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Not a power lifter just excersizing. So many opinions on this. I need to minimize rotator cuff risk. So do I go with the elbows in, lower below nipples, stop when arms are parallel with back method?
I have long arms this leaves about a 6 inch gap between the bar and my chest. Am I still hitting the pecs properly?
Thoughts?
My first thought is, what's the point? The reason people do presses on benches is to allow the elbows to go below parallel. It was a major innovation way back when.
If you don't want to go past parallel, do your presses lying on the floor the way people did decades ago.
If the bar doesn't touch your chest then you aren't performing the bench press correctly. You are doing some other type of exercise. I bench with a close grip, elbows tucked in.
I have to disagree. When I bench, I never let the bar touch my chest. I maintain the weight throughout my whole set. Rest when you've completed the set, not in the middle of a rep.
I have to disagree. When I bench, I never let the bar touch my chest. I maintain the weight throughout my whole set. Rest when you've completed the set, not in the middle of a rep.
I don't do half-a**ed benching. I use the full range of motion. When you squat do you go a quarter of the way down? Letting the bar touch your chest isn't resting, you amateur. Now, pause reps are different but still more difficult than the crap you're doing, especially with heavy weight. Also, using full range of motion is more difficult than the half-reps you're doing.
Well, OP, think what pecs do. Functional anatomy wise, pecs ad-duct and internally rotate your arm, at the angle down.
To see the motion, stand tall. Raise say your right arm at about 15 degrees up and out, palm forward. Keep elbow straight.
Then, keeping arm straight, move it so that final position will be forearm about 2 inches below left nipple.
Pecs move arm in that direction.
Ideal pec exercise is cable cross from that starting position and exactly in that direction. It is virtually impossible to do on bench, olympic bar or dumbbells. Besides, to accomplish this, you have to be declined on the bench, to load pecs terminally.
That's why best you can do - for pecs - is elbows at 90 degrees to the chest. When you switch elbows forward, humerus parallel to the chest, you basically shift everything to triceps and anterior deltoid.
From a guy who damaged his R shoulder with BP back when he was 29 and it took 3 years to get "normal", I figured sort of snaking way around that damaging force. So I start with elbows perpendicular, bar on the chest, and, as I initiate the lift, R elbow goes in just a little and then back to 90 degrees. It's a slight curve that bypasses that dangerous initial effort.
Also, for your shoulders, I absolutely recommend that upright machine, where you can lock bar at various heights. Donno what the name is, most gyms have some like that. Ever since I used it for BP, I have no issues. Maybe it's because you have to dedicate less effort to balancing the bar, maybe it's just feeling of security, but I can never press same weight on bench I can on that machine. About 30% difference actually. I think it's the balancing act that does it.
Not a power lifter just excersizing. So many opinions on this. I need to minimize rotator cuff risk. So do I go with the elbows in, lower below nipples, stop when arms are parallel with back method?
I have long arms this leaves about a 6 inch gap between the bar and my chest. Am I still hitting the pecs properly?
My first thought is, what's the point? The reason people do presses on benches is to allow the elbows to go below parallel. It was a major innovation way back when.
If you don't want to go past parallel, do your presses lying on the floor the way people did decades ago.
Jeezus man take it easy. My wrists are not great and a bar is easier for me than push ups, not to mention other old injuries coming into play
Physical Therapist here. The pectoralis major is a large, fan-shaped muscle that has (IMO) a relatively small attachment/insertion into the humerus. By stopping when your arms are parallel with your back, you avoid putting too much strain on that attachment (or tendon, as we call it). If you are young, it may not matter much and your arms could probably go further down without hurting anything. But tissues lose their elasticity as you grow older and so you should be more conservative, just to be on the safe side.
Don't fret about the gap between the bar and your chest as it's dependent on your individual body geometry: some folks have long forearms (big gap), others have short ones (smaller gap).
Best advice on thread. Plus, don't bounce the bar, don't arch your back, avoid injury.
Some guys have a barrel chest and stubby thick arms. They move the bar a few inches. Others have long arms and have to move the same weight a long ways. Everyone is built different and not every "bench" method is perfect for them.
Actually...with a couple exceptions...there should be some arching of the back in a proper bench press. This is covered in the link I gave above.
+1. Arching your back protects the shoulders. For anyone who thinks there shouldn't be an arch, google "leg drive bench press", see what you find then come back here.
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