Benchpress question......New lifter

[nikeduck23]

I'm relatively new (approx 2 months into my weight training) to the entire scene. I've always been the athletic type, and always dedicated myself to sports my entire life...but never took weight training seriously...so I do have a question with my benchpress. Now...It seems like I'm not bringing the bar off the rack enough. I've noticed that I'm not lifting as much as I truly believe I can....and I notice soreness/pain that just does NOT seem right....I mean, I'm a big dude now (and im cutting weight the right way)..I'm 6'1" 285...was 315 about 4 months ago. I've played ball my entire life (before college started...and i gained the weight) and ive always been naturally pretty strong...However I'm hurting myself on very light weight...I mean hell, I put 45's on the bench and it seems like I'm lifting the world..... It should be a workout for your CHEST correct? So I think that I need to bring the bar off further from the rack...and press it with my chess correct? (hence bench PRESS??) ...lol..it seems like im using particularly more arms...and like...stress on my upper arms if anything..and shoulder area i believe if i remember correctly.

wondering...

thanks

[firefox16]

you should make a form check video

[musikguy72]

You're bringing the bar to your lower chest right? Pushing your shoulder blades together? Elbows pointing away from you slightly (not completely perpendicular to your body)?
Also, if you are cutting, you might not be fueling your workouts properly depending on how low your calories actually are. Might revisit your diet.

[orca23554]

This is what worked for me to improve my bench technique and get some respectable weight on the bench press -

1) Take the empty bar, lower it to your chest, play around with the spacing and locate the exact width where your forearms are perpendicular to the bar. Then note the angle your upper arm makes with the torso, as long as they aren't jutting out perpendicular to the torso you and make an acute angle you should be fine

2) Before you unrack the bar, get your body position right, start by gripping the bar at midpoint, then get your neck off the bench and start stretching your grip while you are holding the bar to the position in 1 above. This has the effect of squeezing your shoulder blades and gives you a good platform to bench. Squeezing the shoulder blades together is different from shrugging the blades (was doing this mistake earlier on)

Apart from these the usual caveats apply - proper warm up, diet, intensity

I hope to Bench press my BW within 3 months from now, as of now can only do 75% for 3X5 so please do note that I ain't an expert of any sort on this!

[BOOGADA]

I remember when 135 felt like the world (it was my first ever max and took me a long time to put up). Just forget about numbers and work on form like the above posters mentioned. Let us know if this feels better for you.

[nikeduck23]

ill DEF be in touch guys..monday i'll figure this out.

[Vermonter]

I don't use that extreme an arch myself (everything is pretty flat against the bench), but when I bench press I do act like a chic showing off her tits. I find it easier to get in proper position when trying to emphasize my chest, as opposed to "squeezing my rear delts", or trying to rest on my traps, etc. They both do essentially the same thing, just one packs my shoulders better and just "works" better for me.

Check out some Youtube clips and as orca23554 suggested, play around with an empty bar and/or lighter weights to get a better feel getting in a maximal position. If you are sore, it's probably your front delts hating on you for not warming up enough, or not stretching sufficiently once warmed up after your workout. Try to warm them up with a bunch of flys and then stretch and massage them.

You might not want to bring the bar all the way down to your chest yet, either. Work on your flexibility some first. You're a big, tall dude. You might be irritating your front delts by bringing the bar down so far, especially if you aren't keeping your elbows at a 45 degree angle from your hips.