Bar touching your chest on bench

**Riot984** · 10-25-2006, 05:34 PM

I haven't been lifting very long so my chest isn't exactly huge. Anyways, I was just wondering if you're better off bringing the bar down to your chest, or until your arms are parallel. Several people have told me that bringing the bar down to your chest (or at least mine) will strain the shoulders and is not as effective. But, every time I bench without bringing the bar down all the way, somebody always comes up and tells me I'm doing it wrong and I should bring it down to my chest. I tried searching and couldn't find what I was looking for, there were a couple of threads similiar to this but the question wasn't really answered.

Oh yeah, I'm about 5'8-5'9 145 pounds. I started out lifting 3 times a week 4 weeks ago, benching 85 pounds, and now I'm up to 115 easily, so I guess I've seen results bringing the bar down so that my arms are parallel.

**thebeast1** · 10-25-2006, 05:37 PM

ALWAYS touch your chest.

if thou uses good form thou shall see good results-me

lol

**Chronicles** · 10-25-2006, 05:37 PM

who ever is tellin u to go parallel is dumb its suppose to touch ur chest

**FoXFo** · 10-25-2006, 05:38 PM

Agree touch your chest, just don't slam the weight into your chest like I see some kids do, you still need control of the weight.

**Riot984** · 10-25-2006, 05:39 PM

Even if it means less weight?

**mikeygotz1** · 10-25-2006, 05:40 PM

Even if it means less weight the form owns the weight anyday

theres no point of doing a workout if you dont do it right
touch the chest=better workout and more range of motion

**FoXFo** · 10-25-2006, 05:42 PM

"It's not about how much weight you lift, It's how you lift it" - A very wise man.

**Riot984** · 10-25-2006, 05:43 PM

Alright, it looks like I'll start bringing it down all the way.

**zguernica** · 10-25-2006, 05:44 PM

you want a big stong chest? then ****in touch your chest.

**vunguyen12** · 10-25-2006, 05:50 PM

Yeah, go all the way to chest.....just don't cheat by bouncing it off ur chest.With good form comes good gains

**-Renato-** · 10-25-2006, 06:11 PM

Use the force Riot...

**hendrix190** · 10-25-2006, 06:12 PM

i hate to be the one to say it, but form isnt as important as people make it out to be, but at yalls age, its probably the best idea to use good form, i guess its personal preference about either touching ur chest or not, but i touch my chest with the bar

**u-zafar** · 10-25-2006, 09:24 PM

i see kids smashing it, this 1 boy was fed up of puting small 5's on the bar(making it 30) so he went up to the larger plates, luckily he was doing incline, and , lukily he didnt know how to do em properely, he dropped it and it rolled down lol.

**BadChevy350** · 10-25-2006, 09:53 PM

Always touch your Chest... Dont "Bounce" the weight either, sure you might be able to lift 5-10 pounds more by doing that, but it will bite you in the ass later on... When I do my Bench Presses, I do it Powerlifter Style, I slowly bring the Weight down, touch my Chest, stop until the Bar is motionless, then Press up.

**Roger999** · 10-25-2006, 10:22 PM

going parallel is only going 1/2 way to your chest, bring to your chest and remember to bring weight down slowly!!! it should take 3.5-4secs to bring the weight down and about 2secs to bring it up

**cooper...** · 10-25-2006, 10:38 PM

going to parrallel is awesome...if u want to only work ur triceps

when i bench i touch my chest and then only lift it to a bit above parrallel so the stress on the pecs is constant. so i guess u could say its a partial rep but that works best for what i'm aiming for; stressing the muscle fibres to grow.

find what works for u OP, but generally at the bottom of the rep the stress is greater on ur pecs and at the top portion the stress is higher on ur tri's.

**Alfz** · 10-26-2006, 12:28 AM

Same problem.. I think its my bone structure or something... a lot of strain on other areas (Besides chest/tri) when i go RIGHT down.

ive read in an article not everyone has the ability to go right down to the chest... Bone structure.

