Proper Bench Press form

[Valdez]

I used to think in terms of chest growth for bench press, now I train bench only for power and only for increasing strength. I used to get pains in my shoulders all the time trying to be all scientific in keep the stress on my chest.

forget about it.

now I bench once every 2 weeks 3 sets on the 4-8 rep range and I have had no shoulder pain at all.
check out www.deepsquatterl.com I follow the same lifting techniques as dave tate. I rely on other movements for mass now as I never gained much from this exercise.

 

[tonysoprano]

I had this exact same conversation with my roomy about 2 years ago when we got back into lifting. I decided to take it to the chest and he took it a couple of inches off the chest. About 6 months into lifting he was benching 30-40 lbs more than me with a similar body type. One day when we were benching he brought the bar a little to low on a last rep. Needless to say I was on top trying to pull jerk 275 off of his chest, because he had nothing in those 2 inches off his chest. I would say if you wanna impress chicks with bad form or you have a shoulder injury then keep it off the chest otherwise all the way. Remember when you stop going to the chest you will never be able to go back without dropping some serious weight
Tony

 

[benchmaniac2]

Valdez, What exercises do you think i should replace the bench with? I want to build mass on my chest, not tone.

Also, when you had pain in your shoulders from benching, did you take any time-out?

 

[bignate73]

I would say if you wanna impress chicks with bad form or you have a shoulder injury then keep it off the chest otherwise all the way. Remember when you stop going to the chest you will never be able to go back without dropping some serious weight
Tony

bad form? how, its just isolating the exercise to the pectorals and placing less stress on the ant. delts. you mean a shorter range of motion than the "powerlifting" or classic bench press.

your second statement is true. once i stopped throwing the weight up on bicep curls and did them under strict muscle tension....i had to drop serious weight too. hmmmm......i never went back to my previous form.

its all about your goals, limitations, forethought into the future, etc. none of you are 100% right because you dont know each persons goal.

 

[wrlord]

This thread brings to mind all these damn pathetic trainers I see at the gym every day -- teaching newbies to do partial reps and just plain useless movements. Pisses me off no end. Like this damn standing dumbell flies. Standing flies?? How is this supposed to work the chest?? Friggin morons.

 

[bignate73]

This thread brings to mind all these damn pathetic trainers I see at the gym every day -- teaching newbies to do partial reps and just plain useless movements. Pisses me off no end. Like this damn standing dumbell flies. Standing flies?? How is this supposed to work the chest?? Friggin morons.

substantiate your claim then. how is this a partial rep if the emphasis stays on the chest. isnt that the goal of this exercise? you cant honestly say that your bench press is the end all be all epitome of form....neither can i say that of mine. but i can say that it keeps the stress off the shoulder to come to where your arms are straight out from your body and not dipping below.

you, nor i are in a position to judge someones form unless you know the whole story.

go be pissed off all you want, but you only know half the story.

has that person had an injury? are they training for an official bench press contest or for health? you arent that persons pt, so you dont know and cant make the judgement.

ps.... a standing flye? with cables or resistance bands can be quite effective. if they are using dbells, then yeah, i agree.

 

[wrlord]

I meant with dumbbells. And as for partial reps, I was speaking generally, not with specific reference to your comments re benching. Your points are valid and you clearly know your anatomy, though I probably disagree with you on the point at which the stress passes primarily from the pecs to the delts. In any event, when I see certified trainers being paid to teach things like standing dumbell flies or half-curls or half-db military presses (and trust me, they're not trying to keep the stress on the delts rather than tris, they just don't know any better) they do a disservice to their clients (who regretably often go on to teach these faulty techniques to others) both in terms of those clients' prospects of ever acheiving their goals and in risking injury to those clients (and thirdly in defrauding them out of their hard-earned money). You and I can debate kinesology and the value of cheating and so forth, but that's because we know our shit. The fact is there is such a thing as correct form. As with any other discipline, one must first know the rule before knowing when and how to bend it.

 

[bignate73]

i agree definitely. i see trainers that know alot of shit and some that spread alot of shit.

if i ever see a trainer teaching a dbell fly standing, i'll for sure give him 2 slaps, one from me....and one from you.

hehe
peace

 

[Tuna Guy]

Bignate, whats the difference between a thumbs over grip and a thumbs wrapped around grip on the bench.

 

[bignate73]

diff between a false and normal grip?

with a false grip(thumbs under) you can lose control of the bar easier. some people like it cause they have the notion that it helps them feel like they are "pushing". it places some strain on the wrists though. with a reg grip you can keep your wrist straight and press like you are throwing a punch. its tough for some to keep that hand position but easier on the wrists in the long run.

no difference biomechanically though. some people just like the way a particular grip feels. i used to use the false grip all the time, i went back to the regular grip lately. feels safer so i can keep my mind on pressing the weight.

much of it is mental, but with the false grip you have the "rolling off the hand" factor. gotta protect that chest.