Your Flat Bench Technique

[Anthrax Invasion]

Question for you all:

When you perform the flat bench, do you pinch your shoulder blades together (thereby reducing the shoulders ROM and "protecting" the rotator cuff) prior to the lift, or do you simply keep your back flat on the bench but avoid extending the shoulder beyond a normal ROM (i.e., shrugging the bar at the top)?

I tend to feel more comfortable with the latter. When I pinch my shoulder blades, I get a clicking in my right shoulder (impingement or adhesion that's basically gone now, thanks to a month of ART) and it feels much more uncomfortable/unstable. Also, I find it distracts me from the lift, as I have to worry about staying tight, as opposed to simply pressing.

Just food for thought and somesuch. I'm tired. I need to go eat more bagels.

Refeed, away!

 

[Maks]

I pinch my shoulderblades together. I didnt do this until i read the benchpress thread in the pl forum. But it feels much more stable this way, i can lift more, and i dont have any back problems anymore while benching.

 

[blut wump]

I always try to get some pinch into my shoulder blades, even when just pressing the bar. It's just become second nature, along with rotating my chest up, and I feel better braced in that state. I don't do any shrug at the top; I just press until elbows lock out.

Occasionally, on a heavy set, presumably when I've arched heavily and used lots of leg drive, I have a slight ache in my lower back.

Staying tight can be a distraction since it's something you have to concentrate on. I'm fine with singles but the more reps I do, the more likely it is that my arch will collapse to some degree.

 

[silver_shadow]

i pinch my shoulders together... i've been doing this for years now, since i saw the PL forum sticky. the thing i had noticed initially, till i perfected the whole setup, i didn't feel that comfortable with the shoulder pinch and tended to keep my back flat... i would feel it alot more in my lats. later when i got everything right, (the back arch, legs WIDE apart (sometimes guys tend to keep too close even though they think they are wide enough),knees bent at the correct angle, feet pushing down forcefully and with correct force distribution, belly filled with air, and generally the feeling that i was doing a slight decline bench) then only did i feel comfortable with the shoulder pinch. in short, in my experience, the entire setup may have to be looked at and worked on as a whole.

 

[cwick0]

absolutely, even though my back is still relatively flat. Im not one for the big arch as pl's do. To each is own i guess, but ive been very fortunate with some of the numbers ive been able to reach.

 

[big4life]

After two shoulder surgeries, I am very careful to make sure I pinch my shoulder blades together. I find that it really helps me and my lifts.

 

[BiggT]

I was taught to bench more for functional carryover for sports etc (yeah, I know, flat bench and functional strength shouldn't even be used in the same sentence, Only in America lol)....but because of it, I am more of a closer-grip, flatter back bencher. I always tuck my elbows though, and while I stay tight throughout the upper back, I never had much of an arch, and I use absolutely zero leg drive......again, it is all about perspective, I never used the bench as a 'test of strength' but more of a tool to train the upper body, and train as many upper body muscles as possible with that one lift, so I never wanted to shorten the ROM or use any tweaks to maximize the poundage......not that there is anything qrong with that, it is the name of the game for powerlifters.

In my opinion, at least from what I have seen over the years, most people that have shoulder issues from the bench either flare the elbows, or they press ENTIRELY too wide......wide is good in a bench shirt, as the shoulders are protected and it shortens ROM, but wide and raw is a disaster waiting to happen......plus the closer the grip, the more bang for your buck you get out of the lift.

 

[xblitz44x]

My brother benches incredibly wide and it hurts me just to watch him but he says it doesn't hurt him at all. He's also not benching a ton either.

 

[bignate73]

i always pinch. the degree of arch I have will depend but I do have an arch in all cases. i feel absolutely wobbly as hell if i don't pinch them. the quote "can't fire a cannon in a canoe" is the visualization I use.

 

[Protobuilder]

FWIW: http://www.midwestbarbell.com/videos/benchcompare.wmv

 

[Chambewy20]

I pinch my shoulders together, I find it assists with attempting to maintain my tightness overall in maximal attempts.

The degree to wich I contort my body to bench always is uncomfortable, I also have heard direct rear delt work will assist in shakiness or wobbling, has helped my guys tremendously.

 

[fortunatesun]

If you tilt your head back just a bit after you've pinched your shoulder blades together it takes the awkward feeling out of the movement. Any time you try something new there's going to be a period of adjustment. After a while it's less distracting to do it this way because now everything is aligned, tight, and focused on receiving the bar and driving it back. There's fewer 'moving parts' that can malfunction.

 

[Tweakle]

Pinched and a slight arch, touching the pecline.. worked for me when I was flat benching.

 

[ErikZ]

I used to perform a flat back, but once I got into pl, then I started pinching 'em together + creating a solid arc.
What biggt said is true: these are tweaks to improve the poundage. Also, I have a very narrow grip, which tends to work my frontal deltoids pretty well.
Please ignore my comment if it seems like nonsense to you.

 

[Illuminati]

thing that will help you out when you pinch your shoulders together and get a good arch, is to try and keep the pressure (from the weight on the bar) on your traps. this will help you to keep tighter, and stay more stable on the bench

 

[rick_hfh]

My favorite bench technique = inclines.

 

[Chambewy20]

My favorite bench technique = inclines.

I totally suck at inclines in comparison to my flat... haven't ever figured that one out?

 

[big4life]

My favorite bench technique = inclines.

Inclines are my primary lift on chest day. I still do flat bench, but usually stick to DB's, and always after incline.

 

[Illuminati]

I totally suck at inclines in comparison to my flat... haven't ever figured that one out?

do you use a competition grip when you are doing your inclines?

 

[Smurfy]

Question for you all:

When you perform the flat bench, do you pinch your shoulder blades together (thereby reducing the shoulders ROM and "protecting" the rotator cuff) prior to the lift, or do you simply keep your back flat on the bench but avoid extending the shoulder beyond a normal ROM (i.e., shrugging the bar at the top)?

I tend to feel more comfortable with the latter. When I pinch my shoulder blades, I get a clicking in my right shoulder (impingement or adhesion that's basically gone now, thanks to a month of ART) and it feels much more uncomfortable/unstable. Also, I find it distracts me from the lift, as I have to worry about staying tight, as opposed to simply pressing.

Just food for thought and somesuch. I'm tired. I need to go eat more bagels.

Refeed, away!

I always pull my shoulder blades together tightly and get myself stabilized on the bench - this also incorporates the lats which aids in guiding the bar downwards to the chest. it's all about control IMO. This is the way I was tought to bench. If I tried to lay flat on the bench, I am sure it would feel way too loose and thereby I would feel like I am not in control enough of the weight. My lats and upper back get very sore following a heavy bench press workout. Usually more sore than my chest, not surprising.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

I totally suck at inclines in comparison to my flat... haven't ever figured that one out?

weak delts.