Thick bar bench press?

[fishpat86]

What are the benefits of using a thick bar for bench press? I can uderstand the benefits for dl's, rows or any other grip related exercise but not for pressing movements?

[CookAndrewB]

Not sure if JUST thick bar adds a lot to the equation. I can say that benching on a solid axle (no spin at the collar) for a while seemed to really help me. Not exactly sure why that would be, I would probably have to think about it a bit. Could be a greater need to squeeze the bar (proprioception at the hand causes other muscles to get higher nervous system response), possibly some need to control the bar more since there is additional torque on the wrist that isn't compensated for by the normal spin of the sleeve... hard to say exactly.

Is it necessary? No. Could it help? It is my experience that making small changes for a period of a few weeks often helps in some fashion when you get back to the basics. For instance, if you normally bench with a wider than shoulder width grip, then hit close grip for a few weeks, going back to a wider grip will usually feel better. I would attribute this to increased recovery in a particular motor pattern and shifting the emphasis of training which often targets weak links in your movement (stability/mobility/strength).

[FunkymonkAW]

Fatter bars force me to make a cognisant effort to grip harder.
I stay tighter and press more when gripping tighter.