Thread: Bench Pressing Problem

maybe you wernt lowering the bar down far enough??

I actually grazed it off my chest.. I don't know what the problem is.. My partner was trying to explain that maybe i wasn't utilizing my chest enough in lifting it, but i couldn't understand that concept, b/c i'm lifting with my arms.

thats a tricky one, maybe going down on a certain place for example below the nipples of above play a role in targeting your pecs, im not sure. For me i dont get much of a burn from doing flat bench presses, but i feel a lot more from flat dummbell presses and incline and decline barbell presses

Still not sure..

Bring the bar down to below your nipples. Often times I see people with the bar up around there shoulders, I am more than sure that you are doing something similar.

Burn shmurn. If you want a burn in your pecs do 30 reps of cable flyes.

If you lift more week to week your chest will grow.

Guys, this question is brought up in different threads in many different threads each week. The flat bench-press doesnt work the chest PRIMARILY. It is mainly a shoulder/lat/tricep movement(not necessarily in that order) with the chest acting only as a stabilizer because of the way the chest muscles 'work'. INCLINE bench (not close-grip) and decline with either dumbbells or barbells will work your chest more than a standard flat barbell benchpress. There are many other excercise for the chest too of course but flat benchpress isnt at the top of the list for most people. If your really wanting to burn your chest stick with dumb-bells and do more incline bench than flat...try it and see. Flys, cable crossovers will all work your chest much more than a flat bench press. YOUR NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG, in fact your probably doing the movement exactly right.

i noticed the same thing today. i am in power week of p/rr/s for my chest. and i loaded the bar up to how many i cud to for about 6, well i did it but i didnt feel my pecs being worked. so i lowered the weight where i could encorporate my chest instead of "just getting weight up". try to lower the weight and make sure your using your pecs.

^^^
I don't know about that. My chest day is based around the flat bench press, and while I feel soreness in my shoulders, my chest is the most sore.

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

^^^
I don't know about that. My chest day is based around the flat bench press, and while I feel soreness in my shoulders, my chest is the most sore.

Im not saying what I stated was GOSPEL, but if you really look at how the chest mucles are supposed to work/be worked the flat benchpress wont stimulate the chest muscles as much as it will the tri's and the other bodyparts I mentioned. Personally I get only a small level of chest-burn when I do flat AND decline barbell benchpresses, I didnt say NONE just very little. I would suggest someone do a search on this subject and see what comes up....not from the novice lifter (like me) but from the very experienced lifters who know without a doubt what they are talking about.

Originally Posted by BiggerNstronger

Guys, this question is brought up in different threads in many different threads each week. The flat bench-press doesnt work the chest PRIMARILY. It is mainly a shoulder/lat/tricep movement(not necessarily in that order) with the chest acting only as a stabilizer because of the way the chest muscles 'work'. INCLINE bench (not close-grip) and decline with either dumbbells or barbells will work your chest more than a standard flat barbell benchpress. There are many other excercise for the chest too of course but flat benchpress isnt at the top of the list for most people. If your really wanting to burn your chest stick with dumb-bells and do more incline bench than flat...try it and see. Flys, cable crossovers will all work your chest much more than a flat bench press. YOUR NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG, in fact your probably doing the movement exactly right.

I agree there are certainly many other exercises that will stimulate the chest, however, whether you are incline, decline or flat doesn't really matter. There's variety to be had by doing all of them from time to time, but the basic movement is the same. Inclines involve the shoulders MORE than flat bench, and declines, I believe, involve the triceps more than flat.