# Bench



## ethic1 (Feb 29, 2012)

I have seen many different ideas on bench press but what do you feel is proper form for a taller guy?  Going down to slightly under parellel or all the way down to the chest?  I am 6'3 with pretty long arms.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

Go all the way down ! People use long arms as an excuse to cover up weaknesses. 
Plenty of long armed people that can bench plenty of weight... Just train


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## JMedic79 (Feb 29, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> Go all the way down ! People use long arms as an excuse to cover up weaknesses.
> Plenty of long armed people that can bench plenty of weight... Just train


 
aren't you like 5'4"? not being a douche, but you don't have personal frame of reference, especially to be labeling anything as "covering up weaknesses".

no, you don't have to touch your chest. stop a couple of inches from your sternum. doing that also keeps the muscle groups under tension for the entire movement.


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## fatsopower (Feb 29, 2012)

ethic1 said:


> I have seen many different ideas on bench press but what do you feel is proper form for a taller guy?  Going down to slightly under parellel or all the way down to the chest?  I am 6'3 with pretty long arms.


  it depends what your goal is - when I was powerlifting, I used a very wide grip, created a great arch, and barely had to move the bar to hit my chest - if you are bodybuilding, you need to feel comfortable in the motion and get as full range as you can get without straining your shoulders (rotators) - I'm not talking about wussing out, just staying safe - people confuse the "good" pain of really pushing it on a movement with the very "bad" pain of forcing your body to do something that it shouldn't.
 Bottom line - do what works for you - push your limits but stay safe.
hope this helped.
just my 2c fwiw


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## ethic1 (Feb 29, 2012)

fatsopower said:


> it depends what your goal is - when I was powerlifting, I used a very wide grip, created a great arch, and barely had to move the bar to hit my chest - if you are bodybuilding, you need to feel comfortable in the motion and get as full range as you can get without straining your shoulders (rotators) - I'm not talking about wussing out, just staying safe - people confuse the "good" pain of really pushing it on a movement with the very "bad" pain of forcing your body to do something that it shouldn't.
> Bottom line - do what works for you - push your limits but stay safe.
> hope this helped.
> just my 2c fwiw


 

It does help......I just like to stay in good shape and look good....I usually go about 3 inchs from the chest but just wondered if this is right....i see many people bouncing off their chest, yanking their ass off the bench and so fourth...I just like to keep a fluid movement and bring it down to where my elbos are slightly below 90 which would be roughly 2-3 inches above my chest....feels fine to me but wasnt sure if there were any issues with it.....


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## fatsopower (Feb 29, 2012)

ethic1 said:


> It does help......I just like to stay in good shape and look good....I usually go about 3 inchs from the chest but just wondered if this is right....i see many people bouncing off their chest, yanking their ass off the bench and so fourth...I just like to keep a fluid movement and bring it down to where my elbos are slightly below 90 which would be roughly 2-3 inches above my chest....feels fine to me but wasnt sure if there were any issues with it.....



people do weird stuff especially when benching - it's definitely most important to keep control of the weight, and have the bar moving smoothly - going slightly below 90 is great - it's actually a more difficult exercise to do than those guys playing bouncy bounce!


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## _LG_ (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm 6 1 I go all the way down.  No bounce, just touch and go.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

JMedic79 said:


> aren't you like 5'4"? not being a douche, but you don't have personal frame of reference, especially to be labeling anything as "covering up weaknesses".
> 
> no, you don't have to touch your chest. stop a couple of inches from your sternum. doing that also keeps the muscle groups under tension for the entire movement.



bro, I do not take offense. I am speaking from years of training and experience weight lifting.

to obtain maximum muscle stimulation you need to do a full range of motion. stopping short of your chest will not fully stimulate your chest muscles (regardless of arm length).
NOTE: power lifters or people going for a 1rm maxes are not concerned with maximum muscle stimulation they are concerned with MOVING the weight, hence they can shorten the ROM by doing a power arch. 

