Elbows in Benching....

[Natural_Teen]

Being a pump artist i always bench with elbows out. Though in reading some info from spatts and other pl's when i want to max out i should tuck my elbows in to get the most power and decreace the distance the bar has to travel
I have no problem with the theory, but when i tried it with just 135 on the bar i get a sharp shooting pain in my ft delt. I was wondering if anyone else had this pain or if its just because it is a new motion and my body is not used to it. In the reps i was doing, i had my shoulders pinched together, my lower back slightly arched and my feet firmly planted on the ground. The only places i felt pain was in the front delt and in my lower back, but i assume that was because the weight was hitting my upper abs and not the accustomed upper chest. Anyone else get this pain?

 

[Hannibal]

Would definitely need to see that to give you an answer. That's a new one.

 

[CytoMel]

I dont think benching elbows out grows the pecs any better than elbows tucked benching does..

In fact I think elbows tucked benching is better for chest growth although you may get a good pump elbows out benching I dont think it grows the chest faster..I remember reading an article somewhere that went like this:

Put one elbow in the elbows out position and flex your pec...Then put your elbow in the elbows tucked position and flex your pec....much more pec feeling in the elbows tucked position..

My pec deelopment exploded when i changed from elbows out to elbows tucked...

I dont know about the shoulder problem but a lot of people fck up their delts with that elbows out stuff

 

[Hannibal]

Good post Cyto....you lifting in Daytona next weekend?

 

[spatts]

NT, I got the impression from you post that you plan to be able to just tuck them in and all of a sudden bench more? It likely will not work that way. When we bench tucked we mean we bench like that ALL the time. This means that we have strengthened and recruited different muscles over time to bench this way. We bench with our triceps, shoulders, and lats. You can't just switch from a chest bench to a tri bench and expect to do more...your chest may be stronger than your triceps. The POTENTIAL for you to lift more in a PL bench is greater. Your max in a BB bench will not be the same as your potential max in a PL bench, but you STILL have to build those muscles to get the results you want. It's not just the form, it's the muscles used in that form. Make sense? I'm suggesting that you felt front delt pain because your shoulders need to be strengthened in this new plane of action. I'm going to guess that if you practiced 2 board presses and 5 board presses, your 5 board would be better than your two (weaker shoudlers compared to tris in that plane). Could also be form, though...not having the shoulder blades pinched, as mentioned.

 

[Natural_Teen]

no i didnt think i could magically bench more spatts, i just tried a weight i knew i could control so i didnt hurt myself. I just thought it was weird that i got that much shoulder pain from such a small set. I will continue to try benching pl style to see if it helps. My chest is severly lacking and a change is always welcome in my routines. Thanks for the help boys and lady. Does anyone else have a comment on better chest development with pl style?

 

[Natural_Teen]

no i didnt think i could magically bench more spatts, i just tried a weight i knew i could control so i didnt hurt myself. I just thought it was weird that i got that much shoulder pain from such a small set. I will continue to try benching pl style to see if it helps. My chest is severly lacking and a change is always welcome in my routines. Thanks for the help boys and lady. Does anyone else have a comment on better chest development with pl style?

 

[DOM]

There's no reason it should hurt like that. That pain is probably unrelated to benching with elbows out vs. elbows in -- maybe caused by some other injury?

Other stuff PL'ers will do to get their chest is ultra-wide benches (index finger on ring, or wider for some) note that even though we go ultra-wide, we still tuck the elbows as much as possible. And also cambered bar benches allow you to start the press from below your natural point -- putting more stress on the pecs to get the bar moving. Also use elbows in on these cambered presses too.

Good luck -- DOM>

 

[spatts]

NT, I haven't isolated my chest in a workout in a long time, and it continues to grow and get stronger from all the compound work.

You can always add it in for accessory work AFTER the compound lifts. Do whatever works.