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Benching

I have brought my grip in a whole hand width either side...because I think that's healthier for my joints. Might have lost 5kg of strength in short term.
 
I also think it's important to position your hand on the bar so that there is no wrist movement and that the wrist is straight.

the best way to determine this is to hold a stick or pole and extend you arm straight out in front of you as if you're going to punch.

then notice the angle of the stick in relation to you body, the will determine the hand spacing on the bar for you.
 

I agree with you in that determining the optimum grip widthfor you personally is important for safety and efficiency.
But 'close grip' bench is an accessory exercise, primarily for triceps. I don't think anyone was suggesting powerlifting with a close grip. Our were they?
 
Close grips (closer than shoulder width) hurt my shoulder's. I've deleted it from my regime. Dips are where it's at.
 

The distance the bar travels, the path the bar travels, the balance of muscle activation/power, and the primary purpose all vary to the point where they are programmed differently and used differently which, despite what Bazz thinks, allows them to be considered different exercises. Yes technically they are variations but so are box and normal squats, front and normal squats, sumo and conventional deads, but each of these have enough difference in execution and purpose to be considered a wholly different exercises too.
 

Actually some wrist movement in the bench is good, it adds more power when done correctly.
 
Shrek said:
Close grips (closer than shoulder width) hurt my shoulder's. I've deleted it from my regime. Dips are where it's at.
Click to expand...

I don't think close grip bench should ever be done closer than shoulder width, its just awful mechanically in every way.
 

You really think a couple inches in grip width changes the muscle activation that much that it's not essentially the same exercise still. Sure powerlifters use what ever is strongest but that wasn't the argument

The argument was that close grip cannot replace normal bench because it is so different to normal bench. Lol.

For the record I like dips but they never increased my bench and I close grip about 20kg more than a wider grip bench.

Do we class every other slight grip width variation of every other exercise as a totally different exercise.
 
El Freako said:
I don't think close grip bench should ever be done closer than shoulder width, its just awful mechanically in every way.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate?

I'm doing 90x5x5 at the moment as assistance, feels allright. Very very narrow grip, lots of ROM.
 

Spot on.
 
We'll agree to disagree.
the hand spacing on the bar generally effects the rom, it's still the same exercise in terms of what muscles are required to move the bar.
 
El Freako said:
Actually some wrist movement in the bench is good, it adds more power when done correctly.
Click to expand...

Some wrist movement is unavoidable, how excactly does the movement provide more power Ben?

the interesting thing is you have three joints rotating around an axis to move the bare in a straight line and although the wrist is not a Ball joint the wrist does allow limited rotation along with stability
 
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Denis "232.5kg raw bench at 93kg" Cieri demonstrate it to some of us at last year's Raw Nats, its mainly for those whose bar path is more arced, as you descend you allow some backward movement of your wrists as you tuck your elbows which simultaneously shortens the bar ROM and allows for more power from flaring your elbows as your press back in an arc.

From 4:40...

 
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