Not feeling the chest in the bench press

[IAmABiscuit]

I have problems feeling the tension on the chest while doing the bench press, be it inclined, declined or flat. I usually feel most of the tension in my arms/shoulders, rather than my chest. Any help on this? Thanks

Edit: Oh, and im using dbs

[raylors]

I have problems feeling the tension on the chest while doing the bench press, be it inclined, declined or flat. I usually feel most of the tension in my arms/shoulders, rather than my chest. Any help on this? Thanks

Edit: Oh, and im using dbs

I'm the same way and i'm using DB as well. My shoulders are back, arch in back etc. all that. I'm pretty sure my form is on, but i feel it most in triceps. (flys are the only thing i can really feel it in my chest.)

[IAmABiscuit]

I'm the same way and i'm using DB as well. My shoulders are back, arch in back etc. all that. I'm pretty sure my form is on, but i feel it most in triceps. (flys are the only thing i can really feel it in my chest.)

Yeah i'm pretty sure my form is pretty on point actually. Just wondering if theres anything to help change this. Because i feel like my arms are being worked more than my chest (if its even worked at all). Having aching arms instead of aching chest the day after chest day makes me feel kinda ****ty.

[7rmr]

Try thinking about your chest while your doing bench. This may sound weird, but if you focus on your chest you will end up using that muscle more than your shoulders and arms. You can try it right now while your sitting infront of your computer. Put your arms like your going to do bench and push, but do it focusing on your chest and I garuntee you will feel your chest muscles being activated.

[spider28]

when the bar/db are in the bottom position just before you push the bar/db away from you start to contract your chest, keep this contraction until you finish the rep, mmc is very important

[XXX666]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=116435491

[raylors]

when the bar/db are in the bottom position just before you push the bar/db away from you start to contract your chest, keep this contraction until you finish the rep, mmc is very important

I will try this.

[spider28]

I will try this.

good luck, you will get it with practice, just stick at it

[Housee]

Try thinking about your chest while your doing bench. This may sound weird, but if you focus on your chest you will end up using that muscle more than your shoulders and arms. You can try it right now while your sitting infront of your computer. Put your arms like your going to do bench and push, but do it focusing on your chest and I garuntee you will feel your chest muscles being activated.

^--this. I'v actually had the same problem that your talking about, tried what he's describing here and I really did feel the chest engage much more. Weird, but it works. I'v been doing it ever since. Its part of the muscle/mind connection.

[xdestron]

The wider the grip you use, the more you will use your chest. Try widening your grip until you feel it.
Also, focusing on the chest muscle during your reps will help, as some have already suggested.

[psychowolverine]

The wider the grip you use, the more you will use your chest. Try widening your grip until you feel it.

that was the very thing that helped me out... I had always held a semi narrow grip and built my arms(tris) up like crazy, but the chest was never great... I idened it up and it started to show quickly

[Who?]

that was the very thing that helped me out... I had always held a semi narrow grip and built my arms(tris) up like crazy, but the chest was never great... I idened it up and it started to show quickly

How wide do you go? I just started putting my index finger on the ring, with the rest of my hand on the outside. Should I go wider?

[IAmABiscuit]

Thanks for the all the responses

[msm172021121]

one thing to try after all your presses- do a few sets of heavy fly's. it will increase the effect of your presses, make you sore the next day, and it should be obvious that the feeling isnt only due to the flys, but the combo. of the two movements. its always good to supplement presses with flys. just my two cents.

[Mike750]

grip width as far as the barbell is concerned should be such that at the bottom of the rep, the forearms are at least perpendicular to the ground. this translates to outside shoulder width at the top.

As far as DB's, they should be kept outside the shoulders also. I feel that as soon as the DB crosses over the inside of the shoulders, the stress is transfered to the arms.

