# Bench question



## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

Hi folks, im currently plodding away with my 80kg bench at the moment, when using the range of motion i bring the bar right down till it touchs my chest,

i understand that everybody is different, strength, how long training etc, but anyway to cut a long story short,

while in the gym the other day,i noticed a lad on the bench, big guy to be fair but mostly fat, anyway he was benching about 170 or so , i was watching his form, and for every rep he was only bringing the bar down about 1 third of the way, does anyone else do this? or was he doing tricep work??

any enlightenment would be appreciated!


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

my question is wether this can be deemed as a true bench or not..


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## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

He is lifting too much, not doing a full ROM so FAIL.

Tricep work would be close grip bench - have you seen this? Maybe he was doing this as the ROM of this is smaller.


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

No it was a definate wide grip, his spotter friend was looking at everyone as if to say ' hey this is my mate, check his big lifts, '


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## Brotein (Mar 22, 2010)

They were both a pair of tossers then, I seen two lads the other week loaded it with 80kg, but only used a 2 inch range of motion, was so tempted to call them out.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Proxy said:


> my question is wether this can be deemed as a true bench or not..


Well technically in powerlifting terms, no it's not... but then again if he's not in a competition and just doing a work out so who cares?



Brotein said:


> They were both a pair of tossers then, I seen two lads the other week loaded it with 80kg, but only used a 2 inch range of motion, was so tempted to call them out.


I think that's a bit harsh. 170kg is a sh!t load of weight to be shifting even if not performing full range of motion. Maybe he can press 150kg clean and is doing a really heavy session so he can drop back down to 155/160 next week... what's the harm in that?


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

thanks lads, i feel better now!


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

2004mark said:


> Well technically in powerlifting terms, no it's not... but then again if he's not in a competition and just doing a work out so who cares?
> 
> I understand what you mean mate, but i just got the vibe from this dude that he wanted to look the dogs balls around everyone,


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## flinty90 (Jul 1, 2010)

Proxy said:


> thanks lads, i feel better now!


feel better why ??? cos your assured he wasnt doing it right and you feel better about your 80 kg ?? or feel better knowing your doing yours to your chest so will be beneffiting from your own workouts ???

he may have been doing something different altogether, people use boards to have the weights coming down to different angles from 1 inch away from chest up to 6 inches away whilst there pressing. its not wrong its just different and he may have specific goals....

When you can banch 170 with any form mate let us know and then you can start feeling bad for this guy ... until then you just continue to do your routine as you are doing mate and you will see results.. its a case of leaving ego at the door im afraid pal.. let them get on with it and dont let it enter your session !!!


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## Brotein (Mar 22, 2010)

2004mark said:


> Well technically in powerlifting terms, no it's not... but then again if he's not in a competition and just doing a work out so who cares?
> 
> I think that's a bit harsh. 170kg is a sh!t load of weight to be shifting even if not performing full range of motion. Maybe he can press 150kg clean and is doing a really heavy session so he can drop back down to 155/160 next week... what's the harm in that?


Doing half reps is no excuse


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## flinty90 (Jul 1, 2010)

Brotein said:


> Doing half reps is no excuse


lol your jokin arent you !!!!


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Brotein said:


> Doing half reps is no excuse


No excuse for what exactly lol


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## Brotein (Mar 22, 2010)

If you are going to do half reps it should be from the bottom up, not the other way around, and that would be called partial reps.


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## Dig (Aug 28, 2007)

Brotein said:


> If you are going to do half reps it should be from the bottom up, not the other way around, and that would be called partial reps.


Half reps just going down mid-way or so will overload tri's, much like a high board press just without the board there (although not as effective imo) which is what flinty is getting at i think.


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

flinty90 said:


> feel better why ??? cos your assured he wasnt doing it right and you feel better about your 80 kg ?? or feel better knowing your doing yours to your chest so will be beneffiting from your own workouts ???
> 
> he may have been doing something different altogether, people use boards to have the weights coming down to different angles from 1 inch away from chest up to 6 inches away whilst there pressing. its not wrong its just different and he may have specific goals....
> 
> When you can banch 170 with any form mate let us know and then you can start feeling bad for this guy ... until then you just continue to do your routine as you are doing mate and you will see results.. its a case of leaving ego at the door im afraid pal.. let them get on with it and dont let it enter your session !!!


