just a question on bench press

Z

zod

0
When I do bench press I bring the bar almost right down to my chest, not touching my chest but very close. I see a lot of people just going like half way down not even close to their chest, they seem to be able to do more weight on that. Would you call this cheating? or is there some benefit of going only so far down.

Perhaps I got it all wrong:)

Thanks

Zod
 
You're doing it right. I wouldn't call what they're doing cheating, unless you bet them you could bench more than them or something.

There are times when you might want to shorten up a movement (like going half way down on a bench) because that range of motion can do more weight, but most of the time you want the full range of motion.
 
Due to shoulder problems, I use a small block on my chest (about 1 inch) to prevent me from going all the way to my chest. If your shoulders are healthy there shouldn't be any problem as long as you keep your routine balanced, but honestly going all the way to the chest does rely heavier on your external rotators and can give you problems if you have shoulder issues. You can successfully build a big chest without the deep ROM. I doubt only going half-way accomplishes much though. Some people just plain have bad form!
 
I don't believe that you should touch the bar to your chest unless your body allows you... when I was at college, every single year our football team would have at least (i kid you not) 4-5 AC sprains from the new freshman... Because their high school football coach told them that they had to touch the bar to their chest, and knowing high schoolers, all they did were, squats, leg press, bench press, and bicep curls (because remember, they have to look good while playing :p ) So not only they were probably lifting too heavy, they were also overtraining...

This is an article by Paul Chek that explains what I said above...
 
The only reason this wouldn't "count" would be if you were in a powerlifting competition when they have to make sure everyone starts at the same point. The deeper you go the more shoulders you are going to use and this is a chest exercise. I think your arms at a 90 degree angle with your body is all that is necessary (correct me if I'm wrong jp) to get a complete pectoral contraction. Think about a push-up: a good push-up is when your arms are at 90 degrees....you don't lay your chest on the floor. Same with a bench press. We all go a little further than this to ensure a complete rep but too deep risks injury, especially when using very heavy weight. I stopped bringing the bar to my chest mostly because I tended to bounce the bar off of it when I was younger.
 
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