Bench Press Question

[RickRock13]

Bench press form is different for bodybuilders/powerlifters. You should state which one you're going for before these arguments get started xD. If your wanting to build muscle I think your back should be mostly flat.. Time under tension/rom will build you more muscle then pressing alot of weight 2 inches. (no offense to any powerlifters)

Exactly. I mean no disrespect to power lifters at all. Its just not my gig at all and neither is the bench for that matter. As a bodybuilder, I try to focus on targeting a muscle group (chest), so putting the whole body into a movement is not what I'm after at all. Actually I've abandoned bench altogether for a good while now just because there are so many better exercises to isolate the chest for growth.

From a power lifters perspective I agree completely with you guys, when achieving maximal force is the goal.

Good discussion here

 

[Headholio]

It's funny, through all this discussion, I never seen anyone explain basicaly "why" you try to arch as much as possible during competitions. I have been in MANY bench meets and was fortunate enough to be trained by an old time nationaly ranked lifter. The main reason that we were tought the "arch" was to reduce the "range of motion" required during the bench. Even if you can reduce it by say one to two inches, it makes a drastic difference on how much more weight can be used. IMO

I agree that range of motion is part of it, and also what moya said;

i think i mentioned it a bit... yes, an extreme arch (which is not necessary for a 'proper' bench, although you do want some arch) will reduce the ROM... however it also shifts the load to stronger muscles like the lats and lower pecs... reduces stress on the shoulders...

And I will also add that when your upper arm movement is in the direction toward the the thickest part of the pec, you get the most power. Like I said earlier, like mimicking the position of a decline bench, rather than the upper arm moving perpendicular to the spine,which causes more of the force to come from the upper pec, where there are less total muscle fibers.

Regardless of all those explanations, you don't really need an explanation other than when you arch, you can lift more. So, that's the bottom line of why you arch in competition.

 

[moya]

i believe for proper shoulder position (avoiding injury as best possible) that is a reason for everyone to have at least some type of slight arch... this is a huge difference than the type of arch i use... you would just see a crack of daylight under the lower back if looking from the side if the lifter was shirtless...

 

[shirlene29]

^^ I agree with this to a degree...I switched to an arched bench for a little bit when I effed up my right front delt..its also easier on weak elbows
when I went back to a neutral spine bench I hadn't lost anything on my lift..but didn't gain anything either

this is actually the only reason why I know anything at all about different benches..lol

headholio is right about the different squat styles to, which I console myself with anytime I start to sort of miss a squat and don't get ass to grass