nut misc what's your bench form

[tuh888]

hey guys! just curious about the form that you use for bench. dave tate style or the common way? thanks!

[tuh888]

Curious too about the form that ericksteven uses.

[joelash302]

As of the last 6 months, Tate's style. Will never go back, shoulders feel awesome.

[as3d]

shoulder blades pushed back, lower the bar until it touches just below nipples (but don't bounce), elbows in to take the pressure off the delts and more on the chest and tri's (i've had rotator cuff difficulty before), focus on the lower half - 3/4 motion of the rep.

EDIT: fairly wide grip also.

[JasonDB]

It depends entirely upon my goals. I am currently benching for size and chest development and have't benched with anything close to a powerlifter style bench in a very long time.

Currently: no arch, feet flat, shoulders in skapular retraction, elbows tucked but not super-tight, index fingers on the rings. Needless to say I am not currently pushing insane weights this way, but I get a burn in my pecs.

[illiniStrive]

shoulder blades together, back tight, arch (nothing crazy), tucked elbows, lower weight to chest (and TOUCH).

I've never figured out the point of benching and not touching the chest (unless you're doing floor press or working on lockout). So many people do it that way at my gym though. *sigh*

[JasonDB]

shoulder blades together, back tight, arch (nothing crazy), tucked elbows, lower weight to chest (and TOUCH).

I've never figured out the point of benching and not touching the chest (unless you're doing floor press or working on lockout). So many people do it that way at my gym though. *sigh*

They do it so they can handle more weight, and then risk a rotator injury when they accidently hit failure one day due to piss poor shoulder joint flexibility lack of full ROM strength.

"I'm not flexible enough to touch my chest..." no haven't bothered to work on having a healthy amount of flexibility in your shoulders... and want to be able to bench more weight to impress people/yourself, instead of actually properly working your chest.

Funny how many of these same people can bring the dumbbells low when they use those but when they have a bar that allows them to use more weight they suddenly "lack flexibility".

[BunkMoreland]

now you see, what i do is, i drop the bar to my chest. after i do that, i push it up towards the ceiling. i like to do that as many times as i can before my muscles give out. then i put it back on the rack. after a minute or two, i execute the same thing again. i've seen great gains with this technique

[illiniStrive]

now you see, what i do is, i drop the bar to my chest. after i do that, i push it up towards the ceiling. i like to do that as many times as i can before my muscles give out. then i put it back on the rack. after a minute or two, i execute the same thing again. i've seen great gains with this technique

i is skeptical hippo

if it's not complicated it can't possible work bro

[BunkMoreland]

i is skeptical hippo

if it's not complicated it can't possible work bro

[JasonDB]

i is skeptical hippo

if it's not complicated it can't possible work bro

I said yesterday on my fb wall that I was a skeptical hippo about something and one of my friends told me "Yeah you could still stand to lose a few lbs." It hurted my feelings. :'-(

[BringtheNoise]

I like to drop the bar as fast as possible so it bounces hard. I can do more weight that way.

[PerpetualMotion]

So many people do it that way at my gym though. *sigh*

Saw a dude throw on two 45s on each side and a 25 as well and I was all, "Damn! This guy is strong!" Didn't even break 90 degree angle, so it couldn't even be classified as a "floor press." I was disappointed.

[moetstylesbrah]

touch chest with bar.

[tuh888]

Hope ErickStevens answers because I admire his lifts. I am also surprise that only 1 here use the dave tate style.

-feet way back and heels off ground
-extremely arched
-tucked elbows

Isn't that both techniques have same effect since it is a bench press?

[JasonDB]

Saw a dude throw on two 45s on each side and a 25 as well and I was all, "Damn! This guy is strong!" Didn't even break 90 degree angle, so it couldn't even be classified as a "floor press." I was disappointed.

I touch my chest with the bar on floor presses also. When I started training again seriously I didn't have a bench yet so had to do floor presses off cinderblocks as jhooks (as getting the bar into position from my neck is difficult).

My ribcage is probably a factor in my previously high bench... I really cannot do a full range of motion becuase my sternum gets in the way.

[BringtheNoise]

I touch my chest with the bar on floor presses also. When I started training again seriously I didn't have a bench yet so had to do floor presses off cinderblocks as jhooks (as getting the bar into position from my neck is difficult).

My ribcage is probably a factor in my previously high bench... I really cannot do a full range of motion becuase my sternum gets in the way.

I can't do a full range of motion because my awesome gets in the way.

[MarkVI]

I just lower the bar to my chest and push it back up....

[ZMan45]

Usually a PLing style as I want to push the most weight I can. Go down to chest and touch then explode back up. I like to use dips for more chest hypertrophy work.

[snorkelman]

I've never figured out the point of benching and not touching the chest

^^ Spoken like someone who has not had shoulder surgery.

Post RC surgery, I only use DBs and when on the barbell, I follow the advice in those dave tate videos that were floating around about a year ago

[BunkMoreland]

I just lower the bar to my chest and push it back up....

mah nucka

[feelsg00dmayne]

Hope ErickStevens answers because I admire his lifts. I am also surprise that only 1 here use the dave tate style.

No hate. but i recall ES saying that bench is by far his worst lift.

Nonetheless, I wouldn't mind having his squat and DL numbers.

[The Solution]

Max Effort Bench from two weeks ago (not supposed to be 100% perfect form wise):
335 @ 160 pounds

I like a nice arch in my back pin your shoulders back, and make sure you have some eccentric (dont just drop the weight) and push through your lats and fire your elbows to get through the motion. A little bit of a tuck is great, because after seeing Layne Norton tear his pec with slightly flared elbows I dont venture or bench like that.

[Vitek92]

I try to do it like this.

[ZMan45]

No hate. but i recall ES saying that bench is by far his worst lift.

Nonetheless, I wouldn't mind having his squat and DL numbers.

Seems like that guy is trying to trollbait him....but I could be wrong.

[midcoastking33]

Slight arch with a narrow grip though. If I go wide I barely feel it in pecs and much more so on delts

[MarkVI]

Slight arch with a narrow grip though. If I go wide I barely feel it in pecs and much more so on delts

this always gets me, I'm the exact opposite - I swear it's a taller/long arm thing. If I go narrow it's all delts and tri's and the wider I go the better chest stimulation.

[midcoastking33]

this always gets me, I'm the exact opposite - I swear it's a taller/long arm thing. If I go narrow it's all delts and tri's and the wider I go the better chest stimulation.

Most likely. I have a short torso and unusually long arms, longer than most guys that are 6'6" lol definitely not advantageous levers

[MarkVI]

Most likely. I have a short torso and unusually long arms, longer than most guys that are 6'6" lol definitely not advantageous levers

I hear ya on that one - I'm the opposite, long torso (for 5'6'...) and normal arms...benching is a bit easier for me when compared to say deadlift which I'm not built for at all.

[jammyo40]

I hear ya on that one - I'm the opposite, long torso (for 5'6'...) and normal arms...benching is a bit easier for me when compared to say deadlift which I'm not built for at all.

Just realized a week ago that my double-jointed elbows was really f*cking up my DL form. Lock out your arms my ass.