Bench Press
Timothy Looney prepares to compete in the UCF Intramural Bench Press competition, 12/3/08. Looney went on to win the competition.
The University of Central Florida Intramural Bench Press competition last Wednesday night was billed as a collegiate version of the “World’s Strongest Man” contest.
Just how accurate that nickname is in regards to the bench press, however, is up in the air.
“The bench press really just tests the chest’s pushing ability,” said Brian Schwab, owner of Orlando Barbell and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. “The power lifting trio of squatting, benching, and dead-lifting works the entire body and is a more true test of strength.”
The contest consisted of seven separate weight divisions. Timothy Looney, sophomore, lifted the most weight overall with a 365 lb bench press.
In recent years, the bench press has become one of the most popular exercises. Although it has become fashionable and common in most gyms, the bench press is considered by experts such as Schwab to be the most dangerous general exercise and one of the least important gauges of strength.
At the UCF gym, the popularity of the bench press is noticeable. There are eight benches at the gym, six more than there are of any other piece of workout equipment.
Myra Segarra, the UCF Gym’s Athletic Training Coordinator, says that the visual appeal of a big chest and toned arms is one of the main reasons the bench press is so popular.
“I think that it is a good determinant of strength, but mostly it helps males get the aesthetically pleasing look of cut muscles and a toned body,” said Segarra.
Fitness Coordinator Kim Halliday says that she finds the bench press particularly interesting.
“It’s not all about sheer size as much as it is technique,” said Halliday. “Some of the smaller guys put up the most weight.”
Although the merit of the exercise’s true ability to assess strength is often questioned, the dangers of the workout are evident.
According to author Mark Rippetoe, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, the bench press utilizes a useless motion and puts too much stress on the shoulder muscles. Rippetoe said that the stress on the shoulders and upper back make the bench press the most dangerous of the common exercises.
According to Schwab, the most common injuries are tears to the rotator cuffs, ligaments and pectoral muscles. Major sprains to the lower back are also frequent.
In order to eliminate chance of injury, Schwab recommends some sort of cardiovascular exercise prior to the bench press in order to keep the core of the body warm.
Intramural Sports coordinator Gary Cahen was on hand for the competition to help prevent injuries due to bad form or disproportionate weight. Intramural coordinators are present at every intramural event in case of injury or emergency.
Lance Feldman, senior, emerged victorious in the 125-140 lb weight-class. Feldman noted that his arms often cramp during the exercise, so he warms up by doing push-ups and pull-ups.
Feldman lifted 240 lbs, which was over 100 pounds more than his body weight. Feldman said that he works out five times a week and stays in shape through sports and cardio.
Additionally, Feldman said that he owes a lot of his success to genetics.
“I come from a generation of strong men so my genes play a big role,” said Feldman.
Schwab considers Feldman’s weekly workout routine a strong, standard plan. Each day Feldman focuses on a different body part, mixing in cardiovascular exercises to keep the body warm. Schwab does, however, say that the role of genetics is overrated.
“Too many use genetics as a crutch,” said Schwab. “Genetics are never going to determine how strong you can be, but it can determine things like how short your arms are, lessening the distance you have to lift your arms in a workout.”
Sam Josephener, freshman, entered the contest with just one goal.
“Don’t finish last,” he said.
Aware of the high risk of injuries due to bad form and stress applied by uneven weight, Josephener noted that he stretches extensively and warms up with upper-body exercises before every bench press session.
“I don’t want to get hurt,” said Josephener. “Too many guys don’t get their bodies in shape and end up tearing something out there. It’s not worth the risk.”
Josephener finished the competition, the first strength test challenge he’s ever competed in, with a second place finish in his weight division.
“I just wanted to do it big,” he said. “Looks like I did better than I expected.”
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The technique of a bench press is extremely important. Kim Halliday was correct when she observed that some of the smallest competitors could lift the most. The exercise has little to do with overall size. With good technique, as seen in Lance Feldman's video below, the shortest range of arm motion can be achieved, meaning the bench press can mastered by calculated methods rather than brute strength.
Below, Lance Feldman shows a proper pre-bench routine. Note that he arcs his back while keeping his shoulders on the bench. He also shifts his legs until he finds the perfect weight distribution. His arms "lock in" to a perfectly straight vertical line, minimizing the distance his arms have to travel.
In this video, freshman Sean Kilbride fails in a bench press attempt. Note that unlike Feldman's successful bench, Kilbride doesn't look for proper weight distribution or arc his back. On the ascension of his lift, he moves the weight too far back towards his head rather than keeping it in a straight line from its descent. Because of this, his arms have to travel a longer distance, making the exercise more difficult.
Sources:
Myra Segarra
Athletic Training Coordinator
407-823-2408
Brian Schwab
lightweightpower@aol.com
407-678-2447
Sam Josephener
Freshman student
Kimberly Halliday
Fitness Coordinator
khallida@mail.ucf.edu
Gary Cahen
Assistant Director, IM Sports
gcahen@mail.ucf.edu
Myra Segarra
Athletic Training
Coordinator
msagarra@mail.ucf.edu
Lance Feldman
Senior student
Lanced.feldman@gmail.com
Mark Rippetoe
940-696-0829
Author, Starting Strength
All videos and pictures taken by Mike Balducci, 12/3/08.
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