there is a way to bring your arms 45% into and use your wings and triceps this way you can bring bar all the way down and u dont feel it on your shoulders.
@007Multimack Ensure your upper back is planted on the bench. Let your lower back have it's natural curve without forcing an arch or pushing it downwards. That's not its natural position. Keep your feet flat on the ground and have the back placed naturally on the bench. I've seen some guys who put too much weight on start lifting their hips off the bench as they are pushing. Its always a good idea to brace the abdominals which helps support the low back and pelvis.
@KigerPWN Agreed! That's a nice way to cheat for guys. Not sure who they are trying to impress when they break something. The barbell should be lowered in a controlled manner for sure!
This actually really helps me out, im 6'0 and shorter friends tell me Im doing the bench press wrong, that it should be touching my chest. But if i try to get the bar down to my chest, I feel like my shoulders are getting strained way too much and i feel pain. Good video.
@ChrisRey3156 Thanks! It's definitely easier for shorter guys to go to the chest because they can. Us taller guys can strain the rotator cuffs if put into that position. That's why I always say 90 degrees is a good rule of thumb in the elbows to keep the shoulders safe. If 90 degrees allows you to touch your chest then great! It's important not to force your body into an uncomfortable position as that's how injuries occur. Most people have tight deltoids and chest to begin with!
@churde It's called a Bench Press exercise. Ha. When watching the video you can determine what range is healthy for your shoulders. If you are short and can go to your chest then great, us taller guys need to find that natural spring to save our rotator cuff muscles.
By all means do what you like, I'm just trying to save people's shoulders.
@jefflindstromfitness thank god ive i read this ive been working out for a while and im 5'8 with a wingspan of 6'2 so doing a chest bump is a strain on my tri and shoulders. People kept telling me that i had to do chestbumps but it never felt good so once i started lifting heave 230+ i stopped doing them ive been getting a bit upset that i wasnt doing chest bumps but knowing im saving my shoulders is all i need to know thank you
Excellent advice and excellent video, Jeff. At 6'2" as a ecto/meso, when I touch my chest, my rotator cuff is under extreme strain. This is common for all the guys at my gym with similar body type. 90 degrees is the perfect form for our body types.
I was benching today and i noticed that i felt the burn in my shoulders way more than my chest.... i followed your instructions from this video but i only feel it in my chest for the last like 2 or 3 reps
@00TheBean1 Can you describe where your hands were? Sometimes if the hands are narrower you might feel more in the shoulders and triceps vs having them out a bit more where the chest comes into play. Focus on pushing and squeezing out the chest too!
What about the NFL 225? They require you to touch your chest. This doesnt seem right to me. My friend told me his max was 245. Then when we went to the gym, he went first. He put 140 on the bar. He started benching like this video demonstrates. I told him he was doing it wrong. He laughed. I then proceded to bench 180lbs 6x touched my chest each rep. I had more movement then he did. Seems like most guys are BS. They say they can bench 225 when they can barely bench their own weight. Why lie?
@THESK1TZ What was it that didn't seem right to you? It's crazy what controversy a traditional exercise can cause. Honestly, I used to do Bench Press competitions in my late teens and early 20's. They made you take the bar off the rack, wait for a clap, lower it down under control, pause on your chest, wait for another clap then press evenly. My biggest suggestion is take a pair of dumbbells, and try a dumbbell press of a swiss ball. Pay attention where your shoulders start to "spring"
@THESK1TZ I find that since everyone has different arm lengths, pay attention to when your elbows are reaching a 90 degree angle. Shorter guys, with bigger barrelled chest have no problems touching their chest b/c their range of motion is shorter. All I'm saying is keep your shoulders safe. A taller guy like me can really impinge my shoulder joint and rotator cuff muscles by going to the chest. I used to but it aggravated my shoulders quite a bit as fellow readers have agreed themselves.
Ya. Id have to agree with that video. My bench was to deep, than i started 90 degrees. Also i noticed at gyms people like to let weight fall and than use power and risk injury. I used to do that. Not good. If you take weight proper down youll max more.
Arching the back and squeezing shoulders together allow them to fit onto the bench. If you don't they hang off and produce more stress leading to possible injury. Tucking the elbows reduces shoulder rotation allowing full range of motion.
Most people have terrible flexibility in their shoulders b/c they sit at a computer desk all day. My suggestion is to use a dowel rod first or the bench bar and see your range of motion. All I'm saying is that for the taller guys it can put a lot of stress in the shoulder ligaments and potentially cause a strain if they go right down to their chest. This is just a rule of thumb. Simply a suggestion to keep your shoulders safe.
