Correct form benchpress and activating the pecs

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  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,535 Member

    To be honest given the issues you have mentioned and the fact you've almost seriously hurt yourself while trying to bench, I would suggest you need a professional to look at you rather than well meaning people on this forum.

    A physical therapist would be what you want. A bonus if you find one who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

    Good luck.

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,794 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48530742#Comment_48530742

    @yirara Am I right in remembering you’re hypermobile? If so, that could have something to do with you thinking you’re not engaging your pecs. Obvs your genetic condition could be the main reason, but lack of proprioception is an issue with EDS / HMS. Given that I have been weightlifting for 8 years now, I still have no idea where my arms are in relation to my body overhead - I can’t “feel” their positon. I also can’t feel when my lats are engaged (it was a bone of contention between me and my coach for ages). I’ve had to adapt to knowing that I have to go through certain stages to engage the muscles I need, so I have drills at the beginning of each lift. I was just wondering whether that might be part of the case with you?

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,432 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48532592#Comment_48532592

    Hmm.. that might actually be a good suggestion! But yeah, I am hypermobile. I am able to flex my pecs when I move my arms way to the back not really when my elbow is paralell to my chest and pretty much not at all when I move my arms parallel to the ground and at right angle to my chest.

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,794 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48532622#Comment_48532622

    it might be that you can’t feel how to engage them at certain positions. So I know that to engage my lats before I snatch I have to rotate my hands on the bar, try to break it in half, pretend to squeeze a pencil down between my shoulder blades, hold all that then raise my chest to the sky. It’s hilarious writing it down, but it’s the only way I get the correct start position with the right muscles engaged. And then my coach says I need to adjust my stance and it all goes to pieces 🤣 I don’t bench very often now so I can’t offer advice on pec engagement, but I know I had similar set up drills (powerlifting style) when I started out lifting. Do you record yourself? It might be that a certain drill will engage the muscles for you, and you’ll see it when you watch your vids back?

  • I2k4
    I2k4 Posts: 195 Member
    edited March 26

    I started using isometric (static hold) resistance movements for joint recovery but followed online sources for use as a warm-up or "pre-exhaust" for dynamic working sets. Isos are a quick good way to get the feel of target muscles, especially for compound lifts like bench where pecs get lost among other actors. "Yielding" isometrics can be static holds of 30 sec to a minute with the warm-up weight, while shorter "Overcoming" isos can even be with an empty bar set against immovable rack pins or straps. Youtube has plenty of resources, like everything else you look for what works for you.

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 13,690 Member

    @claireychn074 your setup doesn't sound hilarious or ridiculous at all. Every time I do deadlifts I have a literal mental checklist I go through for every rep, from foot placement to hand placement to spinal alignment to pushing my feet through the floor and on and on. In my case I do it mostly for injury prevention, you do it for muscle recruitment. But either way, running through a routine gets the job done.

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