Unracking bench press

[MattJ.D.]

I searched couldnt really find an answer for what I was looking for except find someone to help unrack.

So Im benching a legit good form 240.....my problem is just unracking the weight. I can't unrack anything over 205, like I can get the weight to lock out but I cannot swing (or shift?) over my body I litterly need someone to just push the bar.

My question is what does one have to do to fix this? The weight isn't to heavy to bench I got 3x5 fairly easy, unracking is just a mother fucker, I just feel stupid having to ask someone to lift me off for a 2 rep warm up


Thanks

[Carnivroar]

raise your ass off the bench and make an arch

then settle back down

that always helps me

[Les Hahn]

I searched couldnt really find an answer for what I was looking for except find someone to help unrack.

So Im benching a legit good form 240.....my problem is just unracking the weight. I can't unrack anything over 205, like I can get the weight to lock out but I cannot swing (or shift?) over my body I litterly need someone to just push the bar.

My question is what does one have to do to fix this? The weight isn't to heavy to bench I got 3x5 fairly easy, unracking is just a mother fucker, I just feel stupid having to ask someone to lift me off for a 2 rep warm up


Thanks

Your best bet is to ask for a lift off. It isn't that stupid. When I warm up, I have spotters for my last 2 warm up sets. I have an additional issue as well. The distal end of my teres minor hurts if I put my shoulder at some angles. It doesn't hurt during ohp or bench, but I do feel it a bit if I am unracking heavy weight. This is an injury from a long time ago, so I just work around it.

The other option is what Carni said, and I would add that if you have longer arms, it might be better to bench out of a power rack where you can set the hooks much higher. On a normal bench, I end up pushing the bar up about a 1/4 to 1/3 of a rep just to get it locked out before I move it over my chest. That is a lot of wasted energy. If the hooks are higher, it is easier to to get the weight unracked.

[MattJ.D.]

Alright thanks...... I just thought there might be a muscle or something that was weak I could specifically work on

[51M0n]

I've found Dave Tate's cue for unracking the bar useful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krvj3HgYlVc

[D_51]

How far from the hooks are you setting up? It may help to just move further up the bench.

[SamGriffin]

Get your head as close to the hooks as you can without any danger of hitting them during the rep. Set the hooks as high as you can without forcing you to lose you upper back position when unracking. Pull the bar out from the hooks with your lats. Try to avoid pressing it out of the rack. Deep hooks or those with a high catch really suck for a self lift-off.

[MattJ.D.]

See my eyes are directly infront of the bar and (where ripp says to
Be) When in go to move the bar I feel my lats trying to move the weight they just wont (too weak?). I do chins but I can only do like 3x3 bw. What if this at the end of every bench work out i litterly juat get a weight i can unrack and do it a few times ?

Honestly call me retarded if you want im just thinking out loud

[Briks42]

Before even reading your last post here, I was going to suggest it might be a lack of lat strength holding you back here. Just keep working your chins hard.

[IronThug]

raise your ass off the bench and make an arch

then settle back down

that always helps me

X2