IIRC, its supposed to be 45 degrees to your body, with slight variance due to your body's leverage/shape. 90 degrees out is where you run in to shoulder issues, I can only get em right up against my body for CGBP.