Closer Grip Bench Presses

[Guest guest]

Mel Siff wrote:

<The scientists are not really surprised that the anterior deltoids are active

throughout the movement because a major anatomical function of these muscles

is shoulder flexion. Neither are they surprised when the EMG shows that pec

major is dominant during about half of the movement from the chest, because

the anatomical functions of this muscle include shoulder flexion and

adduction. Another really obvious finding - so what else is new, Dr White Coat?

The observation that the triceps do not play a major role during this stage

is also not unexpected to the scientists, since the triceps serve to extend

the shoulder (and thereby oppose what the deltoids and pecs are trying

to do at this time), although they do assist the pecs in adducting the

shoulder. Some lifters try poking their fingers into their triceps while they

execute imaginary bench presses into space to check for themselves. Not a bad

idea, because muscle tensiometers do much the same sort of thing, only with a

lot more accuracy! One of the scientists encourages all the lifters to poke

fingers into some of the muscles of a lifter who is doing a bench press

while the others talk. The scientist attaches electrodes to measure the EMG

and the lifters are curious to see if they can accurately estimate muscle

activity by prodding the muscles with their fingers.

The scientists conclude that, despite the apparent attempts of the

triceps to oppose the positive efforts of the pecs and delts to move the load

upwards, the net collaboration must be for a good reason, although it might not

be immediately obvious. They offer this as paradox for some student lifters to

resolve.>

Casler writes:

This assessment is very true of the " classical " Bench Press and we

should make the distinction that the classical bench press is one in

which the grip is wider than shoulder width and the elbows are held wide

and to a degree perpendicular to the body.

For those who perform their benches with a shoulder width or closer grip

and elbows close to the body, it is not. In the " closer grip " " elbows in "

bench press, the triceps are very active through out the whole lift.

This style is very popular with powerlifters and is slightly

different from its wider cousin.

Much of the difference is in the pressing position. It includes not

only the close grip with elbows in but, the lower back is " highly

arched " so as to minimize shoulder extension and reduce bar travel.

This position is somewhat akin to the decline press or even dips, both

of which enjoy a greater degree of triceps involvement.

Even in the very bottom position, the triceps are isometrically

contracted in conjunction with the lattisimus and other platform

muscles. This concurrent contraction of the triceps and the lats produces a good

portion of the initial " drive " off the chest.

This drive, for those who have never benched in this fashion, is not all

from the primary " tendon to tendon " tension exerted on the joints

normally associated with these muscles. A great initial force is

generated by the " expansion " of the lats and triceps into each other.

I learned this technique quite by accident many years ago and as I

mentioned in a previous posting, I found I could " launch " over 100 kilos

about 4-6 inches off my chest very explosively. In fact, I could easily

" throw " the weight up. It was an exercise I practiced with regularity

for RFD and a more stable platform for the shot.

This type of action could be compared to the interaction of the upper

thigh contacting and expanding into the lower abdomen in the lowest

portion of the squat, that Mel and I discussed several months ago. In

that case the compression of the tissues caused a rebound effect and

this is also true of the compression of the triceps into the lattisimus

in this style of bench press.

It is quite obvious that Louis also recognized this phenomenon

(must have something to do with being from Ohio) and " recommends " his

lifters bench with this " action " . I cannot emphasize enough the amount

of force this contributes. Many biomechanist fail to recognize

this incredible force and with the exception of Dr Siff, Louie is the

only other recognized expert I have come across who seems to grasp the

compressive-expansive " force-interplay " involved in this type of body

action to the point of actually " harvesting " it.

[Yes, , I am astounded that paper after scientific paper is churned out

analysing many lifts and nobody even seems to recognise the crafty and

often unaware use of this " contact rebound " process by experienced lifters.

At least our Supertraining list will have been the first to have offered any

recognition and scientific analysis of this technique! Mel Siff]

So to carry forward with Mel's analysis, this style of bench would have

" primary " triceps involvement even from the initial stages and all the

way through the movement through completion. In this scenario, the

" long head " of the triceps might be compared to the rectus femoris of

the thigh. Even though the rectus " flexes the hip " it also extends the

knee and in the complexity of the forces involved this causes action to

occur. In this movement there is a concurrent extension of the elbow

and flexion of the shoulder.

Here the long head of the triceps acts as a stabilizer " and " elbow

extensor while the other two heads strongly extend the elbow, just as

the other three heads of the quadriceps extend the knee in the squat.

I know this is a very difficult concept to grasp but, nevertheless, it

is the way the body works. I know that shoulder extenders like the

triceps long head and the lattisimus would seem to " not " contribute, but

just like the hams flex the knee but still are major contributors to the

squat (as stabilizers and major hip extenders) this combination is a

major contributor to the bench press as long as the grip is close and the

" arch " is high.

I should mention that I bench " shirtless " and this style also allows for

some very substantial weights to be used for those with the body type to

effectively adapt it. I would estimate that my conventional bench press

is only 85% of this closer grip/triceps style.

But I need to reiterate, this is not the exercise " classically " thought

of as the bench press any more than the powerlifters squat is a classic

squat (it is not).

For further understanding and digestion of this concept, one might

peruse the archives and review a post (of a year or so ago) that

explains how the seeming contradictions of function of the opposing

muscles involved in squatting (hamstrings, quadriceps, etc) actually

contribute substantially to the action. I would search and point out

the exact post, but for some reason will not allow me search the

archives.

[That is most strange - all members should be able to access the archives?

Other members - please check to see if you have similar problems. Mel Siff]

Regards,

A. Casler

TRI-VECTOR 3-D Force Systems

Century City, CA

http://summitfitness.websitegalaxy.com/index.html