Bench Press Check

[zft]

I suck at the bench press. It significantly lags my other lifts (at least, when I compare to what others are benching who are similarly strong). Maybe I just inherently suck, but maybe there's (also) a technical deficiency.

Here's the penultimate set from my volume bench day on a TM 4-day split variation: bench108x5.mp4 on Vimeo

Upon review, I thought maybe I'm touching a bit low, so I tried to touch a bit higher on my final set, which I failed: bench108x4.mp4 on Vimeo

Thanks for any feedback!

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're still touching too low. How long did you rest between the sets?

[zft]

Thanks for your reply. I rest about 10 minutes between volume day upper body sets; I think I failed because I was distracted with the touch-point adjustment. (Although I fail the bench like no other--on the other lifts I can often grind them out; on bench I just get stuck (as you observed) and I can't grind it out.)

How can I figure out how high I can touch? I'm guessing that inflammation from shoulder impingement can be a gradual process and so I won't necessarily be aware at first when I'm touching too high.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You got stuck on the last rep because of the distance between your shoulders and the bar, because you touched too low on the chest.

[zft]

Sure, greater mechanical efficiency would've prevented me from failing. But, again, that is the point of the matter--I don't know how efficient I can be without fucking up my shoulders; how can I determine the highest point I can safely touch?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Ask your family doctor? Is this not discussed in the book?

[zft]

Is this not discussed in the book?

There's a lot of discussion but there is no process/method given for determining where to optimally touch the bar. I'm just trying to heed your warning: "Shoulder surgery is a GREAT BIG DEAL".

[Mark Rippetoe]

I guess you don't have the book, which features about three pages of graphics and exposition on this specific detail.

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd edition (Current Revision, Paperback) – The Aasgaard Company

[zft]

I guess you don't have the book

I quoted the book in my last reply.

features about three pages of graphics and exposition on this specific detail.

As I said, there is a lot of discussion, but there is no method for determining the touching point. In these very three pages you explicitly point out multiple time that where the bar touches depends on individual factors:

Your elbow position is therefore related to the bar position and to your individual anthropometry.

(and the rest of the paragraph)

The correct humeral angle can actually vary quite a bit among individual lifters

My interest is determining the correct humeral angle you mention (which, all other factors being constant, is isomorphic with determining the touch point). My concern in doing it by trial-and-error is the issue of shoulder impingement: if there is no real risk of this at the upper bound you give in the text (75 degrees of abduction) regardless of anthropometry, great, I'll just do that. But maybe there is a risk, or maybe there is a better way to figure out the correct angle--I was hoping you'd have some input to these questions/concerns.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Look at it this way, z: if the human shoulder were as delicate as you seem to thing, every male who has benched wrong would have had shoulder surgery. I told you in the book that 70 degrees was a good place to start, and why. If you want to book a personal training appointment with me, contact me through the store. Or you can just stop benching, which will be cheaper.