I was always taught to bench with elbows flared, and I’m trying to fix this, but it feels really awkward.
If I understand it correctly, the barbell should move straight up and down from the point where it rests when the humerus is parallel to the body and the forearms are perpendicular? So it makes the sort of motion seen in my amazing ms-paint drawing?
Having an arch allows you to keep your arms straight up at the top. You can’t really get too close to a straight up movement without an arch.
correct me if im wrong, but i dont think triceps have to necassarily like touch ur sides more make from having then 90 degrees out to like 45 or so is much better, i dont tuck that much because i use such a wide grip and am more powerfulw ithout tuck and never had shoulder pain from benching, hoping that helps
What I meant was the path of motion. When you flare the shortest ROM is more comprehensible as straight up and down, but when tucking (and especially the longer one’s humeri are) the path seems obscured to me.
Is the most efficient path to press like in the OP, where the final position has the arms angled, or like in this picture?
it doesnt matter that much, yes straight up is shorter ROM, but if u are stronger with a curve then do that i wouldnt worry to much on that