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bench touching chest!?

GOWAR Posts: 361 Joined: 2001/10/24	2005/06/23, 02:18 AM Howdy, Since I have been doing my college football summer workout I have noticed now and since about the past year that while doing the bench press or incline bench press I cannot use the same weight and touch just above my nipple, how you're suppose to execute it, but i can go very low and above my nips, incorporating my upper chest a whole lot more, but I'm suppose to lower the bar pause and then lock out, I just don't seem to have the shoulder flexibility I had 1.5 years ago, I tried doing a wider grip, but it seems to put too much weight on my wrists and I fail to complete successful sets. What am I going to do?? Any suggestions other than dropping the weight to where I can have the bar touch my nip, and then lockout????????
timmstar Posts: 426 Joined: 2003/12/08	2005/06/23, 06:07 AM if i read that correctly i would say drop the weight till you master it better... still ur post is little confusing shouldnt you be lowering your bench to chest every set anyway?? unless yuor doing some other exercise in which case it isnt bench pressing then is it?
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2005/06/23, 04:16 PM IF you don't have the flexabilty...then work on it.......I'm 260lbs.....and have average flexabilty.....and i have no problem touching my chest, on any form of bench.... Or lose your ego and drop the weight and do it right -------------- gravity is not a law, only a obstacle
DX14AG Posts: 1,055 Joined: 2004/07/22	2005/06/23, 06:31 PM yup yup lose the ego.
	2005/06/23, 08:36 PM flexibility is my worst physical ability characteristic and I have no trouble touching chest.....wider grip puts more stress on shoulders for me but I think it's actually easier on the wrist...perhaps it's different for you....I touch chest on each and every rep....
DeadOnArrival Posts: 95 Joined: 2005/05/22	2005/06/23, 09:10 PM If you don't have the range of motion to touch the chest then don't. If you stretch it you can damage the proprioceptors in the shoulder capsule. I'll lower about 2 inches off my chest to work with in my normal ROM. You strentgth will still carry over to the lost ROM. +/- 15 degrees at any joint angle. They best thing to do for the sake of powerlifting would be to hypertrophy you chest so you don't need to lower as far.
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2005/06/23, 09:25 PM I don't see how....this could damage him? If its flexabilty issue........then he needs to work on it....most people who dont' touch their chest.......don't do it, cause it makes range of motion shorter......basicly cheating.... This is like telling somone, its ok not to do a parallel squat......just do 45degree squats...... he said he coudl touch his chest, just a mter of lowering the weight.......which just screams ....ego.......not real physical problem.... -------------- gravity is not a law, only a obstacle
GOWAR Posts: 361 Joined: 2001/10/24	2005/06/24, 03:16 AM no bro, not ego, I haven't tried at all dropping weight and touching my chest, I'm just guessing that. And by the way I didn't have a rotator cuff injury a year ago, and since then I haven't been able to have the bar touch my chest, I can go below 90 with it but I can't seem to hit my chest, It's like I'm way over extending my range of motion.
DeadOnArrival Posts: 95 Joined: 2005/05/22	2005/06/25, 06:40 AM Read this article then decide for yourself. http://www.paulchekseminars.com/articles.cfm?select=26 I recently started going back all the way down to my chest and I've set myself back big time. Gotta drop the weights and work back slowly again. Dumbbells and a swissball only for a while.
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2005/06/25, 06:36 PM This is a POWERLIFTING THREAD.....meaning.....this forum is for strength....and power.......not bodybuilding......not touching your chest.....to me is not an option.... Most bodybuilders, dont' touch the chest...cause it "keep moves emphasis on chest, and they stop just short of lockout.....to keep tris from doing the weight...this is not what this forun is about.... If theres somthing worng with his shoulder....he needs to figure it out and start doing it right......cause I am not flexable at all, .........and i'm bigger than he is..... and I spend hardly anytime stretching......I have no problem what so ever.... below 90? how far you have to go dow to your shoulders? You only need like 10 more degress to touch? are your elbows at 3 and 9? or 4 and 8? -------------- gravity is not a law, only a obstacle
snoopy13 Posts: 239 Joined: 2003/11/15	2005/06/25, 08:04 PM If you are having problems touching the bar on your chest try some boards. Start with maybe 3, then 2, then 1, until you touch your chest. I don't know what else to say. I am a 210-215lbs myself and have no problems touching. But everyone is different.
smallbig Posts: 86 Joined: 2004/12/27	2005/06/25, 11:08 PM do you have a good setup when benching? a slightly bigger arch and squeezing the shoulderblades togeather can make a world of differnece. Maybe you just need to do some more rotatator cuff rehab to get it up to par.
