Bench press?
ise311
Posts: 107 Member
So I just joined a gym and got a limited free session with a trainer.
It's my first time doing bench press (with a very low weight, 5kg). The trainer said you should feel that it will work out your chest muscle. However, I don't feel a thing with my chest. Only my triceps felt something. The form I'm doing should be correct cos I'm with a personal trainer.
Am I doing something wrong? How do I make sure my chest muscle is being worked on while bench-pressing?
It's my first time doing bench press (with a very low weight, 5kg). The trainer said you should feel that it will work out your chest muscle. However, I don't feel a thing with my chest. Only my triceps felt something. The form I'm doing should be correct cos I'm with a personal trainer.
Am I doing something wrong? How do I make sure my chest muscle is being worked on while bench-pressing?
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Replies
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There are different types of bench presses. For example, flat back like many bodybuilders do, or arched back like many powerlifters do. However, the reason why your triceps are sore, and not your pectorals major, is that your pecs are weaker and need your triceps to complete the lift. Soreness is also not a reliable gauge.So I just joined a gym and got a limited free session with a trainer.
It's my first time doing bench press (with a very low weight, 5kg). The trainer said you should feel that it will work out your chest muscle. However, I don't feel a thing with my chest. Only my triceps felt something. The form I'm doing should be correct cos I'm with a personal trainer.
Am I doing something wrong? How do I make sure my chest muscle is being worked on while bench-pressing?
Let's hope so. Many club trainers are versed in machines and not barbells.The form I'm doing should be correct cos I'm with a personal trainer.0 -
You're not necessarily doing anything wrong. Soreness is not an indicator of whether you worked a muscle or not. Also, if you grip the bar closer together, works out your chest but tends to work your triceps more, gripping the bar further apart still works your triceps, but it will work more of your chest.0
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you will feel it in your triceps, chest and your lats if you have them tight. Just give it some time and progress in weight slowly. you dont have to feel pain for it to be working.
and most personal gym trainers i have seen dont know proper bench form, that doesnt mean yours doesn't, but dont just trust a trainer because they are a trainer. You are good to come here and ask questions.0 -
This sounds like synergistic dominance to me.
The bench press works multiple muscles:
Prime Mover (Muscle which should do most of the work): Pectoralis Major
Synergists (assist the prime mover): Anterior Deltoid, Triceps, Serratus anterior, Biceps Brachi, coracobrachialis
Stablizers (stabilize): Abdominals
In other words, because your pecs are very weak (and likely neuromuscularly inefficient/not used to firing) your triceps and other synergists are doing most of the work.
If you were my client, i would focus on a more comprehensive approach as i can pretty much bet that you also have some postural problems (upper-cross syndrome) and are experiencing the side effects of that as well. But i won't jump to conclusions as far as that's concerned.
In any case, that sounds like what's happening to me.
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rainbowbow wrote: »This sounds like synergistic dominance to me.
The bench press works multiple muscles:
Prime Mover (Muscle which should do most of the work): Pectoralis Major
Synergists (assist the prime mover): Anterior Deltoid, Triceps, Serratus anterior, Biceps Brachi, coracobrachialis
Stablizers (stabilize): Abdominals
In other words, because your pecs are very weak (and likely neuromuscularly inefficient/not used to firing) your triceps and other synergists are doing most of the work.
If you were my client, i would focus on a more comprehensive approach as i can pretty much bet that you also have some postural problems (upper-cross syndrome) and are experiencing the side effects of that as well. But i won't jump to conclusions as far as that's concerned.
In any case, that sounds like what's happening to me.
I'm not your client (not in US/UK), but if you don't mind, would you please advise me if I should be doing other exercises more for the stuff that you mentioned about my pecs area and upper-cross syndrome?
If so, which exercises/training I should be doing? Except for push-ups which I'm not good at for now.0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »There are different types of bench presses. For example, flat back like many bodybuilders do, or arched back like many powerlifters do. However, the reason why your triceps are sore, and not your pectorals major, is that your pecs are weaker and need your triceps to complete the lift. Soreness is also not a reliable gauge.
I'm doing flat back, with my legs arched up (bent). If soreness is not a reliable gauge, then how exactly to know that certains parts of muscles are being engaged on?
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nakedraygun wrote: »There are different types of bench presses. For example, flat back like many bodybuilders do, or arched back like many powerlifters do. However, the reason why your triceps are sore, and not your pectorals major, is that your pecs are weaker and need your triceps to complete the lift. Soreness is also not a reliable gauge.
