Bench Press Tip

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1


I’ve read in some of the articles on here (I believe usually authored by CT) that trying to rip the bar apart may be a good idea to increase your lifts. This would be recruiting more of the back musculature specifically middle trap, posterior deltoid, maybe some teres major and lattissimus action as well.

But, to increase the work of the pec’s most dominant action, horizontal adduction (moving your hands across the chest when the elbow flexed 90 degrees), it would be very beneficial to, when performing the barbell bench press, to actually try pushing the bar inward. Basically if your hands weren’t in a static position it would be as if you were doing a sideways fist bump to yourself.

It is a completely different feel and I have found it effective at initiating enhanced pectoral firing and growth. And as always, for optimal recruitment and pec firing, make sure you are retracting (pushing together) your shoulder blades. Let me know what you think!

2

Hmmm. I was always of the mind that “ripping” the bar apart (for purposes of enhancing bench performance) was to help recruit and fire the triceps. This is more for a performance aspect that a targeting the pecs aspect.

Your example, it seems, would cause the biceps to try and fire, relaxing the triceps a bit and not what you would want. Meaning that when pressing up, the triceps are naturally (trying) to pull the hands apart due to their function but can’t because they are fixed to the bar. So consciously attempting to do this allows more tricep involvement.

Also, I think consciously trying to push your hands together would compromise scapular retraction because now your pecs aren’t just pulling the humerous but would also start pulling the shoulders together and off the bench, causing the scapula to separate.

Using your idea in regards to pec development and targeting, it sounds like flies would be more practical using this line of thinking.

3

[quote]cueball wrote:
Hmmm. I was always of the mind that “ripping” the bar apart (for purposes of enhancing bench performance) was to help recruit and fire the triceps. This is more for a performance aspect that a targeting the pecs aspect. All to many times their is over reliance on triceps and anterior delts.

Your example, it seems, would cause the biceps to try and fire, relaxing the triceps a bit and not what you would want. Meaning that when pressing up, the triceps are naturally (trying) to pull the hands apart due to their function but can’t because they are fixed to the bar. So consciously attempting to do this allows more tricep involvement.

Also, I think consciously trying to push your hands together would compromise scapular retraction because now your pecs aren’t just pulling the humerous but would also start pulling the shoulders together and off the bench, causing the scapula to separate.

Using your idea in regards to pec development and targeting, it sounds like flies would be more practical using this line of thinking. [/quote]

Have you tried it? Yes, trying to rip the bar apart also works the triceps a bit harder, but often people that bench press aren’t doing it for bigger triceps. Many times they are just focused on pushing the bar away from them, this erred way of thinking will spur development, but not to an optimal degree.

And I see what you were thinking with the biceps trying to fire but if you think about what happens in a normal bench press, the bicep is normally recruited eccentrically anyway. The method of benching I’m suggesting does not take away from tricep involvement other than that attributable to the chest’s increased recruitment. Also, the pecs only attachment to the scapula is pec minor’s attachment to the coracoid process. If you volitionally focus on keeping your scapula retracted, there is minimal scapular rotation. Definitely not to the point that the shoulders come together and off the bench.

Flys are good with cable crossover machines, but the weight that can be lifted is usually less so using a barbell would provide the best resistance. Seeing that the main action of the pecs is horizontal adduction, doing a movement primarily aimed at developing pecs and not focusing on its main action would be a grave mistake.

4

So you’re saying on the eccentric to try to rip the bar outward and on the concentric to try to compress the bar together?

5

[quote]Davinci.v2 wrote:
So you’re saying on the eccentric to try to rip the bar outward and on the concentric to try to compress the bar together?[/quote]

I’m saying for optimal pec activation and recruitment, compress the bar throughout the movement.

6

Man…just lift the damn thing! lol

7

[quote]carlthescorp wrote:

Have you tried it? Yes, trying to rip the bar apart also works the triceps a bit harder, but often people that bench press aren’t doing it for bigger triceps. Many times they are just focused on pushing the bar away from them, this erred way of thinking will spur development, but not to an optimal degree. [/quote]

No, I haven’t tried it. As I said, this technique is more for PERFORMANCE, not muscle targeting. Better performance means more weight lifted. I also wasn’t discussing using this technique for TARGETING the triceps. If I wanted to do that, I would do CGBP.

But actively trying to bring your hands together would create an unnecessary recruitment of the biceps. Your triceps want to bring the hands apart during the press. If you actively try to do the opposite, you will lose power in the movement, lowering the weight you can use. Again, this technique was brought about as a way to increase performance and move more weight. NOT as a way to increase pec recruitment.

