how to bench ?

[wing911]

i have a question for bench when lowering the weight do the barbell need to touch my chest? is that the correct way ? because i'm doing it till my elbow are 90 degress then go up again

[pu12en12g]

i have a question for bench when lowering the weight do the barbell need to touch my chest? is that the correct way ? because i'm doing it till my elbow are 90 degress then go up again

Either way is fine, but full range of motion whenever possible

[jiritt0]

the main point for benching, is to ensure the arm to torso angle is about 45degrees -- most people will appear more like 90degrees, with their arms flaring straight out rather than being tucked tight against the body


doing this reduces pressure on the shoulder girdle while maximizing the recruitment of the triceps as well as pectorals... imagine pushing someone, your going to push from your torso with your hands close to the body for peak force production, you want the same approach to the bench press, unless you want to 1) set yourself up for chronic shoulder injuries or 2) significantly limit the amount of weight you can press


also, if i may, i would recomemnd dumb bells over bar bells for most presses 99% of the time -- much easier on the shoulder, I feel you get a better ROM, and realistically, it is a slightly increased work load to move DB's around compard to rack + unracking a barbell (not that this will greatly enhance your training, but it may provide some functional aspects by incorporating movement with heavy objects)


also, as PT said, you need a full ROM -- without you are limiting your results while greatly reducing your overall flexibility!

[HotRod]

^^Solid advice JD!

[pu12en12g]

the main point for benching, is to ensure the arm to torso angle is about 45degrees -- most people will appear more like 90degrees, with their arms flaring straight out rather than being tucked tight against the body

FYI, I'm VERY guilty of this (still do BB incline). It takes alot for me to get MMC in my chest. Arms and shoulders always take over.

also, if i may, i would recomemnd dumb bells over bar bells for most presses 99% of the time -- much easier on the shoulder

Amen

[altonjone]

For dumbbell press, start seated on a bench with the weights resting up and down on your quads. Lay back and swing the weights back to the point where the corners of each dumbbell is just touching your outer pecs. Push the weight up, bringing them slightly closer together at the top of the movement. Lower the weight back down slowly--two seconds on the way down for every second on the way up is a good rule. Repeat.

[dnapier]

the main point for benching, is to ensure the arm to torso angle is about 45degrees -- most people will appear more like 90degrees, with their arms flaring straight out rather than being tucked tight against the body


doing this reduces pressure on the shoulder girdle while maximizing the recruitment of the triceps as well as pectorals... imagine pushing someone, your going to push from your torso with your hands close to the body for peak force production, you want the same approach to the bench press, unless you want to 1) set yourself up for chronic shoulder injuries or 2) significantly limit the amount of weight you can press


also, if i may, i would recomemnd dumb bells over bar bells for most presses 99% of the time -- much easier on the shoulder, I feel you get a better ROM, and realistically, it is a slightly increased work load to move DB's around compard to rack + unracking a barbell (not that this will greatly enhance your training, but it may provide some functional aspects by incorporating movement with heavy objects)


also, as PT said, you need a full ROM -- without you are limiting your results while greatly reducing your overall flexibility!

Thanksk for the info. I am been doing the 90 degree thing and after a coulpe of chest excercises my front shoulder is usually bothering me. Really appreciate the info.

[jiritt0]

do floor presses 99.9% of the time

bench pressing puts the shoudler into an impinged state due to the internal rotation; repeative motions of this will eventually lead to wear/tear on the ac capsule/glenuohumeral joint


The floor press provides the main benefits of benching, without wear on the hsoulder. In addition it removes the stretch reflex out of the bottom, and the chest/tris need to provide dynamic strength overcoming a static position -- and since your laying flat your lower body is removed from the press thus making it a true upper body exercise (note this will also limit the amount of weight you can press)

[timberwolf]

do floor presses 99.9% of the time

bench pressing puts the shoudler into an impinged state due to the internal rotation; repeative motions of this will eventually lead to wear/tear on the ac capsule/glenuohumeral joint


The floor press provides the main benefits of benching, without wear on the hsoulder. In addition it removes the stretch reflex out of the bottom, and the chest/tris need to provide dynamic strength overcoming a static position -- and since your laying flat your lower body is removed from the press thus making it a true upper body exercise (note this will also limit the amount of weight you can press)

Out of curiosity... how does your floor press compare to your flat?

