I am swapping from benching on my toes to benching at footed. This is my second time benching flat footed and is around 80% of my 1rm for 5 reps. What could I improve?
Aloha,
Not that I am like this Bench guru or anything. But question for you. Have you ever tried keeping your head on the Bench? I find and I have been coached in it as well, by lifting the head your back and lats no longer stay set and your chest caves down which makes the depth of bar to chest greater.
[quote]Loftearmen wrote:
I am swapping from benching on my toes to benching at footed. This is my second time benching flat footed and is around 80% of my 1rm for 5 reps. What could I improve?
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I would say lower ur knees below hips level to help keeping ur butt on the bench with heavier weights.
You look nice and flat to me. I bench up on my toes and drive Into my arch as hard as possible. I chose on my toes because I had to- my hams cramped quite badly flat footed and the only way to bench w.o cramping was off my toes.
[quote]barbedwired wrote:
You look nice and flat to me. I bench up on my toes and drive Into my arch as hard as possible. I chose on my toes because I had to- my hams cramped quite badly flat footed and the only way to bench w.o cramping was off my toes. [/quote]
Some organizations require a flat footed bench.
In general, your technique looks pretty solid. You’re not over-tucking your elbows on the eccentric, so the bar is following a good, natural path. It looks like you’re using some leg drive, and it seems to be timed well to start the concentric. Two suggestions, though:
One, when you pull yourself back during your set-up, you allow yourself to basically just flatten back out on the bench afterward. It may take a bit of limbering up, but try and find a position where you can pull yourself back and get your traps and upper back planted on the bench. You’re a big dude, so you don’t have to build a massive arch, but a small one should help keep your shoulders in a good starting position and take even more advantage of your size.
Two, as was mentioned, work on keeping your head down. Its not always a rules issue, but it can be, and its not really pheasible or comfortable to lift your head if you do manage to get yourself into a slightly tighter arch at the start.
[quote]TB284 wrote:
In general, your technique looks pretty solid. You’re not over-tucking your elbows on the eccentric, so the bar is following a good, natural path. It looks like you’re using some leg drive, and it seems to be timed well to start the concentric. Two suggestions, though:
One, when you pull yourself back during your set-up, you allow yourself to basically just flatten back out on the bench afterward. It may take a bit of limbering up, but try and find a position where you can pull yourself back and get your traps and upper back planted on the bench. You’re a big dude, so you don’t have to build a massive arch, but a small one should help keep your shoulders in a good starting position and take even more advantage of your size.
Two, as was mentioned, work on keeping your head down. Its not always a rules issue, but it can be, and its not really pheasible or comfortable to lift your head if you do manage to get yourself into a slightly tighter arch at the start.[/quote]
I’d actually have to disagree with the second point, assuming the federation he competes in allows the head to come up of course. I find that even when I arch hard I get much more drive off the bottom if I lift my head on the eccentric and put it back down on the concentric. So idk if there’s any merit to that but maybe he feels the same?
As this thread is about your Bench here is a link to today’s new article. 
I really don’t see an issue with lifting the head. It helps me know exactly where to pause the bar without going too deep which surely adds a couple pounds to my press. I do need to work on my arch though. When I go on my toes with my legs under me I have a pretty big arch for my size but I can’t seem to hold it flat footed which is definitely something I’ll have to work on. My back was still off the bench this whole set btw (although not nearly as much as I’d like it to be). I was just wearing a loose shirt which hung down and made it look like I was lying flat. Thank yall for your responses
[quote]tylerkeen42 wrote:
[quote]TB284 wrote:
In general, your technique looks pretty solid. You’re not over-tucking your elbows on the eccentric, so the bar is following a good, natural path. It looks like you’re using some leg drive, and it seems to be timed well to start the concentric. Two suggestions, though:
One, when you pull yourself back during your set-up, you allow yourself to basically just flatten back out on the bench afterward. It may take a bit of limbering up, but try and find a position where you can pull yourself back and get your traps and upper back planted on the bench. You’re a big dude, so you don’t have to build a massive arch, but a small one should help keep your shoulders in a good starting position and take even more advantage of your size.