I am NOT saying that bench will be easy for you. I will also admit being shorter and having a shorter ROM is why short stocky people excel in bench press. However, this does not detract from the point that you need to properly stimulate your muscle fibers and to properly do that you should be doing a full ROM--at least for bodybuilding purposes (if your goal is to build muscle).

also, I say people hide behind excuses because that is exactly what they do. "I have long arms so i cant bench" or "dude your 5'4 of course you can bench a lot." Bro, i started with a 135lbs bench press and that was after 6months of pushup / pullup/ dip training. I worked for every pound of my 400lbs bench press. Short arms or not. 

so, if you have long arms, struggle through the FULL ROM. don't cut yourself short and do half, or 90 degrees, or anything else. there will come a time for that sure (using plyes, etc). But, for general training purposes touch your chest and come back up.


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## ethic1 (Feb 29, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> bro, I do not take offense. I am speaking from years of training and experience weight lifting.
> 
> to obtain maximum muscle stimulation you need to do a full range of motion. stopping short of your chest will not fully stimulate your chest muscles (regardless of arm length).
> NOTE: power lifters or people going for a 1rm maxes are not concerned with maximum muscle stimulation they are concerned with MOVING the weight, hence they can shorten the ROM by doing a power arch.
> ...


 
I agree with Full ROM but do you not think that someone with longer arms may go to far if they touch their chest?  I agree with going past 90 but is there a limit that could be two far?  Longer arms will leave you going way back?


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

Nothing is wrong with touching your chest 
Biomechanics say so. Unless you are a mutant  

Lighten your load do full reps. 
If your experience pain then consult a grad student in biomechanics or physical therapy if you are at s university if not then speak to a therapist or properly educated trainer about any pains 

But you should be fine bro


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## bjg (Feb 29, 2012)

you should go down all the way to fully workout the chest, you don't need to break your sternum, just go down until the bar touches your chest. Some special bars are curved so that you go down a bit more like when doing dumbell presses. 
going half way down will not work your chest well, you will instead use lots of triceps. in fact it is better to go down all the way but not up all the way (no locking) for training purposes. 
and if look closer you will see that if things are all proportional,  tall people with tall arms have wider chest and shoulders and a thicker chest and will use a wider grip than shorter people making the bar height the same for both and not a big difference in how far the bar travels. In practice however things are not proportional since the tall guy might have a relatively narrow chest a with his long arms, so you will find a difference , but still the difference is not too much in general but some guys have long arms compared to their width so....
but anyways if you want to train properly you should do the movement properly.


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## ethic1 (Feb 29, 2012)

The distance is deffinatly farther.  I have broad shoulders but not a broad chest so my arms to travel.  But I will start seeing how it goes slightly touching the chest and see if I see any difference


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## Bonesaw (Feb 29, 2012)

6'2 here, I go to about 1" above my chest.  I feel like thats where I should start going up.


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## jadean (Feb 29, 2012)

Hey bro im 6'8" i like to go to my lower chest with a semi narrow grip. Elbows should be be 45° at the bottom. Benching was always uncomfortable for me as well bro. Now i can do over 400 no problem. Keep experimenting brother.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

jadean said:


> Hey bro im 6'8" i like to go to my lower chest with a semi narrow grip. Elbows should be be 45° at the bottom. Benching was always uncomfortable for me as well bro. Now i can do over 400 no problem. Keep experimenting brother.




Good job man. Guy at my gym is like 6'7 and does 550. If you work for it and train you can accomplish it--unless you have some physical abnormality or injury that physically prevents you from accomplishing it.


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## bigmanjws (Feb 29, 2012)

Touch, no exceptions. Most people just shorten the lockout to like 75-80% with longer arms.


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## Gissurjon (Feb 29, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> bro, I do not take offense. I am speaking from years of training and experience weight lifting.
> 
> to obtain maximum muscle stimulation you need to do a full range of motion. stopping short of your chest will not fully stimulate your chest muscles (regardless of arm length).
> NOTE: power lifters or people going for a 1rm maxes are not concerned with maximum muscle stimulation they are concerned with MOVING the weight, hence they can shorten the ROM by doing a power arch.
> ...



You and a couple guys in white lab coats lol


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## MaxSeg (Feb 29, 2012)

6'2 here, Full ROM unless im doing specific lockout work, ie; floor press, lockouts (pin presses) or board work. Index finger on the power rings.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

Gissurjon said:


> You and a couple guys in white lab coats lol



If that is a jab against me and the use of AAS.
I trained over about 9 years naturally and got up to 380lbs bench naturally.

White lab coats aside you can achieve good results naturally.


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## returnofthdragon (Feb 29, 2012)

Touch your chest.