I wasn’t refering to the pecs being attached to the scapula as the reason for separation. Cross your arm over your body as you describe. This DOES MOVE your shoulder closer to the mid-line. When this happens, it is at the same time pulling your scapula AWAY from the midline. I don’t care how hard you try to keep your scaps retracted, If you try to pull your arms across your body, they separate.

My point was that if you wanted to target your pecs this way, doing it on the bench doesn’t seem to be the best place. It seems you want to isolate the pecs in a compound movement rather than doing an isolation movement that uses the very principal you describe.

8

Having mental visualizations can indeed be helpful. The same exercise can often be completed while mentally “looking” at it in different ways.

To the OP: You personally may well be benefitting from the different mental visualization you have with your method. However, the replies to you that activating the biceps is really not helpful are correct.

As a suggestion, perhaps a visualization I use could be helpful to you without involving this biceps activation.

Rather than thinking so much of pushing the barbell up, I think of moving my elbows along the track they need to go. While thinking of my pecs having the principal part of the job of moving the upper arms, and thus the elbows, along that track.

9

Interesting. So you compress the bar through the whole movement? Did you try it using the same weights as usual because I am guessing it would be unfamiliar than when just lifitng the bar normally?

10

[quote]rasturai wrote:
Man…just lift the damn thing! lol[/quote]

Yes, lifting it is most certainly a step in the right direction. But telling someone who is doing something the incorrect way to just lift results in things like lifting up legs off the ground or hips to rise off the bench. Focusing on mechanics can tremendously benefit performance. So rather than just lift, just lift correctly and in a way that will meet your goals.

11

carlthescorp, did you take that picture? That looks like it was taken at Gregory Gym at UT (where I lift).

12

[quote]carlthescorp wrote:
rasturai wrote:
Man…just lift the damn thing! lol

Yes, lifting it is most certainly a step in the right direction. But telling someone who is doing something the incorrect way to just lift results in things like lifting up legs off the ground or hips to rise off the bench. Focusing on mechanics can tremendously benefit performance. So rather than just lift, just lift correctly and in a way that will meet your goals. [/quote]

Of course…if your technique is good on the bench press, squat any lift that’s good.
The lift is pretty simple keeping everything tight, shoulder blades squeezed together, squeeze the bar etc.
I think if a lifter has everything down, really does it matter if you are ripping the bar apart…trying to compress it?
That’s the last thing ever on my mind, I’m just focused on benching that up n down through a heavy set.
If your doing a heavy set how on EARTH do you think okay spread apart, or compress in…I don’t even know if it’s possible using serious weight even for reps?

I’d say let the bench take care of what it’s doing…if you wanna focus on chest…flyes, db’s, inclines…lots of other stuff.
I think the ripping and compressing is jibber jabber.
I can see where your going with it…but not so sure if it’s necessary at all.

13

[quote]carlthescorp wrote:
Davinci.v2 wrote:
So you’re saying on the eccentric to try to rip the bar outward and on the concentric to try to compress the bar together?

I’m saying for optimal pec activation and recruitment, compress the bar throughout the movement. [/quote]

“I’ve read in some of the articles on here (I believe usually authored by CT) that trying to rip the bar apart may be a good idea to increase your lifts. This would be recruiting more of the back musculature specifically middle trap, posterior deltoid, maybe some teres major and lattissimus action as well.”

This sounds more like the opposite of what you are talking about though…

What I still believe you meant though was on the way down to pull the bar outward and on the way up to push the bar inward. Correct?

14

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
carlthescorp, did you take that picture? That looks like it was taken at Gregory Gym at UT (where I lift).[/quote]

nah, just a stock image pulled off the net. Gym looks really nice though, much newer than here at tech.

15

[quote]cueball wrote:
carlthescorp wrote:

Have you tried it? Yes, trying to rip the bar apart also works the triceps a bit harder, but often people that bench press aren’t doing it for bigger triceps. Many times they are just focused on pushing the bar away from them, this erred way of thinking will spur development, but not to an optimal degree.

No, I haven’t tried it. As I said, this technique is more for PERFORMANCE, not muscle targeting. Better performance means more weight lifted. I also wasn’t discussing using this technique for TARGETING the triceps. If I wanted to do that, I would do CGBP.

And I see what you were thinking with the biceps trying to fire but if you think about what happens in a normal bench press, the bicep is normally recruited eccentrically anyway. The method of benching I’m suggesting does not take away from tricep involvement other than that attributable to the chest’s increased recruitment. Also, the pecs only attachment to the scapula is pec minor’s attachment to the coracoid process. If you volitionally focus on keeping your scapula retracted, there is minimal scapular rotation. Definitely not to the point that the shoulders come together and off the bench.

But actively trying to bring your hands together would create an unnecessary recruitment of the biceps. Your triceps want to bring the hands apart during the press. If you actively try to do the opposite, you will lose power in the movement, lowering the weight you can use. Again, this technique was brought about as a way to increase performance and move more weight. NOT as a way to increase pec recruitment.

