Wide Grip Bench Press

^Iain - don't get me wrong. Personally speaking, I do think benching 'properly' is the way to go (you know this from our discussions and my journal!), regardless of what your goals are. But all I'm saying is, well... look at vids of Arnie benching, elbows flared til tuesday! And I think he was known to have won a bodybuilding comp or two? So regardless of what I may think, I accept that top bodybuilders are in a much better position to say how to bench for bodybuilding purposes than I am (or Big Daddy, or any of the powerlifting gurus)

I know were your coming from CK.

But to be honest the top coaches in strength and conditioning are in a much beter position to advice on effective benching for any purpose. The top guys are gona be the top guys almost any way they train as long as it's done hard and consistantly. It's therefore not a case of 'arnie used this therefore we all should do this for bigger pecs'. The top BB are not there because of superior technique... at least not compared to their peers
 
I do not suggest that taking the arms out dose not work the chest well, and if your shoulders are fine with it kudos. Merly that other forms aka a slight tuck, will work the chest just as effectivly for most people and with less potential for exessive shoulder strain.
 
 

Cheers for the info CK and BigDaddy. Much appreciated. I wanted info for a BB not a PL (I should have stated that in the OP).

To be honest I only wanted to know what position was better to hit the pecs and what I think is I'll be sticking to the shoulder width grip. I'll perfect my form at lower weights then move up ensuring I can do the ROM in full i.e. move the bar all the way to my chest and back up nice and slow so I get a good kick in the pecs.

Cheers for the advice again

Zeddy


To be honest I only wanted to know what position was better to hit the pecs and what I think is I'll be sticking to the shoulder width grip.

I would have shoulder width grip as a close grip bench press. Eg more a tricep exercise especailly as this method is easier on the wrist when elbows are tucked in.
 
I would make your grip wider if you want your pecs to take more of the emphasis.

CitizenKane


By the way Big Daddy, you do realise that Louie Simmons and Dave Tate both advocate pumping yourself full of test as well? I find it quite ironic then that you seem to take everything else they say as gospel considering your outspoken anti-AAS stance (as made apparent in your ridiculous post a while ago in the bodybuilding supplements section requesting supplement companies to alter their mailing list sendouts to omit any hormonal products, just for you).

BTW CK, did you listen to a word I said? I asked you how Loiue Simmons injured his shoulders and you are telling me about his drug taking? You think my post on the emails from a certain company ridiculous? Well guess what, the offending emails no longer arrive in my inbox so the post helped. So you are suggesting everyone on here takes bodybuilding drugs and steroids?

What I find ridiculous is your immature argument not only on how to bench by dissing experts and not finding any written evidence to back your arguments up.. One minute you are asking about drug-free powerlifting in the Power and Strength the next minute you are discussing steroids and drugs in your journal. Did you contact the Irish BDFPA or you have decided to be a drug-assisted bodybuilder?

CitizenKane

cleg


Following this with interest.So power lifters bench with their elbows tucked into their sides?That's how I close grip bench but surely that makes it a movement primarily a tricep move? As it happens I dumbell press mainly now cos of shoulder issues but still interested to know.

Yeah they tuck their elbows at the bottom half of the movement, and flare their elbows out at the top. They also arch their back so as to decrease the ROM and to initiate leg drive into the lift, and they drive their upper back into the bench so they can utilize their lats in the bottom portion of the lift. The idea is to make yourself as stable as possible on the bench to give yourself the best position to press weight from. It does take away a lot of the work done by the chest and transfers it to other muscles, hence why bodybuilders don't do it!

Read Mark Rippetoe's book. Mark Rippetoe states that SS is not for powerlifting but does not teach the bodybuilding bench press. Why? Read the book. When you claim that bodybuilders do or don't where are you basing your claim on?

It is interesting that cleg has shoulder issues from "benching like a bodybuilder" yet according to CK people are supposed to do this injury free.

As it happens I got dodgy shoulders from behind the neck pressing but after that it seemed my bench (and a few other exercises) suffered because of it.

I have read Rippetoe's book. I have read lots by Simmons, Tate, Wendler and so on. Maybe not as much as you, but I also have read enough about bodybuilding to not make sweeping generalisations about it like bodybuilders should all train like powerlifters and that bodybuilding type splits are useless.

You notice that I am actually agreeing with you, I do favour the elbows tucked, arched back technique. I believe it is you who are not listening to a word I'm saying! Put it down to a breakdown in communication or just arrogance on your part - but I'm not the one who just received a formal warning for my posting style yesterday so I'm guessing the latter!

BTW I was asking about drug free powerlifting feds because I want to lift in one if I stay natty, because I would be competing against other nattys and I could do better, not because I have some moral objection to steroids. If I ever do go down the steroids route, then obviously I will aim to lift in an untested fed. Don't really see how that's relevant.

Zeddy - apologies for defiling your thread with this garbage!

Actually CK I was not here to argue with you I found a good deal on protein and I'll be back in a couple of months looking for more protein.

You raised something which was not necessary to the argument i.e drugs and given you have brought this up, IMHO you should not consider juicing barely having started training.

If you have actually read Rippetoe's stuff (which serves as an introduction rather than a powerlifting how to) then there is actually no argument.

I would urge anyone else to similarly read for themselves quality material on the bench press as any good author on the topic will off course discuss potential injuries as well as issues with narrow or wide grip and what happens for example if you go too wide or too narrow.

Big Daddy

You raised something which was not necessary to the argument i.e drugs

The drugs reference just served to illustrate a point. But in all fairness, the OP just asked about the effects of grip distance on targeting the pecs while benching, so pretty much everything both you and I have discussed in this thread is not neccessary to the argument and off-topic as well!

Again, I agree with you here, do as much reading as you can, but also do as Rippetoe says and don't just take one or two guys' opinions as gospel (even his - he says this himself!), find out what works for you by trial and error, etc.

Not much point in following up this argument anymore so I'll steer clear and hopefully the thread will get back on topic. No hard feelings mate.

CitizenKane


Zeddy - apologies for defiling your thread with this garbage!

Don't worry about it mate. It's good to get everyone's view on thing's even if they're pointless 

"Umm possibly because they just don't know how to f***ing bench" haha love that vid

I have been benching (or at least as similar as i can) to the method on Dave Tates video for quite a few months now. I train for size rather than to compete as a PL.

Ive found with me having had shoulder probs and 16 months since i had shoudler surgery that ive gain size and strength and still able to train ok with my shoudler still giving me probs now and again.

I dont go silly tucked in with elbows just make sure im not overly flaring them out.

Works for me :-)

Rodge