[Majestyc]

I highly recommend that you watch the following videos:

http://thefitshow.tv/remastered/seas...eoId=301789793
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c
http://gasparinutrition.chapmanmedia...son/chest.html

These videos show how to effectively train the chest, and also demonstrate proper form in all exercises (such as bench press).

[ahms]

I have problems feeling the tension on the chest while doing the bench press, be it inclined, declined or flat. I usually feel most of the tension in my arms/shoulders, rather than my chest. Any help on this? Thanks

Edit: Oh, and im using dbs

Hey,
one thing which can really help is making sure your arms are at the best angle to really stretch the chest.
So when holding the weight, your elbows are out level with your shoulders, rather than further down the body.That really stretches the chest a lot.

Also, you could try pre exhausting the chest in case your tris are overpowering it, by doing some flies ending in a set to failure before pressing with a lighter than usual weight.

[gbrs5]

this is the video that helped me the most:

[unity]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=116435491

good read.

[JOSEF RAKICH]

Use proper form and you will hit your chest and less delt and tricep involvement.

Proper benching form on how to increase stress on the pectorials and limit front deltoid and tricep involvement.

- Drop your traps and shoulders down

- Pinch your shoulder blades together

- Puff your chest up

- Drop elbows down slightly under the nipple.
(by having your elbows up high at 90 degrees like how most people bench you will notice much less stress is being applyed to the chest and the front deltoids are being worked much more. Also lowering your elbows will increase your bench, just take a look at how the power lifters bench all with there elbows low, the higher your elbows the more front deltiod involvement, the lower your elbows the more chest involvement)

- Dont lock out or roll the shoulders.
(if you follow the steps above you shouldent be able to roll your shoulders anyway, but its always best to stop short just before lock out. Why? When locking out the stress is removed from the pectorials and placed on the elbow joints, also the top ROM of the bench press is more triceps and front deltoids, thats why when you see pros benching like Ronnie Coleman you notice he dosent lock out his elbows)

- If using dumbells slightly rotate your thumbs upwards
(put your hands out infront of you and turn up your thumbs just a little, this is the angle you want to hold the dumbells at, so that even less deltoid is being involved, this is why i prefer DB over BB)

Follow these steps and it will hit your chest.

Also watch this video from Charles Glass, he explains pretty good on how to keep the stress on the pectiroals and minamize deltoid and tricep involvement.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/glasscut3.htm

[JOSEF RAKICH]

this is the video that helped me the most:

Yeah good video watched this a few days ago.

My Bad.

[D4rkhorse]

One day I just dedicated an entire workout to (lightly) going through any chest exercise I could think of. Find the ones that allow you to really connect with your chest, and then do those over and over (again, with light weight) until you don't even have to think about the mind-muscle connection: it's just there.

Just because a certain exercise like bench press is a standard mass-builder for most, doesn't mean it's going to be the most beneficial movement for you. The best lifts you can do for any body part are the ones with the strongest mind-muscle connection.

[msm172021121]

One day I just dedicated an entire workout to (lightly) going through any chest exercise I could think of. Find the ones that allow you to really connect with your chest, and then do those over and over (again, with light weight) until you don't even have to think about the mind-muscle connection: it's just there.

Just because a certain exercise like bench press is a standard mass-builder for most, doesn't mean it's going to be the most beneficial movement for you. The best lifts you can do for any body part are the ones with the strongest mind-muscle connection.

^repped

[TheHitStick]

I don't feel pain or an ache in my chest but I defiantly feel it "pulsing" and it's swole so I know I'm doing something lol.

[The Shoeless Wonder]

Do you grip the dbs really strong?

[Tyciol]

Forearm perpendicularity isn't enough, you can get that with elbows at sides (parallelbows) or with elbows pointing out to the sides (still parallelbows but 'outbows').

I think that affects the muscles used too. Basically, are your elbows traveling up and down your bodyline when you press, or in and out of it?

[1/2man1/2amazin]

i had this problem before and i found that slowing the movement and focusing on my chest and contracting it when lifting helped alot