Flinty, i will be delighted the day i hit 100 let alone 170, ego has nothing to do with this at all, i think you are getting the wrong end of the stick, but i do think that surely the majority of gym goers must be slightly envious of a man who is lifting heavier than himself, we are male after all , and we wouldnt strive to lift heavier if we didnt give a s''t who was stronger, i wonder if i was some high poster on this site would you be inclined to agree with me ?


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2011)

2004mark said:


> *I think that's a bit harsh*. 170kg is a sh!t load of weight to be shifting even if not performing full range of motion. Maybe he can press 150kg clean and is doing a really heavy session so he can drop back down to 155/160 next week... what's the harm in that?


Why? i think its spot on. if your only doing 1/3rd of the ROM its not a lift, its a deluded ego trip.

If he was just working tris, then why not do it properly, do some board pressing instead of doing 1/3rd bench reps?


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## Syko (May 18, 2010)

Half reps = half workout IMO

You see this all the time (big weight and half reps)

They need to drop the weight down and do full range of motion, just ignore them :thumbup1:


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

another, question if i may lads,

do we all want to be stronger than the next man, or do we really not care?

or is it just a personal thing,


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## tuktuk (Sep 30, 2009)

im still stuck lifting 60kg lol, but concentrate on the full lift, stopping at bottom pushing up reasonably quick and then slowly lowering.

i find getting it moving from when paused just above chest is the hardest part, last few inch seems easiest.


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## Syko (May 18, 2010)

Proxy said:


> another, question if i may lads,
> 
> do we all want to be stronger than the next man, or do we really not care?
> 
> or is it just a personal thing,


We all want to be the strongest and biggest dont we? I do :laugh:


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Bit off topic, but when i was stuck hovering around 80kg i actually dropped the weight down for a month and just banged out 4 sets of 12-15 reps. Then i went back to 80kg doing 6 reps and slowly worked up to 100kg which is where i am now.

Don't know how it worked but it did. I know i can do more but i train on my own so it's diufficult without a spotter.


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

Syko said:


> We all want to be the strongest and biggest dont we? I do :laugh:


For sure mate, i dont enjoy trying to forcefeed myself at times, but we would all like to be top of the food chain, its what being an alpha male is all about(or attempting to be!) isnt it? or am i missing something?


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## flinty90 (Jul 1, 2010)

Proxy said:


> Flinty, i will be delighted the day i hit 100 let alone 170, ego has nothing to do with this at all, i think you are getting the wrong end of the stick, but i do think that surely the majority of gym goers must be slightly envious of a man who is lifting heavier than himself, we are male after all , and we wouldnt strive to lift heavier if we didnt give a s''t who was stronger, i wonder if i was some high poster on this site would you be inclined to agree with me ?


well to answer that question , i dont give a sh1t what anyone else in the gym is lifting, i train with the gym owners every session and there big big blokes lifting way above what i do, but i dont care, i will take off the weights to do my lifts and put them back on to do there sets. i dont feel bad and they dont care as they can see im progressing and so can i..

Your statement was Thanks guys thats made me feel better ??? i was asking why that made you feel better ....

EGO will always be in the gym with some people , i was agrreing with you to tha fact that if you concentrate on your lifts at your weight and doing them a way that makes you benefit then thats great, dont get to invested in what others are doing !!!!

I started lifting all in all properly about 7 months ago, i used to bench about 35 kg and struggle. but doing it right and at my own progressive pace i can now bench 105 kg for 5 reps in just over 7 months .... but there are people who would laught at that weight , but theres not many who would laugh at the progress if you know what i mean !!!!


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## Hampy71 (Jan 18, 2011)

When quoting weight are you including the weight of the bar or just how much you load onto it???


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## flinty90 (Jul 1, 2010)

Smitch said:


> Bit off topic, but when i was stuck hovering around 80kg i actually dropped the weight down for a month and just banged out 4 sets of 12-15 reps. Then i went back to 80kg doing 6 reps and slowly worked up to 100kg which is where i am now.
> 
> Don't know how it worked but it did. I know i can do more but i train on my own so it's diufficult without a spotter.


This is great advice and how i have progressed all the way through , i do full deloads of weight for 3 weeks on a 4 sets of 15 basis. then i will do 6 weeks at 12-10-8-6 and my stamina has built up loads and also my weights increased because of it !!!


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## Proxy (Jan 5, 2011)

flinty90 said:


> well to answer that question , i dont give a sh1t what anyone else in the gym is lifting, i train with the gym owners every session and there big big blokes lifting way above what i do, but i dont care, i will take off the weights to do my lifts and put them back on to do there sets. i dont feel bad and they dont care as they can see im progressing and so can i..
> 
> Your statement was Thanks guys thats made me feel better ??? i was asking why that made you feel better ....
> 
> ...


