Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing?

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (Nm0ney34)

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:13:08 GMT

Im glad you posted this as well,

but I hope you werent thinking I was telling him he NEEDS to bench the way I posted.

I have just found the technique useful and eliminates that cruch that so many people rely on. And the main reason I started doing it was to prevent myself from arching and it really does hit the chest a little bit harder.

The effect of this is to eliminate the use of the lower body during the movement and to make the bench press harder. This might be uselful to an advanced trainee...it is also useful in the case of a trainee with a lower back injury...if your back is okay, you should be able to keep your feet down on the floor

That is basically the jist of what I was trying to get across. Just a technique to use. Not how the bench should be properly performed.

ORIGINAL: MikeMahony

ORIGINAL: Nm0ney34

yes its bad, bad habit and bad form.

Here is a technique you can teach yourself to eliminate your lower body from the lift. lay down on the bench like normal, but straighten your legs and cross your ankles. You can also raise your legs up bend the knees and cross your ankles.

A warning, you may have a hard time balancing your upper body at first, dont go immediately heavy test it out and see if you feel comfortable.

dont be a sheep and bench like 90% of the population out there, wrong.

"Learning to Bench Press...As usual, start with an empty bar. ALWAYS start every lift with an empty bar, whether learning it for the first time or warming up for a personal record. Lie down on the bench with your eyes looking straight up. In thi sposition, you should be far enough down (always meaning toward the foot-end of the bnech) from the bar that when looking up your eyes are on the foot-side of the bar. Your feet should be flat on the ground in a comfortable spacing comparable to the squat stance, with your shins approximately vertical. Your upper back should be flat against the bench, with the lower back in an anatomically normal arched position.

* * *

Shoulders and upper back.

"Shoulders" here refers to the lateral and posterior aspect of the shoulders, since the anterior deltoids were included in the discussion of the chest for functional reasons. This important group of muscles has two functions. First, the shoulders need to be planted firmly against the bench, and taken together with the muscles of the upper back (the ones between the shoulders), used as a platform to drive against while pushing the bar. When this is done correctly, the shoulder blades, or scaulae, will be adducted, or pulled together, to make a flat spot on the upper back to push against the bench itself.

* * *

Lower back, hips and legs.

The bench press is an upper body exercise, but since the feet are on the floor, everything between the feet and the upper body has the potential to be somewhat involved in th eexercise...Strictly speaking, the kinetic chain begins at the bar and ends at the upper back/bench interface...the legs do more than stabilize the lower body as the bar is moved through its path, although that is a major part of their function. Used correctly, the legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally up the bench through the hips into the arched back to reinforce the arch and keep the chst in its high position...the legs and hips thus function as a brace for the chest and shoulders, giving the upper body a connection to the floor, and allowing the lower body to contribute to the movement. Before you have a chance to misinterpret, this is not the same thing as bridging or heaving the bar. This happens when the butt actually comess of the bench.

* * *

Feet.

Proper foot position should be flat against the floor so that the heels can be used as the base of the drive up the legs. As with most of the things in the weight room, your heels need to be nailed down to the floor...There are people--usually casual trainers, fitness enthusiasts, or retired powerlifters--who insist on benching with their feet up on the bench or possibly held up in the air. The effect of this is to eliminate the use of the lower body during the movement and to make the bench press harder. This might be uselful to an advanced trainee...it is also useful in the case of a trainee with a lower back injury...if your back is okay, you should be able to keep your feet down on the floor." (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe & Lon Kilgore, pp. 66- 103)

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (RedJeep)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:26:30 GMT

ORIGINAL: MikeMahony

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

This is like saying that if you want big quads, you need partial squats.

No, not really. I told him to focus the weight on his chest as much as possible, this way he will not be recruiting other muscles to do the work that his chest should be the focus of. He asked about using back in bench press and I told him to use his chest. You have to use supporting muscles in bench, as well as in squats, even partial squats.

I don't get it. Why would you want to isolate the chest? This is a compound movement and it is supposed to work a lot of muscles, not to isolate anything. How do you "focus on your chest as much as possible"?

Arching your back and putting your feet on the floor, is good form as long as the butt stays on the bench.

Nevermind.

I know how to focus my bench on my chest with lighter weight and I know how to perform so that I can push the most weight. I guess you dont understand what I am saying, which is ok.

Redjeep, the point is that the bench press is a COMPOUND not an ISOLATION exercise. That's what coldfire is trying to get at. I posted all that information from Rippetoe and all you can say is "Nevermind" and finish it with an "I know now to focus my bench on my chest..."? Come on dude, answer coldfire's question. Give us more of an explanation. We are all here to learn.

Sorry, It had no meaning in a powerlifting and strength section, it was purely about body building. I will try and find that video, maybe it was incorrect. I rarely practice this "other form" because I am more interested in improving my strength, not so much on the size of my chest. I know bench is a compound lift, but like close grip bench, you can use it to work more triceps, the same could be done for chest right? Maybe I am incorrect.
___________________
Would you say the main reason for arching the back would be to make the chest higher, which would in turn decrease the distance you would have to bring down the bar? If you didn't arch your back would your lift be more effective because of the larger ROM? Just something I was wondering.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (MikeMahony)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:52:06 GMT

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

This is like saying that if you want big quads, you need partial squats.

