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TABLE OF CONTENTS
HowtoBench:TheDefinitiveGuide
1. Section1Background
2. SuperBasicPhysics
a. Force
b. Moment
3. Anatomy
a. Scapulae
b. Clavicle
c. Humerus
d. Radius
e. Shouldercomplex
f. Elbow
g. Radioulnarjoint
h. Wrist
i. Pecs
j. Triceps
k. Anteriordeltoids
l. Rotatorcuffmuscles
m. Lats
4. ForcesatPlayIntheBenchPress
5. Section2HowtoBench:Basics
6. Setup
a. Checkingequipment
b. Scapularposition
c. Gettingtightandgettinganarch
d. Footposition
e. Unracking
f. Descent
g. Pausing
h. Ascent
7. Biomechanics
8. Horizontalflexion
9. Shoulderflexion
10.ElbowExtension
11. DiagnosingWeaknesses
a. Muscleactivation
b. Muscleproperties
c. Weaknessattheverybottomofthelift
d. Missingthroughthemidrange
e. Missingatlockout
12. CommonQuestions/IssuesandOtherMiscellaneousTopics
a. Cuingthebenchpress
b. Whataboutthereversegripbenchpress?
c. ShouldImixthingsupwithinclineanddecline?
d. CanImaximizechestandtricepsdevelopmentwithJUSTthe
benchpress?
e. WhatshouldIdoaboutelbowandshoulderpainatthebottom
ofthebench?
f. HowdoIchooseagripwidth?Whataretheprosandconsto
each?
g. WhatshouldIdoaboutwristpain?
h. HowcanIimprovemyarch?
i. WhatshouldIdoaboutmyback/hipscramping?
j. HowcanIkeepmybuttfromcomingoffthebench?
k. HowcanIimprovemylegdrive?
l. HowmuchshouldItuckmyelbows?
m. WhatshouldIdoaboutunevenextension?
n. WhataresomeotherbenchpressvariationsIcantry?
o. Attheendoftheday
13. Sources
byGregNuckols
E
veryonewantsabigbench,whethertheyadmititornot.
Whensomeonefindsoutyouliftweightsunlesstheyreacompetitive
strengthathletetheyrenotgoingtoaskwhatyousquatordeadlift.No,
theyregoingtoaskwhatyoubench.
Lastyear,wesentoutasurveyaskingpeoplewhatlifttheystruggledwiththe
mostandmostwantedtoimprove.Myassumptionwasthatpeoplewould
havetheeasiesttimewithdeadliftsandbenchandstrugglemostwithsquats.
BoywasIwrong.Almost2/3ofrespondentssaidthebenchwastheirbiggest
sourceoffrustration.
Letsfixthat.
Beforewegetintothis,letmetellyoualittlebitabouttheflowofthisguide.
Itssplitintofourmajorsections.Section1coversallthenecessary
backgroundinanatomyandphysics(tolaythegroundworkforthe
biomechanicsthatcomelater).Ifyoualreadyhaveaprettygoodgraspofthat
stuff,feelfreetoskipthefirstsection.Section2givesanoverviewofthelift
setup,technique,andproperexecution.Section3willdigintothe
biomechanicsinmoredepth,specificallydealingwithgripwidth,legdrive,
andbarpath.Section4willtaketheformofanFAQ,addressingissuesthat
dontfitneatlyintothefirstthreesectionsandgoingabitmoreindepthon
topicsthatwillbeofinteresttosomereaders,butnotthemajority.
Section 1 Background
Super Basic Physics
Thereareafewsimpletermsweneedtounderstandthatdescribehowour
musclesinteractwithourbonestoproducethemovementsthat(hopefully)
resultinagoodlookingbenchpress.
Force
Thefirstisforce.Forceistheproductofmassandacceleration,typically
calculatedinNewtons(oneNewtonistheforceittakestoacceleratea1kg
massatarateof1m/sec2).Mostimportantforourpurposeshere,forceis
linear:
Itdescribesthingsthatarebeingpulledorpushedinastraightline.
So,letssayyouhavea150kgbarinyourhands.The150kgbarrepresentsthe
masscomponentofforce.Ifyouwerentsupportingthebar,it
would
acceleratedownwardat9.8m/sec2(duetogravity),sothebarisexerting
150kgx9.8m/sec2=1470Nofforceuponyourhandsandarms.Thedirection
oftheforceisthedirectionthatgravityispulling:straightdown.Similarly,
whenourmusclescontract,theyexertaforcepullingoneendofthemuscle
straighttowardtheotherend.
Moment
Thesecondismoment.Momentisforceappliedaboutanaxis,typically
calculatedinNewtonMeterstheforceapplied,multipliedbythedistance
fromtheaxisperpendiculartothedirectiontheforceisbeingapplied.While
forceislinear,momentisrotational.
So,letssayyourecurlinga20kgbarbell.Yourupperarmisstraightdownby
yourside,andyourforearmwhichis30cmlongisparalleltothefloor.
Youdcalculatetheforcethebarbellisexertinginthesamemannerasthe
exampleabove:20kgx9.8m/sec2=196Nofforce,directedstraight
downward.Then,tocalculatethemomentthebarbellisexertingattheelbow,
youdmultiply196Nbythedistancebetweenthebarbellandyourelbow
(calledthe
momentarm
)inmeters:196Nx0.30m=58.8Nm.Sincethis
momentisexerteddownward,whichwouldextendtheelbowwiththeforearm
inthisposition,wedtermthisan
extensormoment
.Ifyouwantedto
continuecurlingthebarupward,youdneedtoproducea
flexormoment
greaterthan58.8Nmwithyourbicepsandbrachialis.Sincethemomentarm
isthedistancebetweentheaxisofrotationandtheload,measured
perpendicularlytothedirectiontheforceisbeingapplied,themomentarm
wouldbeshorterandthemomentwouldbesmalleriftheelbowswereeithera
bitmoreflexedorabitmoreextended,eventhoughtheforearmwouldbethe
samelength.
Momentsimposedbyaloadonyourmusculoskeletalsystemarecalled
externalmoments
,andmomentsproducedbyyourmusclespullingagainst
yourbonesarecalled
internalmoments
.Internalmomentsarecalculatedthe
samewayexternalmomentsare.Theforcecomponentisthecontractileforce
ofthemuscle,andthemomentarmisthedistanceamuscleattachesfromthe
center(axisofrotation)ofthejointitsmoving.So,forexample,ifthepatellar
tendon(whichtransmitstheforceofthequadricepstothetibia)inserts5cm
fromthecenterofthekneejoint,andthequadscontracthardenoughtoexert
10,000Nofforceperpendiculartothetibia,theinternalextensormoment
wouldbe10,000Nx0.05m=500Nm.
Toproducemovement,yourmusclescontract.Bydoingso,theyproducea
linearforce,pullingonbonesthatactaslevers,producingflexororextensor
momentsatthejointstheycross,withjointsactingastheaxesofrotation.In
thecaseofthebenchpress,youreprimarilytryingtoproduceanextensor
momentattheelbow(i.e.straighteningthearmout)andaflexorand
horizontalflexormomentattheshoulder(i.e.raisingyourarm,andbringing
yourarmtowardthemidlineofyourbody)thatexceedtheopposingforces
exertedbythebar.Ifyoucandothat,youexertaforceonthebarthatexceeds
theforcethebarisexertingonyourbody,and
vola
!Asuccessfulbench
press.
Puttingallofthistogether,thereareafew
very
basicprinciplestotakeaway
fromthis:
1. Inthebenchpress,thebarappliesadownwardforcethatexertsan
external
flexormoment
atyourelbow,ande
xternalextensorandhorizontal
extensormoments
atyourshoulder.
2. Thesizeoftheexternalflexormomentyouhavetoovercometoliftaweight
dependsontwothings:theloaditselfandthelengthofthemomentarm.
Iftheloadincreasesandthemomentarmstaysthesamelength,iftheload
staysthesameandthemomentarmgetslonger,oriftheloadincreases
and
themomentarmgetslonger,theexternalflexormomentthatyourmuscles
mustovercomeincreases.Thisiswhyliftingheavierweightsisharderthan
liftinglighterweights(duh),andwhypeoplewithlongerlimbs(andthus
longermomentarmsattheelbow,shoulder,orboth)generallyhavea
toughertimebenchingagivenloadthanpeoplewithshorterlimbs.
3. Thetwofactorsthatdeterminewhetheryourmusclescanproducelarge
enough
internalextensormoments
toliftaloadaretheattachmentpoints
ofthemusclesandtheforcewithwhichtheycancontract.
4. Attachmentpointsplayahugerolebecausemusclesgenerallyattachvery
closetothejointtheymove,sosmallvariationscanmakeabigdifference.
Forexample,
thisstudy
foundthatthepatellartendonmomentarmvaried
from4cmto6cm.Thatsmalldifferencehashugeimplications.Aperson
witha6cminternalmomentarmwouldproducea50%largerjointmoment
thanapersonwith4cmmomentarmiftheirmusclescontractedwiththe
exactsameamountofforce.
5. Unfortunately,youcantchangemuscleattachmentpoints,sotheonly
factorwithinyourcontrolisincreasingcontractileforce.Thereareonlytwo
waystodothat:a)increaseyourskillasabenchersoyourcurrentmuscle
masscanproducemoreforceduringthemovementandb)addmore
muscle!
Thingsgetjustalittlemorecomplicatedthanthat,butthisshouldgiveyoua
goodenoughgraspontheterminologywellbeusingmovingforward.Ifthis
isstillhazyforyou,youcandownloadafree
physicstextbookhere
(legally)
thatsexceptionallygood.
