Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below okay, my problem is i can easily lock out more weight than i can get off the initial 1-3 inches of my chest - so i guess it isn't an issue of tricep strength. since i don't use any type of shirt, what exercises focus on this part of the lift. i don't think it's an issue of bar speed either, but i might be wrong.. as always, thanks a lot.
sticking point on bench
- Thread starter Eno
- Start date
Imnotdutch
butler monkey
That is prob a weak chest problem......unless you have a serious arch in which case it could be shoulders.
This used to be my weak spot too. I cured it with, dumb-bell bench presses and wide-grip bench presses. If you have a cambered bar you could try benching with that.
The point is to lower the bar further than you normally would so strengthening the bottom of the lift.
This used to be my weak spot too. I cured it with, dumb-bell bench presses and wide-grip bench presses. If you have a cambered bar you could try benching with that.
The point is to lower the bar further than you normally would so strengthening the bottom of the lift.
Eno said:
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ironpipes47
New member
ive done dumbell flys to build my chest up too
Are you guys powerlifters? Screw dumbell flys for chest strength!
Try floor presses and presses off the pins in the rack. Floor presses work your particular sticking point well. Lay on the floor in the rack, bring the bar down until the back of your tri's rest on the floor, pause for a split second letting some of the weight rest on your tri's, then squeeze your chest hard and lock out. You can also do this with dumbells--great stretch and pump.
Illegal (wide grip beyond rings) grip is also good. Just do higer reps, like 5 or so, so you don't pull anything. I tried a heavy single twice, and twice slightly pulled my pec insertion.
Try floor presses and presses off the pins in the rack. Floor presses work your particular sticking point well. Lay on the floor in the rack, bring the bar down until the back of your tri's rest on the floor, pause for a split second letting some of the weight rest on your tri's, then squeeze your chest hard and lock out. You can also do this with dumbells--great stretch and pump.
Illegal (wide grip beyond rings) grip is also good. Just do higer reps, like 5 or so, so you don't pull anything. I tried a heavy single twice, and twice slightly pulled my pec insertion.
bigmag said:
If you are strictly a powerlifter....you want to move as much weight as possible...then don't worry about the chest. The chest is not really that important to the bench press. Triceps are #1, then lats, then delts, and finally pecs.
I would have to agree that floor presses and illegal wides would be good for this particular sticking point. Not being able to see you lift I would also ass-u-me that some of it is a function of bar speed that needs to be addressed.
Another thing for that particular low sticking point would be 2 or 3 board presses...both great moments. Perhaps even better would be 2 board press with a cambered bar so that you are only an inch or two below chest level. Using the whole camber can really wreck your shoulders.
You also should consider bringing up your lats...they are a probable culprit when it comes to a sticking point just off the chest. Make sure that you are working them in the same plane as you bench...ie rows, rows, rows.
Good Luck
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Imnotdutch
butler monkey
Just for the record I didnt mention db flies.......they never did anything for me when done strict or otherwise. I believe in using lifts that are similar to tthe squat/bench/dl....I get far better results that way. Flies are an unrelated movement to me.
bigmag said:
ok....he's asking about moving the weight for the first 1-3 inches off the chest. There are no tri's in this part of the lift, so he needs to work on his chest and shoulders. I'd say mainly chest but there are obviously people in here that would argue with me. That's just my .02
Imnotdutch
butler monkey
I think this might come down to individual builds. I have long arms so I have to work chest to hit the bottom of my lift. Others either use a big arch or have a shorter range of motion for some other reason, so they tend to use more shoulders at the bottom. Thats my humble newbie opinion 
Isolation exercises such as flies have never worked well for me. For me it works better to use a lift that is very similar to the one used in competition.....hence the suggestion of db bench, wide grip bench etc.
Isolation exercises such as flies have never worked well for me. For me it works better to use a lift that is very similar to the one used in competition.....hence the suggestion of db bench, wide grip bench etc.
bigmag said:
Imnotdutch said:I think this might come down to individual builds. I have long arms so I have to work chest to hit the bottom of my lift. Others either use a big arch or have a shorter range of motion for some other reason, so they tend to use more shoulders at the bottom. Thats my humble newbie opinion
Isolation exercises such as flies have never worked well for me. For me it works better to use a lift that is very similar to the one used in competition.....hence the suggestion of db bench, wide grip bench etc.
that's a very good point that I didn't think of before....it does have alot to do with build. Thanks for pointing this out!!! If you're tall, then go with what he says (shoulders) If not then I'd go with my earlier statements.
I must agree that pec decs and flies are crap exercises neither good for strength or anything else.
I also agree that dumbbell presses and wide grip bench are good ways of developing chest strength (and size for that matter). However I missed my personal favorite being mentioned. Weighted Dips! It is a great compound movement that allows you to go very much deeper than the barbell, and will at the same time allow you to use much more weight then the dumbbells.
I know it involves a good deal of shoulders and triceps, but done in a correct manner you'll mainly feel them in your chest. In my opinion it's all about the weight anyway.
I also agree that dumbbell presses and wide grip bench are good ways of developing chest strength (and size for that matter). However I missed my personal favorite being mentioned. Weighted Dips! It is a great compound movement that allows you to go very much deeper than the barbell, and will at the same time allow you to use much more weight then the dumbbells.
I know it involves a good deal of shoulders and triceps, but done in a correct manner you'll mainly feel them in your chest. In my opinion it's all about the weight anyway.
If you compete, I suggest you buy a shirt and don't worry about the bottom of the lift. If you dont compete then I'm with whoever said floorpresses no matter what your build is. Tell a bodybuilder that works his chest to max out for ya so you can see that chest doesn't mean shit.
Imnotdutch
butler monkey
Just out of interest, if you benched say 500 with a shirt, how much weight would the shirt take at the bottom? Would you have to be able to move 400 over the first few inches? 450? I guess it depends on the shirt.....I know its a newbie question.....but thats what I am compared with most in here
Zombie said:If you compete, I suggest you buy a shirt and don't worry about the bottom of the lift. If you dont compete then I'm with whoever said floorpresses no matter what your build is. Tell a bodybuilder that works his chest to max out for ya so you can see that chest doesn't mean shit.
I need to take something back and that is the floorpress thing. No matter if you lift raw or with equip. floorpresses are great. I'm not sure about your last question. I do about 410 raw and depending on the shirt 450 but it's a problem with lockout and not the bottom of the lift. The only time I have a problem with the bottom is if it's a raw lift.