Maybe if you have terrible flexibility in your shoulders you should just go down to 90 but for people who can go all the way down but don't you're just building stiff bulky muscle instead of getting that stretch in your muscles with each rep. Going down only to 90 consistantly can't severely decrease your flexibility
I'm big on stability training. Doing pushups off the Stability balls, rotator cuff strengthening etc. I know people get upset and think you are cheating but if you get a good range down to 90 you are fine. The shorter guys are able to go to their chests easily because of their limb length and big barrel chests. It's a bigger range for taller guys for sure!!
Honestly, regardless with what people say it's your body and specifically shoulders we are talking about. I was just at a fitness conference and one of the most well known experts in the industry basically said we all have different flexibility in our shoulders 90 degrees is the safest way to go. He encouraged to practice with the bar first to get that range nailed down. You will see in the video from a side perspective if I went all the way down to my chest I would ruin my rotator cuffs.
@jefflindstromfitness I've been getting a variety of mix answers about this especially when I go heavy, Usually when I'm lifting more then 265 I like to have the 90 degree angle but ppl say I'm cheating even though I get in about 12 reps, Just want to know if this the correct form
thanks for the video... people kept telling me go all the way down to my chest and my shoulders were hurting and now I know why... besides the fact that I dislocated my left shoulder in high school but yea I knew I was doing it right the whole time.. thanks for the video
I used to bring the bar down to my chest in my youth. It's just a matter of time before you're forced to do it properly like Jeff does in the video. 90º is correct. Could have saved me much shoulder impingement problems if I'd only learned earlier. Thanks
@ayokay123 Thanks ayokay123... I've done some olympic bench press competitions when I was younger myself and they made us go to chest, pause, wait for signal and press. Some people get upset at this principle, however as I said, it can cause issues for people who are taller, longer arms etc vs short guys with big barrel chests. People can go to the chest if they like, it's more comfortable to go to 90 degrees I find! Check out my site for more info! Thanks for the "positive" comment.
@jefflindstromfitness As you get older, you'll find that the difference between 90º and chest is the difference between comfort and shoulder injury. ;)
@KoreanChocoBoy Thanks! Well I try to show good form as well.. I can't believe how some get upset if they were taught something different. It's all about having an open mind especially with fitness...
@jefflindstromfitness Aside from the bar tilted a little lower on your left side, you're showing perfect form, and it will always be injury free. People will either learn the easy way or the hard way, guaranteed.
@ayokay123 Ya I noticed after I saw the video the bar was tilting a bit. Normally the muscle awareness is better however I'm not used to benching and talking at the same time. Created an interesting experience! Ha.
Truestorymusic. Is he a certified personal trainer? Does he have good range in the shoulders? If you see in my video for someone who is taller and has longer arms, the tension on the joint can cause injury.
I would call this a modified chest press. You put that pressure on your shoulders because of the position of your arms in your downward motion, tilt the elbows 45 degrees.
just saved my shoulders, sweet!
JohneyAmerica 3 weeks ago
there is a way to bring your arms 45% into and use your wings and triceps this way you can bring bar all the way down and u dont feel it on your shoulders.
Mr1989Vlad 3 weeks ago
are you supposed to have all of your back on the bench??
007Multimack 1 month ago
@007Multimack Ensure your upper back is planted on the bench. Let your lower back have it's natural curve without forcing an arch or pushing it downwards. That's not its natural position. Keep your feet flat on the ground and have the back placed naturally on the bench. I've seen some guys who put too much weight on start lifting their hips off the bench as they are pushing. Its always a good idea to brace the abdominals which helps support the low back and pelvis.
jefflindstromfitness 1 month ago
i just hate when people BOUNCE it off their chest. So annoying
KigerPWN 1 month ago
@KigerPWN Agreed! That's a nice way to cheat for guys. Not sure who they are trying to impress when they break something. The barbell should be lowered in a controlled manner for sure!
jefflindstromfitness 1 month ago
@jefflindstromfitness THANK YOU!, lol
KigerPWN 1 month ago
dude thank you! im 16 and you just saved my shoulders. and im gonna spread that tip to my friends so they dont screw up there arms to:)
surdrumsa1ot 2 months ago
@surdrumsa1ot No problem buddy. Make sure you subscribe to my channel. I have lots of instructional videos on there!
jefflindstromfitness 2 months ago
wish I would of found this video before I fucked up my shoulders.
klei2005 4 months ago
@klei2005 What is the extent of your injury? Did you check in with physio?
jefflindstromfitness 4 months ago
This actually really helps me out, im 6'0 and shorter friends tell me Im doing the bench press wrong, that it should be touching my chest. But if i try to get the bar down to my chest, I feel like my shoulders are getting strained way too much and i feel pain. Good video.
