Flat Back During Bench

Hey guys,

I just want to ask how you can keep your back flat on the bench yet your scapulae retracted during the movement? I don’t want to try to lift my feet up lol that sounds dangerous nor my feet on the bench I think that’d probably be the same thing… Any tips, or rather, how do you keep it flat without any arch in the lower back yet with the scapualae retracted?

Thanks

Is there a particular reason you need to bench with a flat back? Otherwise, I would arch.

You’ve seriously aroused my curiosity yet again. Why the flat back?

Hey there lol

Isn’t it true that you’ll get more pectoral stimulation if your back is flat and ‘pushed into the bench’? I was told to lock my abs down, as in a crunch position, and keep it like that the whole time. But then, I tried to do so, and damn, I couldn’t manage to do it, for some reason I just couldn’t, I had a feeling my lower back still had a LITTLE BIT of an arch…
Any tips? Should I try lifting my feet up?

Oh on a side note though, don’t worry, I won’t change my routine, I’m going to be sticking to it for a long time, but like I’ve said many times, I’m open to learning, and while I stick to it and lift consistently, I’m going to try to incorporate some SMALL changes that could make a difference… am I right?

I do not feel as though you are moving enough weight to be concerned about pectoral stimulation. If that is your goal, i would focus less on trying to set yourself up in such a way to make it happen and focus more on establishing a mind muscle connection.

I’m not sure about getting more pec stiumulation the way you describe. As far as I know (granted I’m not the strongest or biggest) there are better exercises for just building the pecs.

If you are just looking to get a stronger bench, I think the 3 general things you need are a solid base (plant the feet for leg drive), a solid core to transfer to power and tight scapualea to not only reduce the distance of the lift but keep your shoulders healthy. As for arch, I think a slight arch would be normal, raising your butt off the bench is another issue.

But i’m no expert with a monster bench.

No offense I’m not a world class powerlifter but I do have a mind muscle connection

Yes I’m more concerned with progression in weight. I don’t bench press, I do guillotine presses in the smith machine, with no shoulder pain whatsoever and a great pump…

^^^^ slowly starting to turn into Bull_Scientist

[quote]GetBigs wrote:
No offense I’m not a world class powerlifter but I do have a mind muscle connection
[/quote]

With this, I think you will achieve your goals with an arch in the bench press. I do not think you will need to keep a flat back.

Ah alright, thanks

You are aware that this is thread number 9 regarding pressing/chest/tricep-bicep involvement during pressing that you have started in less than a month, aren’t you? Hasn’t Chris already pointed out this preoccupation. Add to that the CT rep range thread (that you turned into a chest training question thread, so make it 10) you have going and your the definition of majoring in the minors. What does your program look like?

www.pectoralimplantsonline.com/pectoral_implants/

So, you posted this ^ in your “Incline Bench” thread… … … and then 6 hours later you started this thread.

Dude, you are absolutely overthinking things. In the short term, that’s going to slow down your progress because you’ll be tripping over new information and wanting to reconsider everything as you go.

In the long run, that’s going to slow down your progress because you’ll be so busy trying to learn the “best and newest” info that you won’t be paying attention to how you’re responding to your current training.

For your own good, fucking stop it. I think I said it before, but you’ll learn more about how to train and what exercises to choose by simply putting your head down and lifting for 4 straight months than you will from reading 5 articles a day and trying to figure out which is “the right way” to train.

[quote]Reed wrote:
^^^^ slowly starting to turn into Bull_Scientist[/quote]
Ha, too true.

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
What does your program look like?[/quote]
^ This. What do your days, exercises, sets, and reps currently look like?

Also, I’ve lost track, but what’s your height and weight?

[quote]Reed wrote:
^^^^ slowly starting to turn into Bull_Scientist[/quote]

worse

[quote]1 Man Island wrote:

[quote]Reed wrote:
^^^^ slowly starting to turn into Bull_Scientist[/quote]

worse

Yeah, sorry guys and CT, no shit, I’ll shut up and lift. In all seriousness.
I know I’ve said this, but if I ‘break the oath’ again, you’ll be welcome to tell me to gtfo, deal? I won’t be posting for a long time, no worries.

[quote]GetBigs wrote:
Yeah, sorry guys and CT, no shit, I’ll shut up and lift. In all seriousness.
I know I’ve said this, but if I ‘break the oath’ again, you’ll be welcome to tell me to gtfo, deal? I won’t be posting for a long time, no worries.
[/quote]

You’re not doing it for us. You’re doing it for you.

If you shut up and lift - your body will change - not ours.

Good luck.