Flinty that is awesome progress, respect for that,

if i can be honest yes, i was slightly gutted that the dude was pressing heavy, i dont know what he was trying to show off more , his heavy half bench or his shiny new i phone , im sorry of i came across as arrogant but i want an iphone too,


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## flinty90 (Jul 1, 2010)

Proxy said:


> Flinty that is awesome progress, respect for that,
> 
> if i can be honest yes, i was slightly gutted that the dude was pressing heavy, i dont know what he was trying to show off more , his heavy half bench *or his shiny new i phone , im sorry of i came across as arrogant but i want an iphone too, *


LOL..... mate i didnt think you were arrogant at all... i was saying you will progress yourself by doing what your doing, and if the case was he is doing half reps then you could overtake him and put him to shame in half the time he has taken to lift that weight ....

Good luck mate, and jjust go buy a fvckin phone lol !!!!


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

mikex101 said:


> Why? i think its spot on. if your only doing 1/3rd of the ROM its not a lift, its a deluded ego trip.
> 
> If he was just working tris, then why not do it properly, do some board pressing instead of doing 1/3rd bench reps?


I just think it's all to easy to write the bloke off as a c0ck and send the OP on his way feeling better about himself, believing that merrily doing 3 sets of 10 perfect reps week in week out is the only way to train. He admits to "plodding along at 80kg" so maybe he needs to try something different for a week or two himself.

Perhaps the bloke is a complete t0sser who trains like that every session... we don't know. But more to the point, who cares and irrespective of the verdict of the board it's not going to change the OP's lift.


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## Greyphantom (Oct 23, 2003)

I dont try to lift heavier than anyone but myself...


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2011)

2004mark said:


> I just think it's all to easy to write the bloke off as a c0ck and send the OP on his way feeling better about himself, believing that merrily doing 3 sets of 10 perfect reps week in week out is the only way to train. He admits to "plodding along at 80kg" so maybe he needs to try something different for a week or two himself.
> 
> Perhaps the bloke is a complete t0sser who trains like that every session... we don't know. But more to the point, who cares and irrespective of the verdict of the board it's not going to change the OP's lift.


now that i agree with. But theres a big difference between having crappy form for a couple of reps at a new PB and bullsh:tting yourself into thinking your benching more than you can.

Which from the OP's post, is what he appears to be doing.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

On EZ bar bicep curls i do load the bar right up for 1 set of maybe 2-3 reps and it does help but i've never tried partial reps. JW007 is a big believer in cheat curls/partial reps and look at the size of him.

At the end of the day if it works for you then do it, but what works for someone else might not in turn work for you.


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Noob Q what are board presses? I also see guys going say half to 2/3s the way down but watching them it looks like it works the chest well(constant pressure maybe..?) is this just not as good as doing the full rep or are they doing this for a reason other than EGO?


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

On The Rise said:


> Noob Q what are board presses? I also see guys going say half to 2/3s the way down but watching them it looks like it works the chest well(constant pressure maybe..?) is this just not as good as doing the full rep or are they doing this for a reason other than EGO?


You put wooden boards on your chest and bench until the bar touches the board. Do a search on youtube if you want to see it.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

Loads of lads dont bring the bar down to there chest in my gym

None of them know how to bench anyway


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## GMme (May 17, 2010)

you said he looked like a fat fuvk anyway. So who cares


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## jimmy89 (Jan 7, 2011)

i used to struggle bringing bar down to chest on flat bench when i was first training but switched to decline and can touch easily now

think i got long arms or just dont get on with flat


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## IrishRaver (Feb 4, 2010)

mikex101 said:


> Why? i think its spot on. if your only doing 1/3rd of the ROM its not a lift, its a deluded ego trip.
> 
> If he was just working tris, then why not do it properly, do some board pressing instead of doing 1/3rd bench reps?


It may have something to do with ego, which means we shouldn't concern ourselves with it - BUT you should know that not doing full ROM can keep the tension and strain on the target muscle, in this case pecs. There are plenty of people who progress flawlessly without using full ROM


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

Most people dont bench with an arched back meaning the elbow pass way past the shoulder/lats and this can hurt alot and leads to injury, most people dont bench properly thats why so many people get hurt benching and thats one of the reason most people i know give to not benching to there chest

Stoopid body boilderz


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