ChrisRey3156 5 months ago
@ChrisRey3156 Thanks! It's definitely easier for shorter guys to go to the chest because they can. Us taller guys can strain the rotator cuffs if put into that position. That's why I always say 90 degrees is a good rule of thumb in the elbows to keep the shoulders safe. If 90 degrees allows you to touch your chest then great! It's important not to force your body into an uncomfortable position as that's how injuries occur. Most people have tight deltoids and chest to begin with!
jefflindstromfitness 5 months ago
wtf is this shit.....
churde 7 months ago
@churde It's called a Bench Press exercise. Ha. When watching the video you can determine what range is healthy for your shoulders. If you are short and can go to your chest then great, us taller guys need to find that natural spring to save our rotator cuff muscles.
By all means do what you like, I'm just trying to save people's shoulders.
jefflindstromfitness 7 months ago 4
@jefflindstromfitness thank god ive i read this ive been working out for a while and im 5'8 with a wingspan of 6'2 so doing a chest bump is a strain on my tri and shoulders. People kept telling me that i had to do chestbumps but it never felt good so once i started lifting heave 230+ i stopped doing them ive been getting a bit upset that i wasnt doing chest bumps but knowing im saving my shoulders is all i need to know thank you
DeathKnightsCow 2 months ago
Excellent advice and excellent video, Jeff. At 6'2" as a ecto/meso, when I touch my chest, my rotator cuff is under extreme strain. This is common for all the guys at my gym with similar body type. 90 degrees is the perfect form for our body types.
geoffck6969 7 months ago
@geoffck6969 Thanks for the positive feedback! Glad it's working out for you! Rotator strains are brutal!
jefflindstromfitness 7 months ago
I was benching today and i noticed that i felt the burn in my shoulders way more than my chest.... i followed your instructions from this video but i only feel it in my chest for the last like 2 or 3 reps
Can anyone answer pleas!!!
00TheBean1 8 months ago
@00TheBean1 Can you describe where your hands were? Sometimes if the hands are narrower you might feel more in the shoulders and triceps vs having them out a bit more where the chest comes into play. Focus on pushing and squeezing out the chest too!
jefflindstromfitness 8 months ago
Is the Bar Slanting ????
BadBloodRain 8 months ago
@BadBloodRain Ya it was. It should be parallel. Didn't realize it until after the video was shot. Too much going on chatting and lifting weights!
jefflindstromfitness 8 months ago
What about the NFL 225? They require you to touch your chest. This doesnt seem right to me. My friend told me his max was 245. Then when we went to the gym, he went first. He put 140 on the bar. He started benching like this video demonstrates. I told him he was doing it wrong. He laughed. I then proceded to bench 180lbs 6x touched my chest each rep. I had more movement then he did. Seems like most guys are BS. They say they can bench 225 when they can barely bench their own weight. Why lie?
THESK1TZ 9 months ago
@THESK1TZ What was it that didn't seem right to you? It's crazy what controversy a traditional exercise can cause. Honestly, I used to do Bench Press competitions in my late teens and early 20's. They made you take the bar off the rack, wait for a clap, lower it down under control, pause on your chest, wait for another clap then press evenly. My biggest suggestion is take a pair of dumbbells, and try a dumbbell press of a swiss ball. Pay attention where your shoulders start to "spring"
jefflindstromfitness 9 months ago
@THESK1TZ I find that since everyone has different arm lengths, pay attention to when your elbows are reaching a 90 degree angle. Shorter guys, with bigger barrelled chest have no problems touching their chest b/c their range of motion is shorter. All I'm saying is keep your shoulders safe. A taller guy like me can really impinge my shoulder joint and rotator cuff muscles by going to the chest. I used to but it aggravated my shoulders quite a bit as fellow readers have agreed themselves.
jefflindstromfitness 9 months ago
I heard that ur back has to be arched along with tight shoulder blades.
AssyrianPowers 9 months ago
@AssyrianPowers yeah it is
TheTheKRIT 9 months ago
Ya. Id have to agree with that video. My bench was to deep, than i started 90 degrees. Also i noticed at gyms people like to let weight fall and than use power and risk injury. I used to do that. Not good. If you take weight proper down youll max more.
