Lats and bench press

[karky]

So, I've heard you can "drive" with your lats. And I try to do this, and I do notice a difference. Really like flexing your lats, specially at the bottom of the movement. My question is, how does this help? Muscles can only pull, they can't push. Now, how does the lats insertion allow them to help during a bench press? Or is it simply that as you flex the lats they help to stabilize (which I can understand how they do) thus making it easier to lift?

[Jason B]

It's more for stabilization and having a solid base to drive from. You can't shoot a cannon from a canoe, you need a solid base. The lats don't actually assist in driving the bar (to my knowledge anyway, I wouldn't put my life on it, but I don't see how the lats would assist in horizontal adduction of the humerus).

Also take into account that the body likes balance, and you're pressing strength is limited by your pulling strength. The body will not allow you to just continue pressing heavier and heavier weights without getting stronger at pulling, it's a safety mechanism.

[galapogos]

I have also read that the lats can help out in a bench, but I've never personally done anything other than using it to retract my scaps to create a solid base to bench from, like Jason mentioned. Other than the solid base, ROM is also decreased since you don't need to push up as high with retracted scaps. And of course less injury potential is always welcome.

I would be interested to know if there are other ways of using the lats to actually help out with the lift too...

[cjgatti]

I would think there are two mechanism (maybe more) that the lats could help in benching. First, like others have eluded, they could act as stabilizers. By contracting your lats, you keep your arms and elbows in, which, while maybe a weaker position, is probably safer for your shoulders than flailing your arms out to the side. In this case too, the press relies on both shoulder flexion and horizontal adduction strength, as opposed to mainly horizontal adduction strength with the flailing arms. The second mechanism could be that the lats aid in getting out of the hole, the bottom of the bench. In this position, your shoulders are in extension and your lats would act as shoulder flexors.

[karky]

Well, I don't think elbows tucked inn is a weaker position to drive from, maybe if you don't have the rest of the form down (weight on your traps, etc). I notice now I can drive more off when I tuck my elbows than if I flare.
The rest makes sence though, specially the thing about the lats acting as shoulder flexors when the shoulders are in extension like at the very bottom..

[Lisa~]

In addition to what everyone else has said, tight lats also ensure the transfer of foot drive up to the bar during a bench press. Eric Cressey's article Lats: Not Just for Pulldowns! mentions this aspect as well as discussing scapular stability and shoulder health assisted by strong lats.

So how does leg drive relate to the lats? Just like we saw with the squat and deadlift, the force from the heels driving into the floor has to get to the bar somehow, and the lats are one avenue through which this force has to travel.

[Frank.S]

Kind of off topic.. but not to bad,

people dont row enough IMO. Lat strength is huge in squats, deadlifts, and a bit in the bench too. My lifts have never been higher then they are now and im doing some sort of horizontal row (usually 2 types) every single workout (4x per week). And pullups/chinups 1-2 times per week.

[Alcoholiday]

Originally Posted by Frank.S

Kind of off topic.. but not to bad,

people dont row enough IMO. Lat strength is huge in squats, deadlifts, and a bit in the bench too. My lifts have never been higher then they are now and im doing some sort of horizontal row (usually 2 types) every single workout (4x per week). And pullups/chinups 1-2 times per week.

word.

this is what i've been saying since i started posting here.