Barbell Bent Press

Barbell Bent Press:

A guy in my gym was showing me how to do them the other day. He said as well that it’s not a Bent Press unless its done with the barbell. I was thinking of adding them into my routine. Just wondering if there are many people on the forums who actually do Barbell Bent Presses regularly?

If you do them, do you alternate arms? What kind of weight can you move with it? The guy in my gym said that he found that they really helped reduce his shoulder pain and improve overall shoulder health and strength.

I mainly use kettlebells to perform this, but I have done it with a bar too. The most I’ve ever done is 65lbs for four sets of eight. It really does make my shoulders feel better. I do one side at a time,no alternating. Though I could go a little heavier, I haven’t. I mostly do it to warm up. Train Hard

[quote]SMF wrote:
I mainly use kettlebells to perform this, but I have done it with a bar too. The most I’ve ever done is 65lbs for four sets of eight. It really does make my shoulders feel better. I do one side at a time,no alternating. Though I could go a little heavier, I haven’t. I mostly do it to warm up. Train Hard[/quote]

Cool. I’m planning on just adding them in at the end of a workout. I’m sticking with the empty bar for the moment until I get the technique down. Do count a full rep as picking it off the ground and pressing it and then putting it back on the ground or do you just pick it up the once and press it from your shoulder for reps?

It’s crazy to think that a lot of the oldtime strongman would do bent press with more than bodyweight on the barbell. It used to be a really popular movement but now no one ever does it.

Probably because it’s risk to benefit ratio is too one sided. I know, “if you do the exercise with good form it won’t hurt you”, but as with any lift, and I am sure all of us have had this happen before, sometime form gets away from you, even just a little. Many injuries happen this way.

I am not saying don’t do them, but if you do them, learn how to do them extremely well.

[quote]timeformegaman wrote:
Probably because it’s risk to benefit ratio is too one sided. I know, “if you do the exercise with good form it won’t hurt you”, but as with any lift, and I am sure all of us have had this happen before, sometime form gets away from you, even just a little. Many injuries happen this way.

I am not saying don’t do them, but if you do them, learn how to do them extremely well. [/quote]

I didn’t think that there was a huge number of injuries related to bent press. I thought it fell out of style once the strongman circus shows came to a halt and when it was taken out of most competitions as a lift.

EDIT

Though I suppose nowadays with no one to teach it properly, you’ll get a lot injuries.

I do them every so often, also one arm snatch w/barbell.
with plate loaded barbell & run o’mill collars it can be difficult to keep heavier plates from sliding off.