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## fatsopower (Feb 29, 2012)

it seems everyone has definite views on this - some even on hand placement, which is definitely dependent on each person's individual body width - I would just like to point out if I may that full rom will definitely cause more muscle activation, but if the trade-off is a possible shoulder tweak every once in a while - is it worth it?


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## returnofthdragon (Feb 29, 2012)

Hands should be at a width where your elbows are 45° from the body on the way down.  Not next to your torso or straight out.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

fatsopower said:


> it seems everyone has definite views on this - some even on hand placement, which is definitely dependent on each person's individual body width - I would just like to point out if I may that full rom will definitely cause more muscle activation, but if the trade-off is a possible shoulder tweak every once in a while - is it worth it?



Umm totally not worth it, god who does full range of motion on exercises...just silliness. Lets all do half reps or quarter reps, and stop when it "feels" right.

This thread is getting ridiculous.


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## gixxermaniak (Feb 29, 2012)

I can't go all the way down it puts to much stress on my shoulders .....so I stop four fingers above chest


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

gixxermaniak said:


> I can't go all the way down it puts to much stress on my shoulders .....so I stop four fingers above chest



As I said in the threads above.
Unless you have a physical disability, mutation, or injury there is no reason why you can't do a full ROM. 
If you have an injury or experience pain I said you have two logical options:
If you are at a university: Speak to a grad student in Biomechanics or physical therapy. -- This would be free if they are nice people lol 
If you are not in a university setting then speak to a physical therapist or trainer that is educated enough to diagnose the problem and work towards rehabilitating you (if that is an option) or working around the disability / injury.


You Gixxermaniak, either have
1) injury, from the past
2) Weak shoulders
3) poor flexibility
4) or any number of possible things and should see someone about why you can not do a full ROM


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## celticthug (Feb 29, 2012)

im 6'1.an could say my arms are alittle long for my body.i touch an pause.i hope to push 500 this year.if ur shoulder joints dont hurt u,go all the way down.u get better devolopment IMO


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## gixxermaniak (Feb 29, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> You Gixxermaniak, either have
> 1) injury, from the past
> 2) Weak shoulders
> 3) poor flexibility
> 4) or any number of possible things and should see someone about why you can not do a full ROM


 people have told me flexibility because I've never been injured I guess I'm just going to have to start going with lighter weight working it all the way down to build flexibility and comfort 



DRUGS ARE BAD MMMMKKKAAYYYY


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## fufu (Feb 29, 2012)

Full range all the way. If you can get your upper extremities into a chest touch position without pain, you should be going there. Doing otherwise is creating weakness as you won't be strong through a full range of motion. It's really up to you though. 

And for what it is worth, I think most serious weight lifters wouldn't really give respect to a partial ROM lift.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

gixxermaniak said:


> people have told me flexibility because I've never been injured I guess I'm just going to have to start going with lighter weight working it all the way down to build flexibility and comfort
> 
> 
> 
> DRUGS ARE BAD MMMMKKKAAYYYY



Few questions
1) how much do you currently bench--this isn't a pissing contest, but honest. What weight can you do for 6-8 reps
2) do you do pushups or dips? 
3) I don't stretch, but you should--hell I need to start my damn self.
4) When you do shoulder exercises are you able to bring the weight all the way down without pain? Like if it is a barbell can you touch the bar to your chest if you wanted to.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

fufu said:


> Full range all the way. If you can get your upper extremities into a chest touch position without pain, you should be going there. Doing otherwise is creating weakness as you won't be strong through a full range of motion. It's really up to you though.
> 
> And for what it is worth, I think most serious weight lifters wouldn't really give respect to a partial ROM lift.



Damn skippy.
If you aren't touching your chest, no lift is counted.


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## fufu (Feb 29, 2012)

ethic1 said:


> I agree with Full ROM but do you not think that someone with longer arms may go to far if they touch their chest?  I agree with going past 90 but is there a limit that could be two far?  Longer arms will leave you going way back?



If you are looking at the degree of motions at the joints, they are the same if you are 5'5'' or 6'5'' if limbs are proportioned the same, so there is no real issue of joint/muscle injury if you are tall. 

The partial ROM due to height seems silly. If you were running, would you run the same distance stride as a short person? Of course not, because it wouldn't work for you mechanically. You need strengthen your personal mechanics through full range if your goal is to be functionally stronger.


