How's my bench press form?

[leanliftin]

EDIT:




I currently switched my bench press form to crappy form to trying to perfect the bench press form. I am getting this form from smittydiesel's youtube channel and this is the video I am trying to mimic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c.

Here is my form check video 1:

Please watch both if you want to, or just critique my form based on your opinions. I am aware that I need to bring my arms out so that my forearms are perpendicular to the floor, so I will fix that on my next workout. Any other pointers you can give me?

[LlamaWithARifle]

Grip looks pretty narrow, I normally try to make my forearm perpendicular to the floor.

The false grip also looks like an accident waiting to happen, the bar should sit on the palm. At the moment it looks almost like you're trying to hold it without a thumb and not let the bar sit in your hand.



Other then that your forms looks pretty solid.

[WillGoesBoing]

One of the best forms I've seen in person or in form check videos. The only thing I would fix are your feet where you want to raise your heels up off the ground (like you're tippy toeing), have a slightly wider grip, and if you're going to use the suicide grip.... start off with it when you unrack the bar. Adjusting your grip with the bar already hovering over your face looked quite iffy.

[Chango99]

Repped for a good editing on video.

[Xizel]

Go slightly wider but keep your elbows at the same angle to your body and you'll be fine.

[MichaelCJ]

Yeah, bring your grip out just a bit. Really, not a lot - just so your forearms are vertical when you're at the bottom of the lift. Practise with the bar to get it just right, if necessary.

Otherwise, that's good form.

[stevemckenna]

That suicide grip...stay safe. Otherwise, great looking lift!

[leanliftin]

Thanks for comments yall. I really appreciate it. I took some of these items into consideration for my chest workout this morning and it looks much better. I will post today's form check video and you can compare.

[leanliftin]

That suicide grip...stay safe. Otherwise, great looking lift!

I don't normally use the suicide grip, but I feel it more in my chest if I do. Weird, I know. I will wrap around thumbs on a heavier weight though. Thanks for support!

[leanliftin]

One of the best forms I've seen in person or in form check videos. The only thing I would fix are your feet where you want to raise your heels up off the ground (like you're tippy toeing), have a slightly wider grip, and if you're going to use the suicide grip.... start off with it when you unrack the bar. Adjusting your grip with the bar already hovering over your face looked quite iffy.

Thanks for the criticism. I use the suicide grip only because I feel it more in my chest but when I go heavier, I will wrap the thumbs around. One question on the feet though; I thought you were supposed to drive through your heels? I.E. being tip-toed would take that away. I will also start with suicide grip from the get-go too.

[WillGoesBoing]

Thanks for the criticism. I use the suicide grip only because I feel it more in my chest but when I go heavier, I will wrap the thumbs around. One question on the feet though; I thought you were supposed to drive through your heels? I.E. being tip-toed would take that away. I will also start with suicide grip from the get-go too.

I use the powerlifting form so I'm driving with the ball of my feet and my heels are off the ground. I also use the suicide grip because I feel like it hits my chest better + for some weird reason I feel stronger with that grip.

[Bobby1291]

Only thing I really seen "wrong" is the grip is a little narrow like they said, widen it just a bit so your forearms are pointing straight up and down with the floor. Keep elbows and everything else the same, just widen the grip a tad.

[gifted710]

i agree ^^

[StankyDrawz]

Grip looks pretty narrow, I normally try to make my forearm perpendicular to the floor.

The false grip also looks like an accident waiting to happen, the bar should sit on the palm. At the moment it looks almost like you're trying to hold it without a thumb and not let the bar sit in your hand.



Other then that your forms looks pretty solid.

I'm really surprised that he advocates the suicide grip. Didn't expect that especially with all the bad accidents that have happened. Just recently some weightlifter died dumping 400 some pounds on himself.

[leanliftin]

bump

[leanliftin]

[leanliftin]

bump

[WillGoesBoing]

I'm really surprised that he advocates the suicide grip. Didn't expect that especially with all the bad accidents that have happened. Just recently some weightlifter died dumping 400 some pounds on himself.

In weight lifting you have the guys who deadlift, and the guys who don't because they could "snap their sh*t up".

In weight lifting you have guys who workout with their bare hands, and the guys who wear gloves because they don't want callouses.

In weight lifting you have guys who bench press with the suicide grip, and the guys who wrap their thumb around the bar so they don't get crushed in case the bar slips.

Things that separates the men from the boys....

[MichaelCJ]

In weight lifting you have guys who bench press with the suicide grip, and the guys who wrap their thumb around the bar so they don't get crushed in case the bar slips.

And you were doing so well leading up to this.

Fail.

[Stephen109]

leanliftin I watched your video in post #16. I realize you need to tuck your shoulder blades underneath your body which elevates the ribcage but it's also very important to have your butt in contact with the bench at all times, every guide I've read hammers that point home. I can see daylight under your butt at times & other times it's barely touching the bench.

If that was my form I would lower my ribcage slightly so my arse was firmly planted on the bench but having enough arch still for someone to be able to fit their hand under my lower back.


Just my 2 cents.

Have a look at this from 1 minute, it mentions the butt thing but also he points out you should have your feet planted on the floor & push on your feet producing a horizontal force which makes your more stable on the bench.

[Jasonk282]

Your ass is off the bench from the beginning and just gets worse as your set goes on. Lower the weight and fix it.

