mind muscle connection chest bb bench

[CircuitDave24]

I've been working out on and off for about 3 years, been seriously dieting and traing for about a year. Over this time I have finally been focusing on what is important for hypertrophy. A good mind to muscle connection and time under resistance. The reason I am posting is for assistance on finding a good mind muscle connection on barbell bench press. It seems nonomatter what grip I use or form I do not feel a good contraction or connection. Is there a particular grip elbow position that works best for you guys? Will shoulder position affect this, traps too tight shoulders too high? Srs


Inb4 negs and op is *******

Cliffs
How to get a good mind muscle connection with bb bench I fail thank you in advance measilies for legit help

[Xuaxace]

Wide grip bench (stretches the chest most, hence why it gets more stimulated)

and very importantly, tucking your shoulder blades back, which help keep tension in the muscle. If the shoulder blades are loose, the humerus will move vertically through the movement and take tension off the chest.


In other words, MMC for chest tends to be about learning to get a tight set up so the chest is always in tension.

[CircuitDave24]

Wide grip bench (stretches the chest most, hence why it gets more stimulated)

and very importantly, tucking your shoulder blades back, which help keep tension in the muscle. If the shoulder blades are loose, the humerus will move vertically through the movement and take tension off the chest.


In other words, MMC for chest tends to be about learning to get a tight set up so the chest is always in tension.

Sounds legit, where is your elbow placement relative to your shoulders? Do you keep them slightly tucked or horizontal with your shoulders straight line?

[Xuaxace]

Sounds legit, where is your elbow placement relative to your shoulders? Do you keep them slightly tucked or horizontal with your shoulders straight line?

always tucked to relieve pressure off the shoulder. If I am not mistaken, the Subscapularis (and other RC muscle) gets too much tension if the elbows are not tucked in.

a short guide

[nzbenf]

Another thing you can try, is give your pecs a bit of a poke and try to stimulate them, I know this can work very well for glutes that wont activate.

[CircuitDave24]

always tucked to relieve pressure off the shoulder. If I am not mistaken, the Subscapularis (and other RC muscle) gets too much tension if the elbows are not tucked in.

a short guide

Thanks for being srs, I'll work on my form. Really appreciate the tips.

[jingle24]

Thanks for being srs, I'll work on my form. Really appreciate the tips.

OP is a *******.


L2Bench ****.

[Tommy W.]

The benching dilemma is what makes a strong and shoulder safe bench is not as efficient for actually developing the pecs themselves. Wide grip, coming closer to the neck rather than nipples and slightly flaring elbows puts the most tension on the chest I've found. Unfortunately very hard on the shoulders even though the weight used is lighter.

[blunose]

The benching dilemma is what makes a strong and shoulder safe bench is not as efficient for actually developing the pecs themselves. Wide grip, coming closer to the neck rather than nipples and slightly flaring elbows puts the most tension on the chest I've found. Unfortunately very hard on the shoulders even though the weight used is lighter.

Wide grip bench (stretches the chest most, hence why it gets more stimulated)

and very importantly, tucking your shoulder blades back, which help keep tension in the muscle. If the shoulder blades are loose, the humerus will move vertically through the movement and take tension off the chest.


In other words, MMC for chest tends to be about learning to get a tight set up so the chest is always in tension.

These, I had the same problem as you, then in last few months been using a really wide grip, definitely noticed chest getting bigger, along with underhand grip bench press for upper chest (srs, try it)
however did a have a shoulder problem a few weeks ago, may be related.

OP is a *******.


L2Bench ****.

that's what he is doing...

[nosaj7]

I've been working out on and off for about 3 years, been seriously dieting and traing for about a year. Over this time I have finally been focusing on what is important for hypertrophy. A good mind to muscle connection and time under resistance. The reason I am posting is for assistance on finding a good mind muscle connection on barbell bench press. It seems nonomatter what grip I use or form I do not feel a good contraction or connection. Is there a particular grip elbow position that works best for you guys? Will shoulder position affect this, traps too tight shoulders too high? Srs


Inb4 negs and op is *******

Cliffs
How to get a good mind muscle connection with bb bench I fail thank you in advance measilies for legit help

I just visualize the muscle pulling whatever its attached to. For curls, I visualize the bicep pulling on the ulna, bench press i visualize the pecs pulling on the humerus, ect. Its weird but it works. I don't strain to push up the barbell during a BP, I strain as Im pulling (or my pec is) on my humerus trying to make it perpendicular to the barbell.

[Rasputin4]

The benching dilemma is what makes a strong and shoulder safe bench is not as efficient for actually developing the pecs themselves. Wide grip, coming closer to the neck rather than nipples and slightly flaring elbows puts the most tension on the chest I've found. Unfortunately very hard on the shoulders even though the weight used is lighter.

I find using DBs resolves this dilemma. You don't have to flare your elbows, most find it far better for activating their pecs, and it's easier on the shoulders.

[Tommy W.]

I find using DBs resolves this dilemma. You don't have to flare your elbows, most find it far better for activating their pecs, and it's easier on the shoulders.

Yes, I don't even BB bench any more

[CircuitDave24]

These, I had the same problem as you, then in last few months been using a really wide grip, definitely noticed chest getting bigger, along with underhand grip bench press for upper chest (srs, try it)
however did a have a shoulder problem a few weeks ago, may be related.


that's what he is doing...

Yea I did this exact same thing, went from kind of narrow to a very very wide grip bench absolutely noticed some size on my chest but of course my shoulders started to get inflamed and preventing me from getting a really thorough hit to my chest.

[sadiq100]

just pinch your shoulder blades together and stop trying to lift weights you cant get a solid 8 - 12 reps with

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1190613221

This business of not feeling bench in the chest is very common. I'm one of those guys too, a lot of people here are.

The solution is very simple: try to adjust your form so it hits your chest about 5 times.

If that doesn't work, you now have two options:

If you're an idiot, you can keep banging your head against the wall thinking that tiny minutiae of your form will cause the move to hit your chest even when you've exhausted all of the obvious options (wide/narrow grip, high/low bar placement, incline/flat/decline) but still don't feel it in your chest.

If you're really an idiot, when that inevitably fails you can start trying to "visualize" the chest squeezing or trying to build a "mind muscle connection" or other metaphysical voodoo. These comprise the majority of this board.

If you're smart, once it becomes obvious that all of the normal versions of benching (wide/narrow grip, high/low bar placement, incline/flat/decline) are simply failing to hit your chest, you start throwing in chest isolations: DB fly, cable crossovers etc. Then you're able to just start building your chest and get it DONE while the short bus crowd spends years trying to cast voodoo incantations to make the bench hit their chest.

The same logic applies to squats and really any muscle you're trying to hit. Don't feel squats in your quads? Try all of the major kinds of squat (high bar oly ATG/low bar parallel/sumo/front squat) and if you still don't feel it in your quads do something else until you finally get a good quad workout.