• FreeTrainers.com Forums
• General Fitness & Exercise
• Trouble With Bench

Group: General Fitness & Exercise

Trouble With Bench

nshockeyplaya Posts: 11 Joined: 2007/08/22	2007/12/20, 12:07 AM Okay I have always struggled with benching but now I feel the urge to figure out why. When I bench I feel like getting it off the chest isnt the hard part but my arms start killing when i try to finish the rep. Now I know you're all going to say triceps, but my triceps are actually quite strong and i do a lot of tri exercises. The areas that begin to hurt when doing it are i believe my deltoids (what do you suggest to do to strengthen these best) and like the inside of my arms/(inbetween forearm and bi and tri area). What do you guys suggest are forearms a part of chest problems?
vikings1 Posts: 22 Joined: 2006/03/30	2007/12/20, 12:09 AM What do you weigh? How old are you? How long have you been lifting?? Not that it matters much but it could help to know before I give you any advice
nshockeyplaya Posts: 11 Joined: 2007/08/22	2007/12/20, 12:15 AM 220, 18, 3-4 years (not consistently)
vikings1 Posts: 22 Joined: 2006/03/30	2007/12/20, 12:26 AM Chest workouts involve triceps and shoulders as the secondary muscles worked. Triceps would be my guess as well yet it could be your shoulders thats holding you back. Ive recently incorporated doing 3 heavy sets of barbell shoulder press followed by 3 heavy sets of dumbell shoulder press (military press) during my shoulder routine. I always thought this was working the same thing but apparently it's a different motion and after I do this my shoulders are just killing and I finish off with 2 more exercises - Shrugs, and lateral raises for instance! Killer shoulder workout! Also, with your bench. You could try using chains. Ask around. They may be exactly what your missing in order to get past this problem of yours
ecle5c Posts: 1,312 Joined: 2003/07/10	2007/12/20, 08:20 AM Do you do incline bench, close grip bench, any overhead pressing? I think you need to rotate all of those into your routine. I would venture to say your problem is triceps as well, start doing dips and close grip bench press. What is your back workout like? This can hold you back as well.
Pemdas Posts: 973 Joined: 2004/07/22	2007/12/20, 09:28 AM I still think it tris. If you feel it in your shoulders then chances are that your tris are weak and you bring the bar towards your head transferring the load to your shoulders.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/12/20, 04:18 PM What is your close grip bench in relation to your bench press? Overhead press? Shoulders will mostly be responsible for getting the weight off your chest (anterior deltoids) and the transition through the midpoint of the lift (lateral deltoids). That is why people are skeptical that this is the problem. -------------- SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
nshockeyplaya Posts: 11 Joined: 2007/08/22	2007/12/21, 12:30 PM I am a lot more strong in my close grip bench than my overhead press
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/12/21, 01:04 PM That's not what I asked. -------------- SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/12/21, 01:06 PM Also, when I say close grip, I mean about 12" apart. For some reason people seem to think "close" means touching together. Why anyone would do that is beyond me. -------------- SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
nshockeyplaya Posts: 11 Joined: 2007/08/22	2007/12/21, 07:56 PM I'm sorry I read the question quickly, my bench is not extremely stronger than my close grip, they are the expected proportions, in relation to my overhead press my close grip is slightly stronger
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/12/21, 08:56 PM I was kind of looking for ratios or numbers. I already know that YOU think your close grip isn't weak. However, I obviously don't think that, so I was not looking for you to reaffirm what you had already said. You came off in this thread asking for advice, and then telling us that you already think everyone else is wrong. This way of thinking won't get you far. Chances are, if you think your delts are weak, you really have weak triceps and are bringing the weight too high on your chest to overcompensate. I've seen this over and over again, it's one of the most common bench press weaknesses. Strengthen your triceps and practice tucking your elbows more and bringing the bar lower over your chest and pressing straight up as opposed to in a j motion. -------------- SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde Blood Guts Sweat Chalk