Different 'stages' of a bench press

[ithryn]

I'm trying to figure out what muscles take over which parts of a bench press lift. I did heavy (for me) doubles today.

For one, I always lower the bar very slowly when it's heavy. Maybe a good second or two. Not sure why. I guess I'm subconsciously afraid of dropping it? But I'm using safety arms. The one rep that I forced myself to drop the bar rapidly, I felt like I wasn't tight at the bottom and there was no stretch reflex - that was the hardest rep to get up. It hovered over my chest for a while and then slowly started moving again, like it was a pin press I guess.

As far as the path going up, there seems to be two rough spots: from my sternum to a few inches up, and then it travels a little easier for a few inches, and then wants to stop again (my arms are probably at a 90 degree angle at that point); if I get through that second sticking point, it glides the last six or so inches to lockout easily.

I haven't failed any reps lately, and I probably don't need to do partial lifts yet as I'm just getting back into consistent training anyway, but I was just curious.

[Murelli]

I'm trying to figure out what muscles take over which parts of a bench press lift. I did heavy (for me) doubles today.

For one, I always lower the bar very slowly when it's heavy. Maybe a good second or two. Not sure why. I guess I'm subconsciously afraid of dropping it? But I'm using safety arms. The one rep that I forced myself to drop the bar rapidly, I felt like I wasn't tight at the bottom and there was no stretch reflex - that was the hardest rep to get up. It hovered over my chest for a while and then slowly started moving again, like it was a pin press I guess.

As far as the path going up, there seems to be two rough spots: from my sternum to a few inches up, and then it travels a little easier for a few inches, and then wants to stop again (my arms are probably at a 90 degree angle at that point); if I get through that second sticking point, it glides the last six or so inches to lockout easily.

I haven't failed any reps lately, and I probably don't need to do partial lifts yet as I'm just getting back into consistent training anyway, but I was just curious.

IMO - if you lower it too slow you don't get 100% stretch reflex bonus. It's a big thing for me - all my paused lifts get a big deload from their parent movements and the timing of the hip bounce in Press 2.0 is often the difference of make it or break it.

If you lower too quick you lose tightness, like in a squat. Your lats must become loose, your whole back softens and you get your ribcage moving when it shouldn't. It also may hurt your elbows and shoulders, because they may now end up in positions they don't like to be with a big load on them. Like in the squat, you have to find the right speed to profit 100% from the stretch reflex (potato drahve) without getting loose, squishy and letting the chest version of knee slide kick in.

[mgil]

First sticking point would benefit from a tighter upper back and squeezing the shit out of the bar. It's where your biceps and lats are no longer helping the initial push. That's about 2-3 inches off the chest. Pin bench.

The second spot is weak triceps. Do Andy's triceps accessories without fail.

[d0uevenlift]

It's possible that your very slow descent is hurting your bench. You're almost doing a tempo bench if your eccentric is 1-2 seconds long. Lower it faster while keeping it under control--if it's a weight that you can do for reps, it's not going to crush you.

I second mgil, but I'd also argue that your second sticking point (where your arms are flexed at 90 degrees) is also where your front delts are doing a lot of work.

At any rate, you could benefit from fixing your technique before you start doing supplemental exercises to address your weak points (unless you're benching a lot of weight already). And depending on which coach you ask, some will say that training weak points (like doing pin bench, paused bench, board press, etc.) solves your weaknesses, while other coaches would say that no matter what you do, your weak points will always be your weak points and it's better to train them through the full range of motion rather than doing partial movements.

[ithryn]

Like in the squat, you have to find the right speed to profit 100% from the stretch reflex (potato drahve) without getting loose, squishy and letting the chest version of knee slide kick in.

I'll be benching 3x5 and cgbp a bunch after that next workout, so I will concentrate like hell on this.

First sticking point would benefit from a tighter upper back and squeezing the shit out of the bar. It's where your biceps and lats are no longer helping the initial push. That's about 2-3 inches off the chest. Pin bench.

The second spot is weak triceps. Do Andy's triceps accessories without fail.

