CHEST TIP FOR NEWBIES

[GenetiKing]

I've noticed how a lot of beginners will allow their shoulder girdle to protract while they're performing their pressing movements for chest (DB and BB flat bench especially). This takes much of the workload off the pects and places most of the strain on the front delts. Also, I've noticed that some guys will even "reach forward" when completing the concentric phases of the aforementioned lifts.

In layman's terms...
Newbies! Quit bringing your shoulders forward when you bench/incline/decline. Bring your shoulder blades together in the back and protrude your chest. A slight arch in the lower back is okay. Imagine your pects stretching at the bottom and keep your shoulder blades together in the back. Your shoulders should move, stretching and contracting the pects through the full range of motion, while the shoulder girdle stays put.



------------------
Backstage, '75 Olympia:

Serge Nubret, "I look like I can take you."

Arnold, "Keep looking."

 

[bignate73]

Originally posted by GenetiKing:
I've noticed how a lot of beginners will allow their shoulder girdle to protract while they're performing their pressing movements for chest (DB and BB flat bench especially). This takes much of the workload off the pects and places most of the strain on the front delts. Also, I've noticed that some guys will even "reach forward" when completing the concentric phases of the aforementioned lifts.
ive noticed the same.
In layman's terms...
Newbies! Quit bringing your shoulders forward when you bench/incline/decline. Bring your shoulder blades together in the back and protrude your chest. A slight arch in the lower back is okay. Imagine your pects stretching at the bottom and keep your shoulder blades together in the back. Your shoulders should move, stretching and contracting the pects through the full range of motion, while the shoulder girdle stays put.

here is where i find fault in that technique:

when you retract your shoulder blades you pull your arms back and thus limit the range of motion for your chest. a person doing this technique (especially with a wide grip) is called a powerlifter. you shorten the path the weight has to travel by arching your lower back and also by pulling your arms back thus making the amount of weight you can move in this short path as the objective and not muscle stimulation throughout its FULL range of motion. essentially you have shortened the amount of stress the muscle recieves by limiting its range of motion. i say this is primarily for bbell work, dbells will get more of a range of motion but by retracting the scapula again, you hinder movement. the key to getting a worthwhile range of motion is to stabilize your shoulder girdle. ie, set your shoulders in a neutral position and maintain it as such throughout the motion. this will bring many more stabilizer muscles into play and minimize the possibility of a shoulder injury due to it being placed in an unnatural position, excessive retraction...or protraction as you mentioned earlier.

 

[GenetiKing]

Bignate,

You are correct bro. I didn't mean to imply excessive back arching or chest protrusion to the point of limiting ROM is proper. I was just trying to get my point across to newbies that when you perform a chest pressing motion (and I see a lot of them do this...) you cannot allow your scapula to shift forward during the concentric. If this happens, front delts become the prime movers. Like you said, the shoulder girdle must remain stable.

------------------
Backstage, '75 Olympia:

Serge Nubret, "I look like I can take you."

Arnold, "Keep looking."

 

[bignate73]

hehe, i dig that little extra "squeeze" i see alot of new guys do. the little reverse chest shrug if you will.

these kind of posts are good descriptive posts, helps to clear up alot of the gym science. good post bro, keep em coming!

 

[Kilroy]

I always read that, when doing the bench press,
you're supposed to plant both legs on the floor.
Maybe my bench is just too high, but I find that
arches my back and puts too much pressure on
my lower back. So I bend my knees and put my
feet on the bench just below my butt.
Any problems with that?