Proper Big Bench Technique

[Gettin'old]

I recently read an excellent article on proper technique for benching heavy. Basically, instead of having your elbows out, you need to "bring your shoulder blades together" and keep your elbows in, closer to the bench. Also, the range of motion is supposed to be much shorter. You lift from your lower pecs, or the top of your abs, straight out (the article says press "towards your feet").

I am not at all used to benching like this but am going to give it a try. Is anyone familiar with this technique. If so, can you give some more tips. Also, do you still keep a wide grip?

Lastly, the article really emphasizes developing triceps strength to improve the bench and says to do heavy pressing motions like close grip presses and less finishing motions such as kick backs and press downs. Are there other really good exercises for developing this kind of "pressing" tricep strength?

All contributions are appreciated.

 

[Arnold]

well, if you bring your elbows in you will be be utilizing more of your tris and less pecs, so I guess it depends on why you bench press?

It seems that this article is based on strength and increasing your bench press, is that your goal?

 

[Gettin'old]

I train more for "bodybuilding" but I think I'd like to try this for a while just to get my bench up. It supposedly is safer on the shoulders as well.

 

[Arnold]

For the last several months all I have done is decline presses, no more flat or incline.

My decline strength has continued to increase almost every work-out. I think because it's a more natural position for the arms and shoulders to push, and I feel very little stress on my shoulders.

Not sure if I will ever do flat or inclines again. I hate to admit this, but I think I may finally agree with Chicken Daddy on the whole upper chest isolation thing. do not tell him that though!

 

[Mudge]

I've posted the article link numerous times, I like it.

 

[Gettin'old]

Mudge, did you post the right article there? Is that "on-topic?"

 

[Mudge]

?

This is the one I posted

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11158&highlight=how+to+bench+big

 

[Mudge]

http://www.criticalbench.com/chart.htm

These charts are not accurate for everyone, but they are pretty dead on for me, so far.

 

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Prince
For the last several months all I have done is decline presses, no more flat or incline.

My decline strength has continued to increase almost every work-out. I think because it's a more natural position for the arms and shoulders to push, and I feel very little stress on my shoulders.

Not sure if I will ever do flat or inclines again. I hate to admit this, but I think I may finally agree with Chicken Daddy on the whole upper chest isolation thing. do not tell him that though!

When you first started doing declines, were you doing the same weight, less, or more than on a regular flat bench?

And have you lost any strength in flat and incline bench?

 

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Mudge
http://www.criticalbench.com/chart.htm

These charts are not accurate for everyone, but they are pretty dead on for me, so far.

err... how do you use that chart?

 

[Fit Freak]

I think you need to decide if you want to increase strength or increase your pec development. Bodybuilders lift heavy but only as heavy as it takes to overload a muscle with good form to achieve a maximium "pump".

Strength is important but much less important in a bodybuilding sense than powerlifting. IMO...if you want to develop your pecs why do an excercise in such a way that stwitches the emphasis from the pectoral muscles onto the triceps...that is why we train triceps as a muscle and chest as a separate muscle.

 

[Mudge]

How? You look at a certain weight, and reps and then you see your estimated max. Reps at the top, max on the right.

 

[Scotty the Body]

I tried that method with a light weight so I could get use to it, found that I had to use a more narrow grip than regular bench and its hard to get use to pinching the shoulder blades together.

I'll keep trying it though.

 

[Gettin'old]

That's where I'm at with it too Scotty.

 

[Mudge]

I'm about half an inch closer on my grip than I used to do, thats each side, about a fingers width.

I went into the gym and got on the bench with 135 to get used to it (1 'set' ED), after about a week I pretty much got it down.

 

[Gettin'old]

I feel like I understand the technique but it puts different stresses on the shoulders etc. My weight is way down. Also, I'm doing this on chest day and so my chest workout suffers some.

 

[Fit Freak]

Don't worry about the weight being down...once you perfect the technique your poundages will definately increase. Just takes time

 

[Wolfpack22]

Don't bridge when you bench. Do not lift for your ego. The bench works your chest and triceps. If you bridge in a competition your lift is DQed.

 

[Mudge]

Are you talking about lifting your ass off the bench?

 

[Wolfpack22]

Yep, the technical term is bridge. It looks like you are forming the Golden Gate with your body. I hate it when people do it and think their lift is legit. Bridging is only good for egos, not your body.

 

[Mudge]

Plus it would put the spin in a bad way, I definately dont recommend that, however, the dead fish technique (flat on the bench) also kills my back when going heavy.

If they want to lift thier ass in the air, they can do the decline bench

 

[Wolfpack22]

Pullups would be best for lifting your ass.

 

[RCfootball87]

Originally posted by Mudge
How? You look at a certain weight, and reps and then you see your estimated max. Reps at the top, max on the right.

that doens't make any sense, because by what it shows there, youd be doing way more ten times then once. how the hell is this thing labeled and what do you mean estimated max? what you can do now, what youll do in the future? what? this thing need to be labeled those bastards.

 

[Arnold]

Originally posted by Monolith
When you first started doing declines, were you doing the same weight, less, or more than on a regular flat bench?

And have you lost any strength in flat and incline bench?

Initially less weight cause I had not been doing declines.

I do not know if I have lost strength in flat or inclines cause I no longer do them.

 

[Mudge]

RC, this type of graph is very standard, you should have seen this a million times in school.

Your example weight on the right, repetitions at the top, follow the graph straight out to the right for desired number of reps, and voila, that is your estimated maximum.

So if you can do 265 for ten, your estimated max is 345.

 

[RCfootball87]

o i see it now. too ba di only bench 115

 

[Yanick]

I started benching using the powerlifting techniques described here on a recommendation from DP a while ago. I have tendonitis in my left shoulder so switching to this style of benching helps a lot. Bringing your shoulder blades together, decreases shoulder rotation (which is the cause of rotator cuff impingement).

A few other things that i've learned from various sources is to arch and keep your back tight (keep your butt on the bench). Another way to increase poundage is to learn to drive with your legs. Lay down so the bar is far behind you and learn to drive with you legs to get into your comfortable benching position in relation to the bar.

I, like Prince, however have stopped benching. I don't believe that it is the only/best way to develop your pecs. All i did for a while were dips and incline DB presses. My shoulder pain went away for a while.

I'm probably going to go back to benching, but only a set or two. And the only reason i'm going back to benching is the fact that i'm trying a higher volume routine now, so i need more exercise variation.

I still think dips are the best exercise one can do for their chest.

 

[Mudge]

Dips are awesome.

I also arch the back, I THOUGHT that was in the article, if not then I posted a link to something else. Bring the blades together, arch the back, keep elbows in (which means bar down to nipple or below), center weight over wrists to take stress off them. I get close to under the weight so I dont bother my shoulders unracking it.

 

[MeanCuts]

Originally posted by Prince
Initially less weight cause I had not been doing declines.

I do not know if I have lost strength in flat or inclines cause I no longer do them.

I used to just do flat and incline presses but a little over a month ago I started throwing decline in and think it really helps.Every since i've thought decline press is very underrated.

 

[Monolith]

why is "bridging" bad? when i was first learning bench technique, i was told it was ok to use... in fact i was encouraged to lift my ass off the bench like that.

how does this "cheat"? arent you still using the same muscles?