Elbow position during benching

**Nyisles2004** · 05-02-2005, 10:37 PM

Hey Guys, i posted recently on tricep pain. I think i may have found the root cause, i believe it has something to do with my elbow position when i am benching. I am not sure if my elbow is supposed to be parallel with the bar when im coming down, but my spotter told me that it seems that my elbow is coming back a bit when i come down with the bar. Are your elbows supposed to be 90 degrees the whole time, especially when you come down to your chest or can you have it a little back toward your body.

**DimebagDarrell** · 05-02-2005, 11:30 PM

huh? like having your forearms exactly perpendicular to the ground?

where do you bring the bar down to? (upper chest, lower chest, nipple, whatever)

**Big Smoothy** · 05-03-2005, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by Nyisles2004

when i am benching....I am not sure if my elbow is supposed to be parallel with the bar when im coming down

The veterans can correct me, but your above statement sounds like a very unsound position for your elbows. Painfull, reduces strength, and will likely cause a serious injury.

**CancerNV** · 05-03-2005, 07:32 AM

What does SNAFU mean?

**Pepper** · 05-03-2005, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by CancerNV

What does SNAFU mean?

Situation Normal, All F*'d Up

**gopro** · 05-03-2005, 08:15 AM

Keep those elbows directly under the bar at all times. Letting them drift foward our backward can put weird torque on the wrists, elbows, and forearms, leading to eventual pains/injury.

**devildog88** · 05-03-2005, 08:28 AM

I just read an article somewhere ( i will try to find it ) that says you are supposed to keep your elbows close to your body when benching. It said soemthing about involving your lats more at the bottom of the press which allows you to move more weight. I tried this and it killed my shoulders.

**BigDyl** · 05-03-2005, 09:29 AM

Yeah that dave tate article says to bench like this. It left my SNAFU shoulders FUBAR, ROFLKTHANX.

**BulkMeUp** · 05-03-2005, 10:39 AM

As per advice from P-Funk, keeping your elbows slightly forward would be less stressfull on your shoulders vs flared out The Saga continues.....

**P-funk** · 05-03-2005, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by BulkMeUp

As per advice from P-Funk, keeping your elbows slightly forward would be less stressfull on your shoulders vs flared out The Saga continues.....

yes, like the dave tate article says, keep the elbows in closer to the body instead of flarring them out.

as far as where they should be.....your forearms should move in a straight line down towards the floor, until you touch your chest and press. Like GP said, keep the elbows under the bar.

**min0 lee** · 05-03-2005, 05:58 PM

Wouldn't that involve more of your triceps?

**P-funk** · 05-03-2005, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Wouldn't that involve more of your triceps?

yes

**min0 lee** · 05-07-2005, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by P-funk

yes

I do them like this, is that close to that angle P?

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