Now,though,itstimetolookatthemuscles,joints,andbonesthatplaythe
biggestrolesinthebench.
Anatomy
Scapulae
Yourscapulae(whichIlloftenrefertobytheircommonname:shoulder
blades)aretriangularshaped,roughlyflatbonesthatrestagainstthebackof
yourribcage.Theyprovideattachmentpointsformanyofthemusclesofyour
shouldergirdle,includingyourtraps,rhomboids,delts,rotatorcuffmuscles,
serratusanterior,andevenyourbicepsandoneoftheheadsofyourtriceps.
Yourscapulaecanmovefourbasicways.Theycanelevate(likeyoure
shruggingyourshoulders),depress(theoppositeofshrugging),retract
(pullingyourshoulderbladestogether),andprotract(theoppositeof
retracting).Youcancombinethosemovementsforupwardrotation(elevation
andprotraction)anddownwardrotation(depressionandretraction).
Forourpurposeshere,themostimportantaspectsofthescapulaearethe
glenoidcavity,theacromionprocess,andthecoracoidprocess.These
features,alongwiththeheadofthehumerus,ajointcapsule,andabunchof
ligamentsmakeuptheshoulderjoint.
Clavicle
Yourclaviclesareyourcollarbones.Theyrunfromyoursternum(your
breastbone)tothetopofyourshoulder,attachingtoyouracromionand
coracoidprocessesvialigaments.Theycanmoveforward,backward,up,and
downasyourscapulaeprotract,retract,elevate,anddepress,respectively.For
ourpurposeshere,themostimportantaspectoftheclaviclesisthatthey
provideanattachmentpointforsomeofthefibersofyourpecs.Ifyouhear
aboutpeopletryingtobuildtheirupperchest,theyretalkingaboutthose
clavicularpecfibers.
Humerus
Yourhumerusistheboneofyourupperarm(andalsofodderforalotof
great/terriblepuns).
Theheadofthehumerusfitsintotheglenoidcavity.Justbelowtheheadare
twobonybumpscalledtubercles,whereyourrotatorcuffmusclesattach.
Theresagroovebetweenthosetuberclesthatyourbicepstendonsrun
through,withyourpecsandlatsattachingonthelipsofthatgroove(pecson
themediallip,andlatsonthelaterallip).Yourtricepsoriginateontheback
sideofyourhumerus(exceptforthelonghead,whichoriginatesonthe
scapulae).Thebottomofthehumerusattachestotheradiusandulnaatthe
elbow.
Radius
Yourradiusisoneoftwoforearmbones.Itstheoneonthelateralside
(thumbside)ofyourforearm.Itstheboneyourbicepsinserton.
Ulna
Yourulnaistheforearmbonethatsmoreimportantforthebench.Itsthe
boneonthemedialside(pinkyside)ofyourforearm.Theknobbypartonthe
backofyourelbow,calledtheolecranonprocess,iswhereyourtricepsattach
andpulltoextendyourelbow.
Shoulder complex
Yourshouldercomplexisverycomplex.Luckily,wedonthavetodelveinto
itin
too
muchdetailhere.Anyproblemsyoumayhavethatwouldrequire
morethanabasicoverviewoftheshouldercomplexareprobablyoutsidethe
purviewofthisguide(theyremostlikelyinjuriesorissuesyoushouldgotoa
physicaltherapistabout).
Narrowlydefined,theshoulderjointissimplytheballandsocketjointmade
upoftheheadofthehumerusandtheglenoidcavityofthescapula.Sincethe
acromionprocess,coracoidprocess,andlateralendoftheclavicleallsurround
thejointaswell,theyregenerallyaddressedalongwiththeshoulder.(For
example,ifyoufeelapinchingatthetopofyourshoulder,thatmaybe
acromioclavicularjointimpingementitstakingplaceatthejunctureofthe
acromionandtheclaviclenotstrictlytheshoulderbutmostpeopletreatit
asashoulderissue,anditcertainlyaffectsthefunctionoftheshoulderitself).
Yourshoulderisaveryshallowballandsocket
jointmuchshallowerthanthehip.Thatcan
causeabitmoreinstability(whichiswhy
dislocatedshouldersare
way
morecommonthan
dislocatedhips),butitalsoallowsforahugerangeofmotioninallplanes.
Thereareeightbasicmovementsattheshoulderjoint:flexion(likeafront
deltraise),extension(likeapullover),abduction(likeasidedeltraise),
adduction(likeyoureloweringasidedeltraise),horizontalflexion(likeapec
flyoftencalledhorizontaladduction),horizontalextension(likeareardelt
raiseoftencalledhorizontalabduction),internalrotation(turningyourbiceps
towardthemidlineofyourbody),andexternalrotation(turningyourbiceps
awayfromthemidlineofyourbody).
Whenbenching,thetwomajormovementsyoureperformingatyourshoulder
areflexionandhorizontalflexion.Theothertwomovementstokeepinmind
forthebenchareabduction(howtuckedorflaredyourelbowsare)and
makingsureyouhavesufficientinternalrotationrangeofmotion(thatyou
cancontrol).
Elbow
Theelbowisasimplejoint.Itflexes(likeabicepscurl)andextends(likea
tricepsextension).Inthebench,youreextendingyourelbow.
Radio-ulnar joint
Thisisthejoint(actuallytwojoints)thatallowsyourforearmtorotate.The
twomovementsallowedatthisjointarepronation(likeapullup)and
supination(likeachinup).
Youneedtobeabletopronateyourforearmsenoughtograbthebartobench.
Duh.Justmentioningthisforthesakeofthoroughness.
Wrist
Yourwrististhejuncturebetweenyourforearmbonesandyourcarpalbones.
Itallowsforflexion(likeawristcurl),extension(likeawristextension),
radialdeviation(bendingittowardyourthumb)andulnardeviation(bending
ittowardyourpinky).
Thewideryourgripwidth,themoreradialdeviationisrequiredatyourwrist.
Somepeoplegetapinchingsensation(likelyfromatendonbeingpinched
betweenyourradiusandoneofyourcarpalbones)orevenaboneonbone
grindingsensationonthemedialsideoftheirwristwhentheytrytobench
withareallywidegrip.Illaddressthisproblemlaterintheguide.
Additionally,benchingwiththewriststooextended(bentback)cancause
problemsforsomepeople.Thisissuewillalsobeaddressedlater.
Pecs
Yourpecsareyourbiggest,strongestprimemoverinthebench.Theirmain
roleisinhorizontalflexion,buttheycanalsoaidinshoulderflexion,
extension,andinternalrotation.
Yourpecsoriginateonyourclavicleandontheedgeofyoursternumandyour
ribcage.Thefibersoriginatingonyourclavicleareyourupperpecs,which
canhelpalotwithshoulderflexion.Thefibersoriginatingonyoursternum
andribcageareyourlower
pecsthemajorityofthemusclewhichare
primarilyhorizontalflexors
.Allofyourpecfibersinsertonthefrontofyour
humerus,onthemediallipoftheintertuberculargroove.
Triceps
Yourtricepsareyouronlyelbowextensors.Asthenameimplies,yourtriceps
havethreeheads.Twoofthemthelateralheadandthemiddlehead
originateonthebackofyourhumerus,whilethemedialhead(thelonghead)
originatesonthescapulae.Allthreeinsertontheolecranonprocessofthe
elbow.Thetwoheadsthatoriginateonthehumerusonlyperformelbow
flexion,whilethelongheadcanalsoaidinshoulderextension.
Drawingbyrylynnchelios
Anterior deltoids
Youranteriordeltoidsareyourprimaryshoulderflexor.Theyoriginateonthe
lateralthirdofyourclavicleandinsert,alongwithyourotherdeltoids,onthe
sideofyourhumerusonthedeltoidtuberosity.
Drawingbyrylynnchelios
pressperformance.Theirmainfunctionistoprovidedynamicstabilityforthe
shoulder.Sincetheshoulderjointismuchshallowerthanthehip,these
muscleshelpkeeptheheadofthehumerussnugagainsttheglenoidcavity
whilealsohelpingabduct(supraspinatus),externallyrotate(infraspinatusand
teresminor),andinternallyrotate(subscapularis)theshoulder.
Lats
Yourlatsareprimarilyshoulderextensors.Sinceyouneedtoproduce
shoulder
flexion
tobenchheavyweights,whyintheworldshouldyoucare
aboutthelatsinthebenchpress?
Thatsagoodquestion,anditsonethatrequiresasomewhatlengthyanswer.
Itwasaddressedin
thisarticle
becausecoveringitherewouldjustbogthings
downtoomuch.
Drawingbyrylynnchelios
Thatsenoughphysicsandanatomyfornow.Youshouldhaveagoodgraspof
thebasicforcesatplayinthebenchandthemajormuscles,bones,andjoints
thatareinteractingtocompletethemovement.
Shoulderflexiondemandsaredeterminedbythedistanceofthebarinfrontof
theshoulderjoint.Thefurtherinfrontofthejoint,thehardertheliftisfor
yourshoulderflexors(frontdeltsspecifically,andupperpecstoalesser
degree).
Thebarisinamorechallengingpositionforthefrontdeltsinthetoppicture.
Shoulderhorizontalflexiondemandsaredeterminedbygripwidth.Thewider
yourgrip,thegreaterlateraldistanceyoullhavebetweenyourhandandyour
shoulder,sothegreaterthehorizontalflexiondemandswillbe(challenging
yourpecsspecifically).
