Do you go all the way down on barbell press

[highside]

When you use the barbell for incline, decline and flat bench do you go all the way down or just so that your arms are at a right angle. What are the benefits of each way.

 

[J*]

I personally go all the way down on any three of those. I think the benefit is a full range of motion, thus working the whole muscle a little better. The down side would be more strain on shoulders etc...

Just my 2 cents.

J

 

[basskiller]

Just no bouncing!I stop just short of letting it touch my chest.

Last reps are killer.

 

[Gear101*]

Just no bouncing!I stop just short of letting it touch my chest.

Last reps are killer.

that sounds like a guy that's bounced 350 on flat off his chest and snapped his breast plate..

that'll cost you for about a week...

that's gonna hurt like HELL

 

[Zeca]

All the way down............................hurts but is goood!

 

[basskiller]

that sounds like a guy that's bounced 350 on flat off his chest and snapped his breast plate..

that'll cost you for about a week...

that's gonna hurt like HELL

OOOOOOOOUCH!

 

[highside]

I always go all the way down. Yesterday I did the other way and of course could do more weight. It hit the middle of my chest better I think.

 

[Auriflex]

I unrack and go down like one inch or so, everyone watches me too - they are all impressed by my knowledge of the sport!

 

[dedprez*]

for what little i do a barbell press....i go all the way down and sometimes pause at the bottom and then explode up...i guess i really wasnt aware that there was a different way other than this.

 

[Gear101*]

i take them down right to the point they tap my shoulders.. then back up on the flat and incline.. decline the bottom of my rib cage

 

[TAZ]

All the way down and just short of lockout at the top for all three.
-TAZ

 

[winneevee]

Those who go all the way down build muscle twice as fast as those who only go halfway. I go down to where I barely touch my chest then come back up & if I dont have a spot that day then I usually do my last reps halfway to get more out of the set.

 

[sully]

yeah

...all the way down for me...

 

[DecaDent*]

I never go all the way down...

on incline presses. I stop about 4 inches from my chest when the contraction is maximized. Dropping lower than that on inclines will transfer the forces towards the shoulder and slacken the upper pec. I like the isolation of the upper chest on inclines. Put your hand over someones upper chest when they are doing inclines and you'll actually feel the point of peak contraction when the bar is 3-5 inches from their chest,drop it below that and the upper pec temporarily relaxes and that's what I try to aviod plus it does save wear and tear on your rotator cuff muscles.
I do drop the whole way for flat bench,but I think of flat bench as a more of a power exercise(not an isolation exercise) for pecs-tris and even some trap recrutment.

 

[ethansharpe]

I was just about to put the same thing DecaDent... thanks for saving me the trouble!

 

[basskiller]

I unrack and go down like one inch or so, everyone watches me too - they are all impressed by my knowledge of the sport!

I guess that they miss this one Aflex....ROTFLMMFAO