No, not really. I told him to focus the weight on his chest as much as possible, this way he will not be recruiting other muscles to do the work that his chest should be the focus of. He asked about using back in bench press and I told him to use his chest. You have to use supporting muscles in bench, as well as in squats, even partial squats.

I don't get it. Why would you want to isolate the chest? This is a compound movement and it is supposed to work a lot of muscles, not to isolate anything. How do you "focus on your chest as much as possible"?

Arching your back and putting your feet on the floor, is good form as long as the butt stays on the bench.

Nevermind.

I know how to focus my bench on my chest with lighter weight and I know how to perform so that I can push the most weight. I guess you dont understand what I am saying, which is ok.

Redjeep, the point is that the bench press is a COMPOUND not an ISOLATION exercise. That's what coldfire is trying to get at. I posted all that information from Rippetoe and all you can say is "Nevermind" and finish it with an "I know now to focus my bench on my chest..."? Come on dude, answer coldfire's question. Give us more of an explanation. We are all here to learn.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (coldfire)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:32:21 GMT

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

I know how to focus my bench on my chest with lighter weight and I know how to perform so that I can push the most weight. I guess you dont understand what I am saying, which is ok.

Of course I don't understand. That's why I was asking.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (RedJeep)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:29:00 GMT

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

This is like saying that if you want big quads, you need partial squats.

No, not really. I told him to focus the weight on his chest as much as possible, this way he will not be recruiting other muscles to do the work that his chest should be the focus of. He asked about using back in bench press and I told him to use his chest. You have to use supporting muscles in bench, as well as in squats, even partial squats.

I don't get it. Why would you want to isolate the chest? This is a compound movement and it is supposed to work a lot of muscles, not to isolate anything. How do you "focus on your chest as much as possible"?

Arching your back and putting your feet on the floor, is good form as long as the butt stays on the bench.

Nevermind.

I know how to focus my bench on my chest with lighter weight and I know how to perform so that I can push the most weight. I guess you dont understand what I am saying, which is ok.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (coldfire)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:24:59 GMT

ORIGINAL: MikeMahony

"Learning to Bench Press...As usual, start with an empty bar. ALWAYS start every lift with an empty bar, whether learning it for the first time or warming up for a personal record. Lie down on the bench with your eyes looking straight up. In thi sposition, you should be far enough down (always meaning toward the foot-end of the bnech) from the bar that when looking up your eyes are on the foot-side of the bar. Your feet should be flat on the ground in a comfortable spacing comparable to the squat stance, with your shins approximately vertical. Your upper back should be flat against the bench, with the lower back in an anatomically normal arched position.

* * *

Shoulders and upper back.

"Shoulders" here refers to the lateral and posterior aspect of the shoulders, since the anterior deltoids were included in the discussion of the chest for functional reasons. This important group of muscles has two functions. First, the shoulders need to be planted firmly against the bench, and taken together with the muscles of the upper back (the ones between the shoulders), used as a platform to drive against while pushing the bar. When this is done correctly, the shoulder blades, or scaulae, will be adducted, or pulled together, to make a flat spot on the upper back to push against the bench itself.

* * *

Lower back, hips and legs.

The bench press is an upper body exercise, but since the feet are on the floor, everything between the feet and the upper body has the potential to be somewhat involved in th eexercise...Strictly speaking, the kinetic chain begins at the bar and ends at the upper back/bench interface...the legs do more than stabilize the lower body as the bar is moved through its path, although that is a major part of their function. Used correctly, the legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally up the bench through the hips into the arched back to reinforce the arch and keep the chst in its high position...the legs and hips thus function as a brace for the chest and shoulders, giving the upper body a connection to the floor, and allowing the lower body to contribute to the movement. Before you have a chance to misinterpret, this is not the same thing as bridging or heaving the bar. This happens when the butt actually comess of the bench.

* * *

Feet.

Proper foot position should be flat against the floor so that the heels can be used as the base of the drive up the legs. As with most of the things in the weight room, your heels need to be nailed down to the floor...There are people--usually casual trainers, fitness enthusiasts, or retired powerlifters--who insist on benching with their feet up on the bench or possibly held up in the air. The effect of this is to eliminate the use of the lower body during the movement and to make the bench press harder. This might be uselful to an advanced trainee...it is also useful in the case of a trainee with a lower back injury...if your back is okay, you should be able to keep your feet down on the floor." (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe & Lon Kilgore, pp. 66- 103)

Thanks for not being lazy like me and writing all this.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (MikeMahony)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:43:10 GMT

ORIGINAL: Nm0ney34

yes its bad, bad habit and bad form.

Here is a technique you can teach yourself to eliminate your lower body from the lift. lay down on the bench like normal, but straighten your legs and cross your ankles. You can also raise your legs up bend the knees and cross your ankles.

A warning, you may have a hard time balancing your upper body at first, dont go immediately heavy test it out and see if you feel comfortable.

dont be a sheep and bench like 90% of the population out there, wrong.

