Bench Press, How to REALLY Feel it on the Chest Muscles

Should have been mentioned with the suicide grip post.

[quote]Standard Donkey wrote:
always put your feet up on the bench…helps with isolation.

can’t believe this hasn’t been mentioned.[/quote]

Wait…what? I thought we debunked that. More weight lifted, more fibers activated, one can keep arch, keep your shoulder blades tight, etc.

[quote]letshavepaneer wrote:
For some odd reason, when I always did sets of chest exercises, I never really had any DOMS the way I do with my leg muscles or other parts of my body. I do however normally feel some changes to my shoulders and definitely my triceps.

I talked to a friend of mine and he suggested to use a wide grip on bench. I tried this on a decline bench press and this time for alot of sets and alot of reps and I could definitely feel an actual stretch in my chest muscles, this is something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I’ve heard that decline though is basically useless though since the range of motion is low. On a regular flat bench press, I tried the approximate the same grip, but for some reason didn’t feel that same stretch on my chest.

Does anyone who has had issues actually getting the chest really activated have any advice on what to do to really activate it? I was thinking of trying dumbbell presses on a flat bench with sort of partial reps at the bottom (not extending at the top). Is the feeling basically just a stretch when the chest is activated or is it something else?

Thanks in advance[/quote]

wait, you feel your chest more in declines but you’re not going to do them because you “heard” they suck?

do what works better for you. people have argued for years that regular bench may not be the best chest exercise, as far as bodybuilding is concerned. dont get locked into thinking that any one exercise is absolutely essential.

[quote]hypnotoad wrote:
letshavepaneer wrote:
For some odd reason, when I always did sets of chest exercises, I never really had any DOMS the way I do with my leg muscles or other parts of my body. I do however normally feel some changes to my shoulders and definitely my triceps.

I talked to a friend of mine and he suggested to use a wide grip on bench. I tried this on a decline bench press and this time for alot of sets and alot of reps and I could definitely feel an actual stretch in my chest muscles, this is something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I’ve heard that decline though is basically useless though since the range of motion is low. On a regular flat bench press, I tried the approximate the same grip, but for some reason didn’t feel that same stretch on my chest.

Does anyone who has had issues actually getting the chest really activated have any advice on what to do to really activate it? I was thinking of trying dumbbell presses on a flat bench with sort of partial reps at the bottom (not extending at the top). Is the feeling basically just a stretch when the chest is activated or is it something else?

Thanks in advance

wait, you feel your chest more in declines but you’re not going to do them because you “heard” they suck?

do what works better for you. people have argued for years that regular bench may not be the best chest exercise, as far as bodybuilding is concerned. dont get locked into thinking that any one exercise is absolutely essential.

[/quote]

Dumbbell presses on a slight decline are great for pectoral stimulation imo…(especially when you put your feet on the bench - helps with isolation).

[quote]Sick Rick wrote:
Unaware wrote:
Try a “suicide grip”. Instead of wrapping your thumb round the bar place it near your index finger and cradle the bar in your palm. Only way to press.

Am I the only one who noticed this retarded post?

No offence, but have you ever seen someone drop a bar loaded with 225+ on his chest? Not a pretty sight, I’ll tell you that.

Wider grip on bb bench, use dumbbells, floor presses, shorten the ROM by only doing the bottom half of the press, do whatever it takes man.

Also, has your chest progress stalled? If your chest is still growing I wouldn’t worry about DOMS or any of that shit.
[/quote]

I understand your apprehension but once you get used to it its not a big deal. Start light or start on the smith, but once you get used to it, its feels a lot better.

If you’re using any sort of good weight and any decline with your feet up on the bench but not FIXED, have fun sliding all the way down unless your bench is covered with sandpaper.

[quote]Standard Donkey wrote:
Dumbbell presses on a slight decline are great for pectoral stimulation imo…(especially when you put your feet on the bench - helps with isolation).[/quote]

[quote]Sick Rick wrote:
Unaware wrote:
Try a “suicide grip”. Instead of wrapping your thumb round the bar place it near your index finger and cradle the bar in your palm. Only way to press.

Am I the only one who noticed this retarded post?

No offence, but have you ever seen someone drop a bar loaded with 225+ on his chest? Not a pretty sight, I’ll tell you that.

Wider grip on bb bench, use dumbbells, floor presses, shorten the ROM by only doing the bottom half of the press, do whatever it takes man.

Also, has your chest progress stalled? If your chest is still growing I wouldn’t worry about DOMS or any of that shit.
[/quote]

I guess it’s hard for me to say if my chest progress has stalled. I think after switching to the wide grip, I’ll do include, decline and flat bench for a while and then see if I actually make some progress from now on. I realize that DOMS is not an indicator of progress, I guess you are correct in that regard. I’ll try this grip 3 times a week for a couple of weeks and see how it works out… thanks for your reply man

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
If you’re using any sort of good weight and any decline with your feet up on the bench but not FIXED, have fun sliding all the way down unless your bench is covered with sandpaper.

Standard Donkey wrote:
Dumbbell presses on a slight decline are great for pectoral stimulation imo…(especially when you put your feet on the bench - helps with isolation).

[/quote]

Pardon my sarcasm, my current gym has just turned me into a real cynic.

quarter squats, feet on the bench, benching a foot off the chest…common themes at sonoma state.

I thought the whole part about feet on the decline bench was obvious but i suppose sarcasm truly eludes you haha…

sorry for the tangent op

[quote]Unaware wrote:
Try a “suicide grip”. Instead of wrapping your thumb round the bar place it near your index finger and cradle the bar in your palm. Only way to press. [/quote]

Stupid advice, although if you do end up dumping the bar you will definitely feel it in your chest.

[quote]Der Candy wrote:
You need to set up so by pinching your shoulder blades together. This is the key to getting the chest activated.[/quote]

This is good advice.
I think it also helps to try and open your chest right up by pulling your shoulder blades together and down during the eccentric, try and visualise it.
Doing some light bilateral rows (concerating on good form) between sets also helps me activate the pecs.