GOWAR Posts: 361 Joined: 2001/10/24	2005/06/26, 04:26 AM I did rotator cuff for awhile, especially since I use to have muscle imbalance in my arms, but that went away, recently I was doing close grip bench press and I was able to go down to my chest, but once I finished my sets , I felt it the most in my rotator cuffs. I am not a body builder. Whats 3 and 9 , 4 and 8?????? never heard that.
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2005/06/26, 06:55 AM 3 and 9 is where your elbows are at......thick of your head as 12 o clock. If you bench at 3 and 9 all the time, more presure is on shoulders.....but all the work is one the chest....but in powerlifting this a no no....at 3 and 9....your elbows are at 90degress to body and elbows are 90degress. I bench at 4 and 8......meaning my elbows are closer in and not "flared out", triceps are ingaged more. Combine this with a nice back arch, and thouching the highest part of my chest.....has added close to 25lbs to my benchpress so far........this week i'm geting a new max on bench.... -------------- gravity is not a law, only a obstacle
DeadOnArrival Posts: 95 Joined: 2005/05/22	2005/06/26, 09:44 PM Andrew you are right, but powerlifting or not, shoulder pain is shoulder pain. If your shoulders can't take whats required then you simply can't powerlift. It's like what a football player trashes his knees bad enough that he cant play anymore. Sux, but thats life.
GOWAR Posts: 361 Joined: 2001/10/24	2005/06/27, 06:20 AM my elbows are at 3 and 9, well when i go to grip the bar i always wrap hands around the bar to align my ring finger over the line and then grip, is engaging your triceps alot better for developing power over using your shoulders more??????
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2005/06/27, 08:44 PM I perfere elbows in......les stress on shoulders....abel to use more weight.....arms flarred is usually more....bodybuilding way.....less triceps used... -------------- gravity is not a law, only a obstacle
DeadOnArrival Posts: 95 Joined: 2005/05/22	2005/07/01, 11:28 PM A good power lifter has short arms and big pecs. Obviously if you powerlift you must touch. I however occasionally prove to myself that I can't. I can on a swiss ball though and the weight is about the same.
timmstar Posts: 426 Joined: 2003/12/08	2005/07/02, 02:52 AM why shuold a good power lifter have big pecs.......................................? a good bench doesnt come from the chest???
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2005/07/02, 07:21 AM you can touch on the swiss ball, cause your back is on a round object....giving you an arch( like a powerlifter) and the ball stops your arms when they hitt the ball. The ball to me has a very short range of motion.... and no you don't have to have big pecs short arms.....article I read just resently is on a guy that 114lbs and can bench 340 somthing. -------------- gravity is not a law, only a obstacle
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2005/07/02, 10:54 AM A great powerlifter has big triceps and an ok chest.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2005/07/02, 10:58 AM If an athlete doesn't have shoulder pain then why not train the enitre range of motion on a bench press? It makes them strong through out the entire range. What is wrong with that?
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2005/07/02, 12:42 PM agreed. Your more likely to have an injury at your weak point. Don't avoid training through the entire range of motion because your afraid that you may get injured. More people hurt themselves doing quarter squats with too much weight than full parallel squats with good form. Use common sense. If it feels uncomfortable, work through it. If it is painful, then don't do it. -------------- The best feeling in the world is the feeling you get after a tough set of squats after you step back from the power rack and throw up all over the floor.
DeadOnArrival Posts: 95 Joined: 2005/05/22	2005/08/11, 09:03 PM The swiss ball allows for a greater ROM, not less. Have a go on a properly inflated 55cm ball. They should make some curved benches - that might be interesting.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2005/08/11, 11:56 PM You get a better stretch, which may create the illusion of a greater range of motion, but have a go on a swiss ball and then measure it. Same thing as a powerlifters chest.