Thewidergripinthetoppicturewillbemorechallengingforthepecs.
Whatsgoingonatyourtriceps,ontheotherhandthatcanbealittle
trickier.
Fornow,sowedontgettooboggeddownbeforegettingintothereallymeaty
partofthisarticle,letsjuststickwiththesameanswer:Yourtricepsextend
yourelbows.However,becausetheyallowyoutoimpartlateralforcesonthe
bar,yourtricepsactuallyaidyourpecssubstantiallyaswell.Howtheydothat
requiresalengthierexplanation,sothatllbecoveredlater.Sincetheycanbe
usedtohelpdrivethebarbacktowardyourshouldersaftertouchinglowon
yourchest,theycanhelpyourfrontdeltsoutaswell.
Atthispoint,thegroundworkisoutoftheway.Wevecoveredthemajor
musclesinvolvedinthebenchpressandhoweachofthemcontributestothe
lift,andwevecoveredthebasicforcesactingateachjoint.Nowitstimeto
digintotheliftitself.
2. Setthehookstotheproperheight.Properheightdependsonthelengthof
yourarmsandyourgripwidth.Thekeypointhereisthatyoushouldnt
needtopressthebar45inchesbeforeclearingthehooks,butyoushould
beabletocomfortablygetthebaroverthehookswithoutneedingto
reachup,protractyourshoulderblades,andlosescapularposition.In
general,youshouldbeabletocomfortablyclearthehooksbyaboutaninch
ortwo(25cm).
Scapular position
Oncetheequipmentissquaredaway,itstimetogetyourscapulaelockedin.
Thekeypointistogetyourscapulaeretracted(pulledtogether,likeyoure
tryingtopinchapencilbetweenyourshoulderblades).Thatwillhelpreduce
rangeofmotionbypushingthechestup,anditllalsoputtheshouldersina
saferpositiontoreduceyourriskofrotatorcuffinjuriesoranteriorshoulder
pain.
Beyondthat,scapularpositionissimplyamatterofcomfortandpersonal
preference.Somepeoplejustliketheirshoulderbladespulledstraightback.
Alotofpeoplelikesomescapulardepressionalongwiththeretraction.Afew
peopleactuallypreferretractionandelevation.Playaroundwithscapular
depression/elevationandretractiontoseewhatfeelsthestrongestandmost
comfortableforyourshoulders.Themostimportantthingissimplythatyour
shoulderbladesarepulledtogether.
Onceyouvepulledyourshoulderbladestogether,itstimetogettight.If
youreapowerlifter,thatmayinvolvearchingyourbackaswell.
Igenerallyrecommendmostpeopletoarchatleastalittlebitonthebench.A
littlearchwillhelpdecreaserangeofmotionabitmore.Thiswillgenerally
helpyouliftmoreweightand,moreimportantly,itwillmaketheliftalittlebit
saferforyourshoulderssincethebottompositioniswhereyourshouldersare
themostvulnerable.
Therearetwobasicwaystogoaboutgettinganarch.
Withthefirsttechnique,youfirstsetyourshouldersinthepositionyouwant
themtobe.Thebarshouldbeoveryourface,somewherebetweenyour
foreheadandmouth.Inthisposition,youwonthavetoreachtoofarbehind
yourheadtounrackthebar,andyoushouldntaccidentallyhitthebaragainst
theuprightswhenyourepressing.Onceyourshouldersareset,holdthemin
placebybracingyourhandsagainsttheuprightsofthebench,anduseyour
legstopushyourhipsbacktowardyourshoulders.Makesureyoureactively
pushingyourchestup,andnotjustarchingyourlowerbackwithoutdriving
yourchestupaswell,sincegettingyourchesthigheriswhyarchingworksin
thefirstplace.
TopPicture:layingflat
MiddlePicture:holdingtheshouldersinplace,andliftinghipsupoffthebench
BottomPicture:pushingthehipsbacktowardtheshouldersandwalkingthefeetback/totheside
untilthehipsarebackonthebench
Thesecondtechniquetakestheoppositeapproach.Yousetyourhipsfirst,
andthenpushyourshoulderstowardyourhips.Startwiththebarroughly
overyourthroatandyourshouldersfurtherbackonthebenchthantheyd
typicallybe.Inthatposition,lockyourhipsinplacebydrivingyourfeet
throughthefloor,andpushbackagainsttheuprightswithyourhandstopush
yourshoulderstowardyourhips.Again,makesureyouredrivingyourchest
highandnotjustarchingyourlowerback.Whenyourarchisset,thebar
shouldbeoveryourface.
TopPicture:layingflat
MiddlePicture:Hipsandfeetaresetalready.Pressingshouldersupoffthebenchandtowardthe
hipswhilearchingtheback.
BottomPicture:Placingtheshouldersbackonthebench.
Finally,beforeyouunrackthebar,takeadeepbreathintoyourstomach,just
asyouwouldforasquatordeadlift.Thiswillhelpkeepyourtorsorigidto
transferforcefromyourhipstothebarwhenyouuselegdrive.
Foot position
Akeyaspectofatightsetupisfindingproperfootposition.Yourlegsandhips
helpstabilizeyouonthebenchandhelpyougetlegdrive(whichwillbe
discussedlater).
Withthatinmind,yourfeetneedtobeinapositionthatwillletyoudrive
powerfullythroughthefloortogetlegdrivewhilenotlettingyourbuttcome
offthebenchintheprocess.
Therearethreebasicwaysyoucangoaboutsettingyourfeet.
Thefirst(andleastpopular)techniqueistosetyourfeetinfrontofyouand
slightlyouttotheside.Togetlegdrive,youdriveyourfeet
forward
through
thefloor.Yourfeetneedtobefarenoughinfrontofyouthatyourbuttwont
comeoffthebenchwhenyoudothis.Someshorterlifters(especiallythose
withoutabigarch)usethistechnique,butitsprettyuncommon.Mostpeople
haveissueswiththeirfeetslippingwhentheydrivethroughthefloorwhen
usingthisfootposition,andmostpeoplesimplyfeelmorestableandget
betterlegdrivewithoneoftheothertwotechniques.
Thesecondtechniqueistopullyourfeetasfarbackastheyllgo.Thisisthe
techniqueusedbymostbencherswhogetahugearch.Mostlifterswhouse
thistechniquehavetobenchontheirtoes,insteadofhavingtheirfullfooton
theground.(Thatsnotahugeissueformostpeople,butifyoucompeteinan
IPFaffiliatedpowerliftingorganization,youhavetokeepyourheelsdown
whenyoubenchkeepingyourheelsdownwiththistechniquetakesquiteabit
ofankleflexibility.)Thebenefittothistechniqueisthatitallowsforan
extremearch(ifyourspineisflexibleenoughtoallowforit),butthedrawback
isthatitsabithardertogetlegdrivesinceyoureonyourtoes.
Yougetleg
drivebydrivingyourself
back
towardtheheadofthebench,anditsharderto
drive
back
withyourfeetdirectlyunderyou.
Thelasttechniqueinvolvespullingyourfeetbackabitandplacingthemasfar
outtothesideasyourhipswillallow.Yourfeetshouldwindupsomewhere
betweenyourkneesandyourhips.Thisisthemostcommonfootposition
becauseitstillallowsforagoodarch,itseasiertokeepyourwholefootonthe
groundinthisposition,anditseasiertogetlegdrivewiththisfootposition
thanwithyourfeetpulledwaybackunderyourbody.
Top:Feetinfront(leastpopular)
Middle:Feetbackandout(probablythemostpopular)
Bottom:Feetstraightback(allowsforthebiggestarch,buthardtogetlegdriveorkeepyourfeeton
thefloor)
Unracking
Nowthatyouresetup,itstimetotakeyourgriponthebar.Gripwidthisa
topicwelladdressinmoredetaillater.Fornow,justmakesureyourgripis
outsideshoulderwidth,butnotabsurdlywide(pointerfingersonthegrip
ringsisthewidestyoureallowedtogoinapowerliftingmeet).Around1.52x
shoulderwidthisthestrongestandmostcomfortableformostpeople.
Onceyouvegotyourgripset,squeezetheeverlovingshitoutofthebar.It
works.Whydoesthiswork?Maybemuscleirradiation(whenonemuscle
contractshard,itseasierfornearbymusclestocontracthardinthiscase,
yourforearmmusclescontractingashardaspossiblemayhelpyourtriceps
contractharder).Maybeitjusthelpsyoufeelmoreincontrolofthebar.
Eitherway,squeezethebarashardasyoucan.
Next,itstimetoactuallyunrackthebar.
Ifyouhaveaspotter,instructthemtogiveyoualittlehelpwithliftingthe
weightoffthehooks,butspecificallytellthem
not
tojerkthebarup.After
youveputyourscapulaeinagoodposition,gottenanarch,andcreatedatight
setup,youdontwantsomestupidjackwagonofaspottertoruinitforyou.
Getyourspottertoassistyouinliftingthebar
out
aswell,releasingthebar
whenitsroughlyoveryourthroat.
Ifyoudonthaveaspotter,firstoff,youneedtosetupabitfurtherbackonthe
bench.Ifyousetupwiththebaroveryoureyes/foreheadwithaspotter,then
youdprobablywanttosetupwiththebaroveryournose/mouthwithoutone.
