Stats time!

[rundymc]

Ok, just finished reading... Wasn't tryin to stir the pot again, just post trigger happy.
Well, at least ur starting alr jc.
After so many reps of arching, do u guys feel anything in ur mid-lower back?

I've benched with a similar arch for about a year. Nothing. The spine has no extra load on it afterall, and I'm comfortable with the position.

 

[galapogos]

being a fat arse with poor mobility, I can't get my feet flat on the ground if I set up with them behind my knees. Do you place your feet infront of your knees?
My previous training partner who squats 4 plates per side used to put them in front and spread the floor with them so to speak. His set up is really tight however I dont feel tight using his technique. but his bench sucks relative to his squat of course. 2 pps for a rep.

I place them as far back as possible while still maintaining full feet contact. It's probably a bit behind the knees, but not too acute.

Where do you feel tight when you do it? Mobility/flexibility, like strength and conditioning, can be improved.

 

[jctan77]

I haven't read this recent page, but frankly, jc's posts after tt vid also gv me the vibe tt he was trying to discredit it. He din ask, and merely copy pasta bits tt sound condescending. After ppl pointed sth out, he again copy pasta-ed something discrediting.
Of course, he did come out to say that wasn't his intentions, but heh, who's to say wat would hv happened had more ppl were in agreement with him?

If you feel that those things I quoted is "discrediting" you, in my view, it can only mean that, you are not confident with what you are doing is correct, you are in doubt in yourself, you cannot find any reason to back you up.

If you are confident and know exactly what you are doing/executing is totally fine and working right, and have reasons to back you up, why will you feel discredit or being discredited? As Bear had explained, it is just another "style/stroke", and the end result is still the same. And this further leds rundy to share in great details about the "Leg drive". These are the feedbacks I am expecting, or maybe my approach is wrong.

Please also try not to "以小人之心，度君子之腹", or else you may probably missed out a lot of things in life.

 

[Bear943]

I place them as far back as possible while still maintaining full feet contact. It's probably a bit behind the knees, but not too acute.

Where do you feel tight when you do it? Mobility/flexibility, like strength and conditioning, can be improved.

Everywhere feels tight to be honest haha. I try to push my feet as far back as well which is not really far. A powerlifter once told me that my bench sucks coz I dont use my legs as much but I am trying to target the chest arms etc Probably mobility and flexibility has to be improved - I am starting to make a conscious effort in that department. Do you use your legs much to bench? If any idea how much extra kgs it allows you to push?

 

[cowed77]

Drop it dude, I alr said in the same post tt u did clarify urself alright.
I only said tt it sounded tt way originally, before u spoke out.

 

[cowed77]

I rembering readin on tnation abt imagining tt ur body is being pulled up by a string tied at ur sternum, which I assumed was the solar plexus region. So I do it with an arch too, feet back, sometimes flat, sometimes not. Haven't gave much tot to it, except always tryin to visualize pushing the bar away, and urself into the bench..

 

[jctan77]

Everywhere feels tight to be honest haha. I try to push my feet as far back as well which is not really far. A powerlifter once told me that my bench sucks coz I dont use my legs as much but I am trying to target the chest arms etc Probably mobility and flexibility has to be improved - I am starting to make a conscious effort in that department. Do you use your legs much to bench? If any idea how much extra kgs it allows you to push?

If I understand your question correctly...

Before you have a chance to misinterpret, this is not the same thing as bridging or heaving the bar. That happens when the butt actually comes off the bench. Correct use of the legs and hips involves only the maintenance of chest and back position, with the force directed horizontally along the bench and not vertically up off of the bench.

Somehow I don't remember reading this part before

Edit: Missed out one point I think should be relevant also to your question...

The net effect of the use of the lower body is to increase the weight that can be lifted, so putting feet up lowers the amount of weight lifted, but the exercise can still be done without it.

 

[galapogos]

Everywhere feels tight to be honest haha. I try to push my feet as far back as well which is not really far. A powerlifter once told me that my bench sucks coz I dont use my legs as much but I am trying to target the chest arms etc Probably mobility and flexibility has to be improved - I am starting to make a conscious effort in that department. Do you use your legs much to bench? If any idea how much extra kgs it allows you to push?

In that position, I would expect the major tightness to come from the hip flexor, which is a pretty common site of inflexibility as most of us are desk and chair bound for the working hours. Hip flexor stretches, as well as various hip mobility drills, should loosen that up over a few weeks.

As for using the legs to bench...I remember on one of my max effort benches, my hamstrings almost cramped.

