Is it going to hurt my progress if....

[IronCitGrl]

Whenever I barbell bench press heavy I can not get the bar to touch my chest. About two inches above my chest (and I don't have big boobies or anything) is about as far as I can get the bar to go. The reason I can not let the bar go any lower is because my shoulder blades feel like they are pinned back and stuck and that is as far as they want to go. I do not lift my bum off the bench either and my feet are flat on the ground. Is this going to hurt my progress if I cant do full range of motion bench presses?

[karoline8]

I too am interested in this as I have the same issue, it's very awkward for me to bring the bar all the way down to my chest, I've even tried with light weights and still it's no good.

[FF-Jewce]

Technically you aren't supposed to touch the bar to your chest. All you want to achieve is a 90 degree angle with your elbows. If you go down farther than that you risk shoulder injury. Just make sure to use good form and flex at the top of the contraction.

[IronPeach_79]

I've always learned that 90 degrees is as far as you should go. If you visualize it, it's really not that far. Same with a push up...Now, I do try and go slightly lower on both exercises but not too much further. The important part is to use good form, push up through the range of motion and get a good squeeze at the top!

[IronPeach_79]

Technically you aren't supposed to touch the bar to your chest. All you want to achieve is a 90 degree angle with your elbows. If you go down farther than that you risk shoulder injury. Just make sure to use good form and flex at the top of the contraction.

LOL...I think we said the same thing! Sorry didn't read yours first or else I'd have just said "What he said."

[xcardiobunny]

LOL...I think we said the same thing! Sorry didn't read yours first or else I'd have just said "What he said."

Hmm, I do have "big boobies" and I lightly touch the bar to my shirt like the guy in the video says to. I can't link to it yet, it was in an instructional part of the forums here and he cusses a lot. Anyway, is that not right? I have no problem with it and have my shoulder blades tucked together throughout the movement.

[IronCitGrl]

Thanks for the responses and I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Now what about locking out? Do you lockout on every rep every set every time? I do. Am I supposed to? Is there any benefit if I don't or if I do?

My goals are to increase my bench press and gain muscle.

[ilovethe80s]

Thanks for the responses and I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Now what about locking out? Do you lockout on every rep every set every time? I do. Am I supposed to? Is there any benefit if I don't or if I do?

My goals are to increase my bench press and gain muscle.

Hey there,

I'm newly shoulder-injured so have been digging online for info on which moves to avoid and adjust - for the bench, (if you have a shoulder injury) from what I have read, you should NOT be going all the way down so the bar touches your chest, and generally the farther your elbows go behind your body, the worse it can affect the shoulder joint.

As far as the lockout - again from what I have read - that this is not the best for the elbow joint (tough habit to break if you are used to doing it, I get more excited over tricep training than I do chest, and it does feel good to lock out and contract the tricep hard at the top of the press). Additionally, not locking out supposedly = more time under tension, so another benefit. However, if you look at the description of a bench press on a powerlifting resource or even wikipedia, they describe locked elbows as the final element of a bench press.

[allieninja]

Maybe try dumbbells for awhile, and stretch a bit at the bottom of your movement. This may make you more flexible, leading to a better ROM on your barbell bench.

[Rowyn]

Dave Tate ftw!

http://train.elitefts.com/exercise-i...l/bench-press/

If you have shoulder issues, he actually has a shoulder rehab type program on the bench that seems to work. I haven't touched a bench in years due to chronic shoulder pain (I use dumbells), but I have been pressing again lately with great success after studying his videos.

[KyleAaron]

I do not lift my bum off the bench either and my feet are flat on the ground. Is this going to hurt my progress if I cant do full range of motion bench presses?

In all exercises, it's best to use the fullest comfortable and safe range of motion for you. Because of people's individual body makeup and injury history, what this range of motion looks like will vary from one person to the next. That's okay, just do the fullest which is comfortable and safe for you.

That said, often when people present with more restricted ranges of motion, there is some technique issue there which when corrected gives them a fuller range of motion. For example, knees caving in on squats gives a shorter range of motion than knees out. So we'd have to see your bench press technique to be sure.