Thanks, I think that's the explanation I was looking for. Yeah, Baker's tricep work is insane but I appreciate and need it. And I'll remember this cue.

depending on which coach you ask, some will say that training weak points (like doing pin bench, paused bench, board press, etc.) solves your weaknesses, while other coaches would say that no matter what you do, your weak points will always be your weak points and it's better to train them through the full range of motion rather than doing partial movements.

I think I just need to concentrate on doing the actual benching reps correctly, but extra assistance work seems to be helping. I'm in Baker's barbell club programming now and there's a fair amount of it, more than I'm used to anyway. I guess it's early to say it's working - it's more like I just like doing it, lol.

I suspect that unathletic dorks such as myself with no background of sports or bro-lifting might benefit from all the assistance stuff on top of the regular movements just to start increasing the smaller muscle belly sizes. At least that's my amateur thinking. Versus just doing a pure powerlifting program with all posterior chain work and some full ROM pressing, where you're more likely to hit a stall because of some small muscle group that you never used in the 30 years before you picked up Starting Strength.

[broseph]

Do you film all your lifts? It might be useful to film these to really see how fast/slow you're moving.

On really heavy benches, I feel like the first rep is super slow motion on the way down. Video replay shows it to be much faster than I'm perceiving. If you are in fact having too slow of an eccentric, I have no useful advice.

[slowmotion]

I have the same problem with a too slow descent on the first rep of a heavy set. The rest of the reps are usually fine.
I haven't figured out how to fix that yet.

[ithryn]

I have this theory that biceps are what provide resistance to the bar on its path down. I mean, a muscle (or muscles) must be keep the bar from plummeting and flattening your chest, right? So maybe just having weak bi's (since you're #bodybyrippetoe and preserved your dignity never having done a curl in your life) makes you subconsciously nervous about controlling the descent.

I can't imagine what muscles it would be except your biceps. Everything else is lengthening on the way down, ready to contract to pull the bar up. Only the biceps is shortening on the way down.

[cwd]

Pretty sure the triceps, pecs, and anterior delts are working eccentrically to slow the descent.

[ithryn]

I benched doubles today. I noticed I have a sticking point on the way down, where about six inches into the drop from lockout I want to stop the bar and not let it go further. Forcing it to drop further lost tightness on the last set and blew it, the bar came down and just stopped on my chest.

I think as I get stronger this will go away but it's a shame that I'm pretty sure I could press it up, I just can't press it up from what's basically an un-tight pause at the bottom.

I'm laughing at myself thinking I should I try pin bench from 12" off my chest.

[Murelli]

I benched doubles today. I noticed I have a sticking point on the way down, where about six inches into the drop from lockout I want to stop the bar and not let it go further. Forcing it to drop further lost tightness on the last set and blew it, the bar came down and just stopped on my chest.

I think as I get stronger this will go away but it's a shame that I'm pretty sure I could press it up, I just can't press it up from what's basically an un-tight pause at the bottom.

I'm laughing at myself thinking I should I try pin bench from 12" off my chest.

Don't, it will reinforce the bad motor pattern. Maybe try some tempo benching? Is it a thing?

[ithryn]

You know, today for my 8's I just focused on what Gil said, grip the bar and keep my back tight. I did that from the top on down and I was able to keep the first rep faster, though it was still slower than the other reps.

Of course that was 8's so it was lighter.

[OCG]

I benched doubles today. I noticed I have a sticking point on the way down, where about six inches into the drop from lockout I want to stop the bar and not let it go further. Forcing it to drop further lost tightness on the last set and blew it, the bar came down and just stopped on my chest.

I think as I get stronger this will go away but it's a shame that I'm pretty sure I could press it up, I just can't press it up from what's basically an un-tight pause at the bottom.

I'm laughing at myself thinking I should I try pin bench from 12" off my chest.

Don't, it will reinforce the bad motor pattern. Maybe try some tempo benching? Is it a thing?

KOTJ likes a 4-2-0 tempo. I concur it's nice. Something else that's nice is a 3-5 count pause.