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## fatsopower (Feb 29, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> Umm totally not worth it, god who does full range of motion on exercises...just silliness. Lets all do half reps or quarter reps, and stop when it "feels" right.
> 
> This thread is getting ridiculous.


extremely! about as ridiculous as comparing stopping 2 inches above your chest to quarter reps! btw - check the vids of any "brand name" bb - NOBODY is doing full rom - everyone is working around SOME injury and just doing exactly that- what feels right! 
I personally split bench into halves (when I still do flat bench) - top half down halfway and bottom half up halfway - and that's my personal workaround. If you feel it's neccessary to ego lift go right ahead. but I still say to do what feels right and don't go OVER the limits of personal injury.
feel free to disagree.


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## gixxermaniak (Feb 29, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> Few questions
> 1) how much do you currently bench--this isn't a pissing contest, but honest. What weight can you do for 6-8 reps
> 2) do you do pushups or dips?
> 3) I don't stretch, but you should--hell I need to start my damn self.
> 4) When you do shoulder exercises are you able to bring the weight all the way down without pain? Like if it is a barbell can you touch the bar to your chest if you wanted to.



Yes shoulders I can do no problem bench 225 8 times without a spotter dips I do eight with a plate strapped on 

DRUGS ARE BAD MMMMKKKAAYYYY


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

fatsopower said:


> extremely! about as ridiculous as comparing stopping 2 inches above your chest to quarter reps! btw - check the vids of any "brand name" bb - NOBODY is doing full rom - everyone is working around SOME injury and just doing exactly that- what feels right!
> I personally split bench into halves (when I still do flat bench) - top half down halfway and bottom half up halfway - and that's my personal workaround. If you feel it's neccessary to ego lift go right ahead. but I still say to do what feels right and don't go OVER the limits of personal injury.
> feel free to disagree.



 They stop short coming up, so they don't lock out the elbows, because 1) it removes pressure off the chest muscles and 2) once you are able to lift more than 300lbs it becomes extremely tough on the joints 

I have repeated myself about working around injuries numerous times and advised going to see a professional

Also, doing partial reps because you see power lifters or bodybuilders doing that is not applicable. First understand why they are doing those partial reps.

For what it is worth I think your personal workaround is not very effective, but I do not know your injuries. However if you can do a half rep at the top and a half rep at the bottom then as far as I am concerned, for the purpose of this discussion, you have no injury preventing you from doing a full ROM (because as you already admitted you CAN do it, you just choose to split it up. However, as I said for the purpose of this discussion a full ROM does not necessary include locking out at the top, for that leads to unnecessary strain on your elbows.


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## ckcrown84 (Feb 29, 2012)

gixxermaniak said:


> Yes shoulders I can do no problem bench 225 8 times without a spotter dips I do eight with a plate strapped on
> 
> DRUGS ARE BAD MMMMKKKAAYYYY



the reason I asked was:
1) pushups are a GREAT exercise. I incorporate them weekly. Don't forget about them, they are great for chest, shoulders, and triceps. Add a plate on your back if you need to, do as many reps as u can, remove the plate and do some more--do like 3 sets
2) Dips are also great for building upper body. I use these to bust through barriers. Do a FULL dip, they will build those shoulders and triceps. 
3) Lighten your load on bench, get the full range. Build back up to your 225. For example:
Week 1: 185 bench - Full rom
Week 2: 195 - Full rom
Week 3: 205 Full ROM
Week 4: 225 Full rom

^^ Not saying to do exactly that but this gives you an idea. Drop the weight and bust your ass. Once you get back to your original weight you will overall be much stronger and this should also stimulate some growth. Don't view this as a set back. 
Another personal question: over the past 6 months how much has your bench press actually increased? 30lbs, 60lbs, 100? 
Just trying to make a point. Droping the weight to 185 is not really much of a "set back" as far as physical weight, and like I said this should stimulate some growth as well/


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## ShreddedOatz (Feb 29, 2012)

I lift the weight off the rack and put it back on 8-10 times, is that good?


