Flat benchpress

[Kelleh]

Just wondering when your doing flat bench press are you suppose to go all the way down to your chest? or do you go down until your elbows are at 90 degrees?

[Cammo]

I take mine to my chest - bigger range of motion.

I like to use exercise balls for DB presses so I can really get the DB's as far down as possible without my shoulder blades restricting me too much.

[B4n3 0n3]

YES! all the way to the chest.

[Mighty Mouse]

ditto...no bouncing.

[Daniel141]

Yeah, all the way to the chest. You can increase the rang of mation even further by doing dumb bell flies or using a cable machine.

[dannyboy9]

I myself don't go all the way down.

I try to keep the tension throughout the whole motion meaning I never lock out at the top of the motion nor do I bring the bar all the way down. Doing this releases more testosterone and GH because you're never letting the tension slip.

This of course is just what I do...but what do I know?

[B4n3 0n3]

You can still touch your chest without letting go of the tension. It's not like you have to let the weight rest on the chest just let it barley touch to get max range of motion. But I do lock at the top of my bench for a split sec.

[Cammo]

Originally Posted by B4n3 0n3

You can still touch your chest without letting go of the tension. It's not like you have to let the weight rest on the chest just let it barley touch to get max range of motion. But I do lock at the top of my bench for a split sec.

Bump /\
Touching your chest with the bar & taking the bars weight on your chest are two totally different things.

Dannyboy - GH gets released when you sleep - are you one of those 'sleep trainers'?

I lockout at the top for a split sec as well!

[dannyboy9]

Yeah yeah yeah you're right. I'm a sleep trainer

I guess I'm wrong?

[Patrick_Bateman]

Originally Posted by Kelleh

Just wondering when your doing flat bench press are you suppose to go all the way down to your chest? or do you go down until your elbows are at 90 degrees?

Even to ask this question amazes me.

[Mighty Mouse]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

I myself don't go all the way down.

I try to keep the tension throughout the whole motion meaning I never lock out at the top of the motion nor do I bring the bar all the way down. Doing this releases more testosterone and GH because you're never letting the tension slip.

This of course is just what I do...but what do I know?

You've been reading too many mags bro. Forget all the GH this and test release that. It's B.S. it's a misconception of TUT.

You are cheating yourself by not going all the way down.

Vplayer is a good example. Not to say anything bad about him, but his bench has not improved, and when he actually uses the bench instead of the smith, his numbers are not great, he too was doing that stuff. My bench flew by his when we were working out together.

bottom line. bring the bar all the way down.

also, just FYI, there are techniques that actually improve the bench by elimiating the tension at the bottom end, such as pause benching, which works the explosiveness off the bottom end of the movement.

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by Mighty Mouse

You've been reading too many mags bro. Forget all the GH this and test release that. It's B.S. it's a misconception of TUT.

I don't get my info from magazines

Originally Posted by Mighty Mouse

You are cheating yourself by not going all the way down.

Vplayer is a good example. Not to say anything bad about him, but his bench has not improved, and when he actually uses the bench instead of the smith, his numbers are not great, he too was doing that stuff. My bench flew by his when we were working out together.

Well to me, it's not about the numbers but the results you from whatever you're benching. Oh well, I guess whatever works for you, go for it I get what you mean though.

Originally Posted by Mighty Mouse

bottom line. bring the bar all the way down.

also, just FYI, there are techniques that actually improve the bench by elimiating the tension at the bottom end, such as pause benching, which works the explosiveness off the bottom end of the movement.

Gotcha. I'll look into that...Thanks Mouse.

[Mighty Mouse]

I wish I had a dollar every time someone said to me "I'm not lifting to move big weight or get high numbers"

but yours is just as good. "Well to me, it's not about the numbers but the results you from whatever you're benching."

what the hell is that? what results are you getting if your numbers are not growing? is there no progression? How can you measure results? Please don't say "by how I feel". Blah.

then why lift? getting higher numbers means progress. If you are not increasing weight, you are not getting overload and you are not growing. Lifting for maintenance is a cop out for someone who is not improving.