Thisway,youwonthavetoreachasfarbackbehindyouandtrytopressthe
baroutofthepinsinanawkwardposition.Simplypressthebaroffthepins
andpositionitroughlyoveryourthroat.Thepinsshouldbesetlowenough
thatyoudonthavetoreachuptounrackthebar,whichcanmakeyoulose
yourarchandscapularpositioning.
Beforeyoustartloweringthebar,makesureyourwristsarentcockedback
excessively,asthiscanputunnecessarystrainonthewrist.Simplygripping
thebarlowerinyourhandcanhelpwiththis.Squeezingthebarreallyhard
canhelpwithwristpositionaswellsinceyoullnaturallyactivateyourwrist
flexorsintheprocess.If,forsomereason,youcantkeepyourwristsfrom
cockingback,ortheyrestilluncomfortableinspiteofbeinginagood
position,wristwrapscanhelpdramaticallywithwriststabilityandcomfort.
Topiscorrect:barsittinglowinthehandssothewristsdontcockback.Bottomisincorrect:bar
sittinghighinthehandsothewristsdocockback.
Onefinalnoteaboutwristposition:Forsomepeoplewithirritationonthe
insideoftheirelbow(
golferselbow
),sittingthebardiagonallyacrossyour
hand(supinatingyourforearmsslightly,movingthemslightlytowarda
neutralgrip)canmaketheliftabitmorecomfortable.
Descent
Yournextorderofbusinessisloweringthebar.
Therearetwocuespeopleoftenusetomaintaintensionwhileloweringthe
bar:ripthebarinhalfandbendthebar.
Ripthebarinhalfontop,andBendthebaronthebottom.
Bothofthesecuesworktoactivateyourupperbackmusclestohelpwith
controllingthebarasyoulowerit.Personally,Ivetriedbothcuesandneither
cueseemstodomuchforme,butplentyofpeopleswearbythem.
Lowerthebarundercontrol.Acommonfeatureofstudiesthatcompare
elitelevelbenchers
toaveragejoesisthattheelitelifterslowerthebarslower
anddoabetterjobcontrollingtheweightonthewaydown.Youdontneedto
specificallytimeyourdescent,butitshouldtakearound23seconds.Thiswill
helpdecreasestressonyourshouldersandpectendons,andalsohelpmake
sureyoudontmisgrooveyoureccentric.
Touchthebarfairlylowonyourchest.Formostpeople,touchingsomewhere
betweenthenippleandthebottomofthesternumisthestrongestandmost
comfortable.Youmayfeelstrongertouchingabitloweryetonthetopofthe
stomachifyouhaveabigarchorbenchwithaclosergrip,butIwouldnt
recommendmostpeopletouchhigherthantheirnipples.Simplyexperiment
andseewhatfeelsthestrongestforyou.
Onceyoufindthepositiononyourchestthatfeelsthestrongest,makesure
youreconsistentlyloweringthebartothatsamepositiontoingrainthat
groove.Youcandothisby
coatingthecenterknurlingofthebarwithchalk
,
andseeingifyoureleavingasolidchalklineacrossyourchestwitheachset.
Iftheresabroaderbandofchalk,youneedtokeeppracticing.
Onefinalnote:Ifyourlatsandtricepsarebigenough,youcancushionthe
descentbytuckingyourelbowshard,compressingyourtricepsagainstyour
latstohelpcontroltheweightonthewaydownwhilemakingthedescenta
littleeasieronyourpecsandshoulders.Ofcourse,oddsare,ifyourejacked
enoughtousethistechnique,youreprobablyjustskimmingthissection
anyways.Unlessyou
are
thatjacked,elbowpositionwhenloweringthebar
willprobablyjusttakecareofitselfsimplybetouchingthebarfairlylowon
yourchest.
Pausing
Ifyoureapowerlifter,youneedtogetexperiencepausingthebaronyour
chestforeachrep,sincethatsrequiredforcompetition.Otherwise,
lightly
touchingthebartoyourchestwithoutapausebeforepressingitbackupis
fine.
Therearetwomajorstylesofpauses:thesoftpauseandthesinking
technique.
The
softpause
isexactlywhatitsoundslike.Asyoulowerthebar,actively
driveyourchestuptomeetittoslightlyreducerangeofmotion.Letthebar
restonyourchestverylightlyforasecondortwo,maintainingmuscletension
inyourchest,shoulders,andtriceps,andthendriveitbackup.Thisisthe
mostcommontypeofpause.
The
sinkingtechnique
isabitlesscommon,butitsusedbyseveralworldclass
benchersincludingJeremyHoornstra,thecurrentalltimeworldrecord
holderat242and275.Withthistechnique,youstillmaintainmuscular
tension,butyouletthebarsinkintoyourchest,collapsingyourarchabit.
Afterabriefpause,youaggressivelyreextendyourthoracicspinewhile
drivingthebaroffthechest.Bydrivingyourchestbackupintothebar,you
canusethatmomentumtobuildmorespeedthroughthebottomportionof
thelift.Ido
not
recommendthistechniquetonewlifterssinceitsmuchmore
difficulttomaster(andtheadvantageitgrantsyouisprettysmallevenat
thetoplevelsitsnotverypopular).Ifyourecompetinginapowerlifting
meet,makesurethebarissunkentoitslowestpointprettyquickly,anddont
letitsinkanymoreafteryougetthepresscommand.Thiswillgetyourlift
turneddownforheaving(lettingthebarsinkafterthepresscommand),
whichisagainsttherules.
Ascent
Drivethebaroffyourchestaggressively,initiatingthepresswithlegdrive
(discussedmorelater)andpushingthebarupand
backtowardyourface
.
Atthestartofthepress,yourelbowswillnaturallybetuckedabitsinceyoure
touchinglowonyourchest.Asyoudrivethebaroffyourchest,startflaring
yourelbowstobringthebarbackoveryourupperchest/throataslongas
doingsoiscomfortableforyourshoulders,asthiswillgiveyouthe
most
efficientbarpath
.Ifthatdoesntfeelgreat,dontworryaboutittoomuch,and
justkeepbenchingwiththebarpaththatsthemostcomfortableforyou.
Beyondthatconsideration,youjustneedtokeepdrivingthebaruntilyoulock
outtherep!
Holdyourbreaththroughoutthedurationoftherep.Takeadeep,
diaphragmaticbreathbeforeyoustartthedescent,andreleaseitoncethebar
islockedout,oratleastnearinglockout.Thiswillhelpyoumaintaintension
andstability.
Presseveryrepashardasyoupossiblycan.
Inonestudy
,pressingeachrepas
fastaspossibleresultedinliterallytwicethebenchpressgainsaspressingthe
barintentionallyslowerwiththeexactsametrainingprogram.Whenyou
pressharder,forceoutputishigher(sotrainingconditionsaremoresimilarto
conditionswhenattempting1rmloads),andyourecruitmoremotorunits,
amplifyingthetrainingeffect.
Section 3 Biomechanics
Nowitstimetoreallydissectthepressitself,focusingontheeffectsofgrip
widthandbarpath,andusingthosefacetstodiagnoseweaknessesand
understandtheroleoflegdrive.
Remember,therearethreeprimarymovementsyouneedtoproduceinorder
tobenchthebar:Youneedtoflexyourshoulders,horizontallyflexyour
shoulders,andextendyourelbows.
Letsaddressthebiomechanicsoftheliftbyseeinghowdifferenttechniques
affectthedemandsforeachjointmovement.
Horizontal flexion
Thisisthesimplestjointactiontoaddressbecausehorizontalflexiondemands
dontchangethroughoutthelift.
Insimpleterms,gripwidthdetermineshorizontalflexiondemandsthe
furtherthelateraldistancebetweenyourhandandyourshoulder,thelonger
thehorizontalflexionmomentarm.Thelateraldistancebetweenyourhand
andyourshoulderdoesntchangethroughoutthepress,sohorizontalflexion
demandsareunchangedthroughoutthelift.
Barpathdoesntaffecthorizontalflexiondemands,butgripwidthdoes.The
wideryourgrip,thehigherthehorizontalflexiondemands.Simplyput,the
wideryourgripis,thehardertheliftisonyourpecs.Thisshouldntbea
surprisetoanyone.
Shoulder flexion
Hereswherethingsstartgettingalittlemoreinteresting.
Shoulderflexiondemandsdependonhowfarthebarisinfrontofyour
shoulders(whenlookingatitfromtheside).
Whenthebarisonyourchest(asfarinfrontofyourshouldersasitllbeat
anypointinthelift),shoulderflexiondemandspeak,decreasingthroughout
theliftasthebardriftsbackoveryourshoulders,untilthebarisdirectlyover
yourshoulderjointatlockoutandshoulderflexiondemandsarenegligible.
Ifyouappliedthisinformationuncritically,youdassumethatitwouldbethe
mostefficienttobenchstraightupanddown,touchingthebarsuperhighon
yourchest.ItIStruethatthistechniqueeffectivelynegatesthevastmajority
ofshoulderflexiondemands,butitalsoincreasesrangeofmotionand
increasesyourriskofshoulderinjury(
that
muchhorizontalflexionwhilein
internalrotationisagoodrecipeforACjointimpingement).
You
can
usethisinformation,though,tooptimizeyourbarpath.
Asyoudrivethebaroffyourchest,youshouldinitiallydriveitupand
back
towardyourupperchest/throat.Thisdoesntaffectshoulderhorizontal
flexionorelbowextensiondemands,butit
does
decreaseshoulderflexion
demands,makingthelifteasieronyourfrontdelts.
Mosteliteliftersutilizethisbarpath(upandback,thenstraightup),whereas
mostnoviceliftersdrivethebarstraightupinitially,thenupandbacktolock
out.
