Bench Press Question (legs)
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kopmom
Posts: 491 Member
When you bench press, where are your feet....on the floor on on the end of the bench. I have been doing mine with my legs bent and feet at the bottom of the bench, is this not ok?
I feel like I strain my back more when I have my feet on the floor (maybe a height thing??)
I feel like I strain my back more when I have my feet on the floor (maybe a height thing??)
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Replies
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When you bench press, where are your feet....on the floor on on the end of the bench. I have been doing mine with my legs bent and feet at the bottom of the bench, is this not ok?
I feel like I strain my back more when I have my feet on the floor (maybe a height thing??)
Mines on the floor but I am almost 5'11". I really don't know the answer I just know its more comfortable for me on the floor because I have so much leg.0 -
My feet are flat on the floor. But since I am short I place some extra plates under my feet so they "reach" the floor.0
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My feet are on the floor but I'm 5'10" so height is no issue.
You can always prop up your feet by placing something under them if you need to, to keep from straining your back. Placing them on the floor has to do with stability so you can lift more and so your back doesn't arch.0 -
another tall gal 5'11" here *waves* but I had the same thought in my mind as I lay on the bench the first time, but the floor was the only option for me really!0
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Mine just about reach the floor. Your feet should be flat on a surface, ideally, so maybe look into some blocks or plates if you can't reach the floor naturally?0
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Since the movement itself
is not dependent on the feet and legs, they are not part of the kinetic chain (kinetic = movement, chain =
components), in the same way that the arms are not part of the kinetic chain of the squat.
The legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally along the bench
through the hips into the arched back to reinforce the arch and keep the chest in its high position.
Copied that stuff from Rip's book. :P
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/f5u9i0 -
^^^Where is that girl's waist?^^^
Geez, I want to look like that!0 -
Yes I watched a clip with Ripptoe and he said you need that space between your back and the bench for good form, so I imagine you need your feet on the floor for the arch to occur. I also think feet on floor works your core better
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My feet barely reach the floor so I bought I pair of Yoga blocks which have worked wonderfully.0
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^^^Where is that girl's waist?^^^
Geez, I want to look like that!
That was my first thought too0 -
My feet are flat on the floor... driving the weight through my heels. With my shoulder blades "pinched" together... causing my back to arch slightly... like in the photo above.0
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My feet are flat on the floor... driving the weight through my heels. With my shoulder blades "pinched" together... causing my back to arch slightly... like in the photo above.
Agreed. Rippetoe has a good video somewhere on youtube describing the drive (you don't really "use" your legs, but it can help with the lift thinking about driving through your heels).0 -
ooh after years and years of always being told to keep your back flat against the mat for various things, that concept *fries my brain*
now I'm confused!!0 -
The Eat, Train, Progress group had a thread with a bunch of form videos and one of them was a female professional bench presser. I think this is it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XRmd3a8_0
I can't access Youtube at work (had this saved in a doc) so if it's not correct, I can repost when I get home. She does a good job explaining form. I think I processed this one better.0 -
ooh after years and years of always being told to keep your back flat against the mat for various things, that concept *fries my brain*
now I'm confused!!
The idea is to stick your chest up (shove the ladybags on up there!) and your back will arch naturally.
What you're not looking for is an unnaturally high arched back, or worse, your butt off the bar. Lower back is fine to be off the bench, butt is not.
Mehdi says to tighten your body and to press out of the tightness instead of just lying there. I'm still working on that, but my weights are low yet so it's not crucial. It'll definitely matter as I go up in weight though.
At the higher weights is ultimately when poorer form will rear its ugly head.
Think about how you would press an object in real world form. You'd put your chest into it. Well, that's how you do it with the bench press; just emulate natural body movement while lying horizontally. 0 -
thank you! I'll try and keep that mental image when I eventually get back to the gym! 0
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ooh after years and years of always being told to keep your back flat against the mat for various things, that concept *fries my brain*
now I'm confused!!
The idea is to stick your chest up (shove the ladybags on up there!) and your back will arch naturally.
What you're not looking for is an unnaturally high arched back, or worse, your butt off the bar. Lower back is fine to be off the bench, butt is not.
Mehdi says to tighten your body and to press out of the tightness instead of just lying there. I'm still working on that, but my weights are low yet so it's not crucial. It'll definitely matter as I go up in weight though.
At the higher weights is ultimately when poorer form will rear its ugly head.
Think about how you would press an object in real world form. You'd put your chest into it. Well, that's how you do it with the bench press; just emulate natural body movement while lying horizontally.
^^
The way I like to think of it, is about proper shoulder placement.
The majority of the PUSH against the bench should be your shoulder blades, which are pulled tight under you and form a platform from which to push. If someone is looking at you from your head down, your shoulders should be parallel to the bench, not rolled forward.
In order to get my shoulders in that position, and keep my butt on the bench (ALWAYS KEEP YOUR BUTT ON THE BENCH) my back arches.
I actually lie down normally, plant my butt, and then push back a little with my heels to roll my shoulderblades into place.
Aaaaand:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/bench-press-technique.html
picture of the shoulder thing there0 -
I just need to hire you amazing gals to come to my gym and train me till I get the form right! so paranoid about getting it wrong and hurting myself.. thank you thank you 0
