I have been benching for a year and a half just about and have been benching with my elbows pretty much flared out, due to people telling me it will put more stress on my chest rather then my triceps or something... I tried to bench with my elbows tucked and I was a lot weaker but maybe I just need to get used to it for a few weeks and i'll be just as strong using that technique... What do you guys think??? I'm having a hard time making gains on bench and maybe changing up the technique will help...
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04-05-2010, 02:19 PM #1
Bench press technique.. Elbows tucked or flared out? which is better?
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04-05-2010, 02:21 PM #2
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04-05-2010, 02:32 PM #3
o alright, i almost do a 45 degree angle. i just dont "tuck" my elbows in.. I was reading to tuck elbows and touch the bar on upper abs almost and bench up in a straight line, i touch my lower /mid chest when bench pressing, and i notice that nfl players do bench with their elbows tucked in.. ehh idk, i'll just try touching the bar lower a tad lower then my chest next time see how that works...
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04-05-2010, 04:22 PM #4
If you do what you always do, you'll get what you always get
-Ronnie Coleman
Try new things, CG Bench is the best tricep exercise for mass and I have no clue why you havent ever tried it...because it should be your starting tri exercise the next time you step foot into the gym to train.
The bar allows many places to put your hands and direct your elbows, so try new ways. I go just inside the power rings and i find i get the most power from this position. I can bench super heavy with my hands close as well, but that might be from my pratise as well. I wouldnt suggest elbows by your side unless doing tris, but if you want to pre exhaust your chest first then hit close grip bench as a superset, the tris will allow you to use more weight. Ppl train to similar these days, so train how it works for you and use the gym in new ways that you might think are ****ed up and unusual, because they most likely arnt.=[][][]=== B I G xxx P O P P A xxx P U M P ===[][][]=
If The Bar Aint Bendin, Your Just Pretendin
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04-05-2010, 04:37 PM #5
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04-05-2010, 05:11 PM #6
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: Massachusetts, United States
- Posts: 3,201
- Rep Power: 7841
You were told right, flaring your elbows do place more of the emphasis on the chest than if you tucked them. But it also places more stress on the shoulders from what I have read/heard. This doesn't bother most people, myself included, so I can't vouch for that. If you are having a hard time developing your pecs, it seems contrary to take emphasis away from chest. I would agree that something needs to change within your program to get you growing again, but I'm doubtful that changing from flare to tuck is going to have a major impact.
Use the tools of the trade to help you. I use devices such as chalk for grip strength, gloves, wrist straps, lifting belts - if it helps you lift more, it's all good. - Ronnie Coleman, Hardcore, 2007 Triumph Books
Biggest question in bodybuilding: Whaddaya bench? As I've said before, it doesn't matter how much you bench; it matters how much you [i]look[/i] like you bench... There's no round on stage that's the benchpress round. - Bob Chicherillo, World Class Physique, CMG
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04-05-2010, 05:59 PM #7
tucked. the shoulder joint makes arcs, tucking your shoulder allows the shoulder to rotate, hence is why you have a rotator cuff that holds the shoulder in place. flaring the elbow only removes stress away from the torso and places that stress on the delts and triceps; the further away your elbow is from your torso the more the chest is removed from the movement.
the pec has two functions, to push the hands away from the body and to move the hand across the torso. the bench press is not a movement that stretches the pec, it is a contraction and midrange motion.
you can NEVER isolate the chest with a bench press because it is a compound movement; the best you can do is mimic a natural movement and squeeze the hell out of your pecs as you press.
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04-05-2010, 06:13 PM #8
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04-05-2010, 07:05 PM #9
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04-05-2010, 10:51 PM #10
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04-06-2010, 08:55 AM #11
thanks guys. I might try the close grip bench press, i used to do it once in a while... I'm going to do close grip bench on my regular bench days because in my routine right now i do chest and triceps on the same day, so my triceps will be a bit fatigued by the time i do close grip but that doesn't matter i dont think..
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04-06-2010, 09:06 AM #12
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=116435491
i need to update it.....................
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04-08-2010, 09:15 AM #13
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04-08-2010, 11:34 AM #14
I felt way more power with the 45 degree angle today, and i touched below my chest kinda uppder abdomen i think i was using textbook form. wtf, i've been at a stall for so long on bench this is all i needed to do i think... 2 bad im dieting so my bench might not get as great as it could, but ordered no shotgun and synthesize so maybe i'll get some nice gains.
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04-20-2014, 03:17 AM #15
I am a noob and always benched with my elbows flared... then I found out I was doing it wrong. So then I put my elbows at 45degrees and seemed to be quite a bit weaker... I do close grip bench and all but I'm just wondering is it normal to lose strength if I have just switched from flared to 45degrees? It was kinda disheartening to know I've corrected my form and it's made me weaker...
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04-20-2014, 03:20 AM #16
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04-20-2014, 04:04 AM #17
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04-26-2014, 12:35 AM #18
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04-26-2014, 01:16 AM #19
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