Averagebarpathsfornovicelifters(dashedline)vs.elitelifters(solidline).McLaughlinet.Al.
Thisarticle
addressesbarpathinmuchgreaterdetail.
Puttingthisbarpathintopracticeisprettystraightforward:Asyoustart
drivingthebaroffyourchest,flareyourelbowsasyoupress.Thisis
not
tobe
confusedwithflaringyourelbowsthroughthewholemovementandtouching
thebarhighonyourchest.Itsriskyforyourshoulders(nottomention
weaker)toflarethroughthewholeliftandtouchthebarhighonyourchest,
butthroughthemidrangeofthelift,itssafeformostpeopletoflaretheir
elbowstothepointthatthebarisovertheirupperchest.
Thisisalsowherelegdrivecomesintoplay.Asyoustartthepress,squeeze
yourgluteshardandtrytodriveyourheelsthroughthefloor.Thispushes
yourchestslightlyhigher,andbackintothebar.Theforceofyourchest
pushingbackintothebarhelpsyou
drivethebar
back
offyourchest
toward
yourthroat,puttingitintheproperpositiontofinishthepress.
Gripwidthdoesntnecessarilyhavetoaffectshoulderflexiondemandsin
theory,butitgenerallydoesinpractice.Mostpeopletouchthebarabitlower
ontheirchestwhentheybenchwithaclosegrip,increasingshoulderflexion
demands.Now,sincepeoplealsotendtobenchabitlesswithaclosergrip,
theeffectisoffsetabit,butitslikelynotnegatedentirely.
Elbow Extension
Hereswherethingsstartgettingsortofweird.
Forstarters,theeasypart:Thefurtheryourelbowsareinfrontofthebar,the
highertheelbowextensiondemands.Thisshouldmakeintuitivesensethat
basicallyturnsthebenchpressintoabench/tricepsextensionhybrid.
Top:Elbowsroughlyunderthebar
Bottom:Elbowsovertuckedandinfrontofthebar,makingtheliftharderonthetriceps.
Thetrickierpart:Whetherthebarimposesaflexororextensormomentatthe
elbowdependsonyourgripwidth.
Withawidegrip,thehandsareslightlyoutsidetheelbows,sothebarisactuallyimposinganelbow
extensor
moment.Withaclosegrip,theelbowsareoutsidethehands,sothebarisimposingan
elbowflexormoment(asyoudexpect).
Withanarrowgrip,sureenough,yourelbowsareoutsideyourhands,so
theresanelbowflexormoment.However,withawidegrip,yourhandsare
outsideyourelbows,sotheresanelbow
extensor
moment.Thatdoesntseem
tomakeabitofsense!Whenyoubenchwithawidegrip,thebardoesntjust
magicallyextendyourelbowsforyou.
Sowhatsgoingonhere?
Toexplain,letsillustratewithdumbbells.Theyllhelpwithunderstandingthe
verticalforcesinplay.Furthermore,sincetheydontallow(oratleast
encourage)thesamedegreeofhorizontalforces,thiswillhelpusseehowthe
liftcanstillbechallengingforyourtricepswhilethebarisimposinganelbow
extensormoment,anditllalsohelpusunderstandwhyyoucanbenchmore
thanyoucandumbbellbench(itsnotjustamatterofstability).
Tostartwith,tryDBbenchingwithyourarmsmovingexactlyliketheywould
withabarbell.Thismeansinsteadoftheweightsmovingawayfromeach
otheronthewaydownandtowardeachotheronthewayup,theystaythe
samedistanceapartthewholetime.Trythiswithaformthatmimicswide
gripbench.
ItfeelssuperweirdtoDBpresslikethis,pushingtheweightsbasicallystraightup(Irealizethey
actuallygotslightlyfurtheraparthere).
Hereswhatyoullnotice:Atthebottomoftherep,itmayfeellikeanormal
DBpress.However,bythetop,itdoesntfeellikeyourtricepsare
contributinganythingatalltothemovement.Ifanything,youmayfeelyour
bicepsstartstrainingagainsttheloadabit.Furthermore,itllbereally,really
hardtoholdanyappreciableloadatlockout,becauseholdingthatposition
willreallychallengeyourpecs(asopposedtobenchpress,whereholdingthe
baratlockoutisveryeasy,regardlessofgripwidth).Itfeels
much
stronger
andmorenaturaltolettheweightsmoveouttothesidesonthewaydown,
andbacktowardeachotheronthewayup.
ThatreallyweirdfeelingoftryingtoDBpresstheexactsamewayyoubench
presstellsyouhowyourtricepsarecontributingduringthebenchevenwhen
thebaritselfistheoreticallyimposinganelbowextensormoment,andittells
youwhyyoucantDBpressasmuchasyoucanbench.
Hereswhatsgoingon:
WhenyouDBpress,theonlyappreciableforceyouredealingwithistheforce
ofgravityactinguponthedumbbell.GravitypullstheDBstraighttothefloor,
andyoupressagainstthatforce.Becauseofthat,theweightneedstostay
mostorlessoveryourelbowthewholetime.Otherwise,theliftgets
way
harderonyourtricepsiftheweightsareclosertogetherthanyourelbowsare
(itbasicallybecomesa
TatePress
),anditgetswayharderonyourpecs(and
maybebiceps)iftheweightsarefurtherfromeachotherthanyourelbowsare
(itbecomesa
fly
).Weallrealizethat,eitherconsciouslyorsubconsciously.
Thatswhytheweightsmoveinanarcingpathawayfromeachotheronthe
waydown,andtowardeachotheronthewayup.Asyourelbowsmovefurther
apartasyoulowertheweights,younaturallykeepyourhandsoveryour
elbowssotheweightsmovefurtherapartaswell,andthenyoureversethe
motiononthewayup.Movingtheweightsstraightupanddowninsteadofin
anarcingmovementfeelsweirdbecausethatdoesntallowtheweightstostay
overyourelbows.
ThispressingarcshouldfeelmuchstrongerforDBpress,insteadofpressinginastraightline.
Thereasonyourelbowshavetostaymoreorlessdirectlyundertheweight
whenyoureDBpressingisthatyoucantimposeameaningfulamountof
outwardlateralforcesonthedumbbell.Ifyoudid,youdjustthrowtheDBsto
theflooroneithersideofyou.Youhavetoapplyforcebasicallystraightup
throughtheDB.
Becauseofthat,youcantgetyourtricepsinvolvedintheliftnearlyasmuch.
Ifyourelbowsarepointedout,thenwhenyourtricepscontract,theyremainly
imposinglateralforcesontheweight.
Asthetricepscontract,thattriestopushtheforearmlaterally.ItDOESNTdirectlypressthebarup.
Thisisborneoutwhen
comparingmuscleactivation
inthebenchpressand
DBpress.Muscleactivationinthepecsisthesame,butmuscleactivationin
thetricepsiswaylowerintheDBpress.
Atthispoint,youmaybesaying,Alrightbro.Imsurelateralforcesarecool,
butImconcernedwithpressingthebar
u p
,sowhydoesanyofthismatterto
me?
Becausephysics.
Remember,gravityisalwayspullingthebarstraightdown.Butwhenyouadd
lateralforcesintothemix,theresultantforcevector(theproductoftwoforces
indifferentdirections)wontbepointingstraightdown.Itlllooksomething
likethis:
Hereswhythatmatters:Theexternalmomentarmistheperpendicular
distancebetweenthejointbeingacteduponandthevectorofforce
application.Theresultantforcevectorwhenaccountingforlateralforces
passesmuchclosertotheshoulderthantheforcevectorforgravity
alone
actingonthebar
,pullingstraightdown.Thismeanstheresultantmoment
armforhorizontalflexionisshorter,makingthelifteasieronyourpecs.
Whenyoubench,
lateralforces
areabout2530%aslargeasverticalforceson
thebar.Thatonlyincreasesthetotalforceyouhavetoovercomebyroughly
34%(youcancalculatethatforyourselfviathePythagoreanTheorem),butit
shortensthemomentarmforhorizontalabductionbyroughly20%theexact
numbersarentoverlyimportantandwillvarybasedongripwidth.
Ontheleft,youcanseetheshoulderhorizontalflexionmomentarm(solidblack)whenonly
accountingforverticalforces.Ontheright,youcanseehowmuchshorterthehorizontalflexion
momentarmbecomeswhenaccountingforhorizontal/lateralforcesonthebar.(GraphicbyLyndsey
Nuckols)
Heresanotherwaytothinkaboutit:Unlesssomethinggoeshorriblyawry,
yourhandsarentgoingtobemovingonthebarasyoubench.Becauseof
that,thepecsandthetricepscanworksynergisticallyatboththeelbowand
shoulderthepecshelpthetricepsextendtheelbow,andthetricepshelpthe
pecshorizontallyflextheshoulder.Sincetheforearmitselfcantmovemuch
becausethehandisplantedinplace,theshoulderhastohorizontallyflexas
yourtricepsworktoextendtheelbow.Theoppositeistruewiththepecs:
Sincethehandsarelockedinplaceonthebar,asyourpecsworkto
horizontallyflextheshoulder,theelbowshavetoextendaswell.
So,inaway,itsdifficulttoaddressthepecsandthetricepsindependently.
Strongerpecsmakeiteasiertoextendyourelbows,andstrongertricepsmake
iteasiertohorizontallyflexyourshoulder.
