Always push the bar in a straight line up from where it makes contact with your lower chest–not from your chest in an arc back over your face.
Geared Bench Press
Tim, as you noted, Bench Pressing in a Bench Press Shirt changed the trajectory of the bar.
There is no research on how much a Bench Press Shirt changes it.
There is no data demonstrating that the most effective method of pushing the bar up in a Bench Press Shirt is to drive the bar straight up or an arc back over your face
That means Simmons is speculating driving the bar straight up wearing Bench Press Shirt it the optimal method.
My Personal Perspective
My personal perspective is that even with a Bench Press Shirt, there is going to be some arc in when wearing a Bench Press Shirt.
I personally have determined, with myself and some others, that arcing the bar back when wearing a Bench Press Shirt is necessary.
To reiterate, since there is no research on this, I am speculating (guessing) as is Simmons.
it makes contact with your lower chest
Lower Chest Placement With The Bench Press
Most Powerlifting Bench Pressers lower the bar to the lower part of the chest, at the upper end of the abdominal muscles.
Doing so, means the bar is does not have to be pushed as far up.
Also, it makes it harder to push the bar straight up, the bar move better if you drive it up and back at the same time.
Ricky Dale Crain's Bench Press Shirt
Years ago, Ricky Dale Crain (Crain's Muscle World) made and sold a Bench Press Shirt that was made specifically to assist in driving the
Bench Press back up in an arc. The Japanese Bench Pressers (some of the best) were arching the bar back up.
Something else to consider is the...
Mountain Climbing Example
The shortest distance between two objects is a straight line. Many believe that means the Benching Pressing the bar straight up works best. Many believe the same about the Deadlift.
However, the body doesn't move in a straight line.
Secondly, in climbing a mountain, which is easier...
1) Climbing straight up?
2) Traversing the mountain, walking by moving back and forth, side to side, slowly ascending?
Angled Leg Press Analogy
One of the interesting things about about an Angled Leg Press is the loading.
As an example, if you load it up to 800 lbs and preform the Leg Press, you are only pushing around 560 lbs.
Due to the Laws of Physical, the angle decreases the true load 30%.
Based on the information below, Mike Bridges was able to Bench Press more weight without getting stronger. I suspect (guess) that Bridges did so by arcing the Bar Trajectory back. As with the Leg Press, the arc/angle allowed him to slightly decrease the true bar load at a weak point and drive the weight up.
Pushing and Pulling The Bar
One of the things that I feel is successfully in pushing or pulling a heavy weight up in that the arc is like the bar is on rails, like in a Smith Machine. The bar glides up.
Bench Press More Now!
Dr Greg Nuckol's article is based on Dr Tom McLaughlin's book, which is based on his research in Bench Pressing in a T-Shirt; before Bench Press Shirts. I have the book, as well as McLaughlin's original research article.
McLaughlin PhD is in Exercise Bio-Mechanics. McLaughlin examined the Bench Press Bar Path of Elite Bench Pressers (Kazmaier, Bridges, etc) and Novice Lifters.
McLaughlin determined driving the bar back in an arc was the most effective.
Mike Bridges's Bench Press
Bridges' was one of the best Bench Pressers of all time.
Bridges was one of McLaughlin's studies.
McLaughlin determined that Bridges increased is World Record Bench Press not by getting stronger but by slightly changing his Bench Press Arc, Trajectory.
In plain English, Bridges found an easier way to get up the mountain to the top.
This article (Nuchols') leaves out triceps. How can you do that?
The Weak Point In The Bench Press
The Bench Press is an Ascending Strength Curve Movement; hard at the bottom and easy at the top.
McLaughlin's research determined the sticking point in a Bench Press was in the first third of the movement. The same is true for all Ascending Strength Curve Movements; Squat and Deadlift.
a) Bench Press Shirt Lifters: The Bench Press Shirt eliminates the Bench Press from being an Ascending Strength Curve Movement. It turn it into a Descending Strength Curve Movement; easy off the bottom and harder at the top.
The Bench Press Shirt assistance is in getting the bar off the chest and past the initial sticking point.
Once past that point, the Bench Press Shirt provide very little, if any assistance, in finishing it with the Triceps.
That mean the Triceps now have to push up a much greater load than they would have in a T-Shirt Bench Press.
My Bench Press Shirt increased my Bench Press 30 lbs. Some Bench Press Shirt can increase a Bench Press around 100 lbs.
That means your Triceps now have to push, let's say 30 to 100 lbs more than they would in a T-Shirt Bench Press.
Triceps now become the weak link in a Bench Press Shirt Lifter. That is why so much Triceps Training is necessary for Bench Press Shirt Lifters.
b) T-Shirt Bench Pressers: The weak point is the first third of the movement, with the sticking point about 4 inches off the chest.
Once the bar moves past that sticking point, most lifter finish the lift with the Triceps.
Triceps Training
Triceps Training will assist a T-Shirt Bench Presser to some degree. However, not that much, since the Triceps predominately finish the top part of it. The not in the bottom third of the movement, the weak link.
Greater training focus needs be placed on working on the first third of the Bench Press; the development of Maximum Strength, Power and Technique.
I don't see any big arcs in bar path.
What You Don't See
Just because you don't see a big arc doen't mean there is no arc in the Bench Press Path.
McLaughlin had the equipment to graph the Bench Press Trajectory. McLaughlin then broke it down frame by frame in plotting.
Visual observation often are misleading.
Dr Craig Marker
As he basically stated in one of his articles, "Your feeling (what you feel and think) don't matter as much as the facts."
Simmons' Bench Press Observations
He might be right when it comes to Bench Press Shirt lifting; pushing the bar straight up.
However, he might be wrong. He has gotten thing wrong before, as have I and everyone else.
Two are...
Stretch Reflex
Research shows the Stretch Reflex can last up to 4 seconds. However, it quickly dissipates. In one second 50% of the Stretch Reflex is gone. After 4 seconds, it is completely gone.
However, Simmons has state that the Full Stretch Reflex last up to 4 seconds.
Perform a Touch And Go Bench Press. Then perform a Bench Press with a 4 second plus pause and see which you Bench Press more weight with.
Complex Training
After using this method, years ago, I spoke with Simmons on the phone about it. I thought he might like to write and article on it, which he did.
Simmons told me it was a waste of time and then wrote an article about it being a waste of time.
That prompted me to write an article on it for Powerlifting USA.
A year later, Simmons wrote about the benefits of Complex Training; finally coming around.