Bench Press Elbow Movement After Rebound

[Schrodinger23]

Male 6'4", 230 pounds, 43 years old. Injured my left arm and deloaded considerably and did a linear progression on the press and bench and things feel a lot better now towards the tail end of that. Noticed a slight bit of backward elbow movement after the rebound in the bench press. I know in the squat that you do not want your knee moving around at and after the rebound. Is this a similar problem in the bench press? I did also record straight on and my elbow doesn't flare out away from my body, but comes back a slight bit towards my shoulder not taking the same path in the descent. Just want to check is this is a problem or if there are any other problems I should be aware of. Thank you.

IMG 9388 - YouTube

[Mark Rippetoe]

Your grip is a little too wide, and you may be hitting the chest too high/toward your chin. Narrow it one finger and try it again. I see nothing horrible here.

[Steven Kalin]

Your grip is a little too wide, and you may be hitting the chest too high/toward your chin. Narrow it one finger and try it again. I see nothing horrible here.

Rip, I’m hesitant to say this, but I’m seeing his elbows about 2 inches forward of the bar, creating a pretty big moment arm. No?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I can't tell from this angle.

[Jason Donaldson]

Rip, I’m hesitant to say this, but I’m seeing his elbows about 2 inches forward of the bar, creating a pretty big moment arm. No?

If I'm not mistaken, the moment arm of interest is determined by position of the bar in relation to the shoulder, not the elbow, right?

[Steven Kalin]

If I'm not mistaken, the moment arm of interest is determined by position of the bar in relation to the shoulder, not the elbow, right?

Well that’s the inevitable moment arm. Set up for a bench press with a moderate amount of weight and try it both ways. Elbows under the bar, and elbows 3-4 inches in front of the bar.

[Maybach]

Well that’s the inevitable moment arm. Set up for a bench press with a moderate amount of weight and try it both ways. Elbows under the bar, and elbows 3-4 inches in front of the bar.

A moment arm is developed when the load is displaced from the upward force, which depending on the lift may or may not correspond to a specific anatomical structure. In the bench press, the upward force actually moves throughout the progress of the lift, going from the lower part of the sternum at the bottom, to nearly directly above the shoulders at the top. There is no "inevitable moment arm", only a displacement of the joint away from the upward force, which similarly changes throughout the progress of the lift both as the force changes and as the arms approach extension (reducing the cross section of the lever system of the arm).

The position of the elbows relative to the pressing direction is a matter of anthropometry (a lifter with long arms might need to start the elbows several inches in front of the bar, and they might not reach directly under the bar until near lockout). This is compensated by them having a proportionally longer segment of the arm *behind* the bar.

However, I see what you mean: it seems like he might not be fully extending his shoulders at the top of the lockout. If this is the case, it is likely compounded by the excessively wide grip: too wide a grip prevents the deltoids from pulling the arms "forward" (that is, up) because of the disadvantageous position this putes them in

[Steven Kalin]

A moment arm is developed when the load is displaced from the upward force, which depending on the lift may or may not correspond to a specific anatomical structure. In the bench press, the upward force actually moves throughout the progress of the lift, going from the lower part of the sternum at the bottom, to nearly directly above the shoulders at the top. There is no "inevitable moment arm", only a displacement of the joint away from the upward force, which similarly changes throughout the progress of the lift both as the force changes and as the arms approach extension (reducing the cross section of the lever system of the arm).

The position of the elbows relative to the pressing direction is a matter of anthropometry (a lifter with long arms might need to start the elbows several inches in front of the bar, and they might not reach directly under the bar until near lockout). This is compensated by them having a proportionally longer segment of the arm *behind* the bar.

However, I see what you mean: it seems like he might not be fully extending his shoulders at the top of the lockout. If this is the case, it is likely compounded by the excessively wide grip: too wide a grip prevents the deltoids from pulling the arms "forward" (that is, up) because of the disadvantageous position this putes them in

Can’t a lifter with longer arms compensate for this by simply touching the chest a bit lower down?

[Mark Rippetoe]

What does that do to the moment arm between the bar and the shoulder?

[Steven Kalin]

What does that do to the moment arm between the bar and the shoulder?

Maybe I’m wording this wrong. Or maybe I’m just wrong😁. It seems to me that energy is wasted by not having the forearms vertical, in both axis’s, at the bottom. No?