Pika
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I always have just a liltle space between my middle back and but i do not put my shoulder blades together ....... On youtube guys talk diffrent so as i always trust this site im just thinking what you guys think ? Thanks
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Benching flat back or shoulders together
- Thread starter Pika
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Testoman98
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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.
wannashred
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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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Pika
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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
Pika
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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!!
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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.
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.
Pika
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True but less distance maybye cheating?
wannashred
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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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Pika
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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.
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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.
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.
Pika
Registered
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?
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?
The back should be arched to some degree. Upper and all of Back should be activated. Feet planted on the ground. If you ever do any heavy weight, your back is going to be working anyways. Ass will be planted. Tripod on the bench with two shoulder blades and one ass locked. Powerlifters super arch to decrease distance and rom. Just like you'll never see a powerlifter going for a PR with his feet on the bench or in the air ala "getting ready to crunch" style...(whoever thought this shit up)
We talked alot about the role of the back in bench pressing. Find a powerlifter that doesn't have a wide strong back. find ANY power move or power position in the gym or in real life, such as yard work, where the lordotic curve isn't the base.... All in all, it doesn't matter as far as the minute details go as long as you have your foundation down. A powerlifter will be able to decrease arch, do a "normal" bench and still bench their ass off because they've been lifting heavy weight! Cheating? Not really an issue. the pecs aren't doing much. Contracting, and relaxing. A good rotation and press and it's all over. To me the most important points I see totally wrecked is first and foremost not rotating through the RC: Not bringing the elbows in and thus "shouldering" up and down the weight. Once you've done that unsupervised since weak ass gym/football classes and you've got thousands of reps and a motor engram that is hard to overcome. ... Main problem with those that can't grow their chest or have shoulder issues. Then the dancing feet syndrome. No support is no power. Feet dancing all over the place. Not to be a meat head, but benching is a full body exercise or should be. And more and more lately I've been warming up with like 85, sometimes less, for a few sets. All of my warmups are strict, not going through the motions. And super tight grip on the bar for the heavy lifts makes a big difference in stability and cns activation.
Of course when you're getting older, you really start to pay attention to the little stuff.
We talked alot about the role of the back in bench pressing. Find a powerlifter that doesn't have a wide strong back. find ANY power move or power position in the gym or in real life, such as yard work, where the lordotic curve isn't the base.... All in all, it doesn't matter as far as the minute details go as long as you have your foundation down. A powerlifter will be able to decrease arch, do a "normal" bench and still bench their ass off because they've been lifting heavy weight! Cheating? Not really an issue. the pecs aren't doing much. Contracting, and relaxing. A good rotation and press and it's all over. To me the most important points I see totally wrecked is first and foremost not rotating through the RC: Not bringing the elbows in and thus "shouldering" up and down the weight. Once you've done that unsupervised since weak ass gym/football classes and you've got thousands of reps and a motor engram that is hard to overcome. ... Main problem with those that can't grow their chest or have shoulder issues. Then the dancing feet syndrome. No support is no power. Feet dancing all over the place. Not to be a meat head, but benching is a full body exercise or should be. And more and more lately I've been warming up with like 85, sometimes less, for a few sets. All of my warmups are strict, not going through the motions. And super tight grip on the bar for the heavy lifts makes a big difference in stability and cns activation.
Of course when you're getting older, you really start to pay attention to the little stuff.
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