Reverse Grip Bench Press for Tri's

[Pepper]

I have read about this exercise a few times over the last few days but have never done it. I looked over at http://www.exrx.net/ but did not see it.

I guess the execution of it is obvious, just turn your hands around....is there anything more to it? How low on the chest do you go?

Any info would be appreciated as I have to find a better way to attack my tri's.

 

[OceanDude]

With the reverse grip you will not be able to "lift/press" any where near as much as you can with regular close grip. Without a spotter I am inclined to think its not worth doing this with the bench since you will fatigue often and need to adjust weights. I use instead the reverse grip method on tricep push downs at a high pully and straight bar since its very fast to decline the weights down using the pin adjustment since you fatigue fast on this one.

P.S. I found an exercise that totally fries my tricpes since it hits it from an angle most people do not use. Use a high pully and drop it down to just below mid point on the slider frame (about the middle of back depending on rope length). Attach a mid-length rope to the pully's D-ring and then grasp the rope and turn your back to it. This will put you in a position where you are facing away from the pully and you will have to lift it vertical from behind the head. This is INTENSE and you will get a super long stretch if you go all the way down and up! If you have not done it before I guarantee you it will burn on the very first full set of 8-12 at only 70-80% of max weight. Try it.

 

[Pepper]

Interesting...I will try it.

 

[OceanDude]

It's one of my favorite tricept exercises and much less ackward than trying to juggle a super heavy dumbell behind your head with 2 hands only to "ring your bell" when you fatigue and can't get good motion. I found out the hard way why the call em "dumbells" .

Oh, on the behind the head verticle tricept rope presses - make sure to keep the elbows in tight and close to each other to focus the stretch to the tricepts...

 

[Mudge]

Same as a regular bench, below the chest. I do about 90% of my flat bench with reverse grip. I put the bar itself on the top post of the bench so that I can get it on and off the 'rack' easier.

 

[P-funk]

Anyhting reverse grip is great for the triceps.....why??? Because you can't cheat. When you are in a pronated grip (palms facing away from you) your elbows are able to flare outwards, [and they ussualy do, especially when you get fatigued, allowing you to push more weight. With a supinated grip (palms facing you, like in reverse grip bench press or press downs) your elbows can not flare outwards because your radiallis is decreasing your elbows range of motion that that way.

 

[gr81]

Originally posted by OceanDude
With the reverse grip you will not be able to "lift/press" any where near as much as you can with regular close grip.

Anthony clark is the strongest man in the world at the bench, and when he set the record benching his grip was reversed. I know that this isn't normal and you are basically right OD, I just thought I would share that with you. Of course his tris are extrremely strong which makes this possible in the first place.

 

[Mudge]

He was. His 820 was reversed though yep, the record is now 821 , I posted on it here

 

[P-funk]

Some people are stronger in their sagital plane than in their transverse plane. A regualr bench press is in the transverse plane because the shoulder is doing horizontal flexion. A close grip bench press is in the sagital plane because the shoulder is going through sagital plane flexion. Most people have a dominant plane of motion, and for most, when it comes to benching it is the transverse plane. But I have seen some who are stronger in their sagital plane. That is interseting that he broke a record benching like that.

 

[Mudge]

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18344&highlight=record

On the record break awhile back.