[Euqinom]

Whenever I barbell bench press heavy I can not get the bar to touch my chest. About two inches above my chest (and I don't have big boobies or anything) is about as far as I can get the bar to go. The reason I can not let the bar go any lower is because my shoulder blades feel like they are pinned back and stuck and that is as far as they want to go. I do not lift my bum off the bench either and my feet are flat on the ground. Is this going to hurt my progress if I cant do full range of motion bench presses?

To me, it sounds like bad technique. And i would kindly like to disagree with FF.

[Emma-Leigh]

Dave Tate ftw!

http://train.elitefts.com/exercise-i...l/bench-press/

If you have shoulder issues, he actually has a shoulder rehab type program on the bench that seems to work. I haven't touched a bench in years due to chronic shoulder pain (I use dumbells), but I have been pressing again lately with great success after studying his videos.

To me, it sounds like bad technique. And i would kindly like to disagree with FF.

This... ^
In terms of both exercise technique AND 'technically legal lifts' (eg: powerlifting), the bench press should be performed so the bar touches your chest...
Not performing full ROM (range of motion) is similar to doing 'quarter squats' and calling them 'squats'....
Does it mean you HAVE to do full ROM? No.
But to get full BENEFIT from the movement / to do a proper bench press - you ideally would do full ROM.

What is happening to restrict your movements? Hard to say without you posting a video / looking at your posture/technique/weaknesses... But from the sounds of it, it may well be a combination of poor mobility (eg: tight pecs, restricted scapular movements, poor thoracic spine mobility), shoulder stabiliser weakness, as well as poor technique (benching 'too high' on the chest, or inappropriate grip width, being two of the most common).

I would probably look into all of these as potential contributors, and then go about trying to fix them... Not only so you can perform the exercise correctly - but because NOT fixing them will increase your risk of injury both with the bench (even if performing 'half movements'), and other movements too.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-t...lar-stability/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-t...pine-mobility/
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_..._savers_part_I
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...savers_part_ii
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...avers_part_iii
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-bench-...lder-injuries/

Lyle McD wrote a good blurb here:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/tra...technique.html
And has a good video here:

[tina722]

To me, it sounds like bad technique. And i would kindly like to disagree with FF.

Can you explain more?

My bench technique is terrible, but the way I understand it is in PL the chest is touched with the BB...although the back is arched and elbows may be tucked more.




EDIT: thanks, Emma-Leigh. I didn't read down far enough...

[Euqinom]

Oooh, the Shoulder SAver SEries! They were such a help when I found them early on when benchpressing!

@tina: the mantra should be retract and depress, but actual benching is much more technical than you'd think from walking around the average gym. Ask people -pref. bench competitors!- to watch you and help you, or post videos here.

[IronCitGrl]

Hmmmm it seems to me that I am making the mistake of moving the bar straight up and down instead of an arc. I will try that and see if I can get a greater ROM next time.

Mostly the problem seems to be with my shoulder blades getting pinned by the bench with all the extra weight bearing down and not being able to move anymore. It could be possible that I am lowering the bar too high on my chest on the descent. I think the arc motion would help with that. I'll just have to wait until my chest day to try it out. Thank you!

[workoutchick]

Technically you aren't supposed to touch the bar to your chest. All you want to achieve is a 90 degree angle with your elbows. If you go down farther than that you risk shoulder injury. Just make sure to use good form and flex at the top of the contraction.

Great post i didnt know this till just now!

[onnadafit]

Keep the bar away from your chest, this will rip into your shoulders... lower til your elbows are just below the level of the chest.

Whenever I barbell bench press heavy I can not get the bar to touch my chest. About two inches above my chest (and I don't have big boobies or anything) is about as far as I can get the bar to go. The reason I can not let the bar go any lower is because my shoulder blades feel like they are pinned back and stuck and that is as far as they want to go. I do not lift my bum off the bench either and my feet are flat on the ground. Is this going to hurt my progress if I cant do full range of motion bench presses?