Humerus angle in the bench

[JD93]

If one was to shrug up the shoulders when setting up for the bench press, thus angling the acromion process more towards the head, wouldn't this allow one to bench press with a 90 degree arm angle and a vertical bar path? (Without risking impingement)

[Mark Rippetoe]

How would one accomplish this while maintaining a thoracic arch?

[JD93]

By contracting the erectors? I can't see how the two are mutually exclusive. I think a depressed scapular position will contract the lats, which in turn will pull on their spinal attachment and provide a much more solid arch in the back, but that begs the question of what's more important, vertical bar path and reduced shoulder moment, or the back arch? Assuming I was correct in my original post, of course.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The lats pull the thoracic into extension. Look at their origin/insertion and tell us how you do this with shoulders shrugged superiorly.

[JD93]

They don't, but I don't see why the erectors can't do it alone. Why is an arched t-spine more important than a potentially vertical bar path?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The erectors can't do it alone because of their anatomy. Look at the superior limit of their attachment and compare that to the lats' ability to finish the arch. But primarily, I don't see how shrugging the shoulders unimpinges the AC/humerus.

[JD93]

Same way as in the press unless I'm missing something. Why wouldn't rotating the scapulae such that the acromion process is displaced more medial and superior allow an unimpinged bench press?

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're missing the fact that 300 pounds is mashing your scapulas into the bench under your ribcage, and that to remain stable against the bench you have to adduct them.

These are just random musings, right? Have you actually tried this with a heavy weight?

[JD93]

1. Scapular retraction/adduction is a given, I wasn't suggesting anything else.

2. Yes, no issues so far.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How does one retract/adduct one's scapulae while at the same time rotating the inferior aspect laterally/superiorly?