Benching in a cage

So,

I figured to change things up I'd start benching in a cage very limited ranges of motion. For instance, at first I just work on from my chest to 3-4 inches above my chest and later I"ll do the next 4 etc.

I find it much harder to bench lots of weight this way if I let the bar come to rest (edit: on the safty bars before I start the next rep) does anybody know why?

conservation of momentum (and the lack thereof)

You have to overcome inertia when you stop moving...

Is this free weight barbell or some kind of machine? The machines make it so much easier in many ways, one of which is by allowing the momentum to easily carry from the negative to the positive part of the lift and vice-versa... like the wheels just want to keep moving.

it's in a cage not a smith machine. and yeah smith machines do make things really easy. I think part of it is because you can push in any direction and as long as its somewhat upwards you'll move it upwards.

I'm wondering tho if this will make my overall bench better since I"m having to use lighter weights in the cage than with my normal bench. I feel like its going to help. Oh well it was time to switch up my chest routine anyways.

I'm going to do

incline bench
rack presses in cage

for a couple months and see waht it does to my regular bench. I'll keep you guys posted and of course check in to see if you all have any suggestions!

if you are using less weight and restricting your range of motion i can't see how its going to help your overall bench.

I would just go back to benching and make sure you use a full range of motion. All the way down, all the way up. No cheater reps.

if you are using less weight and restricting your range of motion i can't see how its going to help your overall bench.

I would just go back to benching and make sure you use a full range of motion. All the way down, all the way up. No cheater reps.

sounds like he is isolating the movements, common for breaking plateaus or just switching things up a bit for gains.

So,

I figured to change things up I'd start benching in a cage very limited ranges of motion. For instance, at first I just work on from my chest to 3-4 inches above my chest and later I"ll do the next 4 etc.

I find it much harder to bench lots of weight this way if I let the bar come to rest (edit: on the safty bars before I start the next rep) does anybody know why?

yeah benching to your neck instead of your chest really hits the upper pecs and just helps pec definition so much more than regular bench

if you're alone do it with dumbells though so you don't kill yourself with the barbell ready to fall on your neck

if you are using less weight and restricting your range of motion i can't see how its going to help your overall bench.

I would just go back to benching and make sure you use a full range of motion. All the way down, all the way up. No cheater reps.

I dunno man. Theres a certain amount more difficulty to get the weight moving when its motionless than when its moving (i.e. in most parts of the motion). If I get to the point where I can start the weight moving from anywhere in the motion easily I think It will improve my bench cause it will give me more power throughout the motion. I feel like I've been at a plateau for a while and I want to change things up.

I'm still working each part of the range of motion but I'm just working them at different times

sounds like a decent exercise.

lots of people do the same thing (and swear by it) with deadlifts so i don't see why it seems so "out there" to some of you guys.

A few days ago was my second time with my new workout strategy

I did 3 sets of inclined bench (increasing weight) 8x 8x 4x

then I went on to the cage

I did 3 sets from chest level to 4 or so inches above chest level
2 sets from 4 inches above chest level to maybe 7 inches above chest level
and 2 sets from I'd say 14 inches to top.

I can't remember my chest ever feeling so pumped/tired after a chest workout. Holy shit. I wonder what makes me so bad at this.

ok so I did the exercises on another 4 days (or was it 3) and next week I'll go back to normal benching. I feel like It's helped my deltoids and we'll see what happens!

what are you eating right now

what are you eating right now

just woke up (5 am). I'mma make a pizza and then go to the gym for some arm work. Then, Imma come home and do a little grip work with my new ivanko.

What are you eating?

a nectarine :)

ahhh so it totally payed off the benching was much easier at heavier weights.

I know a lot of people wondered what the heck I was doing struggling threw some of those low rack press sets at like 165 and that they didn't appreciate how difficult that motion was but I think I was vindicated today when I put up 7x295

interesting way to break through

doing 10+ sets of chest in one workout seems a little excessive, though

it wasn't 10 sets really tho because it wasn't the same range of motion. Or atleast thats how I like to think of it

was it harder on your chest or your arms

chest (shoulders)

very very little on the arms

I mean it certainly won't help everyone but for me I knew my shoulders and the very bottom of the motion was the biggest problem and so I went after it hard.