I wasn’t refering to the pecs being attached to the scapula as the reason for separation. Cross your arm over your body as you describe. This DOES MOVE your shoulder closer to the mid-line. When this happens, it is at the same time pulling your scapula AWAY from the midline. I don’t care how hard you try to keep your scaps retracted, If you try to pull your arms across your body, they separate.

Flys are good with cable crossover machines, but the weight that can be lifted is usually less so using a barbell would provide the best resistance. Seeing that the main action of the pecs is horizontal adduction, doing a movement primarily aimed at developing pecs and not focusing on its main action would be a grave mistake.

My point was that if you wanted to target your pecs this way, doing it on the bench doesn’t seem to be the best place. It seems you want to isolate the pecs in a compound movement rather than doing an isolation movement that uses the very principal you describe.
[/quote]

I see, trying to rip the bar apart may be aimed at improving performance via enhanced back and tricep recruitment, my tip is aimed at not isolation in a compound movement, but increasing the work done by the pecs. There is a lot of weight so you would still be using serratus, delts, tricep, bicep, lats, and other muscles. It’s still very much a compound movement, my tip as just aimed at approaching the bench from a different perspective. If someone were to do this for several weeks and later go back to doing it the conventional way, the lift does increase. So it too, would benefit performance as a result of increasing the amount of force pecs can contribute.

16

[quote]Davinci.v2 wrote:
carlthescorp wrote:
Davinci.v2 wrote:
So you’re saying on the eccentric to try to rip the bar outward and on the concentric to try to compress the bar together?

I’m saying for optimal pec activation and recruitment, compress the bar throughout the movement.

“I’ve read in some of the articles on here (I believe usually authored by CT) that trying to rip the bar apart may be a good idea to increase your lifts. This would be recruiting more of the back musculature specifically middle trap, posterior deltoid, maybe some teres major and lattissimus action as well.”

This sounds more like the opposite of what you are talking about though…

[/quote]

Davinci: I’m not saying you do both, I just mentioned the principle offered by CT as an introduction to a varying method. This is just a different approach to help with development.

Bill: bicep recruitment during the bench press is not detrimental, it is functionally what your body does when you bring your arms in. The bench press is a compound lift because you aren’t just pushing out like a tricep extension or even a CGBP as mentioned earlier. At best as an argument against my method, it’s indication could depend upon stage of development, whether or not the trainee has or has not hit any sort of plateau, and whether or not they are optimally involving the pec during the bench press.

17

[quote]carlthescorp wrote:

I see, trying to rip the bar apart may be aimed at improving performance via enhanced back and tricep recruitment, my tip is aimed at not isolation in a compound movement, but increasing the work done by the pecs. There is a lot of weight so you would still be using serratus, delts, tricep, bicep, lats, and other muscles. It’s still very much a compound movement, my tip as just aimed at approaching the bench from a different perspective. If someone were to do this for several weeks and later go back to doing it the conventional way, the lift does increase. So it too, would benefit performance as a result of increasing the amount of force pecs can contribute. [/quote]

Well, if it’s working for you, then continue. But, as Bill said, a better way of thinking is pulling you ELBOWS together. If you concentrate on your hands moving together, your biceps will contract effectively working AGAINST the extension of your arms. That is NOT something I want happening when I’m pressing.

18

Reminds me of another thread in another forum.

You can believe what you want. All others can do is present correct information for you: it is up to you whether to accept it.

In particular, if you believe that the biceps are prime movers in transverse extension of the upper arms (beyond the short head having slight involvement) and increasing biceps involvement is the key to a big bench press, that is your human right and it’s your right as an American to express it, no doubt.

19

[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
Reminds me of another thread in another forum.

You can believe what you want. All others can do is present correct information for you: it is up to you whether to accept it.

In particular, if you believe that the biceps are prime movers in transverse extension of the upper arms (beyond the short head having slight involvement) and increasing biceps involvement is the key to a big bench press, that is your human right and it’s your right as an American to express it, no doubt.[/quote]

who’s arguing with correct information? It’s not like I’m saying spread your legs apart when you squat and you’ll have a hyoooge chest. I know what I’m talking about.

I did not say the biceps are the primary movers of transverse extension. And the elbows follow your hands when your move your entire arm so yes, if you focus on moving the elbows inwards, that helps as well.

20

Interesting idea. Wouldn’t dumbbell press, with bands pulling your arms outwards to the sides, do the trick even better? It would work both functions of the pecs pretty well. I’ve never tried it just as I describe, and it might be a little cumbersome, but if you can picture what I’m saying, I think it would work the pecs very well if you could set it up properly.