Is This Really Proper Form?

[ChetlovesMer]

Okay, I know this will come as a shock to anyone who's met me. I don't spend a lot of time hanging out in gyms. 

My neighbor has teenage and low 20's kids. They have a gym in their basement with Olympic Weights, a squat rack, etc... 

To get to the point, when his sons were bench pressing they were using form that "in my day" would have been considered not only wrong, but also dangerous. I remember being taught to press my lower back and glute muscles down into the bench during bench presses. But these boys were doing the exact opposite. When I asked them about it they said this is how bench press is taught now. 

Does anyone know? Is this correct form now? When did that change? I haven't been in an actual gym since maybe 1995, so I really have no idea. 

 

Hey @RFKFREAK, You are in the gym all the time. Is this the way to bench press now? 

[boogielicious]

38 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Okay, I know this will come as a shock to anyone who's met me. I don't spend a lot of time hanging out in gyms. 

My neighbor has teenage and low 20's kids. They have a gym in their basement with Olympic Weights, a squat rack, etc... 

To get to the point, when his sons were bench pressing they were using form that "in my day" would have been considered not only wrong, but also dangerous. I remember being taught to press my lower back and glute muscles down into the bench during bench presses. But these boys were doing the exact opposite. When I asked them about it they said this is how bench press is taught now. 

Does anyone know? Is this correct form now? When did that change? I haven't been in an actual gym since maybe 1995, so I really have no idea. 

 

Hey @RFKFREAK, You are in the gym all the time. Is this the way to bench press now? 

That’s perfect form to insure that physical therapists will be gainfully employed for years to come. One of my PTs told me she loved watching guys do military presses at the gym because she knew she’d have patients in a couple of years.

The Fit for Golf app goes into the correct form for many exercises including bench. Your description is correct. The purpose of these types of exercises is to isolate certain groups to build strength. There are other more full body exercises that can be done to engage multiple muscle groups.

[GolfLug]

My brother-in-law is a very heavy lifter (power+bench). He says they do this to use full body instead of isolating just back/chest + leg drive...whatever that means. I don't left weights over 15 pounds for anything so I don't know what these kind of forces do to the body, but it does seem like chiropractor/PT's dream scenario. He says women lifters do these really well.     

[billchao]

Proper form? Absolutely not. It definitely wouldn’t pass in a powerlifting competition.

Gyms are full of ego lifters. This is how the guy presses more weight.

[chspeed]

2 hours ago, GolfLug said:

My brother-in-law is a very heavy lifter (power+bench). He says they do this to use full body instead of isolating just back/chest + leg drive...whatever that means.

Can you ask him if lifting without a shirt is also required in this technique?

[ChetlovesMer]

1 hour ago, chspeed said:

Can you ask him if lifting without a shirt is also required in this technique?

I think that is just done to get the proper layer of man-slime on the bench.

When I work out I generally sweat like Ozzy Osbourne playing Jenga. So, I would always wear at least a shirt, often two just to tray to keep my DNA from being left behind everywhere I do a set. 🤢

[GolfLug]

1 hour ago, chspeed said:

Can you ask him if lifting without a shirt is also required in this technique?

He said no but it impresses people on golf forums. 

[colin007]

5 hours ago, billchao said:

Proper form? Absolutely not. It definitely wouldn’t pass in a powerlifting competition.

Gyms are full of ego lifters. This is how the guy presses more weight.

If his butt is touching the bench, it'll pass in competition. Head, butt, feet.

Benching is tough on the shoulders. I just had labrum repair surgery last month, and I prolly won't go back to benching after doing it for 25 years, I'm 42 years old now and I don't care much about how much I bench, I just want to look good in a t-shirt.

[dennyjones]

3 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

When I work out I generally sweat like Ozzy Osbourne playing Jenga

too funny!

[billchao]

59 minutes ago, colin007 said:

If his butt is touching the bench, it'll pass in competition. Head, butt, feet.

Looks to me it’s not, which is why I said it won’t pass. Hard to tell but I assumed his heels are off the floor based on the angle of his legs.

[colin007]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

Looks to me it’s not, which is why I said it won’t pass. Hard to tell but I assumed his heels are off the floor based on the angle of his legs.

You're prolly right, but it remains that you can get pretty damn close to that position and pass

[woodzie264]

As an ATC, Orthopedic PA, and former CSCS, I can say this is absolutely perfect form….

for someone to come see me in the office for a jacked up back 

Reminds me of this guy…

[Denny Bang Bang]

It’s pretty common for powerlifters to get a bit of arch and use the legs to help drive a little, but that image in the original post is pretty extreme.  I participated in a couple jr competitions when I was in high school and have worked out with a few serious power lifters, have definitely not seen anything that extreme in person.