Thread: Benching flat back or shoulders together

Kind of curious what others do also. For me I try to pinch my shoulder blades together since it helps push my chest out and keeps my shoulders back. That with a grip just outside shoulder width, gives me better pumps in my chest and helps keep all the stress off my shoulders.

I do the same if you ever watch the heavy chest power-lifters they pinch their shoulder and arch their backs . Not one is flat benching 400lbs plus.


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Thats true it does push your shoulders out but is that cheating?? As your ment to hit your chest but if you put your chest up aint tgat a few inch off?? Lol

True but i do not want to be a power lifter! Lol imo i think there form makes me sick! Lol i mean it's not a press tgey lift there hole body up!!

Pulling your shoulder blades back does a few things:

1.) Creates a "ledge" with your traps that acts of a focal point. You now have a specific point you can envision pressing into when you engage your leg drive. As a result of force reaction: legs into traps, and traps into arms, this helps your lift.

2.) Increases overall tension in the torso, increased tension means better force transfer. Better force transfer means bigger numbers.

3.) It places your arms into a more extended and adducted position. During the eccentric portion of this lift, this encourages a more adduction & extension based motion of the arm compared to abducted and rotational. Decreased rotation means less stress on your vulnerable rotator cuff muscles and associated ligaments. This means less chance of injury. The big muscles can now take over the majority of the load, the small muscles are not stressed unduly.

4.) Pulling your shoulder blades back pushes your chest out, and decreases the distance you have to lower the bar. Less distance = easier lift.

True but less distance maybye cheating?

Originally Posted by Pika

True but less distance maybye cheating?

No way bro the arched back creates greater distance from elbow to chest . Feel me? N at 400lbs that's no cheat!


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HOOGIE FOR LIFE

Ohh so just put the shoulder blades together right? Got it

My chest is a strong point visually, and arching your back with shoulder blades pinched and chin tucked is how you do bench... You also get your feet planted firmly to be very stable. You need to be 'set in concrete'. That's half the reason I can't stand guys who lift their feet in the air while benching. I stopped the lift for yrs cause I just couldn't feel it in my chest. After watching a Dave Tate video on how to bench, I start every chest wo with bench every time.

arch the back, but keep your ass and shoulder blades "glued" to the bench. make sure your feet are firmly grounded as well

Originally Posted by Pika

True but less distance maybye cheating?

It is up to interpretation. I would not look at it as cheating, but rather as lifting efficiently.

When you deadlift, you always take the narrowest grip you can within reason.

Then narrower the grip, the less you have to bend over the pick up the weight up. It shortens the distance of the lift. I don't think anyone would consider this cheating.

Originally Posted by Pika

True but i do not want to be a power lifter! Lol imo i think there form makes me sick! Lol i mean it's not a press tgey lift there hole body up!!

No decent powerlifter lifts his hips up while bench pressing. The shoulders and butt must remain on the bench for the lift to count in competition. Also, the hips and shoulders must stay stationary during the lift. Not sure what you mean when you say they lift their whole body up.

Well that answer's it .

Reason i saw they lift the hole body is on youtube people do it maybye its the wrong form lol so what if your not a power lifter?? Still put your shoulders together right?