Bench press arch

[RAIDEN]

That helps to keep the tension on the pecs. Where a PL couldn't give a damn less about squeezing the pecs for hypertrophy but care more about flaring the lats and cutting our range of motion down it serves is quite well.

So it is cheating in a sense? I mean when doing flat bench, the point/goal is to activate the pecs. I never felt my lats engaged in a pressing movement, only on pulling movements. But then again i am not into PL, but rather working the targeted muscle and engaging it, so what do i know.

 

[RAIDEN]

It looks horrible. I've always been taught to keep your back flat against the bench, I don't know if it helps in competition but for help in building strength in your chest I can't imagine doing that.

Agreed. You were taught right by the way, keep that back flat against the bench.

 

[Turbolag]

So it is cheating in a sense? I mean when doing flat bench, the point/goal is to activate the pecs. I never felt my lats engaged in a pressing movement, only on pulling movements. But then again i am not into PL, but rather working the targeted muscle and engaging it, so what do i know.

Ive been wanting to ask you, how much you bench. This thread seems like a great opportunity. Haha

 

[RAIDEN]

More than you.

1rm or reps?

 

[Turbolag]

Both.

What are your working sets usually?

 

[RAIDEN]

350ish 1rm (about 2 months ago)
275 or so on working sets, 8-12 reps depending on how it is going that day.

I've been doing more reverse grip bench this past 8-10 months than regular bench. I will hit a good regular flat bench workout about once a month now. Other than that it is incline or reverse.

 

[Jraywalter]

I've never heard of a powerlifter aiming to keep their back flat on the bench. A bit of an arch is a good thing because it takes strain off the shoulders which is beneficial for someone lifting heavy several times a week. My problem with this video is he says to dig your heels into the floor but he doesn't touch his heels to the floor at all (that's an illegal lift).

 

[DLTH]

That helps to keep the tension on the pecs. Where a PL couldn't give a damn less about squeezing the pecs for hypertrophy but care more about flaring the lats and cutting our range of motion down it serves is quite well.

So at a powerlifting competition if somebody did this it would count?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAc97K2I5M

 

[BrotherIron]

So it is cheating in a sense? I mean when doing flat bench, the point/goal is to activate the pecs. I never felt my lats engaged in a pressing movement, only on pulling movements. But then again i am not into PL, but rather working the targeted muscle and engaging it, so what do i know.

Not sure how you can call it cheating. Bench press is one of the big 3 because it uses the whole body and not just the pecs. We even use leg drive to help when benching.

RAIDEN, whether you feel it or not you are in fact using your lats when you press. I'd probably wager if you strengthened your lats your OHP and bench would go up.... evening without using an arch. You use your lats when you squat too.

 

[BrotherIron]

I've never heard of a powerlifter aiming to keep their back flat on the bench. A bit of an arch is a good thing because it takes strain off the shoulders which is beneficial for someone lifting heavy several times a week. My problem with this video is he says to dig your heels into the floor but he doesn't touch his heels to the floor at all (that's an illegal lift).

Your heels don't have to touch the floor for the lift to count. You can bench using the balls of your feet (like I do) and the lift will count as long as my ass is firmly planted on the bench, my traps are dug into the bench, and I follow the commands (start, press, rack).

 

[Brianlyndon]

A Para oylmpia world record holder ([FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]bench press) mentioned [/FONT]on a podcast that he did more pulling movements to increase his bench press.on a recent norton layne broadcast he uses a slight lower back arc when bench pressing and states he wishes " he could arch even more "

 

[RAIDEN]

Not sure how you can call it cheating. Bench press is one of the big 3 because it uses the whole body and not just the pecs. We even use leg drive to help when benching.

RAIDEN, whether you feel it or not you are in fact using your lats when you press. I'd probably wager if you strengthened your lats your OHP and bench would go up.... evening without using an arch. You use your lats when you squat too.

After reading up and looking at videos, the arch i was refering to is not what is being discussed here. The "arch" i am thinking of is where the back is like a rainbow, where the ass is lifted off the bench.

On lats being engaged, maybe inderectly but not like a row or lat pull is engaged directly. Im thinking and coming from a bodybuilding perspective, not powerlifting. Two different animals.