 

[jctan77]

:
As for using the legs to bench...I remember on one of my max effort benches, my hamstrings almost cramped.

Probably hamstrings can cramp from just aiding to stablize? Sometime ago, I remember got hamstrings cramp from pullups, no workout prior to the pullups, but not serious.

 

[XanderBuilt]

In that position, I would expect the major tightness to come from the hip flexor, which is a pretty common site of inflexibility as most of us are desk and chair bound for the working hours. Hip flexor stretches, as well as various hip mobility drills, should loosen that up over a few weeks.

As for using the legs to bench...I remember on one of my max effort benches, my hamstrings almost cramped.

Probably hamstrings can cramp from just aiding to stablize? Sometime ago, I remember got hamstrings cramp from pullups, no workout prior to the pullups, but not serious.

I wouldn't have said it was cramping. Done in PL-style there is full body component to the Bench. I remember hearing in a video from Diesel Crew once that you're whole body should be feeling it or something like that - I've posted this video here before but should be easy to find.

Anyway, it's what I know, my Bench is my weakest link.

 

[Bear943]

I wouldn't have said it was cramping. Done in PL-style there is full body component to the Bench. I remember hearing in a video from Diesel Crew once that you're whole body should be feeling it or something like that - I've posted this video here before but should be easy to find.

Anyway, it's what I know, my Bench is my weakest link.

Yup most of the powerlifters say that it is a full body exercise. I dont do it as such at least not on purpose. I use the legs back traps etc primarily for stability. Someone accomplished once stated that 'you cant shoot a cannon out of a canoe' and from experience it is true to a certain degree.

At the gym I train, there are some who bench with legs up in the air, with on foot on the bench and the other on the ground, bench and with the bar locked out perform crunches etc really funny **** then there are those that come off the treadmill without warmup etc and jump straight to perform 2 inch ROM 3 pps smith machine 'bench' to show me who da man and give me the skunk eye coz i was warming up with a plate a side.

 

[XanderBuilt]

Yup most of the powerlifters say that it is a full body exercise. I dont do it as such at least not on purpose. I use the legs back traps etc primarily for stability. Someone accomplished once stated that 'you cant shoot a cannon out of a canoe' and from experience it is true to a certain degree.

At the gym I train, there are some who bench with legs up in the air, with on foot on the bench and the other on the ground, bench and with the bar locked out perform crunches etc really funny **** then there are those that come off the treadmill without warmup etc and jump straight to perform 2 inch ROM 3 pps smith machine 'bench' to show me who da man and give me the skunk eye coz i was warming up with a plate a side.

Haha there's an older gentleman where I train that attempts to do box squats on a smith machine gets about a 1/5 squat on 3pps and then groans about it. I must look so juvenile doing Front Squats ATG 1.5pps busting out reps only a few feet away

Last night two guys were doing bench and spotting each otehr using a double underhanded grip. I can't tell what the consequences would be if people spotting were actually made to follow through with the spot

 

[galapogos]

I'm relatively lucky to have trained in places where such stupidity doesn't exist...especially where I train now. Can't ask for a better environment.

 

[XanderBuilt]

I'm relatively lucky to have trained in places where such stupidity doesn't exist...especially where I train now. Can't ask for a better environment.

We should talk. I'm always looking for stupid-free gyms But yours is Weight Lifting focused aye?

 

[cowed77]

But sometimes I like seeing ppl do weird stuff.
Tt legs up in the air while benching is very common.
Sometimes I talk abit to dem, but they were always very sure of wat they were doing, so nothing ever came out of it.

 

[BenZ_80]

5kg forearm wrist curls.

Brilliant.

 

[rundymc]

I know a few big dudes train bench at my gym with one or both legs on the bench. Big meaning 120kg and above benchers.

I have, on occasion done 5kg wrist curls...

 

[Bear943]

We should talk. I'm always looking for stupid-free gyms But yours is Weight Lifting focused aye?

but the free entertainment is brilliant..

 

[galapogos]

We should talk. I'm always looking for stupid-free gyms But yours is Weight Lifting focused aye?

Yes it is, but there is the occasional regular gym user around.

 

[anonymoose]

Hey, new poster here. Been lifting for about 1+ years.

Stats:
BW: 70kg
HT: 171cm

1RM:
Squat: 125kg
Bench: 110
Deadlift: 127

For bench press form, I suggest watching "Dave Tate's Six-Week Bench Press Cure" on T-Nation (apologies for not being able to link yet). The trick really is to maintain your body's tightness on the bench and using your lats and triceps during the motion as opposed to doing it bodybuilder style i.e. arms far from the trunk and using the chest muscles.