Benching correctly.

[J-Luck]

Yes, it is so generally accepted by powerlifters that their lifts don't count UNLESS they touch the chest!

Sounds like a training method for the egotistical to me, as the less you go down the more you can "lift".

Nope not at all! If it was egotistical, I would do half reps and bench 30 more pounds...

Naaa, I used to bench to the chest but always got corrected by the powerlifters and bodybuilders in 3 different gyms, so I corrected it. Too much shoulder and not enough practical power in the lift. Just not good.

[J-Luck]

XF is correct in stating that it can disqualify you to touch your chest in a powerlift... they have set limits...

The idea is that you can bounce it off with the momentum... ESPECIALLY WITH A BENCH SHIRT! If you have worn one you know what I'm talking about.

[Maxx]

As a sports conditioning specialist, the depth you want to go will vary on your tolerance. Generally when I work with new clients, I don't allow them to lower the bar any further than what it will take to lower their elbows to the same level as their shoulders. Going deeper can put undue stress on the shoulder and rotator cuff.

Also, don't lock the elbows out during the lift. It can put undue stress on the elbow joint and take stress off of the chest muscles.

Keep in mind that any strength that you gain will not be immediately apparent in your fighting skills. It can take months or years to transfer strength gains to sports specific movements. Incorporating opympic lifts, kettle bell movements and plyometric training will speed the conversion, but it will still take time.

[SamuraiGuy]

XF is correct in stating that it can disqualify you to touch your chest in a powerlift... they have set limits...

The idea is that you can bounce it off with the momentum... ESPECIALLY WITH A BENCH SHIRT! If you have worn one you know what I'm talking about.

Are you kidding me... in powerlifting IT IS A REQUIREMENT you touch the bar to your chest... how do you get disqualified for it then... thats like playing baseball and saying hitting the ball with the bat is against the rules.

and no, you cannot bounce it off with momentum, because they make you pause with the bar on your chest. You still have to hold it there, you cant just rest it on your chest (it would crush you if you did so).

Watch a powerlifting meet, have youe ver seen one, they bring the bar down, it touches their chest, the judge waits for a second or two, then says lift, then you get to lift. That waiting removes any possibility of a bounce.

Did you even read my post about how you should also wait on every rep, to make sure you arent "bouncing" the bar.

[eXcessiveForce]

the reason we aren't kidding you iss in the AAU powerlifting rules. The one I quoted in my post.

[cbortelny]

you might wanna try lifting your feet off the floor and crossing them, knees to your stomach. Also, keep your back flat on the bench at all times.

[nvr8nf]

How to? Is it as simple as raising the bar up and down with a certain amount of reps? Cause i'm hardly feeling any strain upon my chest although I do struggle to actually lift the bar.

O.o whats even stranger is that I don't feel any muscle soreness when I wake up.

I am a hard gainer and my bench seemed to be at a standstill. I did some research and started lifting to failure EVERY time. For some(most) the good ol' 3 sets of 8-10 reps won't fatigue your muscles enough.

I warm-up first(obviously) then I start with a weight I know I can only do about 8X and I do it until failure. I then pull off 20lbs, wait about 2-3 minutes and do it again. Pull off another 20lb, wait another 2-3 minutes and go until failure again. My logic behind this is you are using your energy for the heavier weight first, then really stresiing the muscles to get everything possible out of them. Make sure you follow up with some flies and pullovers(to failure also) at the minimum to hit other areas of your chest.

You will wake up sore!

[nvr8nf]

Also, I never put my feet on the floor(causes me to try and arch my back) and I always just barely touch the bar to my chest(NO BOUNCING!) and I go to full extension, but I don't "lock-out" the elbow. Not saying that is the correct way but it has worked for me!