Partial ROM Bench Presses

[El Viejo]

A few months ago I mentioned that I had been noticing more and more people doing partial ROM benches (similar to a board press without the board) and asked if this was a local phenomena or was it wide spread. I also asked if this was possibly being recommended by some of the muscle mags. Well, I finally got an answer. On a recent Iron Radio podcast powerlifter Robert Fortney asked the exact same question. He has been noticing this in Canadian gyms and asked if it was also occurring in the U.S. and if so, why. One of the other panelists (I think it was Charles Staley) said that the NASM was recommending partial ROM benches to prevent shoulder injuries.

The pec-dec monkeys at my gym high-five each other after doing these 4'' ROM bench presses. It makes me long for the days when guys would bounce the bar off their chests. At least they were doing a full ROM.

[matclone]

The quarter squatters had to follow-up with something, anything, to allow them to put more weight on the bar.

[Bif]

A few months ago I mentioned that I had been noticing more and more people doing partial ROM benches (similar to a board press without the board) and asked if this was a local phenomena or was it wide spread. I also asked if this was possibly being recommended by some of the muscle mags. Well, I finally got an answer. On a recent Iron Radio podcast powerlifter Robert Fortney asked the exact same question. He has been noticing this in Canadian gyms and asked if it was also occurring in the U.S. and if so, why. One of the other panelists (I think it was Charles Staley) said that the NASM was recommending partial ROM benches to prevent shoulder injuries.

The pec-dec monkeys at my gym high-five each other after doing these 4'' ROM bench presses. It makes me long for the days when guys would bounce the bar off their chests. At least they were doing a full ROM.

Well hermano, I can only relate one man's experience to you. First some background:

My right shoulder is a gigantic bag of suck: Torn cuff tendon, and god knows what else. I simply cannot do your garden variety, pronated grip, from the top, traditional bench press. The shoulder just can't handle lowering weight all the way to my chest.

OK, so what to do? Well, I discovered that bench lockouts, moving the bar about 6 or 7 inches, is very kind to my bag of shit shoulder. I can use the, supposedly bad, wide grip that nicely accommodates my very long arms. The weights are very heavy compared to what I can handle for a full ROM. When done with a session of lockouts, my upper body feels very worked all over: shoulders, pecs and tris.

I also discovered that, YES, the evil reverse grip bench press is very friendly to my shoulder as well. I also do these from a deadstop, about one inch off my chest. So, one day for lockouts, one day for reverse grip, and two other days for a couple of standing press movements. All in all, a damn fine amount of pushing work for someone with a glassine shoulder.

I haven't been doing the lockouts for a LOOONG period of time, so don't feel myself to be an expert, but early indications are that, yup, the heavy weights used are toughening up the shoulder nicely. It also seems that I'm experiencing a nice synergy amongst the movements on my four pressing days. They all seem to be progressing nicely, while my shoulder is experiencing hardly any discomfort.

Bottom line? For me the lockouts are NOT an ego thing, but rather a case of doing what I have to do to keep working the upper body effectively with heavy weights.

What could it hurt to mix in some lockouts to your regular regimen? You might suprise yourself.

~ bif ~

[ZKP]

Lockouts my friend.

On top of all the rom applications for injured lifters listed above, they can serve as a supplemental exercise for the bench press, putting emphasis on the triceps. They are a piece of a bench press regiment, and alone, like quarter squats, are hardly a substitution for the whole range of motion.

[El Viejo]

Bif,

I personally haven't benched in 2 years due to shoulder problems. I'm sure I screwed my shoulder up from using bad form (flared elbows) or maybe it was because I used full ROM . I am fully aware that partial ROM movements are valid tools to strengthen a sticking point or work around an injury. But that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about people who do nothing but partial ROM benches and then strut around proud as peacocks about how much weight they can bench press. I've observed more and more guys doing this partial ROM stuff over the past year or so and was curious about where it came from. It's becoming the standard accepted way to bench at the gym I use and I knew that all these people didn't think this up on their own. Anyway, I now know that it's being recommended by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Having found the answer to this troubling question I'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep.

[nisora33]

Well hermano, I can only relate one man's experience to you. First some background:

My right shoulder is a gigantic bag of suck: Torn cuff tendon, and god knows what else. I simply cannot do your garden variety, pronated grip, from the top, traditional bench press. The shoulder just can't handle lowering weight all the way to my chest.

OK, so what to do? Well, I discovered that bench lockouts, moving the bar about 6 or 7 inches, is very kind to my bag of shit shoulder. I can use the, supposedly bad, wide grip that nicely accommodates my very long arms. The weights are very heavy compared to what I can handle for a full ROM. When done with a session of lockouts, my upper body feels very worked all over: shoulders, pecs and tris.

I also discovered that, YES, the evil reverse grip bench press is very friendly to my shoulder as well. I also do these from a deadstop, about one inch off my chest. So, one day for lockouts, one day for reverse grip, and two other days for a couple of standing press movements. All in all, a damn fine amount of pushing work for someone with a glassine shoulder.

I haven't been doing the lockouts for a LOOONG period of time, so don't feel myself to be an expert, but early indications are that, yup, the heavy weights used are toughening up the shoulder nicely. It also seems that I'm experiencing a nice synergy amongst the movements on my four pressing days. They all seem to be progressing nicely, while my shoulder is experiencing hardly any discomfort.

Bottom line? For me the lockouts are NOT an ego thing, but rather a case of doing what I have to do to keep working the upper body effectively with heavy weights.

What could it hurt to mix in some lockouts to your regular regimen? You might suprise yourself.

~ bif ~

Nice post, bif. Good info there.

-S.

[Bif]

...I'm talking about people who do nothing but partial ROM benches and then strut around proud as peacocks about how much weight they can bench press.

Well "Old Man" (heh, "Viejo" -- had to look that up), there are idiots everywhere and in every field of endeavor. The best thing you can do is take note of the idiocy, allow the idiot his space (if not fucking with YOU!), and move along. No need to waste vital workout energy on dancing fools.

Anyway, I feel your pain with your shoulder issues. Do you try to work around it in some way? As I said in my prior post, the reverse grip is very friendly to my shoulder. I even use it on my standing presses. Perhaps there's some variation that works for you...

~ bif ~