Movingontotheeffectsofgripwidthandphaseoftheliftnow,theelbow
extensiondemandsarehigherwithaclosergripifyourebenchingwitha
shoulderwidthgrip,yourelbowswillbeoutsideyourhandsthroughmostof
thelift,meaningtheresanexternalelbowflexionmomentthroughoutmostof
thepress.Conversely,withasuperwidegrip,yourelbowswillneverbe
outsideyourhands,sotherewillactuallybeanexternalelbowextension
momentthroughmostofthelift.Inotherwords,closegripbenchisharder
onyourtricepsthanwidegripbenchnosurprisethere.
Thedegreetowhichyoutuckyourelbowswillimpactelbowextension
demandsaswell.Aslongasyourelbowsstayunderthebar,tuckingmore
decreaseselbowextensiondemands(asyourelbowsmoveintowardyour
shouldersandawayfromtheplates).
Moretuckedwhileelbowsarestillunderthebar(bottom)=lowerdemandsonthetriceps
Ifyou
overtuck
,though,sothatyourelbowswindupinfrontofthebar,this
willincreaseelbowextensiondemands.However,thisisnt
necessarily
abad
thing.Italkedaboutthisissueinmoredepthin
thisarticle
,butIve
moderatedmypositionabitovertime.Whiletuckingenoughthatyour
elbowswindupinfrontofthebar
does
maketheliftharderonyourtriceps,
thistechniquecanalsohelpyoudrivethebarbackupoffyourchest(as
discussedintheprevioussection)atthestartofthepress,allowingyour
tricepstohelpoutyourshoulders.Thiscanbereallyhelpfultopeoplefor
whomlegdrivedoesntreallyclick.Oncethebarstartsmovingbackoffyour
chest,though,youllstillwanttoflareyourelbowstogetthembackunderthe
barbythemidrangeofthepress.
Thetopisacceptable:elbowsslightlyinfrontofthebaratthebottom,gettingbackunderthebar
throughthemidrange.ThebottomiswhatyouDONTwanttohappen:elbowsstartinfrontofthe
barandstayinfrontofthebar.
Similartoshoulderflexiondemands,elbowextensiondemandschange
throughouttherangeofmotion.Theelbowsgenerallymove
out
(awayfrom
theshoulders,towardtheplates)laterallyasyourupperarmsapproach
paralleltothefloorwhenbothloweringthebarandpressingthebar,and
in
(towardtheshoulders,andawayfromtheplates)laterallyasyourarmsget
furtherfromparalleltothefloor.Becauseofthat,elbowextensiondemands
arethehighestwhenyourupperarmsareroughlyparalleltothefloor.Thats
likely
thereasonwhymostpeoplesstickingpointoccurswhentheirupper
armsareroughlyparalleltothefloor.
Thisisthepaththeelbowsfollowinthebenchpress.Inthesecondpic(whentheelbowsarethe
furthestout,andtheupperarmsareroughlyparalleltothefloor),tricepsdemandspeak.
Diagnosing Weaknesses
Bythispoint,youshouldhaveaprettygoodunderstandingofthenutsand
boltsofthebenchpress,sonowitstimetogetintostuffyouprobablycare
aboutthemost:howtoaddressweaknessesinyourbenchforshinynewPRs.
Muscle activation
Beforewegetintothis,Iwanttomakeaquicknoteaboutstudiesthathave
lookedatmuscleactivation(usingEMG)inthebenchpress.
Therearealot(around20bymycount.Allofthemarelinkedattheend).
Unfortunately,theresa
lot
ofdisagreementbetweenthestudies.Feelfreeto
readthroughthemforyourselfifyouwantafunafternoonfullofconfusion
andfrustration,andifyoucanfindsomeconsistentpatternsImissed,Idlove
tohearaboutthem,becauseIreallydontseemany.
Now,thisisntahugeproblem,becauseananalysisbasedsolelyonEMG
wouldbeshakyatbest(
itsnotaseasytointerpretasmostpeoplethink
).
However,itisgenerallynicetohaveconsistentEMGevidencetocorroborate
ananalysisbasedprimarilyonjointkinetics(asisthecaseforthe
squat
).
Oneoftheonlyfindingsthatseemsconsistentacrossthemajorityofthe
studiesistheactivationofthetriceps
tends
toincreaseabitmorethanpec
activationasyouaddweighttothebar.HereshowIliketothinkofit:pecs
providethestrengthbaseforthemovement,whilethetricepsgiveyouthe
extrakickyouneedforheavierweights.
Muscle properties
Basedsolelyonthelastsectiononjointmoments(shoulderflexionand
horizontalflexion,andelbowextensiondemands),youdexpectpeopleto
always
beweakestwhenthebarwasontheirchest.
Remember,horizontalflexiondemandsarethesamethroughoutthelift,
shoulderflexiondemandsdecreaseasyoupressthebar(asitmovesbackover
yourupperchest/shoulders),andelbowextensiondemandsareator
near
peaklevelswhenthebarsonyourchestaswell(theyincreasealittlebit
duringthefirstpartofthepressifyoubenchwithyourelbowsunderunder
thebarthewholetimeifyoubenchwithyourelbowsinfrontofthebarto
helpyourshoulderswiththeinitialdriveoffyourchest,however,demandson
thetricepswillalsolikelybeatpeaklevelsatthebottomofthepress).
Thesummedjointmomentsarethehighestwhenthebarsonyourchest,and
progressivelydecreasethroughoutthelift.Ifthiswastheonlythingyouknew,
youdexpectpeopletosimplygetstapledbythebarwhentheymissedalift,
andnotbeabletobudgeitofftheirchest.
However,thats
not
whathappensformostpeople.Onamaxattempt,thebar
acceleratesrapidlyoffthechest,deceleratesthroughthemiddleofthelift,and
thenacceleratesagainasyouapproachlockout.When
most
peoplemiss,its
afterthatinitialacceleration,withthebargettingstuck46inchesofftheir
chest.
Thisiswhatthevelocitycurvetypicallylookslikeforamaxattempt(from
van
denTillaar,2012
).Peopleareweakestthroughthestickingregionwhere
velocityisdecreasingbutactuallyproducethemostforceduringthatinitial
driveoffthechestwhenthesummedjointmomentsareattheirhighestpoint.
Heresthepositionofthebarinspacewhenitreachesthepointofmaximum
deceleration/minimumforceapplication:
So,whatsgoingonhere?
Theresasimpleexplanation:Musclesdontproducethesameamountof
forceovertheirentirerangeofmotion.Musclefibersthemselvesproducethe
mostforcewhentheyrearoundrestinglength,andtheircapacitytoproduce
forceincreasesordecreasesastheylengthenorshorten(redcurvebelow).
Furthermore,passiveelementsinthemusclestructuralproteinsand
connectivetissueproduceincreasingamountsofforceasamusclelengthens
aswell(bluecurve).Theresultisthatthetotalforceamusclecanproduce
variesconsiderablywithmusclelength.
Toaddanothervariableintothemix,theinternalmomentarm(theleveragea
musclehastopullagainsttheboneitmoves)ofthemusclesinvolvedchanges
withjointanglesaswell,sonotonlydoescontractileforcevary,buttheability
totranslatethatcontractileforcetointernaljointmomentsvariesaswell.
Additionally,youhavetoaccountforthe
stretchreflex
theelasticenergy
storedinamuscleasitlengthens,andthestrongerthannormalcontraction
thatspossiblewhenthemuscleisstretchedunderload(duetoactivationof
musclespindles
).Evenwithapause,thestretchreflexislikelyatplayinthe
benchpress,asevidencedbytheinitialspikeinforceproductionasyoudrive
thebaroffyourchest.
Combinethosethreefactors,anditbecomesclearthatjointmomentsonlytell
usalimitedamountwhenweretryingtofigureoutthemuscle/sresponsible
forafailedbenchpress.However,thatdoesntmeanweretotallyinthedark
Ijustwantedtoexplainthesefactorssothatyoudunderstandwhymy
recommendationsforaddressingweakpointsinthebencharentquiteas
cutanddryasmyrecommendationsfor
addressingweakpointsinthesquat
.
Therearemultiplereasonswhyyoumaymissabenchpressatacertainpoint
inthelift,butwecanteaseapartthosereasonsbasedoncontext.
1. Anteriordeltweakness.Thisshouldbeyourdefaultassumption,sincethe
shoulderflexiondemandspeakatthebottomoftheliftandthendropoff
dramatically.Whenindoubt,you
probably
haveweakshouldersifyoure
havingissuesdrivingthebaroffyourchestattheverystartofthelift.
2. Barpath.Somepeoplesimplytrytotouchthebartotheirchest
way
too
lowinanattempttodrasticallyshortenrangeofmotion.Sure,iftheyhad
monstrouslystrongshoulders(ora
benchshirt
),theycouldbenefitfrom
thistechnique,buttryingtotouchmorethanacoupleofinchesbelowthe
bottomofthesternumsimplydoesntworkoutwellformostrawlifters.
This
may
beatechnicalissuethatcanbefixedimmediatelysimplybynot
tuckingtheelbowsquiteasmuchandjusttouchingthebarslightlyhigher
onthechest.However,somepeoplegravitatetothistechniquebecauseof
a
3. Pecweakness.Ifyoufeeltheneedtotouchthebar
super
low(morethana
coupleofinchespastthebottomofyoursternum),andyoufeelnoticeably
weakertouchingthebarabithigheronyourchest,theresagoodchance
yourpecssimplyarentstrongenoughtodealwiththeextra~12inchROM
thatcomesalongwithtouchingabithigher.
