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Bench Press

post #1 of 133
2/7/08 at 12:52am
Thread Starter 
Simple question. How low are you supposed to go on bench press? Are you supposed to go down to the chest or a few inches off? Does this cause shoulder problems in the future? Or are you supposed to stop once your elbow and upper arm form a right angle? Everyone keeps telling me different things.
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post #2 of 133
2/7/08 at 12:56am
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post #3 of 133
2/7/08 at 12:58am
you're supposed to go all the way down (touch your chest) I work out alone, so i'll use a comfortable weight to bang out a few complete sets (all the way down), then overload the bar, and don't go all the way down (maybe 2-3 inches off chest) because there's no way I'd be able to get it back up. 5 sets usually.... 2 at proper weight, 2 increasingly higher, and one 2-4 rep set of go for broke weight.
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post #4 of 133
2/7/08 at 2:00am
Unless you have shoulder problems, touch the chest. I recall some studies where they showed a narrower grip is more healthy for your body, I like to put my pinkies on the small smooth rings as a guide, but I suppose it depends on how long your arms are. If you can't go all the way down, then you're cheating IMO. Decline is the same, but actually it's easier to touch, e.g. almost always ok. Incline is a bit different, I don't touch on incline.
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post #5 of 133
2/7/08 at 2:24am
I actually bounce it a little off my chest, not a lot though because with high weight you could bust your sternum.
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post #6 of 133
2/7/08 at 5:14am
If you bounce at the very bottom you're denying the pecs of their share of work and letting your sternum absorb it. Pecs are involved the at the bottom half of the movement while it's more triceps at the top, near lockout. Also the closer your grip the more shoulders/triceps are involved and less chest. Many think bench pressing is a chest exercise but it works your shoulders and triceps much more.
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post #7 of 133
2/7/08 at 7:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eason View Post
Unless you have shoulder problems, touch the chest. I recall some studies where they showed a narrower grip is more healthy for your body, I like to put my pinkies on the small smooth rings as a guide, but I suppose it depends on how long your arms are. If you can't go all the way down, then you're cheating IMO. Decline is the same, but actually it's easier to touch, e.g. almost always ok. Incline is a bit different, I don't touch on incline.

1. Speaking of not going all the way down, EVERYONE and I mean everyone including the instructors and trainees do half reps on the bench.

This stems from their belief full reps are bad for the rotator cuffs.

And after doing half reps, they act like they are mega strong including newbies I see benching 80 kg on a universal bar with an instructor spotting for them.

2. As for decline, quitted them because I just cant feel it. Have you tried flat bench with an underhand grip? Supposed to work your upper chest.

3. As for me, I am having some right delt problems. Can feel it when I go full rep but I still do full reps.
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post #8 of 133
2/7/08 at 7:37am
Personal trainer (Marines reserve guy) has me doing bench sets now with lighter weights, 10 fast full reps (chest to full extension) going right into 10 reps 3 inches at top of extension then 10 reps 3 inches right off chest, 3 x 30 total. Similar sets for other exercises. What a burn, love it.
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post #9 of 133
2/7/08 at 9:11am
for proper exercise i have read in more than one place that a very light bounce is ideal. This is what the book Starting Strength recommends.

however, for bench press competition, I believe they stop within one inch of the chest and hold for 3 seconds or something ridiculous like that
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post #10 of 133
2/7/08 at 1:36pm
i'm pretty sure no matter what exercise you are doing, you never want to do the full range of motion your joint can do. you want to go to just before you reach a locked position.

so for bench pressing, you don't want the bar to touch your chest, you want your bar to be about an inch off your chest.
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post #11 of 133
2/7/08 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarmac View Post
for proper exercise i have read in more than one place that a very light bounce is ideal. This is what the book Starting Strength recommends.

however, for bench press competition, I believe they stop within one inch of the chest and hold for 3 seconds or something ridiculous like that

i'd say consider the source. a book entitled "starting strength" seems like it is going to give people new to strength training slightly skewed information. the bounce is going to give you a little more momentum to lift a little more weight, so the buyer of the book feels "hey this is really helping!".
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post #12 of 133
2/7/08 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronxxx View Post
i'd say consider the source. a book entitled "starting strength" seems like it is going to give people new to strength training slightly skewed information. the bounce is going to give you a little more momentum to lift a little more weight, so the buyer of the book feels "hey this is really helping!".

Except Starting Strength is the book to get if you want to learn about weight training. But what does Ripp know.
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post #13 of 133
2/7/08 at 2:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronxxx View Post
i'm pretty sure no matter what exercise you are doing, you never want to do the full range of motion your joint can do. you want to go to just before you reach a locked position.

so for bench pressing, you don't want the bar to touch your chest, you want your bar to be about an inch off your chest.
The lock when benching is at full extension, not at your chest. Going into a lock gives you a short rest between reps, so yes it is more intense not to lock. But the bar should graze your chest unless you are intentionally changing the form of the exercise.
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post #14 of 133
2/7/08 at 2:58pm
this is always argued on so many forums, i have talked to numerous trainers and everyone has different answers. it varies for different people IMHO due to length of arm, how thick you are around the chest area. I got 2/3 inches off. I know a few guys that train hard and bring int a 2x4 that they put on their chest to know where to goto.
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post #15 of 133
2/7/08 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beasty View Post
1. Speaking of not going all the way down, EVERYONE and I mean everyone including the instructors and trainees do half reps on the bench.

This stems from their belief full reps are bad for the rotator cuffs.

And after doing half reps, they act like they are mega strong including newbies I see benching 80 kg on a universal bar with an instructor spotting for them.

2. As for decline, quitted them because I just cant feel it. Have you tried flat bench with an underhand grip? Supposed to work your upper chest.

3. As for me, I am having some right delt problems. Can feel it when I go full rep but I still do full reps.

Maybe you should take a few weeks of flat bench and do DB bench, or any other chest exercise instead, see if your delts hurt? Happened to me, I just needed some time off. The underhand grip sounds interesting, I'll try it when I'm no longer deathly sick.
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