Bench Press Question

[Hombre]

And use suicide grip (at your own risk ofcourse).

Lol, I can see that leading to a really bad start of the day for me.

 

[Hombre]

The best way to find the optimum position with the bench press, is using an empty bar at the extended position, your wrist won't be bent, that is the force of the bar, on the wrist is minimal and the stroke of the movement maximal.

OK, got you. Will give it a shot.

 

[Darkoz]

it's simple, keep your hand, wrist and forearm all in one vertical line.
too wide and your wrist will bend sideways towards the centre, too narrow and it'll bend sideways towards the outside.

 

[Goosey]

it's simple, keep your hand, wrist and forearm all in one vertical line.
too wide and your wrist will bend sideways towards the centre, too narrow and it'll bend sideways towards the outside.

Thats a better way to describe it.

 

[0ni]

I always found incline bench to be better for chest
It's easy to keep the bar path vertical, which will make the chest the main mover
When I bench it's more of a diagonal line like this \ instead of | and I find it very hard to keep the bar path vertical when I get tired. I also complete in PL, so am stronger with the diagonal line so I'd rather push in a vertical line on a different but similar exercise than bastardise something I have pretty efficient technique on

 

[Goosey]

I always found incline bench to be better for chest
It's easy to keep the bar path vertical, which will make the chest the main mover
When I bench it's more of a diagonal line like this \ instead of | and I find it very hard to keep the bar path vertical when I get tired. I also complete in PL, so am stronger with the diagonal line so I'd rather push in a vertical line on a different but similar exercise than bastardise something I have pretty efficient technique on

Your quixotic ramblings still tickle me 0ni

 

[White_Lie]

Do you push away from your head or towards it?
I always thought you were meant to have a bit of an angle, which is why smiths aren't the greatest idea for flat benching

 

[0ni]

The pecs adduct the humerus
So any motion where something other than arm adduction is used to lift the weight will decrease the amount of mechanical work the pectorals do
Lifting back towards the head does this... The shoulders flair around and the anterior and medial delts take some of the work off. In a straight line this happens to less of an extent and you finish in a position where you're more able to contract the chest hard

 

[DREADLIFT]

The pecs adduct the humerus
So any motion where something other than arm adduction is used to lift the weight will decrease the amount of mechanical work the pectorals do

Decline bench press is king in my books when trying to build the chest purely for this reason.
Elbows flared etc, leaving the pectorials to do the majority of the work.The whole decline hits just the lower chest is rubbish. Mind you I havent done any direct chest work in quite a while, and while my bench press is stronger my chest has atrophied from what it was when I brobuilded.

 

[Hombre]

OK, so benched this morning concentrating on : vertical arm position at start (meant bringing in my grip by ~1 inch), scapula retraction, flaring elbows out, tension held in the chest, 1 second hold at chest.

It went as follows: 8 x 60kg, 8 x 70kg, 8 x 80kg, 8 x 90kg, 6 x 100kg, 4 x 110kg

At the 100kg and 110kg mark it was chest failing not tricep (albeit slightly so in the dominant right arm).

Very happy with this, I'd say mission accomplished. Thanks for your help guys.