The Dead Bench

[nekkidbear]

Just read this article on EFS... was wondering what your thoughts were on it.

http://articles.elitefts.com/article...he-dead-bench/

yay or nay?

[Cstreck]

That's how i do my floor presses and i get a huge carryover from them .

[paulineb]

I think it a good way to injure yourself. Be careful with this one.

[nekkidbear]

I think it a good way to injure yourself. Be careful with this one.

How?

[jmt92]

Seems like a decent exercise, but I think it should be left to those at a higher level.Seems way too easy to pop a pec.

[johnsonb90436]

Seems like a decent exercise, but I think it should be left to those at a higher level.Seems way too easy to pop a pec.

how would that "pop a pec"?

[koyongi]

Looks like...a really low pin press.

Seems like it couldn't hurt, but I'd question the amount of carryover to a well-set-up bench. I could see it having more benefit to someone who's more of a flat-back, bber-ish bench.

[nekkidbear]

Looks like...a really low pin press.

Seems like it couldn't hurt, but I'd question the amount of carryover to a well-set-up bench. I could see it having more benefit to someone who's more of a flat-back, bber-ish bench.

That makes sense. I did these back in the day (like 5 years ago) and seemed to get decent carryover to my bench but I also benched with pretty horrible form back then.

[jmt92]

how would that "pop a pec"?

overload at the bottom of the movement.Strain just slightly too much in the wrong position, pop.


I agree that it seems better suited for a flat backed bencher.

[Ahlim]

I would take paused bench press over that. I did something similar and my wrists and joints could not truly tolerate it. Furthermore, I think paused bench pressing does its role well enough in terms of off-the-chest strength and it is the exact lift that you will be performing on the platform. In addition, if you perform dead bench presses, you might not be starting the lift with the proper set-up possible (eg. might not be able to arch back well in that position, might feel a bit off to start the lift at bottom position).

Pausing may not take out all the stretch reflex but you don't need a complete elimination of stretch reflex to train the off-the-chest power. or Pause longer if need be.

Dead bench press sure might be potentially useful as a fresh type of training for weak points. in the long run though, i do not think the wrists and joints will like it because the lifter will definitely be trying to continuously add weight.

[BT160]

I think they would be great for people that are weak off of their chest. I used to do alot of board presses then my lockout got strong and I was weak off my chest, did these for a while and noticed a huge difference

[boxertim]

i like doing them before my main bench movement...just a few sets so i can set my press against lats (still trying to figure out proper technique).

tim

[calebsmitty]

If your goal is huge bench numbers this method definately helps incorporated into your normal lifting routine.

It is basically the opposite of floor press or board presses which concentrate on the lock out. The dead bench keeps concentrates on the off the chest part of the lift. I have done these before. Just use pins or safety rack keeping the bar slightly off your chest.

You don't have to be a flat bencher to do these. Set the weight in the racks and set up to the bar with the bar just hitting your chest and lift. Pretty simple.

[Big Sexy J]

I think it a good way to injure yourself. Be careful with this one.

Hey girl, when are you going to let me tap that?

[strongozilla]

Seems similar to pin presses and pressing off the pins which could be hard on the joints. Starting a dead weight off pins usually causes your shoulders to extend forward, and causes elbow and shoulder problems.

Rack pulls are excellent exercises on their own or as assistance to deadlifts because the deadlift has no eccentric. However, pin presses/Dead Benches are not really the same movement as the bench press and can cause additional issues.

Just my 2 cents.

[NWB]

Using any excercise in your arsenal to get stronger is something every powerlifter/coach must decide. You weigh the pros and cons of it, risk vs. reward. Read the studies and you will see why pause presses are not the same as the "dead press" (essentially a rack press IMO). The stretch reflex is not loaded the same due to no eccentric portion loading it.

Put 135 on the bar and go as fast as you can to your chest (eccentric) then press it back up (concentric). The bar wants and tends to go the same speed. No issues off the chest right? Now load up 405 and bring it down as fast as you can to your chest. The bar speed has slowed down. If you can bring it down quicker, the theory (physics, not going into it) says the lift will be easier for you. Even with a pause, some of the characteristics of this physics theory holds true in that the quicker you can move a weight in the eccentric phase, the quicker it will move during the concentric phase EVEN WITH A PAUSE. The easier part to understand is the quicker a lift is done, less time under tension means less energy was needed to lift a weight.

