pitbull42286
New member
Leverages & Arm Size + the most important Muscle for the Bench:
The bigger your arms are, the bigger your Bench will be for the simple fact of leverages. The bigger arm you have, the better leverages you will have. Now, the most important muscle for a Big Bench is the "Triceps"!! Not the Chest and not the Shoulders, but the Triceps. The Stronger Triceps you have, the bigger your Bench will be. Triceps are 2/3 of your arms size; Bis are for show, and Tris are for go!! Hit them hard with both high intensity and with lots of reps or high volume. High Intensity (Heavy) one workout and High Volume the other workout.
Now, the path of the Bar:
Press the Bar in a straight path. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Some say to press the bar back over your head closer to the top of the lift because it makes it easier (and it might make it easier) but this is one of the main reasons for shoulder tears and shoulder injuries.
The Proper Form:
There is two different kind of bench forms. One is a "Bodybuilder" form which is "flat back" & one is a "Powerlifting" form, which is with as "BIG as arch as possible"! A BBing form bench is unsafe at high percentages or heavy weights; the reason it's unsafe is because you back isn't tight and is lose, which is okay I guess (SMH) at light weights. The theory behind the BBer Bench form (which it is using a ultra-wide grip) is to isolate just the chest. I understand the theory behind this, but it will cause more Chest and Shoulder Injuries then anything else. The reason this is unsafe is because your back supports you in all lifts, not just the Bench, and with a flat/loose back, you are more unstable and prone to injury. The Powerlifting form Bench (which is a closer grip; which incorporate the Triceps the most) is designed to keep everything tight, especially your "BACK". When the back is tight, you are very stable and a lot less likely or prone to injuries, plus you also push with your lats as well.
Hit your tris hard, and focus on your form! Form is the most important thing! Plus, bring the bar down slow to your chest (The Slower you bring the bar down, the easier the weight will go up because you stay in your groove), don't bounce the weight off your chest either, and have a slight pause at the bottom of the lift at the chest before you press back up.