How far down to go on bench press?

[spatts]

Depends on goal.

For my purposes, bench to chest, pause, no bounce.

In general, larger ROM=More recruitment

 

[scarecrowtriplesix]

never touch your chest!!!!!! i bench 415 and i used to touch my chest all the time it was what i was taught. if you do that for a while and get your stregth high youll experience strains and tears eventually. it creates a stretch that is uneccesary and puts a lot of strain on your roator cuffs. if you dont belive me talk to my guy who was the trainer for the oilers back in the day. ive had a million strains in my chest and thanks to a little gh im finnaly back to where i was and ill never touch the chest again and i love bench so i have to do it.

 

[Sebass67]

Sounds like an educated fellow doesn't he?

 

[bignate73]

never touch your chest!!!!!! i bench 415 and i used to touch my chest all the time it was what i was taught. if you do that for a while and get your stregth high youll experience strains and tears eventually. it creates a stretch that is uneccesary and puts a lot of strain on your roator cuffs. if you dont belive me talk to my guy who was the trainer for the oilers back in the day. ive had a million strains in my chest and thanks to a little gh im finnaly back to where i was and ill never touch the chest again and i love bench so i have to do it.

that can be attributed to a technique flaw. wide elbow benching to be more specific.

 

[Lee]

hmmmm... ill have to try some of these new tactics out and see what i like the feel of better

 

[supersizeme]

Stopping 2 inches above your chest is the wuss equivalent of going down halfway on squats. Everytime I see someone doing it in my gym I just shake my head.

 

[Lord_Suston]

never touch your chest!!!!!! i bench 415 and i used to touch my chest all the time it was what i was taught. if you do that for a while and get your stregth high youll experience strains and tears eventually. it creates a stretch that is uneccesary and puts a lot of strain on your roator cuffs. if you dont belive me talk to my guy who was the trainer for the oilers back in the day. ive had a million strains in my chest and thanks to a little gh im finnaly back to where i was and ill never touch the chest again and i love bench so i have to do it.

if you got hurt all the time by doing it then you were using too much weight or your technique has flaws. Did you pause completely at the bottom? or did you touch and go like many are taught? I touch the bottom and pause then go up, never had any shoulder probs or injuries due to benching ever

 

[beastboy]

Stopping 2 inches above your chest is the wuss equivalent of going down halfway on squats. Everytime I see someone doing it in my gym I just shake my head.

I see a guy at my gym who has been there as long as I have (2 years)....no lie, his physique shows no change at all. His bench is a 2" ROM...that is a TOTAL ROM. He racks the weight and breaks out a pose. I want to so badly say something to him. What pisses me off is there are guys who will spot him and know better then what he is doing, but will not correct him.

 

[spatts]

We need to clarify the BB bench and PL benching philosophies here. I wouldn't strain my poor little isolated pecs for multiple reps of 415 on the bench, but as a powerlifter, moving 415 to the STERNUM with the tris/lats/shoulders, and ....eh....a little chest-well, that's different.

Form, as usual, will make or break you.

 

[PolishHammer1977]

I do one of two things;
Touch the chest
or
Touch the chest, rest, then explode.




My chest got stronger when I decided to slow the cadence and lower the weight.