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## gixxermaniak (Feb 29, 2012)

Great info CK

DRUGS ARE BAD MMMMKKKAAYYYY


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## bjg (Mar 1, 2012)

i forgot to mention earlier that habit plays a big role in benching too, many lifters have the bad habit of lowering the bar half way, then when it comes to real benching they just dont have any strength lowering the bar all the way down and pushing it up.
Although it should not be that way, it is almost harder for me to stop few inches above my chest ..i am just used to lower the bar all the way down. 
two days ago i trained with a very strong young guy , he easily can bench 275 for more than 20 reps! he did 225 for 30 reps before moving to 275 then to 315 then to 365 benching it 8 reps no problem. while i can only bench 315 twice with no help i cannot come close to him with flat bench ...but as we moved later on to dumbell flies, he could barely do it with 55lbs ! while i could use 65 lbs easily for that.....and what is also more strange is that with DB presses he could not work out with more than 75lbs while i went over 90 lbs ...
he just was not used to dumbells ..anything with barbells he is a monster but anything with dumbells he is just a normal guy ...


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## Gissurjon (Mar 1, 2012)

ckcrown84 said:


> If that is a jab against me and the use of AAS.
> I trained over about 9 years naturally and got up to 380lbs bench naturally.
> 
> White lab coats aside you can achieve good results naturally.



No man, I'm not knocking you for using that stuff... to each is own


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## Paramour (Mar 7, 2012)




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## squigader (Mar 7, 2012)

Try dumbbells - I personally feel that they hit the pecs a lot harder, give better results, and are the way to go for people with long arms.


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## stfuandliftbtch (Mar 7, 2012)

JMedic79 said:


> aren't you like 5'4"? not being a douche, but you don't have personal frame of reference, especially to be labeling anything as "covering up weaknesses".
> 
> no, you don't have to touch your chest. stop a couple of inches from your sternum. doing that also keeps the muscle groups under tension for the entire movement.



You're calling out his height, why? Its his opinion and it is right. All the taller guy has to do is to a wider grip, making it literally the exact same thing as shorter guy having a closer grip.

yes, you should touch your chest. Full ROM=FULL development. Stopping a few inches from your chest wont give the chest more tension. what the fuck are you talking about!? The EXACT opposite. Locking out will reduce tension, so that should be avoided, but stopping before you touch your chest!? 

He said "touch" the chest, not lye or bounce it off your chest..


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## itodobien (Mar 8, 2012)

Man IMO I agree; it's all the way down, touch and go.  No Bounce.  I am not a pro, but am 6'3" with a bench around 350 right now.  I played football in college and that's what the S&C coach would preach.  Full ROM on every lift you do.  I don't have any of the joint stiffness issues described in this post either.  I agree it's a little harder to move weight with longer levers (that's just physics) but you have to go all the way down.  If not, it don't count.  Just my 2 pennies as the newb here.


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## itodobien (Mar 8, 2012)

stfuandliftbtch said:


> You're calling out his height, why? Its his opinion and it is right. All the taller guy has to do is to a wider grip, making it literally the exact same thing as shorter guy having a closer grip.
> 
> yes, you should touch your chest. Full ROM=FULL development. Stopping a few inches from your chest wont give the chest more tension. what the fuck are you talking about!? The EXACT opposite. Locking out will reduce tension, so that should be avoided, but stopping before you touch your chest!?
> 
> He said "touch" the chest, not lye or bounce it off your chest..


 

Yup, I agree!  I use a wider grip too.  Also agree about avoiding locking out as that is a little dangerous when you're talking Biomechanics.  You're only as stong as your weakest point in the ROM, so if you're not training your entire ROM, you're not getting the benefits you should be.


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## Mudge (Mar 8, 2012)

ethic1 said:


> I have seen many different ideas on bench press but what do you feel is proper form for a taller guy?  Going down to slightly under parellel or all the way down to the chest?  I am 6'3 with pretty long arms.



A 1/2 bench is not a bench, you touch all the way or its not complete. I like below the nipple, but I don't know your build. I spent a long time "perfecting," my as of yet still not perfect form. Look for Dave Tate's BENCH PRESS 600 POUNDS article and practice the form with a light weight (frequently).

I'm 6'2" and have never benched more than 455, but coming from a high school freshman bench of 150 and being barely athletic, I improved it quite a bit.


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## USMC (Mar 9, 2012)

FTR If you watch the NFL Combine they must touch the chest or the rep isn't counted, and plenty of tall guys there. That being said I'm glad I'm short at 5'6" lol, you tall guys it seems like it takes you forever to do a pushup lol.


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