Can some people just not bench alot?

[G Lapagola]

i have trouble gaining alot in bench compared to my workout partners. i crush them in all other aspects of lifting except when it comes to flat barbell bench. i have a far superior back, bis, tris, legs, shoulders, and better in most chest. however i just cant compete in bench. i know its an ego thing, but i wish i could bench more. any ideas? thanks.

ps- 6'2" 200, been training 3 years.

chest:
flat bb-6,4,2,1
incline db-7,5,3
flys-3x8 or so
dips-3x failure.

i take all sets to failure

 

[Test boy]

Your height is the reason your bench suffers. A 30" arm lifts twice as much weight as a 15" arm when the bar has the same weight for both lifters. I am taller than you by a couple inches. I use 230 on the seated row and lat pulldown which is 15 pounds more than I weigh and more than I work out with on the bench. Guys say my long arms help on exercises I'm good at...that is bullshit.
Another possibility is that some people don't have the right shoulder joints for benching.

 

[Athleticfreak]

Do not worry.The bench press is an overated exercise in my opinion anyway.I personally do dumbell presses instead.Also remember you should only try to better your own lifting maximums rather than the people you train with,that type of ego competition can lead to accidents and injury.

 

[sysopt]

Could be your form. Here's a great link for form on the bench:

http://www.testosterone.net/html/body_115b600.html

You shouldn't train under three reps very often because you'll adapt very quickly and not make strength gains. Work on the weak links: triceps, delts, and definately do some external rotator cuff work if you never had. They are essential for shoulder stability. To a certain extent your back is involved in the exercise, so start doing some real back work!!

Here's the link for working external rotators, one of them is a cable, the other is a dumbell:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Infraspinatus/CBExternalRotation.html

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Infraspinatus/DBExternalRotation.html

My bench is also horrible and I did some reseach and this is what I found. Good luck to you and strengthen yourself!

 

[DaCypher]

Athleticfreak,

Yea, I'm a big dumbbell press fan. I haven't done bb bench press in a while.

Test boy,

Taller guys have the disadvantage of having to move the weight a greater distance. However, they have the advantage of tortue on their side. The longer your arms the less force you have to exert to move a particular weight. Think of a wrench, its a lot easier to losen a bolt with a larger wrench.

 

[gymtime]

I'm the same way man. I'm roughly your size and I've been at it for eight years now. Best I've ever been able to bench is 275. It used to bother me to, the ego thing and all. But you learn to accept it as a weak spot, like everyone has. It's ultimately no big deal.

 

[Enock]

Taller guys have the disadvantage of having to move the weight a greater distance. However, they have the advantage of tortue on their side. The longer your arms the less force you have to exert to move a particular weight. Think of a wrench, its a lot easier to losen a bolt with a larger wrench.

No actually they have torque against them. Think of a seesaw.

Imagine a fat person sitting on far end of the thing and your muscles are at the pivot point trying to lift him up, If he moved closer in you would have alot easier of a time.

Its exactly way the further out the dumbbell flys are from your body the harder they are.





For twisting things you would have the advantage like you said.
Because now you the one at the fatguys end and your working againts the pivot point so the farter out you are the easier wrenching would be. (though no one twists w/ there arms straight out and its more a amtter of grip)

 

[Test boy]

No actually they have torque against them. Think of a seesaw.

Imagine a fat person sitting on far end of the thing and your muscles are at the pivot point trying to lift him up, If he moved closer in you would have alot easier of a time.

Its exactly way the further out the dumbbell flys are from your body the harder they are.





For twisting things you would have the advantage like you said.
Because now you the one at the fatguys end and your working againts the pivot point so the farter out you are the easier wrenching would be. (though no one twists w/ there arms straight out and its more a amtter of grip)

Enock is right on the money. I'm so sick of seeing 5'5" guys with 550 lb. bench presses that raise the bar 5" when they put their hands by the weights. Then they tell me my long arms help me! This has been explained ad nauseum in various fitness publications and physics courses.

 

[needsize]

Bodybuilding is more about range of motion than about weight, longer arms means a longer range of motion on the bench which I think makes it a more effective exercise.
I'm not real tall but have long monkey arms, great deadlift as a result but have never been strong on the bench, but the flip side is my chest is generally more developed than the guys in my gym that bench more.
It's all about perspective.....

 

[gymtime]

Bodybuilding is more about range of motion than about weight, longer arms means a longer range of motion on the bench which I think makes it a more effective exercise.
I'm not real tall but have long monkey arms, great deadlift as a result but have never been strong on the bench, but the flip side is my chest is generally more developed than the guys in my gym that bench more.
It's all about perspective.....

Very well said. It's all relative.