"Learning to Bench Press...As usual, start with an empty bar. ALWAYS start every lift with an empty bar, whether learning it for the first time or warming up for a personal record. Lie down on the bench with your eyes looking straight up. In thi sposition, you should be far enough down (always meaning toward the foot-end of the bnech) from the bar that when looking up your eyes are on the foot-side of the bar. Your feet should be flat on the ground in a comfortable spacing comparable to the squat stance, with your shins approximately vertical. Your upper back should be flat against the bench, with the lower back in an anatomically normal arched position.

* * *

Shoulders and upper back.

"Shoulders" here refers to the lateral and posterior aspect of the shoulders, since the anterior deltoids were included in the discussion of the chest for functional reasons. This important group of muscles has two functions. First, the shoulders need to be planted firmly against the bench, and taken together with the muscles of the upper back (the ones between the shoulders), used as a platform to drive against while pushing the bar. When this is done correctly, the shoulder blades, or scaulae, will be adducted, or pulled together, to make a flat spot on the upper back to push against the bench itself.

* * *

Lower back, hips and legs.

The bench press is an upper body exercise, but since the feet are on the floor, everything between the feet and the upper body has the potential to be somewhat involved in th eexercise...Strictly speaking, the kinetic chain begins at the bar and ends at the upper back/bench interface...the legs do more than stabilize the lower body as the bar is moved through its path, although that is a major part of their function. Used correctly, the legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally up the bench through the hips into the arched back to reinforce the arch and keep the chst in its high position...the legs and hips thus function as a brace for the chest and shoulders, giving the upper body a connection to the floor, and allowing the lower body to contribute to the movement. Before you have a chance to misinterpret, this is not the same thing as bridging or heaving the bar. This happens when the butt actually comess of the bench.

* * *

Feet.

Proper foot position should be flat against the floor so that the heels can be used as the base of the drive up the legs. As with most of the things in the weight room, your heels need to be nailed down to the floor...There are people--usually casual trainers, fitness enthusiasts, or retired powerlifters--who insist on benching with their feet up on the bench or possibly held up in the air. The effect of this is to eliminate the use of the lower body during the movement and to make the bench press harder. This might be uselful to an advanced trainee...it is also useful in the case of a trainee with a lower back injury...if your back is okay, you should be able to keep your feet down on the floor." (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe & Lon Kilgore, pp. 66- 103)

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (coldfire)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:50:28 GMT

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

This is like saying that if you want big quads, you need partial squats.

No, not really. I told him to focus the weight on his chest as much as possible, this way he will not be recruiting other muscles to do the work that his chest should be the focus of. He asked about using back in bench press and I told him to use his chest. You have to use supporting muscles in bench, as well as in squats, even partial squats.

I don't get it. Why would you want to isolate the chest? This is a compound movement and it is supposed to work a lot of muscles, not to isolate anything. How do you "focus on your chest as much as possible"?

Arching your back and putting your feet on the floor, is good form as long as the butt stays on the bench.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (RedJeep)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:30:59 GMT

ORIGINAL: coldfire

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

This is like saying that if you want big quads, you need partial squats.

No, not really. I told him to focus the weight on his chest as much as possible, this way he will not be recruiting other muscles to do the work that his chest should be the focus of. He asked about using back in bench press and I told him to use his chest. You have to use supporting muscles in bench, as well as in squats, even partial squats.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (Nm0ney34)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:47:55 GMT

yes its bad, bad habit and bad form.

Here is a technique you can teach yourself to eliminate your lower body from the lift. lay down on the bench like normal, but straighten your legs and cross your ankles. You can also raise your legs up bend the knees and cross your ankles.

A warning, you may have a hard time balancing your upper body at first, dont go immediately heavy test it out and see if you feel comfortable.

dont be a sheep and bench like 90% of the population out there, wrong.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (coldfire)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:30:03 GMT

ORIGINAL: RedJeep

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

This is like saying that if you want big quads, you need partial squats.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (RedJeep)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:23:08 GMT

ORIGINAL: gregdavidson

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?

silverfox is correct.

The real question is are you trying to lift more or get a bigger chest? If you want your chest to grow then you need to isolate it as much as possible when benching, the less delts, triceps and lats that you use the more you will work your chest. This will mean that you will need to drop the weight initially.

There was a great video in the training section about isolating chest during chest workouts, I can't seem to be able to find it though.

RE: Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (TheSilverFox)

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:45:09 GMT

they're using their back, and also probably pushing the floor with their legs.

this is incorrect form, and could lead to injury, the higher the weight goes / more arch there is in the back.

it is ok to have a small amount of arch in the lower back.. and i stress the word "small". the natural curvature of the spine is right there in the lumbar area, so this is the reason for the small amount of arch.

however.. if you find yourself lifting your bottom off the bench, and bending your back like crazy.. that's INCORRECT. you are straining, and could very well hurt yourself.

Is it bad to use your back when bench pressing? (gregdavidson)

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:54:16 GMT

I noticed a lot of guys in the gym are using their back when trying to lift really heavy. Will you eventually screw up your back or is this ok?