Shouldering the Load, Part 1 Print E-mail



The version of the bench press you most often see involves the lifter using a grip that's slightly wider than shoulder's width and lowering the bar down across the midline of the chest. This is done in an effort to better target the pecs, because it takes much of the onus off the front deltoids and triceps. Unfortunately, it also reduces the amount of space between the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) and the acromion process (tip of the scapula). This junction is located at the shoulder joint. This position, especially if used repeatedly over time, can lead to shoulder impingement, a painful condition that's caused by tendons and ligaments being pinched between two bony structures. Simply put, it's an extremely biomechanically inefficient position to lift from. So naturally, the obvious question is "if it's so bad for you, why does everyone bench that way?" One word: tradition.

For as long as either of us can remember, the benching technique described above has been the one most often featured in magazine articles, and of course, weight rooms far and wide. Chances are, you've been benching this way ever since you got your first weight set back in high school. A pity, really, especially considering how much time and effort you could have saved yourself by benching in a manner more conducive to your physique. While using a wide grip position with the elbows flared away from your body may reduce shoulder and tricep involvement, it doesn't exactly put the chest in an optimal position to develop force. Add in the fact that your shorter muscle bellies and longer tendons need to stretch farther to reach their point of attachment on the humerus (upper arm bone), and it's no wonder that most ectomorphs have got the bench press of a prepubescent girl.

So how should the ectomorph perform the bench press? Well, one way to combat the problems mentioned above is to simply use a slightly narrower grip. Now, we're not talking about doing a close grip bench press here. Rather, we're talking about moving your grip in just enough so that the elbows are closer to your trunk. While it's true that a closer grip will increase the contribution of your triceps and front deltoids, it also gives the chest a better angle of pull. Don't believe us? Try this little test.

Hold your right arm straight out to your side, parallel to the floor. Next, place your left hand on your right pec, and try to contract your chest. Not much going on, eh? Try it again, but this time lower your arm to about 45 degrees (so your fingers are pointed diagonally toward the floor). Feel the difference? Now do you suppose perhaps that you might be able to handle a little more weight if you benched with your elbows in closer to your body? Plus, you'll get the added benefit of knowing you're not tearing your shoulders apart.

While this elbow thing is a huge help, it's not all you've got to be concerned with. After all, keeping your elbows in closer to your body doesn't change the length of your arms. That's right; we've still got the whole range-of-motion issue to deal with. Besides the length of the humerus, two other factors ectomorphs have working against them on the bench press are rib-cage size and forearm length. We know, it sounds a little weird, but bear with us. Typically, lifters who excel at the bench press have big barrel chests and relatively short arms. The advantage this gives them is that because their rib cage sits up higher off the bench, they don't have to lower the weight as far. Combined with their relatively short forearms, this helps keep strain off the shoulder joint by forcing the pecs to do more of the work. In the next part you can understand why.


 
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