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    Registered User sickwithit11's Avatar
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    does having long arms affect your bench?

    whenever i bench i hardly ever feel it in my chest, its always in my front deltoid. is this the result of having rather long arms? or is it just bad form on my part? I tried rectifying this by getting a wider bar and assuming a wider grip, and while i can feel it slightly better in my chest, it feels as if its mostly a frontal shoulder work out.
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    Registered User MsuMix's Avatar
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    What is your arm span? mine is about 65", and I think it does holds back my benchpress bigtime. However it also depends on if your using a full ROM. I've been sticking to DB presses.
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    Registered User sickwithit11's Avatar
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    74" wing span, full ROM on my benches
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    Registered User Killa Cris's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by sickwithit11
    whenever i bench i hardly ever feel it in my chest, its always in my front deltoid. is this the result of having rather long arms? or is it just bad form on my part? I tried rectifying this by getting a wider bar and assuming a wider grip, and while i can feel it slightly better in my chest, it feels as if its mostly a frontal shoulder work out.
    Are you keeping your elbows out when you bench? Switch to dumbbells, I definitely feel bench in my chest more when I use dumbbells.
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    Registered User mohigantraining's Avatar
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    Saying your long arms set you back is just an excuse for time. Give your bench time to improve and it will.
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    Registered User sickwithit11's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by mohigantraining
    Saying your long arms set you back is just an excuse for time. Give your bench time to improve and it will.
    im just asking if long arms will limit the bench to a primarily front deltoid exercise, not stating that its a set back
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    Registered User mohigantraining's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by sickwithit11
    im just asking if long arms will limit the bench to a primarily front deltoid exercise, not stating that its a set back
    It really is not 'primarily' a anterior delt exercise. Stop thinking like a bodybuilder for a second and think like a strength athlete.
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    Registered User meanowen's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by mohigantraining
    It really is not 'primarily' a anterior delt exercise. Stop thinking like a bodybuilder for a second and think like a strength athlete.
    i realize that the bench is traditionally not "primarily" a frontal/anterior delt exercise, but considering the fact that i feel it is almost entirely taxing my frontal/anterior delts only, i have reason to believe that for me having long arms, it will continue to be so.

    and as for thinking like a bodybuilder/strength athelete, im thinking like neither. im looking out for my health, as it is a known fact that muscular imbalances lead to injury.
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    "Isolation" is stupid. JNo20's Avatar
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    Let me get this out of the way first: Screw the flat barbell bench press.

    That said...

    Having long arms will affect your bench, yes, but whether or not you feel it in the chest is more a matter of your body position. I'm 5'11" with a 6'6" wingspan so I'm in the same boat. Make sure that you drive your shoulder blades into the bench and keep them retracted for the whole ROM. When your shoulders start rounding forward, then you start "delt pushing". You just need to change the context that you look at pressing. Instead of trying to drive the bar UP, think of it as you are pushing against the bar to mash your shoulders as hard into the bench as you can.

    SO, keep the sternum HIGH, shoulders back, shoulder blades pinched together, and just drive your shoulders into the bench.
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    Registered User Son of a Saxon's Avatar
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    does having long arms affect your bench?

    Hey Man. Long arms will limit your bench strenth, but you can still be work chest well. Try keeping your shoulder blades together & lower back off the bench. Elbows wide & dont bring the bar all the way down to your chest (activates front delts more. I would drop the weight some & go for feel cos if you dont feel it in the Chest your chest aint working.You may also try Cable Flys B4 you bench
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    Thick. Solid. Tight. GluteusMaximus's Avatar
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    I have a 78" wingspan and I love bench press. It may be a bit more difficult but it is what it is and there's not really much I can do about it. I don't mind however because as I continue to fill out and get bigger my height definately adds to the intimidation factor. Just keep eating and lifting and soon enough you wont even remember you have long arms.
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  12. #12
    Milk does a body good. Sir_Malak's Avatar
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    Remember:

    Muscles do not know #'s they know force.

    One short arm fast thrusted 300 bench could create as much stimulation as another long armed slow 250 bench.

    If that made any sense.
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    Gaseous Anomaly massofgas's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Sir_Malak
    Remember:

    Muscles do not know #'s they know force.

    One short arm fast thrusted 300 bench could create as much stimulation as another long armed slow 250 bench.

    If that made any sense.
    i completely agree with malak
    a longer wingspan increases the distance the bar has to travel to reach ur chest and back up again
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    The Gun Show Guardian's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by sickwithit11
    whenever i bench i hardly ever feel it in my chest, its always in my front deltoid. is this the result of having rather long arms? or is it just bad form on my part? I tried rectifying this by getting a wider bar and assuming a wider grip, and while i can feel it slightly better in my chest, it feels as if its mostly a frontal shoulder work out.

    I would say it plays "some" role just liek you may find your better at deadlifting. Try pre exhausting the chest with dumbell flies or crossovers first and then go to bench. YOu may find this helps, I know it does for me and my arms are alittle on the long side.
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