Legs up bench pressing?

[Bumpygooch]

It’s a great way to injure your back. That’s coming from a doctor. Don’t do it.

Shoulders, too, arching and retracting your scapulae without planting your feet....not easy.

 

[MindlessWork]

It’s a great way to injure your back. That’s coming from a doctor. Don’t do it.

Makes sense and what about if you curl your legs in or have them straight out?

 

[MindlessWork]

Shoulders, too, arching and retracting your scapulae without planting your feet....not easy.

Yeah if your balance isn't exquisite you can risk falling off the bench that way too, especially if going heavy. I only do that if going light like 135-185lbs as any heavier I feel ready to fall off the bench.

 

[xgunx]

I always assumed that guys that did that were having lower back problems when benching. I even fucked around with it when I was a young dumbass just experimenting. I do remember not being able to bench as much without that stable leg bace.

Exactly this for me. If the bench is not low enough it feels better but I do lose some balance. I can see how it could be used for other reasons though.

 

[wsmwannabe]

I used to do this all the time... Don't get me wrong, in retrospect, I was partially just being a douchey gym bro, but I do believe it helped me build 1) a pretty damn good bench (strength) since there was no leg drive and 2) really helped me with balance and making sure I was pressing even instead of getting lopsided. I never had a coach until recently and I've been lifting for damn near 2 decades, but I built a 405 lb bench with zero help from a coach and piss poor self programming (read: stupid gym bro lifting) all on my own and it never caused a single back, pec, or shoulder issue.

What DID cause pec and shoulder issues was feet up dumbbell incline benching, using stupid weight. Since you cannot use your legs for balance, I transferred all of the balance to my pecs and this fucked up my pec minor a few times.

 

[Jet Labs]

I lift and cross my legs when doing flat db flys, but only just for flys. Lifting legs for anything else is just cunty

 

[Ridethelightningbarefoot]

The spoto press. Can make your back flatter, better chest isolation.

 

[TheIncomparableMrHarrow]

At a powerlifting standpoint it is what was basically said earlier. It is a way of taking leg drive out of the equation and generally makes the lift harder to complete. You generally have to lower the working weight that you would use for your regular bench.

I personally believe the floor press is better(for me anyway) and I do believe it helped me with my short term goal of a 365lbs bench press at 200lbs. The z press whether barbell or dumbbell is the similar variant for shoulders.

Pin presses are relatively the same because they don’t allow you to fully utilize the eccentric portion of the lift and therefore taking away the “recoil/rebound” affect.(also helps with your “sticking” point) Again you would have to lower the weight that you would normally use for your working sets.

Also, if your back is relatively healthy, I don’t see the Larsen press giving you any new back issues/problems when you properly brace and pull your lats back and down. You should use this lift for a specific purpose and not lift with an ego. Harder said then done but I guess it is what it is.

 

[italianfan]

From Michaela Ayock: "Yes, I feel less stretch/pressure in my core with my feet up" WATCH SHORT VIDEO OF HER WITH 100lbs dumbells - she is 5 ft tall"
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWOjZpAFpv6/

 

[Bumpygooch]

From Michaela Ayock: "Yes, I feel less stretch/pressure in my core with my feet up" WATCH SHORT VIDEO OF HER WITH 100lbs dumbells - she is 5 ft tall"
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWOjZpAFpv6/

It’s not my core stretch/pressure that I’m worried about with my feet up, it’s my destroyed rotator cuff.

 

[may2021]

What's the reasoning behind putting your feet up on the bench when bench pressing?

i've seen a few people do it and always wondered what, if any, positive difference there is.

When I used to bench heavy I did it. Initially it's a psychological thing, allowing you to focus on form - the pure movement of arms and chest. We all see guys trying to bench more than they should, seemingly using their legs to "push off" a heavy lift. If it helps you, I say keep the legs up. But, at a certain point, timing and breathing is more important than form in my opinion.

 

[italianfan]

It’s not my core stretch/pressure that I’m worried about with my feet up, it’s my destroyed rotator cuff.

Yeah, "I don´t know about that" (but have my opinion..), but that is not the question of the guy who opened the thread (read it please), which to whom i´m responding posting M. Ayock comment.

 

[Chewbacca]

If I understand correctly. this is done to isolate footwork. to shift the load to the upper body

What's the reasoning behind putting your feet up on the bench when bench pressing?

i've seen a few people do it and always wondered what, if any, positive difference there is.

 

[Chewbacca]

I think you're right, many do not know why and why they do it. They just do it - they saw it somewhere and that's it)

Putting your legs straight out is called Larsen Press. The reason behind the variation is to eliminate leg drive. I'd be willing to bet 90% of gym goers you see doing it don't know that or why they do it.

Personally I've never found using a bunch of exotic bench variations useful. My bench goes up the most when I'm doing a lot of flat bench 3-4x a week.

 

[Chewbacca]

When I used to bench heavy I did it. Initially it's a psychological thing, allowing you to focus on form - the pure movement of arms and chest. We all see guys trying to bench more than they should, seemingly using their legs to "push off" a heavy lift. If it helps you, I say keep the legs up. But, at a certain point, timing and breathing is more important than form in my opinion.

as an auxiliary exercise for bench press why not. But it didn't suit me very well. Dumbbell presses are better for my chest.

 

[TheIncomparableMrHarrow]

From the JuggernautAI app and Chad Wesley Smith himself.

 

[may2021]

as an auxiliary exercise for bench press why not. But it didn't suit me very well. Dumbbell presses are better for my chest.

Yeah I really liked heavy dumbbells as well.

 

[Gbro]

I thought it was just for dudes that wanted to show off their butthole

 

[Chewbacca]

Yeah I really liked heavy dumbbells as well.

It seems to me that dumbbells on an incline bench are directly top number 1 for breastfeeding. I also like to press in a smitt on an incline bench, directing the barbell close to the head.

 

[Chewbacca]

View attachment 157210From the JuggernautAI app and Chad Wesley Smith himself.

Chad is a very cool and famous coach. He is my authority