**afb0032** · 10-26-2006, 07:50 AM

touch your chest, but don't "bounce" it

**andy26139** · 10-26-2006, 09:38 AM

the only time you dont want to touch your chest is on a close grip if you are working triceps

**WCC** · 10-26-2006, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Roger999

going parallel is only going 1/2 way to your chest, bring to your chest and remember to bring weight down slowly!!! it should take 3.5-4secs to bring the weight down and about 2secs to bring it up

3.5-4 seconds? 1-2's enough.

**Lintford** · 10-26-2006, 12:37 PM

I dont think you necessarily need to go to the chest, I think its best, and I do it myself, but some people get a better contraction from going slightly above.

**KG89** · 10-26-2006, 12:46 PM

if you ever have bad form cut the weight until it is pretty damn perfect form

your weight will build up a lot faster if you have right form and you're working that body part the correct way, thus seeing results

I love those kids with terrible form who try to show off with heavy weight, its so sad

**avw0516** · 10-26-2006, 01:36 PM

I have a question about this same topic. At my school weight room our phys. ed. teacher made these wooden blocks to simulate towel benchpressing. It's essentially 2 2X4's nailed together, you have one person hold it on your chest and you just bench like normal from there. I could have sworn that I read that the first four inches off your chest is all pecs but the phys. ed. teacher said that this "towel bench" method works the pecs just as well. Any input?

**WCC** · 10-26-2006, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by avw0516

I have a question about this same topic. At my school weight room our phys. ed. teacher made these wooden blocks to simulate towel benchpressing. It's essentially 2 2X4's nailed together, you have one person hold it on your chest and you just bench like normal from there. I could have sworn that I read that the first four inches off your chest is all pecs but the phys. ed. teacher said that this "towel bench" method works the pecs just as well. Any input?

IIRC that's called a board press... works the synergists (anterior delts, tris) more than the pecs. the pecs are still used, but to a lesser extent.

**avw0516** · 10-26-2006, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by WCC

IIRC that's called a board press... works the synergists (anterior delts, tris) more than the pecs. the pecs are still used, but to a lesser extent.

I'm able to do quite a bit more weight this way. I've noticed that after doing this which for some reason allows me to train harder my pecs are definately more sore. I'd assume that this is a good thing for growth so should I stick with it or should I just ditch the board and go back to regular bench press? Thanks again.
-Andrew

**Lintford** · 10-26-2006, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by avw0516

I'm able to do quite a bit more weight this way. I've noticed that after doing this which for some reason allows me to train harder my pecs are definately more sore. I'd assume that this is a good thing for growth so should I stick with it or should I just ditch the board and go back to regular bench press? Thanks again.
-Andrew

Regular allows a better ROM, do them both.

**avw0516** · 10-26-2006, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Lintford

Regular allows a better ROM, do them both.

Awesome, will do. Sorry for so many questions, but I'm still fairly new to this. Different days or same day for board press and regular bench press? Thanks so much, I really need to get my chest to grow its been lagging.

**Gewwy** · 10-26-2006, 02:56 PM

Touching the chest is hard on the shoulders.

If I was a baseball pitcher or quarterback and had a future in either I would not do bench press. But, touching the allows for the maximum activation and recruitment of chest muscles, the rest of the lift isn't so much chest as it is triceps, lats, and shoulders.

**jarryd2018** · 10-26-2006, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Gewwy

Touching the chest is hard on the shoulders.

If I was a baseball pitcher or quarterback and had a future in either I would not do bench press. But, touching the allows for the maximum activation and recruitment of chest muscles, the rest of the lift isn't so much chest as it is triceps, lats, and shoulders.

im a pitcher, every coach ive ever had told me that when i bench to bring it about an inch or 2 above my chest. extra strain on the shoulder would mess my pitching up so thats why i do it like that. once this season is over, if i dont play in college, ill start taking it all the way to my chest.

**stillbulkin** · 10-26-2006, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by jarryd2018

im a pitcher, every coach ive ever had told me that when i bench to bring it about an inch or 2 above my chest. extra strain on the shoulder would mess my pitching up so thats why i do it like that. once this season is over, if i dont play in college, ill start taking it all the way to my chest.

yup..it does put huge strain on the shoulders...especially when you start doin heavier weight...an inch or two above the chest is just fine and works for me.

Thread: Bar touching your chest on bench

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Bar touching your chest on bench

lol

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions