Thread: Bad Benching Habit Should I be concerned

Originally Posted by mboley370

I have just recently started lifting again and was confronted about my habit I have when I bench.

When I get to what I consider heavy weight for me I tend to bounce the weight on my chest. It usually happens as I am getting tired and heavy weight 3-5 reps or my last two reps of 10

What are the affects of this? Is it ok to bounce the weight off? I guess I always look at it that I am bringing it as low as I can.

Thanks for any responses.

Matt

I used to do this. Then I really hurt my sternum and couldn't bench for a few weeks. Never did it again, lol.

Originally Posted by RasPlasch

I used to do this. Then I really hurt my sternum and couldn't bench for a few weeks. Never did it again, lol.

Thanks for your response.

Well I have never gotten hurt by it and I did it for 2 years before I quit. Its going to be tuff trying to quit this. But if it is going to affect the way I build or in the long run affect the weight I should be getting to what I am getting. I am going to think about trying to stop it.

Even if I tell myself before I lift the weight i am not going to bounce it, I always end up doing it. No clue why either, its not like it is really helping all that much, really all i am doing is throwing my balance of my lift off and making it hard for my stabalizer muscles.

Matt

When you say bounce, do you mean actually hitting the chest, or just continuing movement without pausing at the bottom? ie. is it actually injury from impact that you're worried about?

Why would you have any doubt? What could be good about bouncing weight off of your sternum like a trampoline? You need to do this because you have no strength in the bottom end...and your bouncing is why! Youre letting gravity pull the weight down and your chest to bounce it up. There is little work involved.

I bet your tempo has always been too fast. You need to do slower work and control the weight down so you can build strength in the bottom portion of your lift. In my book you should be able to pause at an inch above your chest. You probably need to slow down all of your lifts if youre a bouncer. Use lighter weights until you don't have to let gravity do part of your work. Plus you'll get stronger. You should look for places in your workout to stop momentum. And do some dumbbell work for a while.

Originally Posted by Merkaba

Why would you have any doubt? What could be good about bouncing weight off of your sternum like a trampoline? You need to do this because you have no strength in the bottom end...and your bouncing is why! Youre letting gravity pull the weight down and your chest to bounce it up. There is little work involved.

I bet your tempo has always been too fast. You need to do slower work and control the weight down so you can build strength in the bottom portion of your lift. In my book you should be able to pause at an inch above your chest. You probably need to slow down all of your lifts if youre a bouncer. Use lighter weights until you don't have to let gravity do part of your work. Plus you'll get stronger. You should look for places in your workout to stop momentum. And do some dumbbell work for a while.

This.

Not to mention, people who bounce the weight look really silly in doing so. you can bet others in the gym are thinking the same thing too. You know the person can't properly handle a weight that they bounce off their chest.

I think you know the answer - don't bounce!

Originally Posted by Merkaba

Why would you have any doubt? What could be good about bouncing weight off of your sternum like a trampoline? You need to do this because you have no strength in the bottom end...and your bouncing is why!

And if there's a weakness off the bottom, it's probably because of weakness in the back and lats. Start rowing!

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

And if there's a weakness off the bottom, it's probably because of weakness in the back and lats. Start rowing!

true

Yeah, it could be a poor push/pull ratio in your training program. Was thinking the same thing.

What Merkaba said about slowing down your form is also critical. Theres no reason to perform a regular bench press so fast.

Originally Posted by Merkaba

Why would you have any doubt? What could be good about bouncing weight off of your sternum like a trampoline? You need to do this because you have no strength in the bottom end...and your bouncing is why! Youre letting gravity pull the weight down and your chest to bounce it up. There is little work involved.

I bet your tempo has always been too fast. You need to do slower work and control the weight down so you can build strength in the bottom portion of your lift. In my book you should be able to pause at an inch above your chest. You probably need to slow down all of your lifts if youre a bouncer. Use lighter weights until you don't have to let gravity do part of your work. Plus you'll get stronger. You should look for places in your workout to stop momentum. And do some dumbbell work for a while.

Thanks for your reply. After really thinking about it and reading the rest of the posts. I will have to admit that my lats aren't the best. I am going to have to work on them more then and really concentrate on not bouncing the weight off.

Whats odd is I am exactly opposite in all of my other workouts, I do them very slow and controled. Even on my flies I take them down as far as I can and hold it for a second and then bring them back up and twist for inner chest.

I am going to make this my no 1 priority to fix this problem. It may sound easy not to do, but after you have did it for so long its like putting your clothes on in the morn.

Thanks for all of the responses from everyone.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Yeah, it could be a poor push/pull ratio in your training program. Was thinking the same thing.

What Merkaba said about slowing down your form is also critical. Theres no reason to perform a regular bench press so fast.

Well its not that I am doing it really fast, however I am taking it down slow controled and right before I hit my chest I bounce it and then explode back up.

I am going to have to agree also on the poor push pull ratio also.

Matt

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

And if there's a weakness off the bottom, it's probably because of weakness in the back and lats. Start rowing!

Thanks