quick bench press question

[UFC rocks]

hi guys just wanted to know how far up the chest do most of you bring the bar when barbell benching on a flat bench.

i know for powerlifting you are trying to lift as much weight as possible so people bring it to the lower chest and bend in there elbows to use more muscle and therefor lift more.

for muscle building in only the chest people bring it very high up the chest, so the chest is doing most of the work, but form what i have read and experienced it is bad for the shoulders.

because i want my bench press to work the chest as much as possible what would you say is the highest i could go without puting too much stress on the shoulders.

right now i lower the barbell to just above the nipples, but want to know if going higher would be okay to place too much stress on the delts.

thanks in advance.

 

[Gazhole]

Upper arms 45 degrees from the torso at all times. You won't be building much muscle in shoulder rehab, so why put them in a prone position?

 

[UFC rocks]

so would you say i am bringing it down to the correct place, about the nipple line.

 

[Gazhole]

Wherever the bar comes to when your arms are at 45 degrees from torso is fine, should be around about there, yeah.

 

[Ngordyn]

so would you say i am bringing it down to the correct place, about the nipple line.

everyone is different, get a spotter to watch you do a couple "light" reps trying different spots on your chest when your arms hit 45 degrees comfortably then you have it.

 

[riggo]

does anyone else stop just short of touching their chest w/ the bar,i do for shoulder reasons just wondering if it helps/hurts anyone else.

 

[CORUM]

i always stop about an inch from my chest. i have been doing that for years, ever since i read it keeps more tension on your chest. but i truly do not know how beneficial it is.

 

[largepkg]

I don't stop short. I tap the the chest and press.

 

[UFC rocks]

i always stop about an inch from my chest. i have been doing that for years, ever since i read it keeps more tension on your chest. but i truly do not know how beneficial it is.

people usally stop just short because it means they cant bounch the weight of there chest, which means like you said it keep tension on the chest, this is also the reason some dont lockout ethier, because then the tension is off the chest and onto the triceps.

i personally go down to the chest and lockout, other wise i just do feel like i have done a complete rep, i guess its just my ego.