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The Benchpress Arch


Skeletor

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Im similar to RT with the setup change of late, have been using a program from an Aussie guy whos rated very highly he's good with video analysis and has been helping me setup a lot tighter and try work on what I refer to as my micro-arch. Everythings been going smooth, only 5 weeks in and today I hit my comp PB for a double during a volume session, still 10 weeks out from next comp so on track for my hail-mary number as it was called when he first did my program lol

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I always thought it would be cool if it was judged based on the position of the elbow joint. That would allow for multiple different widths and styles of press to create the most efficient setup for producing force, as opposed to just minimizing RoM > everything else.

I suppose it's probably just too difficult to change at this point, and would create too much controversy in the sport.

So long as there is a competitive advantage to decreasing RoM that's the way that people will train. Damn shame for people with long ass gorilla arms like me lol.

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Opposition to big arches is silly.

Reminds me of what I put up with when some Australians tried to get the split jerk banned in strongman because of it being an unfair advantage.

I said, "Well why don't you do it?"

"Well it's difficult"

Exactly.

I've yet to see someone capable of a big bench arch decide not to use it because they think it's gamesmanship.

And if you pin your left glute 3 times a week you lose the right to get on a high horse about gaining unnatural advantages.

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Usually if you have a big arch you're either a female or really small so in the end they're not doing big numbers in absolute terms. So I don't really mind tbh. Same thing as big guys having huge guts and belly benching or even having a barrel chest can cut ROM by a few inches compared to someone skinny

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Not loading for me but due to timing I'll assume it's that CWS and Marisa video from this morning with the guy explaining how arching is good etc? Was a very good watch about 3-4 weeks ago I had my deep tissue massage lady try question me about why I arch and she was arguing .. it's like, you massage me, that's your thing why are we debating this? Got pretty angry.

 

Thing to note is how Chad mentioned Sarychev.. whos like what 6'8 / 200kg? or something monster and how he arches, Eric Lilly has an arch, Ron Kingi.. heaps of big guys do it, helps you stay tight in the setup. +1 for arching~

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Thing is when people bench like this they aren't necessarily strong, they have just learnt how to bench that way. We have a girl at our club. shes got like a 2inch rom, Its stupid, but impressive at the same time. My rack heights like 12, hers is like 3 or 4

 

Hi Bigken1985 - My rack height is three. It's not stupid, its intelligent because it is about understanding the powerlifting rules and using it too my advantage.

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A lot of the comments I see on social media in regard to the arch are about back safety. I actually feel more supported by retracting my shoulder blades and keeping tight through glutes and legs. A lot more so than being dead flat with shoulders more forward and haven't had a single sore shoulder since I began benching like this. This thread was just after opinions on the extreme arch like 5 inches rom or less sort of thing. Wouldn't bother me if somebody did it in a comp but it's not impressive to me to watch as seeing someone do a more complete bench.

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The thread started out as more about the extreme arch didn't it? Not just your general arch. Not many people can contort themselves into that extreme position. More power to those who can cos it bumps their numbers and puts them in a mechanically stronger and safer position. But yeah... everyone has a bit of an arch. Unless their old school benching with your feet up.

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Rack height's irrelevant, it's a function of so many things - build, shoulder bulk, arm length....

 

Having an extreme arch is perfectly legal - just as in some federations you can take the arms out to the collars if you can, which also cuts the effective range of motion.

 

You can cut the ROM down any number of legal ways, especially now that the IPF removed the old rule about where the bar had to touch.  Now you can 'belly bench' if you are able to...

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