4. Setup/control/supportmusclestrength.Thisisforpeoplewhofeelpainor
instabilitywhenloweringthebar.Itrequiresalengthierexplanation,soIll
explainthatlater.
5. Tricepsweakness.Remember,oneoftheonlyfairlyconsistentfindingsin
EMGresearchwasthatactivationofthetriceps(anddelts)increasedquite
abitfasterthanactivationofthepecsasweightwasaddedtothebar.Also,
yourtricepscanhelpoutbothyourpecsanddeltswhichareinamore
stretchedandvulnerableposition.Idontthinkyoucouldeverpinpointthe
tricepsasadefiniteweaklinkatthebottomofthepress,butstronger
tricepscangiveaidtotheothermusclesthataremorelikelytoacutelylimit
you.
barpathandyoumissthroughthemidrange,thatsagoodthingitlets
youknowyouprobablydonthaveanyspecificglaringweaknesses,andthat
youjustneedtokeeptrainingyourbenchhardandgettingstrongeroverall.
Missing at lockout
Lockoutshouldbethestrongestpartofthelift.However,itsnota
super
uncommonstickingpoint.Similartomidrange,itsalotsimplerthanthe
bottomofthepress.Therearealsotwomajorfactorsthatcancauseamissat
lockout.
1. Improperelbowposition.Asyoupress,youshouldflareyourelbowsand
internallyrotateyourshoulders.Mosttakecareoftheinternalrotation
naturallyastheyflaretheirelbowswhiledrivingthebarupandbackoff
theirchest.However,somepeoplesimplyrepositionthebarwithout
internallyrotatingtheirshouldersenough(thisisespeciallycommonfor
peoplewhousethebendthebarcuediscussedabovekeepinmind,that
cueisforstayingtightwhileloweringthebar,
not
forthepressitself).That
givestheirpecsaslightlylessefficientlineofpullagainsttheirhumerus,
and
itdoesntallowthemtoputasmuchlateralforceintothebarviatheir
triceps.Ifyoumissatlockout,checkyourelbowpositionthey
should
be
facingawayfromeachother,towardoppositewalls.Iftheyrefacingmore
forward,thensimplyscrewingyourelbowsoutwardasyouapproach
lockoutshouldmaketheendofthepressabreeze.
2. Youjustneedtogetstronger.Somepeople
are
justplainweakestatlockout
insteadofthroughthemidrange.Iffixingyourelbowpositiondoesntfix
yourlockoutwoes,youprobablyjustneedtogetyourpecsandtriceps
stronger.
Topisincorrectshouldersstillexternallyrotatedwithelbowspointingmoreforward.Bottomis
correctshouldersinternallyrotatedwithelbowspointedouttotheside.Thiswillmakelockout
mucheasier.
Theseareyourcuesforspecificpartsofthelift.
Apartfromthosecontextualcues,thegeneralcuesyouuseforthebenchpress
shoulddependonyourgoals.Externalcues(whatyouwantyoubodytodo.
Inthiscase,throwthebarthroughtheceiling!Explode!orsomething
similar)aregenerallymorebeneficialforperformance.Internalcues(what
youwanttofeel.Inthiscase,somethinglikesqueezeyourpecs),onthe
otherhand,maybealittlemorebeneficialforhypertrophy.Researchhas
shownthatexternalcuesleadtofasterbarspeedandgreaterforceapplication,
whileinternalcuesleadtohigherpecmuscleactivation(withweightsbelow
80%ofyourmax).
samestudy
foundthatbicepsmuscleactivationwasroughlytwiceashighfor
reversegripbenchthanbenchingwithapronatedgrip.Now,thebiceps
probablystillwontbealimitingfactorformostpeople,thoughthey
may
be
forsomepowerlifterswhotendtogrosslyneglectbicepstraining.
Ifyouhaveshoulderorelbowissueswhenbenching,itsworthgivingthe
reversegripbenchashot.Foralotofpeople,itsmuchmorecomfortable
thanbenchingwithapronatedgripbecauseitallowsyourshoulderstobe
externallyrotated(sotheresalowerriskofimpingement,andyouhavea
lowerriskofmedialelbowpain).However,forotherpeople,itsmuch
less
comfortablethanbenchingwithapronatedgripmanypeoplecant
comfortablysupinatetheirforearmswellenough,itputsaprettyfairamount
ofstressonyourwristssinceyou
have
toreversegripbenchwithyourwrists
cockedback,anditputsafairamountofstressonyourbicepstendonsandthe
othermuscles/tendons/ligamentsonthefrontofyourshoulder.Ifyouget
shoulderorelbowpainwhenbenchingwithapronatedgrip,itscertainly
worthashot,though.
Onemorethingworthmentioningaboutthereversegripbench:Makesure
youhaveacompetentspotterwhenbenchingwiththistechnique.Ifoneisnt
available,thenbenchinapowerrackwithsafetypinsthatwillcatchthebarif
youaccidentallydropit.Withheavyloads,yourgripwillbemuchlesssecure,
anditsmuchhardertoselfunrackthebar.Freakbenchpressaccidentscan
happenwithbothgrips,butIdassumetheyremorelikelywithareversegrip,
andtheydcertainlybemoredisastrous:Ifyoudropthebarwithapronated
grip,itsfallingonyourribcage.Ifyoudropthebarwithareversegrip,its
fallingonyourthroat.
Thefinalthingtomentionaboutthereversegripbenchisthatitsnotallowed
inpowerliftingcompetitionsinmostfederations.Thisdoesntmatterifyou
dontplanoncompeting,butitmaybeadealbreakerforsomecompetitors.
Takeaway:Thereversegripbenchisdefinitelyworthashotasanupperpec
builder,andforpeoplewhohaveshoulderorelbowpainwhenbenchingwith
apronatedgrip.However,youshouldDEFINITELYhaveagoodspotterifyou
wanttotryitout,oryoushoulddoitinapowerrackwiththesafetypinssetat
aheightthatwouldcatchthebarbeforeitcouldhityourthroatifyouneedto
reversegripbenchsolo.
Thepressingstrongforreversegripbenchpress.Noticethattheelbowsarepointedmoreforward
thantheywouldbeforregularbenchpress(moreshoulderexternalrotation).Thismakesthereverse
gripbenchalotmorecomfortableforsomepeoplewithshoulderissues.
3. Trainyourexternalrotatorsthroughafairamountofinternalrotation.
Thismovement
ismygoto.Notonlydoyourexternalrotatorsneedtobe
strong,buttheyalsoneedtobeextensibleenoughtoallowyourshoulders
togetintoenough
internal
rotation.Thismovementwillhelpyou
strengthenandmobilizeyourexternalrotatorsintheplaneyoullbe
benching.
4. Addinsomepushupswithscapularprotractionatthetop(oftencalled
pushupsplus
).Thiswillhelptrainyourserratusanterior,whichaidsin
stabilizingyourscapulae.Mostpeopleneglecttheirserratusanteriorto
theirowndetriment(althoughifyourealreadydoingotherpressing
movementsthatallowyourscapulaetomovefreelylikeoverheadpressor
dipsyoureprobablyfine).
5. Addinsomeinclinecurlsandlightflyes.Alotofliftersgettightpecsand
biceps,andlooseningthemupwhilebuildingalittlemorestrengththrough
alongerthannecessaryrangeofmotioncanworkwonders.Withthe
inclinecurls,pullyourshoulderbladestogether,pushyourchesthigh,and
turnyourpalmsoutalittlebit(insteadoflettingthemfacestraightahead).
Youshouldfeelagoodstretchinyourbicepsasyoulowereachrep.Dont
cheatrangeofmotiononthese,andmakesureyouregettingasolidstretch
for23secondsoneachrep.Fortheflyes,beconservativewithloading.I
generallydontgoover2025lbs,evenwithabenchinthemid400syou
wanttobeabletostretchyourpecstomakesuretheyhavemorethan
enoughrangeofmotionforthebenchpress,withoutputtingatonofextra
stressonyourshoulders.Playaroundwithhowmuchyouabductyour
shoulderstoseewhereyougetthebeststretch,andlowereachreptothe
pointthatyoufeelaslightstretch,holdingthestretchedpositionfor23
seconds.Trytogetabitloweroneachrepifpossible.Forbothofthese
movements,setsof1520tendtoworkbesttoallowenoughloadingthat
youcanactuallystretchthemuscleandhaveameaningfultrainingeffect
withoutaddingtoomuchstresstothejoints.
Inclinecurls:mygotobicepsexerciseforhappyelbowswithheavybenchtraining.
Manyelbowissuesstartasshoulderissues,evenwithoutshoulderpain.Ifthe
shoulderswontinternallyrotateenough,thatcanstressthemedialsideofthe
elbow.Ifyourelbowsbugyouabitwhenyoubenchpressregularly,butyou
canreversegripbench(withyourshoulders
externally
rotated)painfree,
thenyourelbowissueislikelystartingatyourshoulder.Ifthatsthecase
medialelbowpainthatgoesawayorissignificantlydiminishedwithpressing
withaneutralorunderhandgripthengivetherecommendedexercises
aboveashot.
