Do you touch the bar to your chest when you bench?

[deadweight]

DW, you have any shoulder issues at all?

yep....i have nagging little kinks in my left side....Its takes a fe sets to get pass the pain...plus on top of that i have bad elbow problems..I wear a elbow brance when im benching....dw

 

[DragonRider]

I did for 20 plus years until I tore both pecs at different times. Now I use a 1 and 1/2 " pad on my chest and stop there.
If you study most powerlifters doing a bench you will see that because of their build or the way they arch or both, that at the bottom position their elbows are at about a 90% angle. When I bench, due to my build and long arms my elbows are well below my shoulders. It has been my experience that many people who suffer pec tears or shoulder problems from benching get them from going too deep or too much stretch.
If you are a competative power lifter you have no choice, but if you aren't, I'm a firm believer in lifting in what I call the effective range of motion. The EFR is the range of motion that brings you results while protecting your joints, muscles and ligaments. I hate to sound like the old guy, but after you have been lifting for 34 years, you will want those joints healthy and pain free when you get older.

 

[LITTLEMAGS]

i always touch...bench like a powerlifter though

 

[mugzy]

Yes always have....... its beginning to take its toll on my shoulders now so I may be looking to modify or switch to dumbells.

 

[jute]

always do.. so far (knocks on wood) no issues

 

[TriCity]

i always touch, but then again the first 4 inches off my chest is my weakest point. if i can get it 4 inches off my chest i can lock it out, i guess thats the disadvantage of being tall.

It's those first 4 inches that you are actually working your chest the most. We definitely do have a disadvantage but it's all relative.

I go to about 1.5" from my chest. I have a buddy that barely breaks 90 and has better chest development than me, but he's weak as shit. Seems genetics plays a huge role. Not everyone's shoulders/comfortable ROM are the same. I also realize flexibility is a factor.

 

[ozzy69]

i always touch the bar to my chest unless im doing partials or really focusing on controlling the bar down

 

[milleniumgirl]

I used to - at my former gym when I had a spotter. Now that I work out at my home gym, I don't anymore unless I take low weights (and I don't like "low" weights ...)

 

[Number LL]

Touch my chest lightly. I figure it is all good as long as it doesn't land on my neck.

 

[vtliftvt]

I use to touch my chest with the bar but then found for myself that it was very counter productive. I'm a taller guy with long limbs and touching my chest would activiate my front delts which have always over powered my chest. This would take tension away from my chest which is obviously the opposite of what we are looking for in regards to time-under-tension (TUT) for the muscle we are trying to target. I now stop 2-3 inches short which keeps the tension on my chest and never push to full lockout which again, will only take the tension off your chest and put more stress on your rotator cuffs and elbows.

 

[BrotherIron]

I touch and go and always lower the bar to my chest.

 

[MatthewC]

I touch the chest; usually bounce on the last set for explosiveness (judge all you want). I probably don't lift as much as you guys. I notice that my chest didn't really develop until DB's were ised; especially incline. I continue to do the bench for strength; DB for bulk.