Arm involvement in pressing lifts and lifting in real life

ForecasterJason

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

jenglish712

Depends how you are lifting something. I use my biceps if picking up several grocery sacks at the same time and carrying below the waist. If I am lifting a board to nail higher than my head or lifting a tool while under a car, I feel it in my tricep.

eric_sg61

Gravity

ForecasterJason

jenglish712 wrote: »

Depends how you are lifting something. I use my biceps if picking up several grocery sacks at the same time and carrying below the waist. If I am lifting a board to nail higher than my head or lifting a tool while under a car, I feel it in my tricep.

That makes sense. As I think about, most of the times I'm lifting something heavy it is at or below my waist line.

ForecasterJason

Other than bicep curls, are there any upper body lifts with weights that would simulate the type of lifting I'm referring to in which my biceps carry a lot of the weight? I don't know how useful it would be to lift the leg extension/leg curl bar with my arms, but that seems like it would be a close simulation.

ninerbuff

ForecasterJason wrote: »

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

Because most people "pull" items up instead of "push" items up. The exercises you mentioned are "push" exercises. "Pull" exercises would be pull ups, rows, deadlifts, etc. These involve the biceps much more than the triceps.
Even when using tools (wrenches IE) you're taught to pull not push.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ForecasterJason

ninerbuff wrote: »

ForecasterJason wrote: »

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

Because most people "pull" items up instead of "push" items up. The exercises you mentioned are "push" exercises. "Pull" exercises would be pull ups, rows, deadlifts, etc. These involve the biceps much more than the triceps.
Even when using tools (wrenches IE) you're taught to pull not push.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Oh ok, I think I got it. I didn't realize before that lifting a heavy object up was more in line with the pulling exercises. This would include lat pulldowns, correct?

DopeItUp

ForecasterJason wrote: »

Other than bicep curls, are there any upper body lifts with weights that would simulate the type of lifting I'm referring to in which my biceps carry a lot of the weight? I don't know how useful it would be to lift the leg extension/leg curl bar with my arms, but that seems like it would be a close simulation.

ForecasterJason wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

ForecasterJason wrote: »

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

Because most people "pull" items up instead of "push" items up. The exercises you mentioned are "push" exercises. "Pull" exercises would be pull ups, rows, deadlifts, etc. These involve the biceps much more than the triceps.
Even when using tools (wrenches IE) you're taught to pull not push.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Oh ok, I think I got it. I didn't realize before that lifting a heavy object up was more in line with the pulling exercises. This would include lat pulldowns, correct?

Sure, lat pulldowns work too. Best exercise would probably be something like Atlas stones, really.

JeffseekingV

ForecasterJason wrote: »

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

A specific example would help. I would suspect to get better at lifting whatever you are lifting, actually lifting what you are lifting would be the fastest way to get better at it. But probably at a lighter weight for starters

JoRocka

ForecasterJason wrote: »

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

I don't understand.

bench is pushing- if you were pushing a car- you'd be doing a whole body bench.

you don't bench things off the ground- so why would you assume you would be using the same muscles?

what are you trying to pick up- most things you should pick up you should be using a dead lift stance rather than actually pulling with your arms. hence the term "lift with your legs not your back"

JeffseekingV

usmcmp

ForecasterJason wrote: »

Other than bicep curls, are there any upper body lifts with weights that would simulate the type of lifting I'm referring to in which my biceps carry a lot of the weight? I don't know how useful it would be to lift the leg extension/leg curl bar with my arms, but that seems like it would be a close simulation.

Deadlifts.

MB_Positif

Sandbag training might be useful for you.

dbmata

When I punch someone, I'm bench pressing as hard as I can into their face.

When I have my hand around the back of their head and I pull them into the strike, that's a pulling movement and probably utilizing mostly tri and pec.

(Yes, I know I'm oversimplifying.)

ForecasterJason

Sometimes I'll lift a heavy box off the floor (or from a place that is near waist level) and carry it somewhere. This is rare, but last month I helped carry/walk with a big tube TV. In both instances my biceps were sore the next day. Although when lifting heavy things off the floor I do try to make sure I'm using my legs, my legs don't usually get sore unless it's something like shoveling snow.

I had been thinking upper body presses would be the thing since in both cases I'm lifting upwards. But until I saw ninerbuff's response, I failed to see that lifting a heavy object up is in fact "pulling".

JeffseekingV

I assume the biceps got sore because you felt you had to bend your elbows a bit while trying to grip either side of the TV. Not sure which big tube TV you were lifting but the old ones were heavy

JoRocka

dead lifts.
you're biceps are sore because you're using them to brace the object close to your body - the further out it is the more strain it is to hold- due to leverage.

dbmata

I like when you pick something heavy up and the next day you're like.... neck, yubesore?

JoRocka

heh.

ForecasterJason

Gosh, this is embarrassing. It made sense then, but it makes even more sense to me now that deadlifts would help, and I would think squats for that matter too.

While I didn't really think so then, what I found out today makes me think improving my leg strength will help with some of the random heavy things I lift from time to time. For the past several weeks I assumed that the free weights I have would be way too light for me to deadlift, but it seems like now I might be able to make some strength gains with what I have. I decided to see how much I could squat and deadlift with the dumbbells I have and was shocked. Based on how many reps of floor presses I can do at the same weight, I can most likely bench press at least 20 more pounds than I can squat or even deadlift.

ForecasterJason

It could just be that from spending a few years of having a very sedentary lifestyle, my leg muscles are just not activating as best they should. So maybe I do have a good bit more leg strength, but I'm not able to utilize it.

As it is, my bench press numbers are still in the beginner stage.

Lofteren

JoRocka wrote: »

ForecasterJason wrote: »

I'm curious as to why the upper body presses like bench and overhead work the triceps much more than the biceps, but yet in real life when I lift a heavy object, it's my biceps that do a lot more work. Any reason why there is a disconnect?

I don't understand.

bench is pushing- if you were pushing a car- you'd be doing a whole body bench.

you don't bench things off the ground- so why would you assume you would be using the same muscles?

what are you trying to pick up- most things you should pick up you should be using a dead lift stance rather than actually pulling with your arms. hence the term "lift with your legs not your back"

^All kinds of this

Sam_I_Am77

Basic kinematics of biceps and triceps

- Biceps are responsible for elbow flexion and resist elbow extension
- Triceps are responsible for elbow extension and resist elbow flexion

You can see how if you're pushing something the triceps are going to be the primary mover has far as your elbow flexors are concerned. Now that's not to say that the biceps don't get involved in the eccentric portion of the bench press for example, though the activation is probably low and not enough to overload them over time.

Sam_I_Am77

ForecasterJason wrote: »

It could just be that from spending a few years of having a very sedentary lifestyle, my leg muscles are just not activating as best they should. So maybe I do have a good bit more leg strength, but I'm not able to utilize it.

As it is, my bench press numbers are still in the beginner stage.

Do you work professionally as a mover?

ForecasterJason

Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »

ForecasterJason wrote: »

It could just be that from spending a few years of having a very sedentary lifestyle, my leg muscles are just not activating as best they should. So maybe I do have a good bit more leg strength, but I'm not able to utilize it.

As it is, my bench press numbers are still in the beginner stage.

Do you work professionally as a mover?

No. I don't lift heavy things in general very often; usually it's just on occasion when something needs moving in my house (although sometimes once a week I put away a musical keyboard elsewhere).