Arching of the Back during Bench Press

[jijin]

I've been reading some of the old articles from Dave Tate and Mike Robertson regarding bench press form, but I have a question:

When I arch my back, does my butt need to stay in contact the bench?

[Mike Robertson]

Yes

MR

[jijin]

darn, I've gotten it wrong all along. I have been putting a Reebok step under my legs to give me more support of my legs, as well as to provide some "leg drive" (well what I thought was leg drive), which resulted in my butt being lifted off the bench resulting in an arching of my whole back.

Guess I have to lower the weight and start from square one

[Mike Robertson]

You want to stay tight, but your butt has to stay down. A lot of the elite powerlifters it's not so much their butt, but their upper hamstrings, though

It may help to print off my article, take it to the gym, and the follow it step-by-step until you dial in your technique. I can guarantee it makes a huge difference once you have it perfected, though.

Good luck!

MR

[jijin]

Thanks again MR! The fact that I have been effectivley doing mid-air decline benches instead of flat benches is going to bug me for the entire weekend till my next workout session.

BTW, does a wider-than-shoulder-width grip affect shoulder health? I also noticed that with a wider grip I have to move my elbows in a diagonal fashion to get the elbow closer to my body as the bar comes down. Is this right?

[Mike Robertson]

For most trainees, I recommend going to the 90/90 position and then gripping from there (as outlined in the I/O manual).

You're also correct - if you go wider, you'll have to work harder to tuck your elbows. It's worth it, though, if you care about your shoulder health

MR