Just spit balling here

[FatButWeak]

Rip:

Ive recently been playing around with some reverse grip bench pressing and it got me wondering whether a reverse grip PRESS might use more muscle mass, hence living up to the exercise choice criteria of more muscle mass through the greatest useful range of motion. Hear me out:

In your explanation of the bicep curl, performed standing with a barbell, you explain that the proximal (forgive me if my use of terms is imprecise) function of the bicep is to lift the humerous (i.e. to point the elbows up at the ceiling). Then you explain that in life, we rarely do this movement, simply because its rather palsied and convoluted a movement, an assessment I agree with. But if we were to do a reverse grip press, would not that bicep function be trained along with the delts, the triceps (during lockout) the traps, the scapular muscles etc? The deltoid action seems the same to me.

I know a reverse grip press seems a little goofy, but how/why am I wrong?

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

What will the humerus/torso angle be in your RG bench? What will that do to pec involvement?

[FatButWeak]

Yah. Humerus angle is about 30 degreees. It seems to reduce pec involvement. That's because prior to my March meet, I kept tweaking my right pec. Im just playing around with the rgb.

I understand that something similar would happen with the press - is that your point?

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're asking about the press? You're flexible enough to completely lock out a reverse grip press?

[FatButWeak]

I think so. I havent actually tried. I'll try and report back.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Excellent!

[David Kirkham]

You're asking about the press? You're flexible enough to completely lock out a reverse grip press?

God. Just reading that hurts.

FBW, you’d have to be a monkey to do that. I can’t imagine locking out the bar—let alone controlling it over my head—with a RLG???

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes, the supination of the forearms would do maladaptive unfortunate things to the lockout.

[FatButWeak]

Nope. Tried last night. 135 x 5 was no problem. My wrists were a little tight, but shoulder mobility was not a negative factor. Pressing every bar I've ever pressed (bench, press, etc) since 1984 with an overhand grip meant my wrists were a little "torqued" but not really a problem. As I was doing it i realized the mvement is basically doing a reverse chin up - very similar range and planes of mvoement, just the opposite load.

An interest thing happens with the bar path - it goes back and over the head very smoothly. There is no need for cuing the bar back...it does not tend to drift forward the way presses might sometimes. In a certain way it feels better than the press

When you mentioned shoulder flexible to me the other day I questioned whether I could lock it out, but when I tried, locking out was it was really no problem. The wrist thing - which isn't that bad - is worse than shoulder mobility and I really think its only because Im so unadapted to it. I dont have great shoulder flexibility or anything, but I do have pretty healthy shoulders - no surgeries or real injuries to them ever.

If you (Rip) does not want to try could someone else give it a whirl and report back here? It was nowhere near as awkward as I thought it might be, and I felt really solid at the botttom. But even at the top i was able to lock it out, hold it, take a sip of air, then come back down. Rather a suprise.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Here's an important point: if your wrists twitch, as they do occasionally, and the bar falls, what does it hit on the way down out of a supine overhead grip?