Arching Back During Bench Press
This means you have more control of the weight coming down towards your body and back up like a sturdy table.
Arching back during bench press. Many people complain that the shoulder press hurts their lower back. To set up for a bench press i tell people to stick your chest out as far as you can arch your upper back. Pull your shoulder blades back together behind you.
I had a personal trainer tell me once to try keep the back on the bench contract my abs as i lift. Arching your back is the correct way to bench press as long as your butt and shoulders are on the seat and your feet flat on the ground. Arching your back will also take away some leg drive.
Arching the lower and mid back does not push the limit range of motion of the cervical spine in the neck so there is not much concern for neck injury probability with arched benching. One way to arch your back is to get your feet behind your hips but the farther the legs go back the tougher it is to transfer leg drive into the bench without your butt leaving the bench. By slightly arching your back you re able to contract your scapula squeeze your shoulder blades together on the bench which reduces the stress on your shoulder joints which are without a doubt the most vulnerable joint in your body.
Your spine is not axially loaded arching your lower back to an extreme degree while squatting or deadlifting is a. A it s actually healthier if you maintain a slight arch while bench pressing because your lower back is naturally curved. According to jordan syatt world record powerlifter and strength coach an arch makes it easier to tuck your shoulder blades together protecting them from injury.
If your spine is completely flat on the bench your shoulders will roll forward he says. 4 arched benching especially with a retraction of the scapulae allow a greater use of the lower fibers of the pectoralis major chest muscles. It s the safest position for your shoulders your back isn t what you need to worry about while bench pressing it s.
Why you actually should arch your back while you bench press 1. Mike s oct 29 12 at 23 31 mikes. With an arched back you have 3 very stable points of contact your shoulders and glutes on the bench and your feet on the floor.
This happens because in an effort to do whatever it takes to get the weight up up it can be easy to arch your back even if. In reality the controversy typically spurs from comments made on youtube.