Putting Feet up on Bench

Mine seem to cramp on leg drive also … not violently though.

In think I read once from Ian King saying that it forces you to balance more or something like that I’m not exactly sure.

[quote]Zackgsc wrote:
In think I read once from Ian King saying that it forces you to balance more or something like that I’m not exactly sure.[/quote]

Why would you want to have to worry about falling off the bench while benching…

[quote]RWElder0 wrote:
Leg drive is always a challenge for me but something that is very necessary. When you say leg drive many people think you mean the old high school “bouce the bar off my chest” bench press.

I do have a question. My hip flexors and glutes occassionally cramp when I use my lower body more. Now when I say cramp I mean violently. Any ideas on why?[/quote]

One time when I injured my back, I was arching it for a heavy three, and after the set, it cramped up really bad. It doesn’t really do that anymore, but it was the weirdest way to cramp up my back.

Your problem could be just because they are too tight.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
silverbullet wrote:
I always wondered why people would bench with their feet up on the bench. I saw a video of Arnie doing flyes with his feet up on the bench

What would the benefits of that be?

Dude, He, Sergio and several others MADE UP some of the exercises we now consider standard today. That is why things get named after them…like “ARNOLD PRESSES”. Just because they did something one way does not mean they really knew their technique inside and out…just like the now defunct belief in rib cage expansion from pullovers.

One thing most SHOULD learn from them is to not think in a box and also to not be afraid to try something to see if it works.[/quote]

I concur.
Conversely, how many dudes were inspired by Arnold when switching to ‘suicide grip’ on the bench press?

just takes your feet and legs out of the lift. alot of lifters push through their legs. not saying that’s bad, but some just may not prefer it

I’ve played around with feet up, and found it can only be beneficial on lighter lifts like dumbbell flyes. I DO find it helps me isolate my chest ONLY on flyes. Our benches also seem 1-2 inches higher than most, though. Other than that, I think it’s completely useless.

I saw a guy trying to some kind of pullover with an ez-curl bar, while doing leg lifts with a swiss ball between his feet. He lost his tempo, dropped the ball while in the V position, causing him to roll back violently. He held on to the bar, but hyper-extended his shoulders as the bar fell. He slowly re-racked the weight, packed up and went home.

I hope to find a hole in the wall gym in South Denver, I’m tired of watching people do full body dry heaves with 3 lb. dumbbells!

doesn’t putting your feet up change the centre of gravity so changes the emphasis on where the muscle is worked?

I do it sometimes. I dont know why, i just do. You just have to make sure youre balnced on the bench so you wont tip over.

While we’re griping about this, what about people who do a pelvic thrust on every press, pretty much making it a decline bench due to their ass being a foot off the bench? This annoys me so much. I see people bench 135 doing this and it makes me sad.

[quote]silverbullet wrote:
I saw a video of Arnie doing flyes with his feet up on the bench

What would the benefits of that be?[/quote]

It would reduce your arch so you’d get more chest isolation. However, this one actually makes since. You aren’t going to be using enough weight in a DB fly that it makes a difference if you have leg drive or not. However, if you’re benching a heavy weight, then it does matter where you put your feet.

[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
While we’re griping about this, what about people who do a pelvic thrust on every press, pretty much making it a decline bench due to their ass being a foot off the bench? This annoys me so much. I see people bench 135 doing this and it makes me sad.[/quote]

I’ve seen people turn an incline bench into a decline bench doing this.

[quote]threewhitelights wrote:
Blaze_108 wrote:
While we’re griping about this, what about people who do a pelvic thrust on every press, pretty much making it a decline bench due to their ass being a foot off the bench? This annoys me so much. I see people bench 135 doing this and it makes me sad.

I’ve seen people turn an incline bench into a decline bench doing this. [/quote]

Haven’t seen that since highschool. The incline bench would almost flip backwards over itself. Made me laugh.