[jiritt0]

I would have to max test each really -- i've never max tested the floor press, i've only got into them big time at end of 2009 as well

I maxed out flat bar bench at 300 around new years - i put most my energy into oly lifts, squats, and deads in training/testing. i may only press once every 1-2weeks, though I include pushups and chest plyos alot more frequently

I typically used DB's for floor presses (lifting alone its easier to control them) and think the heaviest I hit prior to starting to train with my fiancee at a big box gym would use 90's for reps (heaviest DB's temples strength and conditioning facility had at the time).

Since new years i've been focusing more on teaching my girlfriend to lift and a good bit of conditioning while in the weight room. Once i get a FT job I hope to really get into strength training again; i haven't really lifted heavy/maximal in a long time cause i've lifted alone the past 3 years =(

If your all about #s, floor pressing would mainly be used as a way to develop mid point-lock out strength, as it isnt 100% identical to regular pressing, but i believe the safety aspect in terms of shoulder injuries makes it more favorable for a majority of pressing in athletes and non athletes alike. Everyone basically favors the chest (and entire anterior portion aspect of the body) over the posterior aspect so so i typically don't include a large amount of exercises for it in training, until imbalances between the front/back - agonist/antagonist - anterior/posterior (whatever) are significantly reduced.

I imagine a true max testing of each, regular bench would be significantly higher --- your not able to engage the whole body for force production on the floor press. If you learn how to do this on a bench, your max can go up a lot in one session!

[timberwolf]

I would have to max test each really -- i've never max tested the floor press, i've only got into them big time at end of 2009 as well

I maxed out flat bar bench at 300 around new years - i put most my energy into oly lifts, squats, and deads in training/testing. i may only press once every 1-2weeks, though I include pushups and chest plyos alot more frequently

I typically used DB's for floor presses (lifting alone its easier to control them) and think the heaviest I hit prior to starting to train with my fiancee at a big box gym would use 90's for reps (heaviest DB's temples strength and conditioning facility had at the time).

Since new years i've been focusing more on teaching my girlfriend to lift and a good bit of conditioning while in the weight room. Once i get a FT job I hope to really get into strength training again; i haven't really lifted heavy/maximal in a long time cause i've lifted alone the past 3 years =(

If your all about #s, floor pressing would mainly be used as a way to develop mid point-lock out strength, as it isnt 100% identical to regular pressing, but i believe the safety aspect in terms of shoulder injuries makes it more favorable for a majority of pressing in athletes and non athletes alike. Everyone basically favors the chest (and entire anterior portion aspect of the body) over the posterior aspect so so i typically don't include a large amount of exercises for it in training, until imbalances between the front/back - agonist/antagonist - anterior/posterior (whatever) are significantly reduced.

I imagine a true max testing of each, regular bench would be significantly higher --- your not able to engage the whole body for force production on the floor press. If you learn how to do this on a bench, your max can go up a lot in one session!

My floor press has always been slightly stronger than my bench. Even when performed with a significant pause I was able to perform floor press with 325 back when my max bench was 315. This difference is probably attributed to the difference in range of motion.

[jiritt0]

That also makes sense, cause the top ROM has a big biomechanical advantage

kind of in the same way you could quarter or half squat well over a true squat max.

To an extent everyone will also be different, some struggle with bottom ROM on movements, some in the middle, some middle top, some lockouts, etc.. accomodating resistence helps negate these differences and facilite crazy #'s power lifters move

[farmerson12]

JD how do you preform DB floot presses safely? I train alone also and I would like to try those. But im not sure how you properly get the DB's into place

[jiritt0]

sit down w/ hips bent 90degrees (top of a situp basically), lift the DB's onto thighs than kick legs to chest while rolling back onto the ground and semi-curling the weights up to my shoudler... it takes some time to master

than you just bench -- slowly lower em down until your tricep rests on the ground, pause for a mississippi count and explode them into the air -- body is forced to exhibit dynamic strength overcoming a static position -- basically starting strength for the upper body; amazing for any sport involving pushes

I never realized how easy it would be to use a barbell and a power rack with J hooks, but if you train alone DB's are always significantly safer for basically every moment -- DB's also require more work, the only downfall is they'll limit maximal strength (unless you find a facility that goes up to like 200-300pd DBs)

It's real real fun when you start using the big boys...75+ maybe... you may need to ask someone to hand you them .. the difficulty in getting into the starting position is an extremely "functional exercise" if you want to sound like a trendy douche from the idiots fitness world

[farmerson12]

Man sounds sweet. Ill need to try that