Thread: Overpowering delts...

how do you bench now?

i would work on keeping shoulders back and not elivating them throughout the movement, where do you lower the bar too??? nipples?

You are likely keeping your arms too high on your bench press, or lowering the bar to a place too high on your chest. I know someone here has a link to how to bench like a powerlifter....

Basically you want to lower the bar to the bottom of your chest, and try to keep your elbows in. Also, arching your back a little bit helps.

Originally Posted by WATTS

i would work on keeping shoulders back and not elivating them throughout the movement, where do you lower the bar too??? nipples?

Nipples or lower. I probably could keep my shoulders back a little better. I'll take note of that next time...

Originally Posted by Yanick

how do you bench now?

I place my pinky finger on the ring, lower to my lower chest, and kept my elbows slightly closer to my body than most people do. I've had shoulder problems (rotator cuff) so that helps remove any uncomfort...

Originally Posted by squanto

You are likely keeping your arms too high on your bench press, or lowering the bar to a place too high on your chest. I know someone here has a link to how to bench like a powerlifter....

Basically you want to lower the bar to the bottom of your chest, and try to keep your elbows in. Also, arching your back a little bit helps.

In all honesty I've had numerous comments, even from people I don't know, on how good my form looks. Especially on squats. I'm thinking you guys hit it with keeping my delts pulled back and shoulder blades together. Only been back at it three weeks now. But this has been an issue for a few years now.

benching like a powerlifter actually takes the chest out of the bench press more, and moves the load over to the shoulders, tri's, and lats. not to mention that power lifters try to shorten the ROM as much as possible, hence the bridging and such, which is the exact opposite of what bodybuilders want.

i was going to suggest to maybe flare your elbows out a little more, but since you mentioned that you have shoulder problems that is a bad idea. Benching like a PL'er is way better for your shoulders. i say, just stick to doing what your doing, maybe more DB work or an extra set or two of isolation work at the end if you feel that your chest isn't getting enough stimulation.

Originally Posted by Yanick

benching like a powerlifter actually takes the chest out of the bench press more, and moves the load over to the shoulders, tri's, and lats. not to mention that power lifters try to shorten the ROM as much as possible, hence the bridging and such, which is the exact opposite of what bodybuilders want.

i was going to suggest to maybe flare your elbows out a little more, but since you mentioned that you have shoulder problems that is a bad idea. Benching like a PL'er is way better for your shoulders. i say, just stick to doing what your doing, maybe more DB work or an extra set or two of isolation work at the end if you feel that your chest isn't getting enough stimulation.

I certainly have a bodybuilders body and mentality... I probably will throw in dumbbells more often. Maybe do them for declines.

Consider not only DBs, but DBs with a neutral grip as well. This usually eliminates most shoulder discomfort and DBs allow you to have a fuller ROM and use more stabilization anyways. To me, they'll always be superior to the BB when it comes to benching, but I may have different goals in mind.

wow - i have the exact opposite effect; when i bench with dumbells i feel more soreness in my shoulders the next day than i do my chest.

Decline bench my friend, decline...uses more pecs and less shoulders. Decline with dumbells if you like or a barbell.

Interesting, I thought that benching like a powerlifter put less stress on the shoulders. I thought that PL-style benching was very helpful for preventing rotator cuff injuries. I was also under the impression that the arching of the back and bringing the weight lower made the movement more like a decline press, which puts less stress on shoulders.

Maybe it's not that it puts less stress on the shoulder muscle itself, but it is just a more natural movement?

Maybe someone could elaborate on this...

Originally Posted by squanto

Interesting, I thought that benching like a powerlifter put less stress on the shoulders. I thought that PL-style benching was very helpful for preventing rotator cuff injuries. I was also under the impression that the arching of the back and bringing the weight lower made the movement more like a decline press, which puts less stress on shoulders.

This is correct. The reason the PLers mimic the decline movement is because it is typically stronger than the flat movement.

So if the decline movement puts less stress on the shoulders, and PL benching mimics the decline movement, wouldnt PL benching put less stress on the shoulders?

Originally Posted by squanto

So if the decline movement puts less stress on the shoulders, and PL benching mimics the decline movement, wouldnt PL benching put less stress on the shoulders?

It does.

I think maybe you just misread someone's post because I can't seem to find a contradiction to this.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

It does.

I think maybe you just misread someone's post because I can't seem to find a contradiction to this.

I think it was from Yan:

Originally Posted by Yanick

benching like a powerlifter actually takes the chest out of the bench press more, and moves the load over to the shoulders, tri's, and lats.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

Consider not only DBs, but DBs with a neutral grip as well. This usually eliminates most shoulder discomfort and DBs allow you to have a fuller ROM and use more stabilization anyways. To me, they'll always be superior to the BB when it comes to benching, but I may have different goals in mind.

That's exactly the way I do them. And you're right, it is very easy on the shoulders...

Originally Posted by PWGriffin

Decline bench my friend, decline...uses more pecs and less shoulders. Decline with dumbells if you like or a barbell.

Yep. I hadn't done any declines in years but last week I decided it was going to be a mainstay. Thanks!

In response to Deadbolt's post:

Oh, I see. Forgot about that. It does do this, but the actual ROM takes the stress off the shoulders. It's nearly all triceps when doing it PL style (well, they become much, much more important anyways). Basically the chest is used only in the very bottom portion of the lift and the triceps are activated sooner because of the angle than they would be doing it with bringing the bar to the nipples. So while more of the load may actually be on the shoulders, it's much safer because the elbows and shoulders are tucked in. Basically, when the elbows flare out it puts forces on the shoulder that are simply unnecessary. Keeping everything tucked kind of protects you in a way.

Originally Posted by squanto

Maybe it's not that it puts less stress on the shoulder muscle itself

That's what I'm looking for and the reason I started this thread... I think my choices have pretty much been confirmed. Thanks everybody for taking the time to help me out...

As far as I know, it's the shoulder join that is most vulnerable. For example, doing flyes puts a ton of undue stress on the shoulder joint. I don't think the muscle would get injured but rather the joint in these cases. I could, of course, be completely wrong.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

As far as I know, it's the shoulder join that is most vulnerable. For example, doing flyes puts a ton of undue stress on the shoulder joint. I don't think the muscle would get injured but rather the joint in these cases. I could, of course, be completely wrong.

I like to get a pretty good stretch and DB hurt sometimes. Pec-dec and cables for me...

Originally Posted by SuperFlex

I like to get a pretty good stretch and DB hurt sometimes. Pec-dec and cables for me...

I was just using an example off the top of my head. Even if you do use cables, the same resistance may be applied in the same way with cable flyes, and the same undue stress. Granted the exact angle depends on the person and the way the cables are set up, but I suppose it could be just as bad or nearly so. Pec dec is also an unnatural movement to me. It just feels strange for some reason...

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

I was just using an example off the top of my head. Even if you do use cables, the same resistance may be applied in the same way with cable flyes, and the same undue stress. Granted the exact angle depends on the person and the way the cables are set up, but I suppose it could be just as bad or nearly so. Pec dec is also an unnatural movement to me. It just feels strange for some reason...

The stress isn't even close to the same...

benching like a PL'er puts more stress on the anterior delt is what i meant, atleast from my experience i don't really have a source for that but i'm pretty sure i read it somewhere. why the PL'er way is better for the shoulder is like squaggle said, its better for the joint, impingement and pulls/tears of the rotator cuff muscles are more likely when your elbows are flared.

Shit, I wish i referred to my delts as "overpowering" .