I'm doing flat back, with my legs arched up (bent). If soreness is not a reliable gauge, then how exactly to know that certains parts of muscles are being engaged on?
there is a certain amount of "feel" you're going to develop as you workout. It's described in different ways- a lot of people talk about a pump- I rarely get that- I just know because I'm doing X movement- I'm using Y muscles.
I know they are working because I'm doing the exercise and I'm doing it with proper form.
You should be able to feel a muscle contracting and pulling (or pushing is a feel- but technically muscles don't push). it'll take some time to get used to what feels where when you're doing different things.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »This sounds like synergistic dominance to me.
The bench press works multiple muscles:
Prime Mover (Muscle which should do most of the work): Pectoralis Major
Synergists (assist the prime mover): Anterior Deltoid, Triceps, Serratus anterior, Biceps Brachi, coracobrachialis
Stablizers (stabilize): Abdominals
In other words, because your pecs are very weak (and likely neuromuscularly inefficient/not used to firing) your triceps and other synergists are doing most of the work.
If you were my client, i would focus on a more comprehensive approach as i can pretty much bet that you also have some postural problems (upper-cross syndrome) and are experiencing the side effects of that as well. But i won't jump to conclusions as far as that's concerned.
In any case, that sounds like what's happening to me.
This is a good explanation.
To add, too narrow a grip on the bar will engage your triceps more. Try placing your hands a little farther than shoulder width apart (if you're not already doing so).0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »This sounds like synergistic dominance to me.
The bench press works multiple muscles:
Prime Mover (Muscle which should do most of the work): Pectoralis Major
Synergists (assist the prime mover): Anterior Deltoid, Triceps, Serratus anterior, Biceps Brachi, coracobrachialis
Stablizers (stabilize): Abdominals
In other words, because your pecs are very weak (and likely neuromuscularly inefficient/not used to firing) your triceps and other synergists are doing most of the work.
If you were my client, i would focus on a more comprehensive approach as i can pretty much bet that you also have some postural problems (upper-cross syndrome) and are experiencing the side effects of that as well. But i won't jump to conclusions as far as that's concerned.
In any case, that sounds like what's happening to me.
I'm not your client (not in US/UK), but if you don't mind, would you please advise me if I should be doing other exercises more for the stuff that you mentioned abouty pecs area and upper-cross syndrome?
If so, which exercises/training I should be doing? Except for sit-ups which I'm not good at for now.
Maybe i shouldn't have mentioned client.
I can't diagnose you with the problems i mentioned over a message board, just from experience it sounds like what's happening.
Was this a free personal training session (where they pitch you signing up for personal training)? If so, it may not be an accurate representation of what the trainers will actually do when assessing and working with you. Before signing up with a personal trainer they should have one session which does nothing but assess your fitness level/posture/specific training goals and needs. I'm assuming they didn't do this on this session?
If you are going to continue work with a personal trainer (or heck want to hire another personal trainer, maybe he just wasn't familiar with these issues) these are definitely topics you can discuss and I encourage you to bring them up. In my opinion a postural assessment is critical in the first session because it gives a blueprint as to where you are and what you need to work on before you start working on things like hypertrophy/endurance/etc.
As far as Upper Cross Syndrome is concerned it is very common especially in office workers or people who sit at a desk hunched over their keyboard all day. The characteristics inclues your head/chin sticking forward, rounded shoulders, and a roundness in your upper back. Sometimes it's difficult to see this in yourself so i encourage you to ask your trainer about this. There are many things you can do to help including myofascial release, stretching, and increasing strength in the under-active muscles. You can look up "corrective exercises/stretching/etc." for upper cross syndrome online, however, it may be best to work with a professional.
If you can't currently bench press 5 KG without feeling pain/soreness, it may just be a good idea in general to work with a skilled trainer until you have solved these issues (increase strength, fixed postural problems, learned proper form, increased balance, and endurance levels) and can safely perform exercises on your own.
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nakedraygun wrote: »There are different types of bench presses. For example, flat back like many bodybuilders do, or arched back like many powerlifters do. However, the reason why your triceps are sore, and not your pectorals major, is that your pecs are weaker and need your triceps to complete the lift. Soreness is also not a reliable gauge.