Ifitssometendernessmoreonthebacksideofyourelbow,rightonyour
olecranonorjustaboveit,thenitsprobablytricepstendonitis.Fortendonitis,
restisyourallyavoidheavypressingforafewweeks,andtheneasebackinto
itslowly.Whileyoureawayfromheavypressing,someeccentrictrainingcan
bebeneficial(
this
articletalksabitaboutmechanismsthisisntarehab
article,butifyoureinterestedinpursuingthistopicfurther,justpubmed
searchtendonitiseccentricexerciseortendinopathyeccentricexerciseand
lotsofgreatinfowillcomeup).Thisiseasiesttodowithatrainingpartner
andexercisemachines.Getyourpartnertohelpyouraisetheweight,and
thenloweritundercontrol(23secondeccentric)byyourself.Startwitha
weightwhereyoullbebelowyourpainthreshold(halftheweightyoud
generallyuseforthatexerciseisagoodstartingpoint)whenloweringtheload,
andgetyourpartnertohelpyouenoughontheconcentricthatyoustaybelow
yourpainthresholdwhileliftingtheloadaswell.
Timeawayfromheavypressingcoupledwitheccentricexercisecanhelppec
tendonitisaswell.
Thefinalcommonissuepeoplehavewhenbenchingisdiscomfortatthe
bicepsinsertion(neartheelbowonthefrontside).Thesamebasicstrategy
(restandeccentricexercise)canhelpthisissueaswell.Onceyourbiceps
insertionstartsfeelingmorecomfortable,addintheinclinecurlstomakesure
themusclestayslooseandstrongthroughafullrangeofmotion.Onceits
feeling100%again,addinregulartrainingforyourbiceps,justasyoudtrain
yourtriceps.Anecdotally,bicepspainwhenbenchingtendstobemost
commonwithpowerlifterswhohavereallystrongtriceps,butwhotendto
neglecttheirbiceps.
Finaldisclaimer:Imnotaphysicaltherapist,andeverythinginthissection
shouldsimplybetakenasmyobservationsfrombiomechanicalreasoning,my
owntraining,andfromtheclientsIveworkedwith.Donttakeanyofittobe
ahardandfastprescription.Ifyoureinquiteabitofdiscomfortwhen
benching,seeaphysicaltherapist.
How do I choose a grip width? What are the pros and cons to
each?
Forstrength,thenameofthegameistroubleshooting.
Oddsare,yourstrongestgrip
rightnow
willsimplybetheoneyouveusedthe
mostuptothispoint,sincestrengthisquitespecific.Youresimplythemost
skilledwiththegripyouusethemostoften.However,thatdoesnt
necessarily
meanthatyourcurrentgripgivesyouthemostpotentialtobethestrongest.
Most(thoughnotall)worldclassbenchersbenchwithawidegrip.Infact,
mostofthembenchwiththemaximumlegalgripwidthwiththeirpointer
fingersonthegriprings81cmapart.
Itmakessensethatawidegripshouldbethestrongestgrip.Rangeofmotion
willbeshorter,thoughthatisnta
huge
issuesincefatiguelikelywontplaya
roleina1rmattempt.However,horizontalabductionandshoulderextension
rangeofmotionwillalsobeshortenedatthebottomofthelift,andthat
is
likelymeaningfulandbeneficial.Additionally,withawidegrip,younaturally
wonttouchthebarquiteaslowonyourchest,whichmakestheliftabiteasier
onyourfrontdelts.Furthermore,withawidegrip,themidrangeandlockout
willgenerallybeeasieraswell,sincethepecswontbequiteasshortened
(closertorestinglength=capableofproducingmoreforce)sinceawidegrip
inherentlymeanstheshoulderswillbemorehorizontallyextendedatany
givenpointinthemovement.
However,awidegripmaynotbestrongest
foryou
.Totroubleshoot,simply
workuptoaround80%ofyourmaxwithyourstrongestgrip.Thendo23
singleswithagripthats12incheswider.Thendo23singleswithagrip
thats12inchesnarrower.Dideitherofthosegripsfeelalmostasstrongas
yourtypicalgrip,inspiteofhavingnotpracticedwithit?Ifso,stickwiththat
forabouthalfofyourpressingforamonthortwo(youcanjustalternateit
withyournormalgrip,tradingoffeachset).Ifyourstrengthwithyournew
gripsurpassesyourstrengthwithcurrentgripwidth,stickwithit,and
experimentevenfurtherinthatdirection(i.e.if1inchwiderthanyourprior
gripwasstronger,try23incheswidernext).Ifnot,stickwithyourcurrent
gripwidthandexperimentintheotherdirection.
Forbuildingmuscle,amoremoderategripisprobablybetterasadefaultgrip
widthmaybe1.5xshoulderwidth,whichworksouttoaroundpinkyfingers
onthegripringsformostpeople.Thiswillallowaslightlylongerrangeof
motionthanbenchingwithawidegrip,whichisprobablygoingtobebetter
forhypertrophy.Forthesamereason,Ithinkalotofpowerliftersshouldgeta
decentamountoftheirbenchvolumewithagripslightlynarrowerthanthe
onetheycompetewithaswell.
Ingeneral,benchingwithawidegripallowsmostpeopletoliftmoreweight,
itsgenerallyeasierontheelbows,butitmaynotbequiteasgoodforbuilding
muscle(duetolimitedROM)andmayincreaseriskofshoulderimpingement
(sinceyourshoulderswillbeslightlymoreabducted).
Ontheotherhand,benchingwithanarrowergripprobablywontletyouliftas
muchweight,butitmaybeabetteroverallmassbuilderduetotheincreased
rangeofmotion.Yourshoulderimpingementriskisprobablylowerwitha
closergrip,butthemovementmayberougheronyourelbows,andanterior
shoulderstressisquiteabithighersinceshoulderflexiondemandswill
typicallybehigher.
Firstthingsfirst,checkyourwristposition.Iftheyrecockedback,thenjust
sitthebarabitlowerinyourpalmanddontcockyourwristsbackquiteas
much.
Ifissuespersist,getsome
wristwraps
.Thatshouldfixtheissue.
Ifthepainisonthethumbsideofyourwrist,considerbringingyourgripina
littlebit.Thewiderthegrip,thegreatertheoddsareofatendongetting
pinchedonthemedialsideofyourwrist,orthemedialsideofthejointjust
gettingcompresseduncomfortably.
Cobrapose
Oneotherthingyoucandoissimplybenchwithafoamrollerbelowyourback
forlightersubmaximalsetsbeforeyourregularbenchwork.Thatwillhelpget
youusedtobenchingwithabiggerarch(whichwillpayoffonceyourarchhas
improved)andhelploosenyourbackupforwhenyouremovethefoamroller
foryourheaviersets.
Ifyouwanttotakethingsevenfurtherthanthat,
thisstretch
isusedbyalotof
gymnastssotheycanworktowardbeingabletodobackbendsthesame
stretchwillhelpyouimproveyourbencharch.
cramp.Ifyourenewtoarchingandgettingatightbenchsetup,restassured
thatthefrequencyofcrampstendstodecreaseovertime.
Ofcourse,ifyourenotprimarilybenchingforthesolepurposeofliftingas
muchasyoupossiblycan,youcanjustgetinaslightlyloosersetupandnot
uselegdriveasaggressively,andthatllprobablyfixtheissuerightaway.
lowerchesttoupperstomach,generallynearthebottomofthesternumjust
belowthepecsbutnot
somuch
thatyourelbowswindupveryfarinfrontof
thebar.Ingeneral,theanglebetweenyourupperarmandtorsoshouldbe
around4560degrees.
It
is
okayforyourelbowstobe
slightly
infrontofthebarwhenthebarson
yourchestinordertohelpdriveitbackoveryourupperchestatthestartof
thepress.Havingyourelbowsaninch(ormaybetwo)infrontofthebaris
sufficientforthatpurpose.Morethanthatandyoureovertuckingyour
elbows.
Simplydomoreworkdedicatedtobringinguptheweakshoulder/pec/triceps
singlearmfrontdeltraises,singlearmDBpress,singlearmflyes,etc.That
shouldgraduallyaddresstheproblem.
Benchwithafootballbar
Benchwithpausesofvaryinglengths
Improvingyourskillasabenchercanmakeabigdifferenceforanoviceor
intermediatelifter,butultimatelyifyouwanttoreachyourfullpotentialinthe
benchpress,youneedto
putonasmuchupperbodymusclemass
aspossible.
Ifyoualreadyhavegoodtechniquebutyourbenchpressisstalled,the
prescriptionissimple:increaseyourtrainingvolume,makesureyoureeating
enoughprotein
,andincreaseyourcalorieintake.
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Artur.
ChangesofBioelectricalMuscleActivityDuringAscendingPhaseFlat
BenchPressing
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Barnett.
EffectsofVariationsoftheBenchPressExerciseontheEMGActivity
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Clemons.
EffectofGripWidthontheMyoelectricActivityofthePrimeMovers
intheBenchPress
.
Corrao.
WeightTrainingModificationsfortheIndividualWithAnterior
ShoulderInstability
.
Duffey.
ABiomechanicalAnalysisoftheBenchPress.
Elliott.
Abiomechanicalanalysisofthestickingregioninthebenchpress
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Glass.
ElectromyographicalActivityofthePectoralisMuscleDuringIncline
andDeclineBenchPresses
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Gomo.
Theeffectsofgripwidthonstickingregioninbenchpress
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GonzlezBadillo.
Maximalintendedvelocitytraininginducesgreatergainsin
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Green.
TheAffectofGripWidthonBenchPressPerformanceandRiskof
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Jagessar.
Optimizingpositionofthehorizontalbenchpressusingsurface
electromyography
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Jenkins.
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resistanceexercise
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Influenceofbenchangleonupperextremitymuscularactivation
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Lehman.
TheInfluenceofGripWidthandForearmPronation/Supinationon
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vandenTillaar.
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