iron addict
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Many BB’ers have the common sense to look into the powerlifting world and get some good bench press tips from the guys at the top of the game that are moving HUGE iron. Now in bodybuiling, bench press form is little talked of and not much practiced other than the usual very wide grip, elbows flared out as wide as possible, and, and the bar traveling a path that brings it high on the chest in the lowered position. Look around you in the gym and you will see the VAST majority of lifters benching this way, which has lead many to believe that this is correct, and possibly even the only bench form that is practiced.
Why do most lifters bench like this? It is a feeble attempt at making the bench press something it is NOT, an isolation chest movement. This benching style is not the best way to move the biggest poundage’s for most trainees, and it is an injury waiting to happen for many lifters. So……many wise up and look at how powerlifters train the bench. Problem is, they don’t really watch powerlifters train, nor get coaching from a powerlifter or trainer that knows how to bench correctly. What they do instead is go online and read away. Good idea? Absolutely! As long as the trainee is astute enough to understand when the lifters writing the info are talking about training their raw bench, or shirt training, or performance shirted lifting.
Benching in a shirt and shirted benching technique is night and day different than raw benching, and techniques that are ‘da bomb for shirted benchers are not always the best deal for guys benching raw. I have personally training clients call me and proceed to tell me about their attempts at trying technique XXX they read about the day before and then tried at their benching session, with poor results. Without going into real depth and detail (I’ll save that for a full article) here are a few good ideas most raw benchers can incorporate that will USUALLY help their bench.
1. Bring your grip in somewhat. I get videos of training clients sometimes that have their arms spread so wide you would think they were not benching, but trying to appease their pissed off girlfriend by showing her how much they love her. “oh baby.I love you this much”—lol. Bring the grip in. How much depends on how wide you are already used to benching. But at least experiment with a narrower grip.
2. Tuck your elbows in during the descent, you will be MUCH tighter, and in a better position to use your lats when blasting the bar off your chest.
3. USE YOUR LATS. Many lifters are clueless about how much using your lats when benching will help your bench. And most of these guys have never consciously tried it, just hemmed and hawed about how it couldn’t possibly help much.
4. Bring the bar lower on your chest. QUIT TRYING TO ISOLATE THE PECS WHEN BENCHING. If you want to isolate, use dumbbells. When barbell benching use the form that allows you to push the most iron!
Make sure when adopting new techniques that what you are attempting is compatible with your bench style, and raw, vs. shirted benching are to night and day different styles.
More to follow….
Iron Addict
Why do most lifters bench like this? It is a feeble attempt at making the bench press something it is NOT, an isolation chest movement. This benching style is not the best way to move the biggest poundage’s for most trainees, and it is an injury waiting to happen for many lifters. So……many wise up and look at how powerlifters train the bench. Problem is, they don’t really watch powerlifters train, nor get coaching from a powerlifter or trainer that knows how to bench correctly. What they do instead is go online and read away. Good idea? Absolutely! As long as the trainee is astute enough to understand when the lifters writing the info are talking about training their raw bench, or shirt training, or performance shirted lifting.
Benching in a shirt and shirted benching technique is night and day different than raw benching, and techniques that are ‘da bomb for shirted benchers are not always the best deal for guys benching raw. I have personally training clients call me and proceed to tell me about their attempts at trying technique XXX they read about the day before and then tried at their benching session, with poor results. Without going into real depth and detail (I’ll save that for a full article) here are a few good ideas most raw benchers can incorporate that will USUALLY help their bench.
1. Bring your grip in somewhat. I get videos of training clients sometimes that have their arms spread so wide you would think they were not benching, but trying to appease their pissed off girlfriend by showing her how much they love her. “oh baby.I love you this much”—lol. Bring the grip in. How much depends on how wide you are already used to benching. But at least experiment with a narrower grip.
2. Tuck your elbows in during the descent, you will be MUCH tighter, and in a better position to use your lats when blasting the bar off your chest.
3. USE YOUR LATS. Many lifters are clueless about how much using your lats when benching will help your bench. And most of these guys have never consciously tried it, just hemmed and hawed about how it couldn’t possibly help much.
4. Bring the bar lower on your chest. QUIT TRYING TO ISOLATE THE PECS WHEN BENCHING. If you want to isolate, use dumbbells. When barbell benching use the form that allows you to push the most iron!
Make sure when adopting new techniques that what you are attempting is compatible with your bench style, and raw, vs. shirted benching are to night and day different styles.
More to follow….
Iron Addict
