can the incline bench press improve your flat bench?

[Ri_Ri]

can it, what my question is, can incline bench press like say for example you do 250 with incline, can you do the same with flat bench press or it can improve it as well?

[realize]

can it, what my question is, can incline bench press like say for example you do 250 with incline, can you do the same with flat bench press or it can improve it as well?

Its going to improve cause you'll hit a bigger part of your chest!
You'll put on more mass.
Your muscles will work together on the flat bench afterwards!

It WILL surely help.

[russianbear561]

If you do 250 incline, then you will be able to do more weight for flat. Incline works smaller muscles in your chest and is harder...I assume that improving one would improve both, but I am not 100% sure....

[jeffnam]

Its going to improve cause you'll hit a bigger part of your chest!
You'll put on more mass.
Your muscles will work together on the flat bench afterwards!

It WILL surely help.

when i used to lift for football my bench was 160 and incline was 185 o.o

[Ri_Ri]

If you do 250 incline, then you will be able to do more weight for flat. Incline works smaller muscles in your chest and is harder...I assume that improving one would improve both, but I am not 100% sure....

well the 250 lbs part is an example, i dont really do 250 lbs,

[realize]

when i used to lift for football my bench was 160 and incline was 185 o.o

Hmm.. you SHOULD be stronger on the flat but it might be you.. some have better upper pecs as i can see :P

P.S: Incline and Decline should help your flat cause you're training your whole pec area.

[CallmeKong]

when i used to lift for football my bench was 160 and incline was 185 o.o

Prob because you don't know how to use an arch and push from your feet on flat but you use your leg drive on incline.

[stronguy91]

it will help but don't abandon flat for good...do a couple sets just so you don't lose that feeling ya know

[jeffnam]

Prob because you don't know how to use an arch and push from your feet on flat but you use your leg drive on incline.

probably lol

[DanielBeauchamp]

Prob because you don't know how to use an arch and push from your feet on flat but you use your leg drive on incline.

Leg drive?

[bmy-]

Leg drive?

Yep. If your feet aren't flat and pushing against the ground and your back isn't slightly arched you're probably not lifting with the load you could be.

[DanielBeauchamp]

Yep. If your feet aren't flat and pushing against the ground and your back isn't slightly arched you're probably not lifting with the load you could be.

My feet are flat, my back is arched, and everything is tight; I make sure of that before I start any set of Benching. But I have never heard of anything approaching leg-drive on a Bench Press.

How can you drive the weight up with your legs if you're on your back?

[TheStigIsBig]

My feet are flat, my back is arched, and everything is tight; I make sure of that before I start any set of Benching. But I have never heard of anything approaching leg-drive on a Bench Press.

How can you drive the weight up with your legs if you're on your back?

In all seriousness though, I hate *******s that bench using what seems everything but there chest, go down an INCH, and have a spotter whos hands are on the bar. And THEN have the nerve to brag about it lol

[bmy-]

My feet are flat, my back is arched, and everything is tight; I make sure of that before I start any set of Benching. But I have never heard of anything approaching leg-drive on a Bench Press.

How can you drive the weight up with your legs if you're on your back?

Just as an experiment.. try this next time you're in the gym:

Knock out your 1RM with good form, feet firmly planted in the ground, back arched, etc.

Now attempt your 1RM with your feet on the bench. You'll see what I'm talkin about.

[DanielBeauchamp]

Just as an experiment.. try this next time you're in the gym:

Knock out your 1RM with good form, feet firmly planted in the ground, back arched, etc.

Now attempt your 1RM with your feet on the bench. You'll see what I'm talkin about. It's mostly mental, IMO.. the same way as driving your feet "through the floor" helps with dead lifts.

No no; I understand keeping your feet flat and planted and all that. I'm just not sure that "leg-drive" is the term I'd use to describe it, that's all.

[Mvick07]

No no; I understand keeping your feet flat and planted and all that. I'm just not sure that "leg-drive" is the term I'd use to describe it, that's all.

u push ur legs into the ground, boom power into upperbody,broscience, no links

[SeanP35]

Just as an experiment.. try this next time you're in the gym:

Knock out your 1RM with good form, feet firmly planted in the ground, back arched, etc.

Now attempt your 1RM with your feet on the bench. You'll see what I'm talkin about.

That's not leg drive. That is planting your feet on the ground.

[abbh62]

my incline is almost always about 15-20 lb under my flat bench.

[scarboro]

The incline is supposed to be much weaker than your flat due to higher ROM/higher load on delts.

Usually when your incline is very close to or above your flat, you're using much better form on incline and **** form on flat. Whether it be leg drive, tucked elbows etc.. you're doing something right on incline that you're not doing on flat.

[bmy-]

That's not leg drive. That is planting your feet on the ground.

No no; I understand keeping your feet flat and planted and all that. I'm just not sure that "leg-drive" is the term I'd use to describe it, that's all.

I'm just saying.. why the increase in strength?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/betteru2k.htm
http://www.carolinapowerlifting.com/dec_article.htm

I saw it summed up on t-nation fairly well..

Try squeezing your fist as hard as you can. You'll feel all the muscles, forearm through the bicep up to the shoulder and trap, will all tense up. This is what leg drive does, but on a bigger scale.

[slowbus]

That's not leg drive. That is planting your feet on the ground.

And how is kinetic energy transferred in the human body?

[jmt92]

yes it can improve your flat bench, it strengthens your shoulders and strength off the chest.

[benzz]

FUUCK so i had never used leg drive, my feet are all over the place when benching. testing this next friday!!!