Jessemays313 11 months ago
Arching the back and squeezing shoulders together allow them to fit onto the bench. If you don't they hang off and produce more stress leading to possible injury. Tucking the elbows reduces shoulder rotation allowing full range of motion.
qrxsuvdg 11 months ago
Comment removed
qrxsuvdg 11 months ago
I can vouch for the shoulder damage. Took about 7-12 months to recover and I will never do flat bench to my chest again.I'm 6'5'' btw
snjspring 1 year ago
Wrist over elbows!
avatarcollides2day 1 year ago
Most people have terrible flexibility in their shoulders b/c they sit at a computer desk all day. My suggestion is to use a dowel rod first or the bench bar and see your range of motion. All I'm saying is that for the taller guys it can put a lot of stress in the shoulder ligaments and potentially cause a strain if they go right down to their chest. This is just a rule of thumb. Simply a suggestion to keep your shoulders safe.
jefflindstromfitness 1 year ago
Maybe if you have terrible flexibility in your shoulders you should just go down to 90 but for people who can go all the way down but don't you're just building stiff bulky muscle instead of getting that stretch in your muscles with each rep. Going down only to 90 consistantly can't severely decrease your flexibility
rocketjav11 1 year ago
I'm big on stability training. Doing pushups off the Stability balls, rotator cuff strengthening etc. I know people get upset and think you are cheating but if you get a good range down to 90 you are fine. The shorter guys are able to go to their chests easily because of their limb length and big barrel chests. It's a bigger range for taller guys for sure!!
jefflindstromfitness 1 year ago
Honestly, regardless with what people say it's your body and specifically shoulders we are talking about. I was just at a fitness conference and one of the most well known experts in the industry basically said we all have different flexibility in our shoulders 90 degrees is the safest way to go. He encouraged to practice with the bar first to get that range nailed down. You will see in the video from a side perspective if I went all the way down to my chest I would ruin my rotator cuffs.
jefflindstromfitness 1 year ago
@jefflindstromfitness I've been getting a variety of mix answers about this especially when I go heavy, Usually when I'm lifting more then 265 I like to have the 90 degree angle but ppl say I'm cheating even though I get in about 12 reps, Just want to know if this the correct form
FreshPrinceEazy 1 year ago
thanks for the video... people kept telling me go all the way down to my chest and my shoulders were hurting and now I know why... besides the fact that I dislocated my left shoulder in high school but yea I knew I was doing it right the whole time.. thanks for the video
Mgarcia016 1 year ago
@Mgarcia016 people told me the same thing but I later found out that it is bad for your shoulders to go all the way down
Mr12inches1 1 year ago
I used to bring the bar down to my chest in my youth. It's just a matter of time before you're forced to do it properly like Jeff does in the video. 90º is correct. Could have saved me much shoulder impingement problems if I'd only learned earlier. Thanks
ayokay123 1 year ago
@ayokay123 Thanks ayokay123... I've done some olympic bench press competitions when I was younger myself and they made us go to chest, pause, wait for signal and press. Some people get upset at this principle, however as I said, it can cause issues for people who are taller, longer arms etc vs short guys with big barrel chests. People can go to the chest if they like, it's more comfortable to go to 90 degrees I find! Check out my site for more info! Thanks for the "positive" comment.
jefflindstromfitness 1 year ago
@jefflindstromfitness As you get older, you'll find that the difference between 90º and chest is the difference between comfort and shoulder injury. ;)
ayokay123 1 year ago
Well done! It's all about lookin sexy, youtubers don't understand this....
KoreanChocoBoy 1 year ago
@KoreanChocoBoy Thanks! Well I try to show good form as well.. I can't believe how some get upset if they were taught something different. It's all about having an open mind especially with fitness...
jefflindstromfitness 1 year ago
@jefflindstromfitness Aside from the bar tilted a little lower on your left side, you're showing perfect form, and it will always be injury free. People will either learn the easy way or the hard way, guaranteed.
ayokay123 1 year ago
@ayokay123 Ya I noticed after I saw the video the bar was tilting a bit. Normally the muscle awareness is better however I'm not used to benching and talking at the same time. Created an interesting experience! Ha.
jefflindstromfitness 1 year ago
@jefflindstromfitness Didn't think about the benching and talking at the same time. Yep, that probably made the difference. :)
ayokay123 1 year ago
Truestorymusic. Is he a certified personal trainer? Does he have good range in the shoulders? If you see in my video for someone who is taller and has longer arms, the tension on the joint can cause injury.
jefflindstromfitness 2 years ago
you show people the wrong way, my weightlifting coach at school holds the 16 year old bench press record and says to lower the bar to your chest
truestorymusic9 2 years ago
I would call this a modified chest press. You put that pressure on your shoulders because of the position of your arms in your downward motion, tilt the elbows 45 degrees.
runnalls 2 years ago
srr.. everythings ok.. :D
LaurynasMaslauskas 2 years ago
LaurynasMaslauskas whats folse?
jefflindstromfitness 2 years ago
folse ???
LaurynasMaslauskas 2 years ago