benc press grip width...

[cal]

ok guys,
wondering your thoughts on this. i have almost always used a shoulder width grip on bp, bc it simply felt more comfortable. then i moved out to a grip with pinky on the ring and now to a grip with index on the ring. its been going very well and ive noticed that my range of motion is now reasonable though i wouldnt call it great, plus its much easier for me to keep a nice tight legal arch. i use periodized powerlifting programs...

my question is would moving my bench out further, on a separate day help my bench bc i think my pecs are my weak point? i have taken some of louies advice such as the barbell extensions which have worked out great, and im wondering about these "illegal width grip" benches...and how much wider than my current max 32 inch grip?
im thinking maybe 2 inches wider, and to work sort of light on a separate day...for bench...

CAL
btw my bench is about 315 , no shirt, or anything...

 

[brianmincher]

If your pecs are truly your weak point then you are not benching with correct form. Your weak point is your triceps. I have never met you, but 99.9 percent of benchers out there are limited to what their triceps will allow them to bench.

Illegal wides are done for reps occasionally, but I don't think that you would want to make them a staple of your program. Make sure when benching to pinch your shoulderblades together as much as possible, arch hard, and don't let your elbows get very far away from your lats. If you do this, you will shorten your stroke a bunch, and it takes your pecs out of the equation.

Good luck.

B

 

[b fold the truth]

B is correct on this one. I agree.

B True

 

[Screwball]

Competition Grip...

I think that, ideally, your competition grip should be at a point on the bar where the following occurs:

When the barbell is at its' lowest position in the bench stroke (i.e. paused on the lower chest/upper abs) the angle between the upper and lower arm is at or very close to 90*. The forearm should be perpendicular to the floor/bench pad with the barbell positioned directly above the elbow. This position allows the lifter to push with all of his/her force directly up in a straight line with no loss of energy. Any other position will decrease the force directed against the barbell (i.e less efficiency). This statement equates to hitting your groove. Experienced lifters will tell you that the difference between missing and hitting a weight is often associated with hitting your bench stroke groove.

- Screwball

 

[brianmincher]

Good point screwball,

I never thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense, I have always just gripped as wide as is legal with a shirt on, to shorten the stroke as much as possible. It is possible that I am hitting the position you describe above, but I think my hands are outside of my elbows. I have just always benched on the theory that the shorter the stroke the better. See now you went and made me think.

B

 

[Screwball]

Brian...

It is true that by moving your grip out you decrease the bench stroke. This is always a good thing. However, you may be able to increase your bench by moving it in a little, especially if you have short arms to begin with. When you move your grip in you can benefit from additional tricep power and the ability to "tuck" your elbows closer to the body.

These are ways to decrease your bench stroke:

- move your grip out on the barbell
- increase your arch
- increase the size of the lower chest upper abs (fat boy specialty)
- press in a straight line
- breathe air into the lower abdominals (as opposed to the lungs)
and hold before the bench stroke decent

I believe the use of a bench shirt allows a wider grip on the barbell because it helps move the weight at the beginning of the upward press. Just because the maximum allowable hand spacing for a legal bench press is index finger on the rings doesn't necessarily mean that all lifters can benefit maximally from that grip. Each lifter must find the grip that allows him/her to maximize their bench press.

- Screwball

 

[CytoMel]

Illegal wides are a good exercise. You need to put your index finger about a fingers length away from the outside ring. Watch out for your fingers when you rack the bar, your spotters need to watch out for your fingers. Try a max set of 6 to 12 reps. I think the number of reps possible depends on the individual lifter, some can get a lot or reps with a weight and some cant get too many reps at say 85% of your max. I couldnt get many reps, this could be from muscle endurance, fiber maikeup I dont really know. They will nail your chest, I did these on Saturday and its tuesday and my chest is still sore.

 

[cal]

cytomel did you mean a fingers length outside of the power rings or a finger width outside of each ring?

if rings are 32 inch appart, youre bench press grip width is about what with your ultrawides?

also are you doing the ultrawides instead of ...in addition to say youre reg comp grip?

 

[CytoMel]

The ultrawides are only used occasionally on ME day. Last week was the first day that I did them. I did floor press with chains today on Me BP day. The ultrawide grip is yoyur index fingers about one index fingers lenght outside the power rings, so it is not too much farther out than the competition grip. I think that westsiders use higher reps in this is to reduce shoulder strain that could occur with low reps in this movement.