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Barbell Bar path for bench press

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PeterLuffman

PeterLuffman

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Hi

When attending the SFL course, I recall being told to push the bar away on the ascent. Or at least you should feel like you are pushing it away.

From looking at other sources on the net, it seems the optimal path moves slightly away from you, and then moves back towards you.

I feel strongest and I load the pecs exceptionally well when I almost move the bar in a vertical path up and down.

Will it differ from person to person?
 
PeterLuffman said:
Hi

When attending the SFL course, I recall being told to push the bar away on the ascent. Or at least you should feel like you are pushing it away.

From looking at other sources on the net, it seems the optimal path moves slightly away from you, and then moves back towards you.

I feel strongest and I load the pecs exceptionally well when I almost move the bar in a vertical path up and down.

Will it differ from person to person?
Click to expand...

I believe it definitely will vary from person to person a little (there's only so much variance in a pushing a bar upward). The push bar towards your feet method, which makes it similar to a decline, takes the shoulders out of the lift a bit and is meant to make the bar take the shortest route, a straight line. However, at the top the bar won't be directly stacked over the joints because it will be a little in front of the shoulder. Louie Simmons and Co have preached this bench style, as it spares the shoulders and creates the shortest bar path. The other method I'm aware of is to push the bar up towards the rack, via leg drive as this then redirects the bar directly over the joints of the shoulder to utilize more muscle to finish the lift. The moment arm is decreased, even if the bar path is "longer", because it travels more horizontally in this method. In the first method, the arms stay somewhat tucked throughout the lift while in the second, a flare occurs after the initial leg drive. Both have merit and will differ for individuals based on their unique strengths/goals and or injury history.
 
PeterLuffman said:
the optimal path
Click to expand...

Optimal Bench Press Bar Path

Dr Tom McLaughlin, PhD Exercise Biomechanics, research in the 1980's examine the Bench Press Bar Path of great lifters and less experience Novice Lifters.

As with anything, you want to mirror what successful individuals do and avoid what unsuccessful ones do.

McLaughlin's turn his research into a book, Bench Press More Now; it evaluated the most efficient Bench Bar Path. It also provides information on how to develop Bench Press Technique and how to utilize Auxiliary Exercise to increase the Bench Press.

The principles outlined in the Bench Press More Now, can and should be applied to the other Powerlifts; Squat and Deadlift.

I have McLaughlin's original research as well as Bench Press More Now.

Fix Your Bar Path for a Bigger Bench • Stronger by Science

The above "Fix Your Bench Press Bar Path"provides a great, in depth look at McLaughlin's findings.

Below is a graph that illustrated the most effective Bench Press Bar Path of two the greatest Bench Pressers of that era, Bridges and Kazmaier.

upload_2018-9-5_4-16-36.png

Pushing The Bench Straight Up

Trying to push the bar straight up in the Bench Press is inefficient and unnatural. Individual who promoted this clearly lack knowledge in the biomechanic of the Bench Press.

Secondly, the body does not move in a straight line, especially with the Bench Press. '

Individual who believe they are Bench Pressing the bar in a straight line are fooling themselves.

Individual like Simmons and other who promote Bench Pressing in a Straight Line provide misinformation; there no science or empirical data that support their claim.

Thus, it can't even be considered "Bad Science" since there is no science to substantiate it.

Kenny Croxdale
 
Thanks Kenny. I found that article previously and tried the method described. I struggle with it tbh.

Pushing the bar in a straight path feels stronger for me. I have long limbs (6.4), don't know if that's a factor or not?
 
PeterLuffman said:
Thanks Kenny. I found that article previously and tried the method described. I struggle with it tbh.

Pushing the bar in a straight path feels stronger for me. I have long limbs (6.4), don't know if that's a factor or not?
Click to expand...

Could you perhaps film a rep for us? The path may seem vertical but there nearly always seems to be an approximate horizontal movement.
 
Is that the bar path on Kaz's PR rep that pretty much ended his pressing career? Maximum poundage might not be the only consideration in choosing a bar path, especially for those not in elite competition.

Also for what its worth, Coan liked conceptualizng a vertical bar path with a slight curve back towards face near the top. "Science" or no, I'll take the experience (and winning) of names like Coan and Simmons.
 
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As a reference of what westside bench presses look like, watch this. Not the best angle to judge from, but I believe it clearly shows not a single bar path being a straight up and down line (unless the lifter doesn't push all the way to lockout, which is not really a complete rep). There always seems to be a drift back towards the rack, even as Louie himself benches slightly towards the rack! Dave Tate, one of the biggest disciples of westside has even changed his stance on bar path from straight line to drift towards rack, as has Jim Wendler, another former westsider. As @kennycro@@aol.com stated, the biomechanics of the bench would never allow a perfectly straight line, unless once again the weight isn't being locked out.

bench press louis simmons - Bing video
 
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In the louis simmons, all of those bench presses looked like they were in the "vertical bar path" school of thought. It doesnt mean there is literally a plumlight vertical traversal. Realistically, the vertical path forms a concave curve in relation to the lifters face. The other school of thought is convex path in relation to the lifter's face. Coan explains that the bar drifts towards the rack towards the top of the lift, like the lifters in the video. The other approach is to have the bar noticeably drift towards the rack almost right off the chest.
 
When I was a flatter, less arch, Bencher my bar path was straighter, Grip closer, and elbows more(and probably over) tucked.

As I developed my arch and technique the Flare and Pushback is stronger for me. I have also experimented with different grips as well. I have switched to Japanese Grip which facilitates the Flare.

Maybe it depends on your leverages and strengths, but I feel I can better use my Tricep strength.

I have also posted about the Shoulder Roll technique, which I have not put much time into, and the post got very little traction.
 
jca17 said:
In the louis simmons, all of those bench presses looked like they were in the "vertical bar path" school of thought. It doesnt mean there is literally a plumlight vertical traversal. Realistically, the vertical path forms a concave curve in relation to the lifters face. The other school of thought is convex path in relation to the lifter's face. Coan explains that the bar drifts towards the rack towards the top of the lift, like the lifters in the video. The other approach is to have the bar noticeably drift towards the rack almost right off the chest.
Click to expand...

Thank you for clarifying that for me as it seems I've misinterpreted that for years now. It makes much more sense this way.
 
Incline bench the path will be relatively flat. Flat or decline it will move in an arc from your sternum toward the pegs and reverse on the way back down.

Even if you do a BB type bench with no arch and feet elevated, it will travel an arc.
 
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