I'm doing flat back, with my legs arched up (bent). If soreness is not a reliable gauge, then how exactly to know that certains parts of muscles are being engaged on?
as you get to know your body you will start to know a. Give it some time, its a slow process. also soreness doesn't happen right away, it can be 24 hours or more later and last for many days. So be careful not to push it too hard in the gym because you don't feel anything right away.0 -
This is a good explanation.
To add, too narrow a grip on the bar will engage your triceps more. Try placing your hands a little farther than shoulder width apart (if you're not already doing so).
I think I'm already doing that. The gap between my hand grip and the last part of the bar, is only around 3 inches.
Not sure what else I can do here to engage chest muscle.
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you most likely ARE engaging chest muscles. However , when you are pressing if you focus on squeezing those muscles as hard as you can through the lift that will help directly engage them, but you will probably be super sore the next day, if thats what you're looking for. You can also do some free weight dumbbell sets after you are done with your bar sets. and then finish it up with 100 pushups against the wall. I guarantee you will be crying the next day.0
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This is a good explanation.
To add, too narrow a grip on the bar will engage your triceps more. Try placing your hands a little farther than shoulder width apart (if you're not already doing so).
I think I'm already doing that. The gap between my hand grip and the last part of the bar, is only around 3 inches.
Not sure what else I can do here to engage chest muscle.
Then you're probably doing all of the right things. Remember, bench press is a compound movement, meaning you're going to engage a lot of different muscles. If you really want to feel it in your chest, try some isolation movements such as the pec dec machine, dumbbell flyes and/or cable crossover.0 -
I also wanted to ask.. you said you are only benching 5kgs and you are able to put your arms all the way out to the side, right?
Was it one of these?
Not a barbell, right?
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rainbowbow wrote: »This sounds like synergistic dominance to me.
Maybe i shouldn't have mentioned client. I can't diagnose you with the problems i mentioned over a message board, just from experience it sounds like what's happening.
Was this a free personal training session (where they pitch you signing up for personal training)? If so, it may not be an accurate representation of what the trainers will actually do when assessing and working with you. Before signing up with a personal trainer they should have one session which does nothing but assess your fitness level/posture/specific training goals and needs. I'm assuming they didn't do this on this session?
If you are going to continue work with a personal trainer (or heck want to hire another personal trainer, maybe he just wasn't familiar with these issues) these are definitely topics you can discuss and I encourage you to bring them up. In my opinion a postural assessment is critical in the first session because it gives a blueprint as to where you are and what you need to work on before you start working on things like hypertrophy/endurance/etc.
As far as Upper Cross Syndrome is concerned it is very common especially in office workers or people who sit at a desk hunched over their keyboard all day. The characteristics inclues your head/chin sticking forward, rounded shoulders, and a roundness in your upper back. Sometimes it's difficult to see this in yourself so i encourage you to ask your trainer about this. There are many things you can do to help including myofascial release, stretching, and increasing strength in the under-active muscles. You can look up "corrective exercises/stretching/etc." for upper cross syndrome online, however, it may be best to work with a professional.
If you can't currently bench press 5 KG without feeling pain/soreness, it may just be a good idea in general to work with a skilled trainer until you have solved these issues (increase strength, fixed postural problems, learned proper form, increased balance, and endurance levels) and can safely perform exercises on your own.
It is a free session, where trainer intro you how to use some strength machines (I don't need intro to cardio machines as I'm already familiar with them), and teach the correct forms for some free-weight trainings. It took a long while as I had issue correcting my forms.
So yes, I do not know whether my body postures are correct or not. I would assume I do have posture issue too, looking at the way I walk and do things daily.
I don't think I will hire a trainer (after the free session), as it is veryyyy expensive there.
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The soreness on triceps is felt right away. I still don't feel a thing on my chest area haha. Felt pathetic that I can barely do 5kg press.as you get to know your body you will start to know a. Give it some time, its a slow process. also soreness doesn't happen right away, it can be 24 hours or more later and last for many days. So be careful not to push it too hard in the gym because you don't feel anything right away.
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rainbowbow wrote: »I also wanted to ask.. you said you are only benching 5kgs and you are able to put your arms all the way out to the side, right?
Well I'm not too sure. I think it is a barbell, but the length of bar looks longer than the 1st pic that you showed. Adjustable version.0 -
Also, allow yourself some time learning to bench press. It is not an easy lift to learn and master, its actually quite technical.0
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