I was reading over Dave Tate’s article on how to increase your bench (Bench Press 600 Pounds A 12 Step Program) and I can’t seem to understand what he means by tucking in your elbows.
Now you might have guessed that I am no where near 600 pounds in my bench, and you’d be right, but I figured I could learn a thing or two about bench press form from the article.
So here is what I don’t get:
“Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and elbows.”
Now I’m wondering how can you have your elbows tucked and the bar directly over your wrists and elbows? I can’t think of any other way to tuck in my elbows other than to bring them closer to my torso. But that would mean that the bar would no longer be directly over my elbows, right?
It means that you keep your elbows pointed MORE towards your toes. It doesn’t have to be exact, but it’s more towards your toes as opposed to pointing your elbows out to the sides, toward the plates.
Don’t do it because Tate tells you to, do what doesn’t hurt your shoulder. Tucking the elbows is how I bench because I get shoulder pain if I flare them out. Not everyone is the same, some people get better results without tucking the elbows.
Your elbows have to be as close to your torso as they can be and you have to bring the bar closer to your stomach, but at the bottom of your chest so that your wrists, eblows, and the bar are above each other.
Watch some metal militia bench videos on youtube…here’s one.
You can really see how they tuck the elbows. If you tried to bench over 500 pounds with your elbows flared (like a bodybuilder) you would have some major shoulder problems.
[quote]tpa wrote:
Watch some metal militia bench videos on youtube…here’s one.
You can really see how they tuck the elbows. If you tried to bench over 500 pounds with your elbows flared (like a bodybuilder) you would have some major shoulder problems. [/quote]
How come these guys are pulling there feet back? Does that help them push the weight up?
[quote]lakai wrote:
Ah, everything is much clearer now. Thanks.
tpa wrote:
Watch some metal militia bench videos on youtube…here’s one.
You can really see how they tuck the elbows. If you tried to bench over 500 pounds with your elbows flared (like a bodybuilder) you would have some major shoulder problems.
How come these guys are pulling there feet back? Does that help them push the weight up? [/quote]
If you pull your feet back and push them apart it helps to stabalize the weight I think. Pulling your shoulder blades together helps to stabalize it as well.
[quote]tveddy wrote:
It not only helps stabilize the weight, but it also helps with the arch. If you don’t arch enough you’ll have a hard time getting your lats into it.[/quote]
Pulling your shoulder blades together helps with the arch in your lower back as well.
If you can’t get you’re feet that far back you might try lookin at some WSB stuff for technique. Its a little bit different than the Metal Militia. Most people just try to find whats more comfortable for them. I personally like to set up like WSB more.
[quote]lakai wrote:
How come these guys are pulling there feet back? Does that help them push the weight up? [/quote]
Stabilizes the body, helps with the arch, and increases leg drive. As far as tucking the elbows, one of the main thing he wants to get across is that it’s different from the bodybuilding style of having the elbows up so high.
The range can vary but it’s not meant to mean having your elbows at your side. For me about a 45 degree angle is “tucked.” The setup and unracking of your weight can have alot to do with your ability to push up heavy weights, and do it safely.
[quote]michaelangelos wrote:
Pulling your shoulder blades together helps with the arch in your lower back as well.[/quote]
Which way should I pull the shoulder blades? From the article it sounds like I should be pulling them back.
[quote]tveddy wrote:
If you can’t get you’re feet that far back you might try lookin at some WSB stuff for technique. Its a little bit different than the Metal Militia. Most people just try to find whats more comfortable for them. I personally like to set up like WSB more.[/quote]
Isn’t Dave Tate’s article about WSB technique? If not, where would I find out about WSB techniques?
[quote]lakai wrote:
Which way should I pull the shoulder blades? From the article it sounds like I should be pulling them back.
[/quote]
Imagine you have to hold double your max for 1 minute. You want to find the most stable position to do that in. Squeeze your should blades together and depress them (towards your hips). Nothing exaggerated but in that position you will find you feel the strongest.
[quote]lakai wrote:
michaelangelos wrote:
Pulling your shoulder blades together helps with the arch in your lower back as well.
Which way should I pull the shoulder blades? From the article it sounds like I should be pulling them back.
tveddy wrote:
If you can’t get you’re feet that far back you might try lookin at some WSB stuff for technique. Its a little bit different than the Metal Militia. Most people just try to find whats more comfortable for them. I personally like to set up like WSB more.
Isn’t Dave Tate’s article about WSB technique? If not, where would I find out about WSB techniques? [/quote]
Yeah. He was training WSB at the time. The difference is how they set up.
[quote]michaelangelos wrote:
lakai wrote:
michaelangelos wrote:
Pulling your shoulder blades together helps with the arch in your lower back as well.
Which way should I pull the shoulder blades? From the article it sounds like I should be pulling them back.
What I do is lay down and just squeeze my back together.[/quote]
Before you bench you should let the bar settle as close to your chest as possible without bending your elbows. You should have every muscle in your body flexed. Think of someone trying to knock the wind out of you while you are benching. I’ll try to find the article. Jim Wendler does a good job describing this.
