The ass arch on bench, For or against

[thecompound]

I have been maxing out on bench the last few days and I have always preached good form. If I lift my ass an inch ill drop weight so my butt wont raise and try it again, (I am super anal about form and was brought up around not arching your back because it seems to me like it makes it a whole hell of a lot easier for kids and is kind of cheating IMO. What does ef think? for or against

 

[brownbrown]

I have been maxing out on bench the last few days and I have always preached good form. If I lift my ass an inch ill drop weight so my butt wont raise and try it again, (I am super anal about form and was brought up around not arching your back because it seems to me like it makes it a whole hell of a lot easier for kids and is kind of cheating IMO. What does ef think? for or against

Have always been against it. But then I tried it. With the shoulder blades touching, entire back tense I noticed shoulder pain going to a minimum after chest days. Sometimes only hurting for a few hours then it goes away. Flat loose back bench has destroyed my shoulders. Both have separated(not dislocated) from inproper bench form and heavy weight. Even when they hurt, I can bench in the 270-80's range and not have much more discomfort.
Just MY honest expierence over the decade + of lifting.



Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[lweaver]

An arched back and retracted shoulders is safer, and allows you to lift more weight.

Also, whether benching flat backed or arched, your ass should stay on the bench. If your ass is off the bench you are cheating, otherwise arching the back is proper form or it wouldn't be meet-legal.

 

[Tblock1]

all for a big arch, but lifting your ass off the bench is no good not only does the lift not count but it's not as safe

 

[SpyWizard]

easy to answer, I don't do flat bench, even a 10% raise will keep my back against the bench.. mostly depends on the foot position.. and if you are using your abdominal muscles to push it will be flat as well..

 

[ExtraMile]

Your spine best supports a load in an arch...

You can over arch though, then you loose power and stability.

I just tuck my shoulders together and down, I don't force my lower back into an arch.

 

[Will_I_am156]

If you haven't already had a look you might wanna check out Dave Tate's elitefts so you think you can bench videos on YouTube there's some good stuff in them.

 

[thecompound]

I cant believe I am saying this but i might bench wrong haha. I go with absolutely no movement in my spine ate all (completely flat), use a wide grip that has my arms straight up and down, touch my chest pause and push. It seems like i might be doing long term damage over time and tucking your shoulders, ass staying down and a little arch is the proper way (with shoulders tucked). Ill have to check it out a bit more

 

[donmcgowen]

The thing with arching your back and lifting your ass is that it completely changes the angle and makes it easier to lift more. A huge arch on flat bench is more like doing a decline press. I see guys in the incline bench arching and lifting their ass up which makes it like doing flat bench. Its just cheating yourself but it's up to each person what they want to do. You should arch your back a little and pull your shoulder blades together.

 

[Ziggajay]

How exactly do you tuck your shoulders together when youre reaching up for the bar to unrack, or to reach full extension? I use a somewhat narrow grip like 1 inch inside the rings cuz it gives me more "push" but i cant for the life of me squeeze my shoulder blades together when i reach up. They just naturally separate.

 

[lweaver]

You need toget some weight on your upper traps, squeeze your shoulder blades tight as if you were doing a barbell rown, and use your lats to unrack the bar.

 

[Will_I_am156]

Zig, you should check out Dave Tate's videos on YouTube about how to bench. There are seven in the series and it goes through every aspect of bench step by step. (probably about 35 mins of material)

I watched them on my phone whilst doing bench to fix mine. I just totally dropped the weight for a day and focussed 100% on getting the form right and using the tips and cues he provides. In the last 3 weeks I have gone from a complete standstill at 225 for 5 reps to 242 for 5 reps just through using things like leg drive and keeping my back tight.

 

[lweaver]

Yep, same here. I focus on a different cue every time I bench, seems like it'll be years until it's perfect through. I still have trouble with leg drive and getting my chest up into the bar.

 

[Will_I_am156]

I know what you mean, i never realised it was such technical lift til recently. I struggle with keeping tight the whole way through the set. It seems ok for like the first 2 or 3 reps but by number 4 I can feel my core struggling to maintain the bridge and have to really contract my glutes to the point where i'm nearly getting cramp.

 

[PickMe69]

I voted for Arch, but I'm not so sure about my ass actually coming off the bench, I like to left my forehead to the bar then slowly drop my shoulders and neck flat on the bench while bring my ass up a little to prepare myself for reps, but that puts the arch in my back. My ass and feet stay planted the whole time. After tearing my anterior deltoid, I started watching videos of professional trainers teaching bench form, and that seems to be the overall consensus for benching. I've also slowed my reps a bit and focused on keeping my elbows at about 45 degrees from my lats.

 

[b fold the truth]

Arch and drive with the legs...always!

 

[joeblow12345]

I have been maxing out on bench the last few days and I have always preached good form. If I lift my ass an inch ill drop weight so my butt wont raise and try it again, (I am super anal about form and was brought up around not arching your back because it seems to me like it makes it a whole hell of a lot easier for kids and is kind of cheating IMO. What does ef think? for or against

If your a bb then bench elbows out flat backed. If you wanna bench big weights arch and keep your ass on the bench, and tuck elbows. If your ass is coming off bench then try tucking your legs back underneath you. You should be on the balls of feet while driving heels to floor.

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