I’ve already read many powerlifting articles on how important it is to build your triceps compared to other muscle groups. Also, I’ve noticed that when looking at the pros, powerlifters have arms that are nearly as big if not as big as a pro bodybuilders’ arms.
However, an elite powerlifters’s pectoralis muscles are not even close to the size of elite bodybuilders pectoralis muscles. Is this because when training for PRs on the power bench press style, are the tricep muscles supposed to be the strongest or most important muscle used during the lift?
The major tricep focus is mainly only a geared bencher thing. The shirt will literally pop it off your chest for you, so the lockout is much more of a limiting factor for them.
In raw bench pressing however, most of those guys will tell you strength off the chest is the name of the game. Raw bench pressers need plenty of pec and shoulder strength. If you can blast it off your chest with enough speed it will help you power through any sticking point later on in the lift.
As for powerlifters having smaller pecs, I’m not really sure that’s the case. Powerlifters like Eric Spoto and Jeremy Hoornstra are carrying a lot more fat than bodybuilders. Pecs look immensely bigger when not surrounded by so much fat.
The pecs are most important in raw bench as csulli hinted at. It is a more spread out muscle so it will allow for more force out putted per surface area which helps in pressing heavier weights from the bottom. If your triceps are weaker than your pecs you’ll have an easier time fixing your bench.
Paused bench and bottom partial benching work great for hitting the pecs. Tucking elbows on bench also puts more stress on triceps while benching that’s why I do semi tuck/ed semi flared so I don’t take my chest out of the lift and if I was to tuck on the bench the bar has further to travel. But yeah not to derail powerlifters who bench heavy tend to have huge triceps and bi’s because they adapted and trained them to handle heavier weights, they also look denser then bodybuilder triceps.
BB look puffy and impressive, I think that people who train underestimate strong bi’s carry over to bench because it does stabilize and the stronger they are the easier time you will have supporting the weight.
Oh, I didnt know that. So, even though bench pressing with your elbows flared throughout the entire motion activates the pecs the most, raw powerlifters bench press with there elbows tucked because it’s better for the shoulders and its a stronger position as it engages the lats compared to when the elbows are flared out?
[quote]csulli wrote:
The major tricep focus is mainly only a geared bencher thing. The shirt will literally pop it off your chest for you, so the lockout is much more of a limiting factor for them.
In raw bench pressing however, most of those guys will tell you strength off the chest is the name of the game. Raw bench pressers need plenty of pec and shoulder strength. If you can blast it off your chest with enough speed it will help you power through any sticking point later on in the lift.
As for powerlifters having smaller pecs, I’m not really sure that’s the case. Powerlifters like Eric Spoto and Jeremy Hoornstra are carrying a lot more fat than bodybuilders. Pecs look immensely bigger when not surrounded by so much fat.[/quote]
[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Oh, I didnt know that. So, even though bench pressing with your elbows flared throughout the entire motion activates the pecs the most, raw powerlifters bench press with there elbows tucked because it’s better for the shoulders and its a stronger position as it engages the lats compared to when the elbows are flared out?
[/quote]
Raw powerlifters don’t really bench with their elbows tucked that much. Again that is a big time geared thing. They will tuck a little bit on the way down, but it’s honestly much, much closer to looking the way a bodybuilder benches than a geared powerlifter.
SIDE NOTE FOR ALL YOUNG(ER) GUYS LIKE ME: you can read bench articles, but they are obviously written for what has worked for the writer aka most likely geared. All I read about when I was younger was “triceps, triceps, triceps and upper back” which they obviously play a huge role in a big bench either way but it’s a different game for raw/gear. I think if I would have focused more on my pathetic OHP and chest strength I would be a little ahead of the curve. Sorry for the derail, carry on. lol
x2 on bicep work. It helps keep my shoulders, elbows, and wrists healthy. I guess it’s the extra stabilization mentioned earlier so that some of that effort can be dispersed on the bis rather than wrecking your joints.
If you’re elbows are feeling good, underhand chin ups work well for me. If my elbows are feeling beat up, I like cable work.
I see. So since the elasticity and stiffness of the bench shirt will actually pop it off the chest for you, the geared powerlifter doesn’t have to activate the chest muscles as much as a raw powerlifter or bodybuilder does. Therefore, the geared powerlifter will tuck his/her elbows to about a 30 degree angle or even closer to their torso, in order to concentrate on using the triceps more than the chest to both push the weight and lockout the weight to completion of motion.
Though, if I were to bench press raw with my elbows at a 45 degree angle to my torso, would my pecs still be more activated than my triceps during the entire movement?
