Reverse grip bench press

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BuffDaddyG
BuffDaddyG Posts: 32 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Jim Stapponi recently posted a video on how the reverse grip bench press activates 30% of the upper chest opposed to the upright bench, which only activates 5%. I tried it today and it gave me a great pump. Just sharing some love

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  • kristixo
    kristixo Posts: 38 Member
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    Great tip! Thanks for sharing
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Reverse grip! That sounds crazy. Like I'd have to start with the bar only. Any tips for form and... well... not having the bar crush your throat?

    Good advice. I need to remember this stuff, like doing front squats occasionally instead of always back squats. Variety is the spice of life!
  • BuffDaddyG
    BuffDaddyG Posts: 32 Member
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    I find a wider grip helps tremendously. Make sure you start light to see how your wrists with respond to the press. Bring the bar down just beneath the collar bone, let it barely touch you chest, keep tension to stress the fibers!
  • rossmc1294
    rossmc1294 Posts: 1 Member
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    There was a study done that showed around 10% more muscle activation at 30° for the upper pecs and around 7% at 15° for the lower pecs. So I'm interested if there is any links to show 60%.

    * using the normal grip

    The study that I mentioned was a small study by trained people. Also they talk about muscle activation at certain time points.
  • BuffDaddyG
    BuffDaddyG Posts: 32 Member
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    rossmc1294 wrote: »
    There was a study done that showed around 10% more muscle activation at 30° for the upper pecs and around 7% at 15° for the lower pecs. So I'm interested if there is any links to show 60%.

    * using the normal grip

    The study that I mentioned was a small study by trained people. Also they talk about muscle activation at certain time points.

    For sure! And really all will work to a degree. I personally have a hard time building the upper fibers of my chest, so I'm hoping to see a significant increase with reverse bench. It also fires your delts up.
  • sventheviking
    sventheviking Posts: 45 Member
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    Not a fan of reverse grip. At least as a main movement. i would maybe follow up my bench pressing with it for sets of 10+

    Jamie Lewis was doing something like 365 on a reverse grip incline bench
  • hockeysniper8
    hockeysniper8 Posts: 253 Member
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    Thanks! Will give it a try! Maybe smith machine first
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    You can also do a reverse grip cable fly which follows almost the same motion as the bench press, only change is you keep your elbows tucked closer to your body with more of a downward pressing motion in order to activate the lowest part of the major pec, I got a pump that Id never had before and it's definitely helping to increase my lower chest. Make sure to squeeze your elbows togetheras much as you can at the the top of the movement.
  • BuffDaddyG
    BuffDaddyG Posts: 32 Member
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    You can also do a reverse grip cable fly which follows almost the same motion as the bench press, only change is you keep your elbows tucked closer to your body with more of a downward pressing motion in order to activate the lowest part of the major pec, I got a pump that Id never had before and it's definitely helping to increase my lower chest. Make sure to squeeze your elbows togetheras much as you can at the the top of the movement.

    I will definitely have to try that. I like to switch up my routine on each muscle group as often as possible. Good thing with cables is that it'll give you more range of motion and it helps me use more weight.

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