[leanliftin]

Thanks for the pointers guys. I will aim to fix that on my next workout. Please note that not everything can be fixed in one session, so it will take some time to perfect this. Thanks!

[MichaelCJ]

Your ass is off the bench from the beginning and just gets worse as your set goes on. Lower the weight and fix it.

Jeebus, I must've missed that. :/

Right, think I'll bow out of critiquing bench form for a while...

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

Looks fine to me.

If you think about it, there's only a few things going on with the bench press. Obviously your front delts/pecs/tris have to be able to move the weight, but after that the main question is whether you'd prefer the bar to be right over your shoulders and pushed with more pec or whether you'd like it to come lower and be moved with more tricep/front delt while your lower back and lats contracts to keep your body in the right position. When the bar is not coming down directly over your shoulders it causes a torque around your shoulders, causing your back to want to round. Various muscles in your back have to fire to prevent that from happening.

The only question ends up being whether you'd prefer low bar, high bar or somewhere in between and why. Do your shoulders hate wide grip moves? Use low bar/narrower grip. Do you fail to feel the bench press in your pecs? Go higher and wider (if not switching to a different move, the bench press is by no means essential).

I am no huge bencher but I can bench a good 1.5x bodyweight at least, and one of the things I notice often is that people like to form check movements a lot as if correcting form errors will allow them to suddenly lift more. That is sometimes the case, as in situations where people are doing things obviously wrong and stunting their power in a movement, but realistically once the most basic and obvious criteria of a movement are satisfied there's nothing to it other than more volume, then more weight, then more volume and so on.

If the bar is coming down towards your chest and going at least 90% of the way down, nobody should really care how you do it unless you're trying to compete in powerlifting.

Just for fun, check this out: http://www.criticalbench.com/bench-press-rules.htm

Even allegedly official powerlifting rules basically say "lift the weight *******, just make sure you touch your chest."

[JOHN GARGANI]

but it's also very important to have your butt in contact with the bench at all times, every guide I've read hammers that point home. I can see daylight under your butt at times & other times it's barely touching the bench.

this is not necessarily true! what IS bad, is doing dry humping while benching, and your butt constantly CHANGING it's position "off" and "on" the bench....

having the butt slightly off the bench BUT STAYING IN THAT EXACT SPOT FOR THE WHOLE SET may simply be the best way for YOUR body to alleviate the stress and could very well be ideal for you.

[Jasonk282]

this is not necessarily true! what IS bad, is doing dry humping while benching, and your butt constantly CHANGING it's position "off" and "on" the bench....

having the butt slightly off the bench BUT STAYING IN THAT EXACT SPOT FOR THE WHOLE SET may simply be the best way for YOUR body to alleviate the stress and could very well be ideal for you.

You ass has to stay on the bench or it's not a bench...period. Just like high squats are not squats, deads not locked out are not deads., etc...

Or, and I'm just tossing this out here as a thought, you lower the weight and work on fixing your form till you hit all your reps and sets with good form.

[loganchris]

That grip is surely kinda narrow...in rest I don't have anything else to say...

[anahnymus]

That grip is surely kinda narrow...in rest I don't have anything else to say...

Agree grip way to narrow. Also you need more arch in your back. Make sure the only thing that touches the bench is your back blades and butt.

[BombDonald]

Overall it looked fine to me. Grip is a matter of preference really.

Once you pull your shoulders back, push with your heels and kinda roll back onto your traps. It will put your shoulders in a more comfortable position and allow you to touch a little lower on your chest.

You ass has to stay on the bench or it's not a bench...period. Just like high squats are not squats, deads not locked out are not deads., etc...

Or, and I'm just tossing this out here as a thought, you lower the weight and work on fixing your form till you hit all your reps and sets with good form.

Who gives a flying fuk, he's just a dude lifting weights in the gym.

[leanliftin]

Looks fine to me.

If you think about it, there's only a few things going on with the bench press. Obviously your front delts/pecs/tris have to be able to move the weight, but after that the main question is whether you'd prefer the bar to be right over your shoulders and pushed with more pec or whether you'd like it to come lower and be moved with more tricep/front delt while your lower back and lats contracts to keep your body in the right position. When the bar is not coming down directly over your shoulders it causes a torque around your shoulders, causing your back to want to round. Various muscles in your back have to fire to prevent that from happening.

The only question ends up being whether you'd prefer low bar, high bar or somewhere in between and why. Do your shoulders hate wide grip moves? Use low bar/narrower grip. Do you fail to feel the bench press in your pecs? Go higher and wider (if not switching to a different move, the bench press is by no means essential).

I am no huge bencher but I can bench a good 1.5x bodyweight at least, and one of the things I notice often is that people like to form check movements a lot as if correcting form errors will allow them to suddenly lift more. That is sometimes the case, as in situations where people are doing things obviously wrong and stunting their power in a movement, but realistically once the most basic and obvious criteria of a movement are satisfied there's nothing to it other than more volume, then more weight, then more volume and so on.

If the bar is coming down towards your chest and going at least 90% of the way down, nobody should really care how you do it unless you're trying to compete in powerlifting.

Just for fun, check this out: http://www.criticalbench.com/bench-press-rules.htm

Even allegedly official powerlifting rules basically say "lift the weight *******, just make sure you touch your chest."

I respect your opinion and do relate to it. But, I am switching my form because of safety reasons- not primarily because I want to lift more. I believe in injury PREVENTION so this is how I wish to approach my bench press.