Hey guys. Been quite some time since I started a thread in here, although I do lurk about quite a bit...
So over the past few weeks my bench has really stalled-out and I decided I might like to try using a PL form and see if maybe I like it better. So I did plenty of reading on here and watched a few vids and went in to bench yesterday. My main focus was keeping my elbows a little tucked (nothing to serious) and lowering more towards my lower chest rather than the middle.
While I did like the form, I still think it will take me a few weeks to get truly used to it. that being said, my question is about soreness. I knew this style of lifting was more tricep-oriented (and my tri's are killing me btw ) but my shoulders (especially the front delts) are sore as hell!! So I wanted to ask ya'll if that was normal or if maybe I wasn't doing the form correctly.
Thanks in advance for replies. Will Rep!
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Thread: Benching
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09-24-2008, 02:29 PM #1
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Benching
Starting to suck a little less at benching...
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09-24-2008, 02:42 PM #2
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09-24-2008, 02:44 PM #3
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09-24-2008, 02:54 PM #4
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09-24-2008, 02:55 PM #5
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09-24-2008, 02:56 PM #6
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09-24-2008, 02:58 PM #7
- Join Date: Mar 2007
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If it's just a few weeks then it's not a plateau and you just need to be a bit more patient. Try 6 months to a year or more of stalling. Then you've really plateaued.
So I did plenty of reading on here and watched a few vids and went in to bench yesterday. My main focus was keeping my elbows a little tucked (nothing to serious) and lowering more toward my lower chest rather than the middle.
While I did like the form, I still think it will take me a few weeks to get truly used to it.
that being said, my question is about soreness. I knew this style of lifting was more tricep-oriented (and my tri's are killing me btw ) but my shoulders (especially the front delts) are sore as hell!! So I wanted to ask ya'll if that was normal or if maybe I wasn't doing the form correctly.My Training Journal: http://tinyurl.com/jasons-journal
My Video Training Journal: www.youtube.com/user/jason24590
08/17:245,185,275 02/18:345,275,380
06/18:405;315,455
goal: hit previous SBD #s again 524,364,562
current meet PRs: ---/---/--- ---
What NorthStrong's sig. says
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09-24-2008, 03:05 PM #8
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09-24-2008, 03:52 PM #9
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09-24-2008, 03:57 PM #10
I do a pretty decent tuck, so yea, your front delts will be really sore if you've never done it before. Hell, I had to drop a decent amount of weight off so that I could work up with proper form. The bench is not primarily a chest movement! It involves a whole bunch of muscles, and the chest just plays a role. As for the soreness? Yea, it's normal, just keep lifting and trying to get the bar below your nipples/to the upper abdomen.
Training Log: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=142268221&welcome=true
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09-24-2008, 04:16 PM #11
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not sure what etymology is can't comment on that HAHA!!
but when I bench with a so-called BB style I (key letter there) certainly feel the MAJORITY of the work being done by the chest. Now I CERTAINLY can't deny the involvement of the triceps but I consider it a chest movement when done that way because that's what i'm trying to hit.
but i've never been a fan of doing things only once per week so in my case, it's not because i have "muscle group" days. I really like the idea of westside training styles with ME and DE days and am trying to get my lifting partners to buy into it as well...Starting to suck a little less at benching...
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09-24-2008, 04:35 PM #12
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09-24-2008, 04:36 PM #13
From what I hear...Westside is excellent for people wanting to get stronger at their 1-3RM so they can compete... and well not the best for BBers haha. Basically if you're doing a high-bar benchpress and your goal is to isolate your chest, chances are that you're not aiming to compete, as higher weights will eventually tear up your shoulder. Tucking your elbows also builds up your chest, but if you really wanna isolate it, do cable flys or some other weird ****.
Good luck with that.Training Log: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=142268221&welcome=true
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09-25-2008, 06:14 AM #14
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yah, I mean of course I still wanna build my chest but I was also just curious about PL form and what it could do for me. So I had to give it a try cause that's the only way I was gonna find out. But I will still probably keep Incline Presses (BB and DB) along with flys on occasion to help build my chest some more...
Starting to suck a little less at benching...
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09-25-2008, 07:11 AM #15
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LULLIN!!! Here is the order of progression, you lower said weight to tough your body, upon the press the first muscle to fire is the triceps, the second muscle to fire is the anterior delts, the last muscle to fire is the chest. The truth of the matter is the chest is a comparabley weak muscle to the triceps, and for some people their delts even become more dominant. (think of lifts that isolate the chest more like flys......not too strong now are they) But yeah, pressing will mainly be in tris and delts. Of course if you have your elbows out at the side like bodybuilders I'm sure its more chest intensive, but you'd be asking for a pec tear as well.
EAT BABIES!!!
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09-25-2008, 12:18 PM #16
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09-25-2008, 02:54 PM #17
Over and over you keep hearing it, the chest is not the key muscle in the bench press... if you build a bigger chest, you will not increase your chances of a pec tear, but decrease it. All this one-sided westside-or-die advice is not the only story on BP training, especially for people who do not use 40-ply denim shirts. Westside indoctrination is beyond ridiculous these days. My form is somewhere in between BB-style benching and Westside, elbows-tucked and lower on chest, and is a perfectly valid way to bench heavy weight. It feels comfortable to me and I will continue to train with this form. It is not "wrong" form. And not all advice for increasing one's bench press that goes against the Westside Dogma, is "wrong" either.
There are other approaches to training, quit knocking down posts which offer counter-advice to your own narrow, pre-conceived ideas about what is valid training for the Bench Press.
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09-25-2008, 02:58 PM #18
uh huh...and what exactly is "westside form"?
I believe most were advocating the general powerlifting form on bench press designed to protect the shoulder girdle and allow the strongest pressing muscles to exert the most direct energy transfer to the bar.
westside doesn't have a different bench form, they may train differently for it...but as far as I know they don't have a specific form.*Mods/CS will not, nor can they change your username, so don't ask*
*Mods/CS will not, nor can they mass delete your post history, so don't ask*
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09-25-2008, 03:10 PM #19
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09-25-2008, 04:15 PM #20
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I have always had issues with the elbow "tuck" while benching. I have a decent raw BP but I figure I am using a more bodybuilding style of pressing. My problem is I cannot figure out how to tuck the elbows in without aggravating my shoulders.
Monday Bench
Tuesday Rest
Wednesday Drink beer
Thursday Drink more beer
Friday Bench
Saturday celebrate benching by drinking beer
Sunday plan for benching
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