Two, as was mentioned, work on keeping your head down. Its not always a rules issue, but it can be, and its not really pheasible or comfortable to lift your head if you do manage to get yourself into a slightly tighter arch at the start.[/quote]
I’d actually have to disagree with the second point, assuming the federation he competes in allows the head to come up of course. I find that even when I arch hard I get much more drive off the bottom if I lift my head on the eccentric and put it back down on the concentric. So idk if there’s any merit to that but maybe he feels the same?
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Seconded. Everything about the lift feels better to me when I lift my head on the eccentric. Driving the head back into the bench also contributes to the upward movement of the bar.
[quote]HeavyTriple wrote:
[quote]tylerkeen42 wrote:
[quote]TB284 wrote:
In general, your technique looks pretty solid. You’re not over-tucking your elbows on the eccentric, so the bar is following a good, natural path. It looks like you’re using some leg drive, and it seems to be timed well to start the concentric. Two suggestions, though:
One, when you pull yourself back during your set-up, you allow yourself to basically just flatten back out on the bench afterward. It may take a bit of limbering up, but try and find a position where you can pull yourself back and get your traps and upper back planted on the bench. You’re a big dude, so you don’t have to build a massive arch, but a small one should help keep your shoulders in a good starting position and take even more advantage of your size.
Two, as was mentioned, work on keeping your head down. Its not always a rules issue, but it can be, and its not really pheasible or comfortable to lift your head if you do manage to get yourself into a slightly tighter arch at the start.[/quote]
I’d actually have to disagree with the second point, assuming the federation he competes in allows the head to come up of course. I find that even when I arch hard I get much more drive off the bottom if I lift my head on the eccentric and put it back down on the concentric. So idk if there’s any merit to that but maybe he feels the same?
[/quote]
Seconded. Everything about the lift feels better to me when I lift my head on the eccentric. Driving the head back into the bench also contributes to the upward movement of the bar.[/quote]
Agree to disagree, I guess. When I get into a good setup, I can’t really lift my head at all without straining because I’m set so high up on my traps. Its never been anything but a hindrance to me, but if you get something out of it more power to you.
[quote]TB284 wrote:
[quote]HeavyTriple wrote:
[quote]tylerkeen42 wrote:
[quote]TB284 wrote:
In general, your technique looks pretty solid. You’re not over-tucking your elbows on the eccentric, so the bar is following a good, natural path. It looks like you’re using some leg drive, and it seems to be timed well to start the concentric. Two suggestions, though:
One, when you pull yourself back during your set-up, you allow yourself to basically just flatten back out on the bench afterward. It may take a bit of limbering up, but try and find a position where you can pull yourself back and get your traps and upper back planted on the bench. You’re a big dude, so you don’t have to build a massive arch, but a small one should help keep your shoulders in a good starting position and take even more advantage of your size.
Two, as was mentioned, work on keeping your head down. Its not always a rules issue, but it can be, and its not really pheasible or comfortable to lift your head if you do manage to get yourself into a slightly tighter arch at the start.[/quote]
I’d actually have to disagree with the second point, assuming the federation he competes in allows the head to come up of course. I find that even when I arch hard I get much more drive off the bottom if I lift my head on the eccentric and put it back down on the concentric. So idk if there’s any merit to that but maybe he feels the same?
[/quote]
Seconded. Everything about the lift feels better to me when I lift my head on the eccentric. Driving the head back into the bench also contributes to the upward movement of the bar.[/quote]
Agree to disagree, I guess. When I get into a good setup, I can’t really lift my head at all without straining because I’m set so high up on my traps. Its never been anything but a hindrance to me, but if you get something out of it more power to you.[/quote]
I think your way would suit someone with a big arch, whereas mine would suit someone with less of an arch, like op.
[quote]HeavyTriple wrote:
I think your way would suit someone with a big arch, whereas mine would suit someone with less of an arch, like op.[/quote]
I’d agree with that, definitely. I tried to put it into context by adding the condition that getting used to his head being up could be a problem if he were to get into a bigger, tighter arch, but its a matter of degrees.