When I bench press, should I touch the bar to my chest?

[msuwo]

I bench 185lbs for reps right now.

My friend, who has been weight-training seriously longer than I have, insists that I'm not performing "full reps" and that it makes it much easier because I stop 3" above my chest. I've heard that you shouldn't touch your chest... and it IS way more difficult for me to bench when I do touch my chest (can't get close to 185lbs).

So who's correct? What's the better method for training your chest? I'd have to lighten the load up to touch my chest.

And yeah, my buddy rags on me for "inflating" my bench because I'm not even performing a full rep. He said he had to suck it up and drop quite a bit on his bench in order to get "proper form."

Any help?

[Bone32]

It is more difficult because it is a full ROM.

I always touch my chest.

[BaGeL23]

Touch your chest, but only for a split second - never, never, never, EVER rest it there.

[kneedamage]

Your chest is MOST worked in like the bottom 6 inches or something like that.

Why are you wasting it?

Do FULL RANGE OF MOTION.

[eggnog631]

yea dont bounce it either, just give it a tap.

[sickonstorm]

drop to 95 pounds i bet you will struggle.

[akrain11]

deff touch ur chest, thats the deep part of the move. Dont bunch it obviously, but i dont think u have to be freaked out about it hitting like some ^^ are saying. I dont have any spotter do to living in alaska haha, so i do end up haveing it lay on my chest it a acidently go to failure, and ive never had injury, but its becuase im not doin 300 haha. my dad broke to ribs that way like 20 years ago

[7399martyn]

yes you should,
my philosophy for ROM is.
partial ROM = partial development.

[redtsi96]

getting the bar off your chest recruits more of your delts, if your not touching yourself your never going to develop these muscles. and your friend is right, if you don't have a full ROM then it can't be considered a legit benchpress.

[msuwo]

Alright thanks. I'm still a bit iffy on whether or not I should do this because I think it would feel really awkward.

[xRZRx]

you should definitely touch your chest in my opinion. if you dont, you arent going to see much chest development. who cares about the weight. leave your ego at the door and put on the weight necessary to do the lift properly

[2813308004]

touch bar to chest

don't bounce


some people use a not full ROM to get through a plateau, but when they do that you usually just don't lockout, but stil touch bar to chest.

[schulerdoish]

Drop the weight, do it correctly. Sure, you will look like a bitch now (to other guys with bad form, lol), but later you will be doing heavier weight due to GOOD form.

[Requiem15]

your an idiot for not touching your chest... its harder for a reason

/thread

[JZT]

There's a guy like that at my gym, pretty nice guy too, but his bench's form is crap. His ROM is litterally less than 10 inches. He usually reps 195 x 8-10 doing this and he could BARELY do it once using the full ROM.

[eggnog631]

if your not touching yourself your never going to develop these muscles.

lol wut?

[Requiem15]

lol wut?

true, if u dont touch ur chest ur working your triceps more than anything like some1 said above the bottom 6 inches or so is when it kills ur chest muscles

[floriansaint]

You should ALWAYS touch your chest, however, if you want to get the full proper rep, pause it on your chest for one one thousand, that's how powerlifters do it, but not touching your chest at all is just half assing it, haha

[EEytonJones]

Do, but make sure you dont bounce. Its actually pretty annoying to see people bounce the **** off of their bench. It always makes me wonder what kind of weight they'd be lifting if they went down slower, paused, then exploded back up. Once your in the bouncing motion, you ruin half your ROM on the way down, and you're not pushing it the whole way either.

Its better not-to-touch than bounce. But touch, and dont bounce.

[hollistermuscle]

just use the chest press machine....its the same thing moron

[DriveMyWhey]

he's right

[SuperMate]

about what

[Sensei Squat]

Touch your chest, but only for a split second - never, never, never, EVER rest it there.

You don't need to only do it for a split second, as long as the bar isn't actually resting on ur chest and is been supported by your muscles you can leave it there for abit longer. Also don't bounce the weight.

[McHatin]

just use the chest press machine....its the same thing moron

yeah and you better be using cell tech too or you wont gain ****

[bp16]

Yes do full range of motion... lift for form.

[jimmyb6281]

I dont know if some one said this but when you bring it down dont hit the bar on your chest really hard to bring it up....I mean it is common sence

[feoch]

so can you just liftin the bottom 6 inches or so and not go all the way back up?

[Eunstoppable]

People have said it a bunch of times but yes, touch your chest but do not bounce. Bouncing will cause the area you bounce at to form a calcium deposit. Not attractive at all.

[Ian72]

Touching your chest depends on the length of your arms. The shoulder joint is very much like a golf ball on a t. When lifting heavy weight, to avoid long term damage to your should joint capsule stop lowering the weight when your humerus is level with your shoulder. If your arms are going lower its placing to much stress on the joint capsule. Its exactly the same reason when you squat you dont bend your knees to much past your feet, it will cause to much stress on the joint and patella. For taller men this means the bar does not touch the chest.

[judowrestler1]

Touching your chest depends on the length of your arms. The shoulder joint is very much like a golf ball on a t. When lifting heavy weight, to avoid long term damage to your should joint capsule stop lowering the weight when your humerus is level with your shoulder. If your arms are going lower its placing to much stress on the joint capsule. Its exactly the same reason when you squat you dont bend your knees to much past your feet, it will cause to much stress on the joint and patella. For taller men this means the bar does not touch the chest.

Strong thread necro.