New research: Bench pressing with the feet up causes greater chest activation

[markkram]

@captscotted I would guess that when arching you can more efficiently activate the muscles associated with the lower portion of the pec major, which are necessarily bigger than those of the upper chest, allowing more output force (think incline vs decline bench press). As well, you have improved upper-body stability because of e.g. the aforementioned lat activation.

 

[rgood]

@markkram Aren't your shoulders also in a safer position?

 

[markkram]

@rgood Maybe. I'm not sure which position is safer re: shoulder impingement, but your shoulders are probably safer with an arched back because you can more efficiently recruit surrounding muscles during the movement.

 

[trailerboat]

@captscotted You get more chest isolation precisely because you're isolating the chest and not allowing the other muscles to assist. I'd say both exercises have their place, because a feet-up bench press would only be safe with lighter weights. Without the ability to stabilise/drive using your entire body in a compound movement, you're significantly increasing the chance of injury when you press heavier weights. Whereas a regular bench press allows you to safely use progressive overload and increase strength. I'd use the feet-up version as a kind of isolation exercise to promote hypertrophy like a fly or a cable press.

 

[denise08]

@trailerboat

Without the ability to stabilise/drive using your entire body in a compound movement, you're significantly increasing the chance of injury

This is the only thing you need to know about drive vs no drive. Whether you're training for bodybuilding or powerlifting, leg drive is going to be more beneficial for you because of the stability it offers, which also makes it easier to overload.

 

[saved26]

@dawn16 The only reason I'd disagree is that the feet create your base. The planted feet allow you to drive down more and it forces core to tighten.

I do both variations but feel safer with my feet planted

 

[dawn16]

@saved26 So he was talking more about form and stability in the arms and back. I fully agree you need the feet to left heavier loads. He wanted me to forgo the feet and learn to do reps smooth and with more control. I also don’t left for mass, just to stay in shape so I don’t do reps over 200lbs. He could be totally wrong, but I figured I couldn’t argue the spine with a chiro.

 

[saved26]

@dawn16 Ahhh that makes sense I have a bad spine ( herniated discs in my neck) so am super careful with form . I find that when I put my feet up it doesn't allow me to arch my back as well but that could just be me. My brother on the other hand has zero spinal issues and does it all the time. For lighter weight it's nice I agree.

 

[niecey85]

@dawn16 He must have just extrapolated a position he knows to be better in the situations he's familiar with, like while being iddle, to a situation he knows nothing about (lifting). Not saying he's dumb, it's something we often unconsciously do, especially professionals, applying their knowledge on the field to unfamiliar situations expecting to work the same. That's why I always advice when people are looking for physiotherapists and the sort, to look for professionals that are used to work with athletes or at the very least lift themselves.

Bench pressing with your legs up is terrible for both your spine (no arch = more intervertebral disc compression, aggravated by a tendency to crunch when pushing the weight up becomes difficult, and beyond that because maintaining a "neutral" position is one impossible to determine and two very hard to consciously maintain, it's easier to have a bias to some direction, also jiggling due to instability) and your shoulders (no scapular retraction/depression); and if you were to perform scapular retraction while having your feet up you would end up in a position where there's a high degree of flexion in a point in your lumbar spine (bad) and a high degree of hyperextension in another point in your thoracic spine (bad but you can argue one way or the other). I wouldn't bench with the legs up even if the study said it would give me 90% more gains.

You can probably get the same degree of activation (or more) with dips if you want the extra stimulus.

 

[dawn16]

@niecey85 Have fun with that.....

 

[nevermindkid]

@niecey85 “Bench pressing with your legs up is terrible for both your spine (no arch = more intervertebral disc compression, aggravated by a tendency to crunch when pushing the weight up becomes difficult, and beyond that because maintaining a "neutral" position is one impossible to determine and two very hard to consciously maintain, it's easier to have a bias to some direction, also jiggling due to instability) and your shoulders (no scapular retraction/depression); and if you were to perform scapular retraction while having your feet up you would end up in a position where there's a high degree of flexion in a point in your lumbar spine (bad) and a high degree of hyperextension in another point in your thoracic spine (bad but you can argue one way or the other). I wouldn't bench with the legs up even if the study said it would give me 90% more gains.”

How do you come to this conclusion and what are your credentials?

 

[niecey85]

@nevermindkid But that is an explanation to how I came to that conclusion. Everything I explained is based on basic anatomy and experience in the gym, if there's some point that you don't agree with or that I may have explained poorly pls highlight it.

 

[muskel]

@great_depression I mean yeah.. if you remove the drive of the legs, you’re gonna have to use more muscle in your upper body.

 

[jeremyc92]

@great_depression i feel like the problem here is that it's the same weight. I'll try it for a few weeks tho.

 

[skyvia]

@great_depression This makes sense, no? If you use leg drive to help get the weight off of your chest, you clearly use less of your upper body to get it up?

 

[great_depression]

@skyvia

No arch. So no leg drive to assist

No back arch in either variation so no leg drive. Therefore, the additional activation did not come from not being able to drive the legs to assist the movement. Otherwise, quadricep activation would have shown on the EMG.

 

[dawn16]

@great_depression When I bench I usually relax my abs so it doesn’t draw everything in. I make sure my shoulders are tucked behind my spine and chest is up with abs relaxed. It crushes my chest so much. As far as the feet I’ve almost squirmed off by accident, risk/reward for me. I have done it though.

 

[whistlersdog]

@great_depression Before having read the study... of course?

But at what cost? 10-15% more muscle-activation, but 70% workload?

 

[spirited701]

@great_depression Thanks for this!

 

[dawn16]

@great_depression Bench press is the whole body exercise, the aim is not only the chest.

So basic variant is with feet down.