This is a good thread, yeah some strong dudes when I was younger,told me all the great raw benchers don’t tuck and it takes the pecs out of the movement, my advice is to find a bench style that works for you. My bench is shit but relative to my BW it isn’t horrid but I am still not happy with it.As chobbs said working on weak points is crucial, I think if I rested the weight on the chest when I was younger or implemented band use earlier my bench would be better than it is now. Or gained weight which was impossible with all the sports I did lol. Usually the average person or gym goer will have stronger triceps from all the stupid assistance and half range of motion presses they do. Real powerlifters as I trained with when I was younger know how to bench and how to get the most out of programs and gear ect. All about implementing what works and progressing, this russian guy i used to spot would do board presses for hours with like 475 or more and squatted over 700 I would guess, memory is foggy but he was quite the strong dude.
Benched with elbows out, Ive seen other guys semi tuck and do 3 plates a full tuck is fucking hard with that much weight. But with gear it sounds easier I don’t know I never really want to use shirts or suits I prefer Raw cuz I know it’s me doing the work. Not to bash people who prefer suits and stuff it is cool to watch them crush heavy ass weights.
Agree with all of the above, you can read so much about proper benching style but I think Benching positioning is so highly individualized. For me, I get the most benefit with a closer grip, 45 degree angle with the elbows and almost pressing towards the feet slightly. I have a gym friend who hovers around 185 - 190lbs with a 400+ bench for reps who is almost Arcidi like with his elbows flared and presses towards the hooks.
Its to early for me tell but I have to say its all about the guy or gal benching. My bench is horrid Csulli had the honor of watching me miss a measly 310 at Record Breakers last month. I had done everything said here for raw guys trying to get my chest stronger and ohp up to get my bench up. I tried this plus high volume, low volume, reloading, bands no matter what I was stuck and had alot of shoulder and elbow pain no matter what.
How ever in less than a month I have focused on crushing my triceps because its about the only thing I haven’t tried and I switched to primarily using nothing but a Reverse Grip on Benchs and tonight hit a easy a very easy 310 paused pain free. So find what works for you and hammer it.
The one 500# raw bencher Ive lifted with has some huge titties, but his arms aren’t equally impressive from a BB standpoint. Also when I bench I get sore pecs and front delts, never triceps. I know those are both anecdotal and dont prove anything but still.
This is the most beautiful thread I’ve ever seen on T-Nation, srs. Sound knowledge of anatomy in here and a complete lack of parroted bullshit about the triceps being the only thing that matters in the bench.
[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
I see. So since the elasticity and stiffness of the bench shirt will actually pop it off the chest for you, the geared powerlifter doesn’t have to activate the chest muscles as much as a raw powerlifter or bodybuilder does. Therefore, the geared powerlifter will tuck his/her elbows to about a 30 degree angle or even closer to their torso, in order to concentrate on using the triceps more than the chest to both push the weight and lockout the weight to completion of motion.
Though, if I were to bench press raw with my elbows at a 45 degree angle to my torso, would my pecs still be more activated than my triceps during the entire movement?[/quote]
I don’t think your interpretation of equipped lifting is completely accurate. Let me explain:
In equipped lifting, how much you tuck and where the bar touches the lifters’ body depends on the shirt. The stiffer the chest plate is, the lower the lifter will have to touch the bar to their bodies. For example, most Metal & Titan shirts are very stiff which is why you’ll see guys touching their bellies almost with the bar. This is very dependent on the lifter, the fit of the shirt as well as the design of the shirt. Equipped benchers don’t tuck their elbows to activate their triceps – they do it because otherwise they literally can’t get the weight to touch their chest without tucking!
Some shirts have a very stretchy chest plate. These shirts don’t require the lifter to tuck as much, as the chest plate will stretch across the lifters chest (very similar to how a slingshot works). The Inzer SDP is a good example of this.
I fully agree that the trend of tricep prioritizing is overblown. It should be an accessory, but it seems like a lot of people are doing boards as almost the main exercise. It is quite simple, if you are weak at lockout, you need to work your lockout. If you are getting stuck off the chest then you need to learn to get speed off the chest. It doesn’t mean you do more, and neglect the other. Time spent on technique, breathing, setup, are all just as important, if not more when it comes to benching. I’ve seen my share of lifters flattening out when the weight gets heavy, or have no leg drive, etc.
I lift shirted in competition, but I rarely work my lockout. I feel that speed off the chest, and learning how to use the shirt properly give me any success that I have had. That being said, do work my tri’s doing close grip bench or dips. I really enjoy partials off the chest as a strength builder, that and heavy DB’s, as I know if I am not setting up right these exercises usually tell me when I’m off.