As for Josh's "dead presses", they can be yet another tool in the toolbox to get where you want to be. I would not do them every week but we do throw them in from time to time going straight weight, bands, and chains with them.

[jvglynnjr]

Using any excercise in your arsenal to get stronger is something every powerlifter/coach must decide. You weigh the pros and cons of it, risk vs. reward. Read the studies and you will see why pause presses are not the same as the "dead press" (essentially a rack press IMO). The stretch reflex is not loaded the same due to no eccentric portion loading it.

Put 135 on the bar and go as fast as you can to your chest (eccentric) then press it back up (concentric). The bar wants and tends to go the same speed. No issues off the chest right? Now load up 405 and bring it down as fast as you can to your chest. The bar speed has slowed down. If you can bring it down quicker, the theory (physics, not going into it) says the lift will be easier for you. Even with a pause, some of the characteristics of this physics theory holds true in that the quicker you can move a weight in the eccentric phase, the quicker it will move during the concentric phase EVEN WITH A PAUSE. The easier part to understand is the quicker a lift is done, less time under tension means less energy was needed to lift a weight.

As for Josh's "dead presses", they can be yet another tool in the toolbox to get where you want to be. I would not do them every week but we do throw them in from time to time going straight weight, bands, and chains with them.

I know this is an old thread, but I just stumbled on it, and I'm curious about something. All the comments seem to be focused on using this movement as an adjunct to improve performance in the conventional bench press. I understand that the elastic potential generated in the eccentric phase of the bench press enables one to lift more weight, BUT such an arrangement is really not my idea of a functional exercise. Couldn't the dead bench press produce a training effect that would transfer to real life activities that require chest strength, for example, a firefighter that had to lift a fallen beam to rescue himself or someone else? There's no elastic charge available in close quarters.

Any thoughts on this?

[scottyk31]

Its a great lift for starting strength (strength it takes to move a "dead" weight) Best used for multiple singles with relatively short rest.

I have used it for a year now with no "popped pecs". Some of the strongest pressers incorporate this movement.

Hoornstra, Al Davis, and Big Wilk just to name a few. All 600+ pound benchers.

Hoornstra is on this forum and has done over 500lbs on dead benches and has not popped his pec or anything else.

Flat back or arched this is a good movement

[Getsum]

Where would you place them in your workout?

[scottyk31]

It all depends on what your program is but after your regular bench work for example

bench press 2-3 sets of 2-5 or whatever you follow
then dead bench 5-8 sets of 1 with 45 sec to 1 min break

[Bicgatepc02]

What are you asking? I guess general advice would be keep eating, resting, sticking with the program. Also keep up with your mobility, its real easy to get lazy and stiff.

[Alpha414]

Couldn't the dead bench press produce a training effect that would transfer to real life activities that require chest strength, for example, a firefighter that had to lift a fallen beam to rescue himself or someone else? There's no elastic charge available in close quarters.

Any thoughts on this?

I think this is a good movement that could be incorporated into any chest strength training program.

As far as the question about the transition of using this specific move to "real life" situations, I would think that being strong in the big three core exercises (bench, squat, deadlift) would help a firefighter in that situation for example. Not this specific exercise or even chest in general but overall strength, incorporating this exercise I think would help achieve that for the chest.

[budreiser2]

Where would you place them in your workout?

When i was running the conjugate method i did them right after my speed work

[zakatak333]

so much yay

have considered this before, dead lift is done from a dead stop, so it requires more force but bench & squat are usually done AFTER a "lowering portion" of the lift so one gets accustomed to using the bounce as help to get it up

i would imagine doing bench starting from the bottom position(a dead stop) would require more force and thus contribute greatly to strength gains...also would imagine doing squat from bottom position(not pause squat, but actually starting from pins/a dead stop) would have the same effect

probably going to do this with squat & bench someday, as a main movement/first thing in the workout

[Huskarl]

Good if you want some of dat dere pec tear