"big weight" or "huge numbers" is relative...relative to the lifter. Big to one is small to another that is outrageous to the other. Constant progression by means of adding weight to the bar means actual progress, increased strength and growth. If those are not goals...then why lift? Even if you lift to "stay in shape" you will see some gains, some fat loss, some growth in strength etc. Not everyone needs to be a monster, I know, but everyone needs to lift with the goal of progression.

Not all that was at you bro, just words of information

/soap box

[Shredder]

Originally Posted by Mighty Mouse

I wish I had a dollar every time someone said to me "I'm not lifting to move big weight or get high numbers"

MM, I must disagree a little. I'm no kid and I don't have dreams of benching 500. "I'm not lifting to move big weight or get high numbers" applies to me. My goal is to continually make progress and increase the weight I lift but that has very little to do with goals or an ego need for high numbers.

[joe526]

Originally Posted by Mighty Mouse

I wish I had a dollar every time someone said to me "I'm not lifting to move big weight or get high numbers"

but yours is just as good. "Well to me, it's not about the numbers but the results you from whatever you're benching."

what the hell is that? what results are you getting if your numbers are not growing? is there no progression? How can you measure results? Please don't say "by how I feel". Blah.

then why lift? getting higher numbers means progress. If you are not increasing weight, you are not getting overload and you are not growing. Lifting for maintenance is a cop out for someone who is not improving.

"big weight" or "huge numbers" is relative...relative to the lifter. Big to one is small to another that is outrageous to the other. Constant progression by means of adding weight to the bar means actual progress, increased strength and growth. If those are not goals...then why lift? Even if you lift to "stay in shape" you will see some gains, some fat loss, some growth in strength etc. Not everyone needs to be a monster, I know, but everyone needs to lift with the goal of progression.

Not all that was at you bro, just words of information

/soap box

Rep on the burn!! but.....

Constantly lifting heavy weights and going heavier may not be someones forte. Some hit a certain weight and just use lighter weights to sculp their body. Others aren't as concerned with that and all about the power. Thats why you have power lifters and bodybuilders. Heavy is not the only way to go, although for 95% of us it is. I agree with you though MM, dannyboy is full of misinformation

[Mighty Mouse]

Originally Posted by Shredder

MM, I must disagree a little. I'm no kid and I don't have dreams of benching 500. "I'm not lifting to move big weight or get high numbers" applies to me. My goal is to continually make progress and increase the weight I lift but that has very little to do with goals or an ego need for high numbers.

shredder baby...you are misunderstanding me a bit. it's not heavy vs. light, but progression. Lifting a weight you can easily do for X amount of reps is silly. Surely your weights to do go up...evenif 3 lbs, or 5 lbs. There is an increase. I'd like to htink I know ya better than that.

;-)

[Mighty Mouse]

Originally Posted by joe526

Rep on the burn!! but.....

Constantly lifting heavy weights and going heavier may not be someones forte. Some hit a certain weight and just use lighter weights to sculp their body. Others aren't as concerned with that and all about the power. Thats why you have power lifters and bodybuilders. Heavy is not the only way to go, although for 95% of us it is. I agree with you though MM, dannyboy is full of misinformation

again..I ehar what you're saying, but someare confusing my words...maybe my fault. It's not about moving heavy weight, someone busting ass on 100 lb bench gets my respect vs the guy repping 250 for fun week end and week out.

you do need progressive overload, even if your goal is "sculpting your body"

shredder studies The Oak religiously....what's he say on that shreddy?

[Shredder]

Originally Posted by Mighty Mouse

shredder studies The Oak religiously....what's he say on that shreddy?

Per the Oak, the basis for all gains is rooted in the first of the Weider principles: Progressive resistance- built around heavy compound, multi joint exercises.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by Shredder

Per the Oak, the basis for all gains is rooted in the first of the Weider principles: Progressive resistance- built around heavy compound, multi joint exercises.

You forgot to say.. "And a sh!t load of Dbol"