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The Benchpress Arch


Skeletor

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Id like to start an open discussion on what peoples thoughts are in regard to the extreme benchpress arch some competitors are doing in powerlifting competitions. Has it gone to far in the quest for a big bench? Some people have managed to reduce the range of motion to less than 4- 5 inches through an extreme arch along with a super wide grip and ive seen even less by some females basically doing just a tricep lockout. Should there be restrictions placed on what can and cant be done in the bench or is this even possible as id imagine it would be hard to assess each individual lifter ? .  Lets take out of the equation the fact that its completely legal. Is it really still a bench press?  Take the squat, you cant cheat it, You stand upright and you squat to depth before returning to the top. Then there is the deadlift . You pick it up and lock out, although there will be arguments against sumo to im sure but id like to hear peoples opinions on what they think . Im neither for nor against but have seen a few guys singled out on social media lately for their bench arch and thought it would be a good topic to discuss.

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People are always going to disagree with other people's form etc.

If it's within the rules of their federation/competition then more power to them.

It would be like someone saying my bench doesn't count cos I apply leg drive and that's not how they do it. Or that my squat doesn't count cos I use knee wraps and they don't think that that qualifys as Raw etc.

It is a similar argument to the equipped/raw debate.

It's effectively a different movement, takes a different level of flexibility and different strengths, but still basically a bench press.

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I think its a bit shit that you see the females specifically in equipped who are about 5 foot 2 using a grip within the rules due to short arms + support from shirt + super arch then getting a world record like this; 

 

 

But also like BB says - power to them for being able to make the most of their situation - I think it looks shit but then again the people I follow and get motivated by do not lift like this haha. The general rule for grip width is the same for everyone same with "part of the butt cheek on the bench"

 

Females get a massive advantage out of the arch due to flexibility I'm working on getting my feet further back each time I bench to increase my arch - no idea if it specifically helps me though haha! Guys I love watching bench - Eric Spoto / Jason Semmler etc they pretty much just flop down, scooch around and get into position then man up and lift like a boss 

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I think the key point in these kind of discussions is that powerlifting is shifting a weight from point A to point B within certain rules on each lift. Differences in technique obviously arise. But as long as the weight is being moved within the rules,I see no issue with it.

It's part of the sport to make the most of your leverages and ability to get tighter.

Just cos one person is stronger or has more muscle doesn't necessarily mean that they won't be beaten by someone with slightly less muscle but better leverages and technique.

From a personal point of view I would hate to bench like that but that doesn't discredit the effort of others.

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Yeah its a 3 lift sport for the majority of comps ( all be it I hate squatting and my body hates it more and im going to be a push pull pro ) so if her bench is super sayian small ROM and she moves weight shot! But she still has to put up a big total or she's gonna be forever in last place as a one lift wonder~ You can't really cheat a squat ROM no matter what technique you try. You can make a sumo dead smaller ROM but again weight still has to break the floor, my boy Josh has one of the smallest sumo ROM's on the planet - possibly the solar system but he's still 83kg and he's still picking up 300kg off the floor - power to him haha

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i think you'll find in competition, people will do anything they can get away with that will give them an advantage. in PL people been working to reduce their ROM for years, it's really shit to watch those extreme examples especially that one posted by donz (wtf did i just watch lol). if i had the choice to increase myarch slightly more and get 10-20kg out of it in a comp and help towards my total for a win i would do it.. i never saw any comp with someone purposely lifting without arch to show how much ROM they have

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If an 8 foot tall freak was discovered would they change the rules of the NBA... No they wouldn't.

In the end who cares, she weighs 46kg. Don't want that to sound arrogant but I don't care about her or how she benches really.

The other females in her class probably all bench similar to her anyway.

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If an 8 foot tall freak was discovered would they change the rules of the NBA... No they wouldn't.

 

avg heights been spiking man, there is actually talk of changing ring height from 10' to 11 or 12' in next 10 yrs.

 

op not asking what we think about that 46kg girl, he trying to discern the opinion overall of the use of extreme arch.

 

my view is how would you police and why bother it if you limit arch? do you get people to hold still while some dude with protractor checks it out, another hard to judge area where someone could fail their lift.

 

in a sport where highest lifts win, i can't see people holding back on mechanical advantages because someone didn't think it's fair .. anyway deadlifts people with long arms and ability to really round their upper back have some advantages, short leg guys got it going for them on squat.  bench medium/short arm with big arch

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What if the rules were changed so that your back must be flat?

I dont see why they couldnt change the rules.

Then that would ruin basically every powerlifters technique lol.

Also have you tried lying flat on a bench with a reasonable sized upper back and glutes ?

If I lie on a bench there's always a gap between my lower back and the bench, I have to do a semi crunch to put my spine into flexion to have my whole back on the bench.

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The rules are fine. Change means new records and a whole lot of bs.

I know he isn't asking what we think about 46kg girl. But reality is male who is 110kg isn't going to have an arch any where near that. It's a very small group of people who will have an arch like that.

No point getting all up in arms. It's still a 3 lift event. Same could be said for the sumo deadlift if you want to make a big deal of rom.

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Good replies guys from both sides of the argument. Like I said im neither for nor against it in a competition. I think we all reduce rom somewhat by retracting our shoulder blades to get that stable base and keep shoulders grounded and with oversize glutes from squatting get a mini arch regardless. I dont however look at those extreme arched presses with feet right back under back as a real bench press. I just cant. I wouldnt teach somebody to bench that way if they asked how to perform a bench press. It just gives me the shits when people take the piss out of powerlifters because of it.

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No idea mate. I have only started to know what a set up on bench should be about a month ago when I started going to see Reuben. My bench improved a lot in that time I feel. Not sure on comparasion... I'm probably the wrong person to ask.

Wonder if he will do pro raw. He has huge gym lifts but don't think he has ever got the total he is capable of? He strong as though.

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What do you think the difference would be? In terms of weight. I watched Alex Lowe bench 180 for 12 reps once (he uses a closeish grip with a big arch) and I asked him what he would do of he benched conventional. He said he'd lose 3 or 4 reps.

I'd say that's probably pretty close to what it would be tbh.

Depending on how much the person relies on arch/tightness/leg drive etc. But that would probably be the average.

I'm doing a run of no legs (starfished out in front of me) and smaller arch and I would probably be losing 2-3 reps off what I could do with my full blown set up.

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