Bench Pressing Technique

Turbo_diesel

In Dave Tates so you think you can bench series he advises the bencher to pull the bar apart prior to lift off & during descent.He describes this as like doing a band pull-apart. Others describe this as trying to snap the bar in two? Is this a common cue when teaching the bench for powerlifting? Should you try & utilise this technique while lowering & also pressing the bar back up or is it only for descent?

Da Za

The reason for the pulling the bar apart cue is to engage your lats. This is very important for a shirted bencher especially but also helpful for benching raw. You want to be in control of the bar from the lift-off to the re-rack.

Turbo_diesel

Da Za wrote: »

The reason for the pulling the bar apart cue is to engage your lats. This is very important for a shirted bencher especially but also helpful for benching raw. You want to be in control of the bar from the lift-off to the re-rack.

So you should also try & pull the bar apart when pushing the bar off your chest?

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great tekkers on this:

http://www.dieselcrew.com/how-to-bench-press

Hanley

Turbo_diesel wrote: »

So you should also try & pull the bar apart when pushing the bar off your chest?

I think the pull apart is more important on the way down and squeezing the absolute **** out of it on the way up.

Turbo_diesel

Hanley wrote: »

I think the pull apart is more important on the way down and squeezing the absolute **** out of it on the way up.

You reckon you should initially experience a drop off in how much you can bench when using this technique?

deadlybuzzman

I only got this technique right last week and although my reps were the same as normal for now it felt much much more controlled and stable.
As I was doing higher reps for now it doesnt make much difference but when Im benching nearer 5 reps I wont be divebombing my chest with the bar any more and that control will make a definite difference to what Ill be able to move.

On the squeezing the bar thing Ive noticed that helps on almost every lift, particularly weighted dips

Hanley

Turbo_diesel wrote: »

You reckon you should initially experience a drop off in how much you can bench when using this technique?

Ehhhh.... depends. If you radically change your form, yes. If it's a small adjustment, may see an increase.

kevpants

The pulling the bar apart thing really just helps stop your scaps rolling forward and you subsequently losing all stability.

I have to say I'm really suspicious of the whole "train your upper back for bench" philosophy. In my experience it does jack sh1t for an unequipped lifter and is just one of those pieces of advice meant for equipped benchers that just spilled into the unequipped world.

It makes no sense that muscles used only for pulling things towards you would help you in pushing large weights away from you.

I've a little experiment going at the moment about the affect of getting bigger arms on my bench. It is never mentioned (triceps are but not forearms and biceps) and it just occured to me while catching a view of my spindly little forearms in the mirror that it would be near impossible for me to ever bench more than 170kg or that with arms like mine. Basic science will tell you that increasing the mass over which the weight is distributed will result in a bigger bench (the whole get fatter/bench more phenomenon proves that point) so it makes infinite sense to me that adding to the diameter of your arms regardless of whether the muscles are active in the bench or not will make the weight feel lighter.

And that, your honour, is my justification for doing 20 sets of curls after evey session like a posey Baby GAP t-shirt wearing nancy boy.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

The pulling the bar apart thing really just helps stop your scaps rolling forward and you subsequently losing all stability.

I have to say I'm really suspicious of the whole "train your upper back for bench" philosophy. In my experience it does jack sh1t for an unequipped lifter and is just one of those pieces of advice meant for equipped benchers that just spilled into the unequipped world.

It makes no sense that muscles used only for pulling things towards you would help you in pushing large weights away from you.

I've a little experiment going at the moment about the affect of getting bigger arms on my bench. It is never mentioned (triceps are but not forearms and biceps) and it just occured to me while catching a view of my spindly little forearms in the mirror that it would be near impossible for me to ever bench more than 170kg or that with arms like mine. Basic science will tell you that increasing the mass over which the weight is distributed will result in a bigger bench (the whole get fatter/bench more phenomenon proves that point) so it makes infinite sense to me that adding to the diameter of your arms regardless of whether the muscles are active in the bench or not will make the weight feel lighter.

And that, your honour, is my justification for doing 20 sets of curls after evey session like a posey Baby GAP t-shirt wearing nancy boy.

Why doesn't that logic then apply to training your upper back too?

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

Why doesn't that logic then apply to training your upper back too?

It does absolutely. My issue is with the upper back bias. It’s often portrayed as being more important to row than to push when it comes to benching. The fact that the two spindly things that are on the front line as far as supporting the weight goes never get mentioned seems a little odd to me. Like I said, I can’t imagine my little forearms supporting a 170kg bench no matter how much benching/rowing I did.

Turbo_diesel

kevpants wrote: »

It does absolutely. My issue is with the upper back bias. It’s often portrayed as being more important to row than to push when it comes to benching. The fact that the two spindly things that are on the front line as far as supporting the weight goes never get mentioned seems a little odd to me. Like I said, I can’t imagine my little forearms supporting a 170kg bench no matter how much benching/rowing I did.

Would be inclined to agree with you on this. My own bench is crap now this could be down to my poor technique or it could be down to me having poxy small arms. I have a strong back as in I can always see progress in my deadlift & pull-up no's. As these no's have gone up I can't say I have seen a carryover to my bench.

On a sidenote if your goal is strength & don't plan on powerlifting could you bin benching? Could you see the same strength gains from Overhead pressing & focusing on weighted dips?

Hanley

Turbo_diesel wrote: »

On a sidenote if your goal is strength & don't plan on powerlifting could you bin benching? Could you see the same strength gains from Overhead pressing & focusing on weighted dips?

define "strength" in this case.

..but however you define it, the answer is probably yes!

Thud

kevpants wrote: »

It does absolutely. My issue is with the upper back bias. It’s often portrayed as being more important to row than to push when it comes to benching. The fact that the two spindly things that are on the front line as far as supporting the weight goes never get mentioned seems a little odd to me. Like I said, I can’t imagine my little forearms supporting a 170kg bench no matter how much benching/rowing I did.

What else, apart from curls, are you doing for your forearm experiment?

I've managed to strenghten upper forearms a bit but my wrists are still a bit small.....apart from my right one which for some reason is larger than my left

Hanley

Thud wrote: »

I've managed to strenghten upper forearms a bit but my wrists are still a bit small.....apart from my right one which for some reason is larger than my left

giggidy!!

kevpants

Thud wrote: »

What else, apart from curls, are you doing for your forearm experiment?

I've managed to strenghten upper forearms a bit but my wrists are still a bit small.....apart from my right one which for some reason is larger than my left

Tie a length of rope/rubber to a stick/bar. Tie other end to a weight plate. Roll it up and down. Instant forearm destruction.

Thud

cheers must try that.

Will Heffernan

Turbo_diesel wrote: »

In Dave Tates so you think you can bench series he advises the bencher to pull the bar apart prior to lift off & during descent.He describes this as like doing a band pull-apart. Others describe this as trying to snap the bar in two? Is this a common cue when teaching the bench for powerlifting?

Yes.

Should you try & utilise this technique while lowering & also pressing the bar back up or is it only for descent?

Up and down...by squeezing the bar...you are engaging all the postural and stabililsing musculature at the joints (wrist and elbow) and by 'pulling apart' you are focusing on 'engaging' your triceps maximally.