Bench Press

[Guest guest]

Mel Siff:

<<...read the research by Dr McLaughlin in his book, " Bench Press More Now "

or read through other articles in several journals of EMGs taken of the arm

and chest muscles during the bench press. Your anecdotal comments, feelings

and advice from others do not offer any scientific validation of your claims.

>>

Dmitry Voronov wrote:

<The only things I want to say in response are: 1) How much do you want to

bet that Dr McLaughlin didn't do any research with bench shirt benchers 2)

The bench can be done 100 different ways. Each one changes the muscle stress.

I'm willing to bet that his studies were done with test subjects bringing the

bar down to their chest and flaring out their elbows. Anecdotal or not,

here's my scientific evidence: keeping my upper back tight, tucking my

elbows, bringing the bar to my upper abs and concentrating my training on

triceps has increased my bench 30%. The triceps are the most important muscle

in the benchpress.>

*** We are all well aware that the bench press can be done in 103.76

different ways. Dr McL certainly did not analyse lifts with bench-shirted

lifters because at that time such shirts were illegal, but all subjects were

tested under exactly the same shirtless conditions. Anyway, when I have

visited Westside I did not see Louie and company training with bench shirts

all the time, so the results from unshirted research should still be of some

relevance.

Ah well, I suppose that we really should discard all that useless research by

Dr Tom McLaughlin because he analysed only about 50 of the world's best

powerlifters at that time, including Bill Kazmaier, Crain, Pacifico, Mike

Bridges, Cole, , Kenady, Fred Hatfield, Woods, Anello, Frantz,

, Iams, Young and many others. These were no mere " test guinea pigs " ,

but among the world's best at the time. Instead of rushing in where angels

fear to tread, I would suggest that you check your facts first. Scientist

that he is, Dr McL clearly acknowledged any limitations of his work and

stated that he by no means has answered all of the questions concerning all

methods of shirted and unshirted benching. However, what he did served as a

pioneering and useful guide.

If the triceps are the " most important " muscles, how would you suggest that they

act in the lowest position

of the bench press? This is at a position which requires strong adduction of

the (upper) arms - note well that the triceps do not cross the shoulder joint

and simply cannot produce this adduction. Incidentally I, and many other

scientists, have carried out many EMGs of muscles involved in the bench press

and have always been struck by the fact that the deltoids play a huge role

throughout the movement.

Let me quote the findings by Dr McL and other scientists in this regard

(references cited in DrMcLaughin's book):

1. The anterior deltoid is near maximally involved during the entire lift,

using any style of bench pressing.

2. Triceps involvement is so large near the top of the movement that it is

the limiting factor in this region.

3. During the phase from just off the chest to about halfway to two-thirds

of the way up, pectoralis major is the limiting factor and is the most

involved muscle

4. The anterior deltoids using wide and narrow grips are near maximally

involved during the entire lift, using any style.

5. A wide grip keeps pectoralis major at a greater length longer during the

lift and permits the muscle to be of more help to successful completion of

the lift.

6. A narrow grip involves the triceps more and pectoralis major less.

Anyway, it is nonsense and spurious to talk about any " most important " muscle in

any movement,

because all movement involves the synergistic action of many stabilising and

mobilising muscle

groups. If any one muscle is deficient or injured, your lift will suffer

seriously. Each muscle

changes its percentage contribution to a given movement as the joint angles

change, so that the triceps

may dominate during one stage, but other muscles will dominate at other stages,

as we have noted

in the research results cited above.

By repeating the following sentence like some sort of gym mantra, " The

triceps are the most important muscle in the bench press " , you are proving

nothing and showing that you consider your biased opinions to be more correct

than genuine research based upon studies of top class lifters. Someone else

could quote the following opinion with equal validity and conviction: " The

flexors of the wrist are the most important muscles in the bench press

because stability and control of the bar across the palm depends on these

muscles throughout the lift " . In fact, such a proposal might be even more

convincing than what you offered, because you simply made an opinionated

statement without offering any supporting evidence whatsoever.

In future letters, it would be far more constructive and useful if you could

kindly quote any relevant references to substantiate your beliefs and

opinions, because this list really does prefer to focus far more on proof

than oft-repeated opinion.

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

Supertraining/