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

[jhen]

@great_depression Oh dumb me, sorry. I just overflew it

 

[dawn16]

@great_depression Did anyone read or skim through the actual study? This isn't the feet up vs feet down that I assume most people are thinking of. I imagine most are assuming this is feet on the floor vs feet on the bench. Not so. Better activation or not I'm not doing bench presses with my feet up in the air. Link to pic from study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/corecgi/tileshop/tileshop.fcgi?p=PMC3&id=77714&s=89&r=1&c=1

 

[gell]

@dawn16 Of course not, we only read the abstracts

 

[veracity64]

@dawn16 10/10 did not expect that.

I don't think you'd make it through a set without someone interrupting it

 

[trinci]

@great_depression Let's have some participants bench press 150kg with their legs up in the air.

 

[jontue]

@trinci Why did you choose 150kg?

 

[trinci]

@jontue Because that's my max bench, if I put my legs up in the air with that load it would probably crush me, this study is shit, where would I get better upper body activation, benching 150 with the legs on the ground or benching 80 with legs in the air?

 

[jontue]

@trinci Nice man, that's exactly my best bench ever also (did it at a powerlifting meet two years ago). That's why I asked why you chose that number.

I only do it legs up bench when I want to 100% stop leg drive and get some free ab work. Always with lighter weight too

 

[andreworknay]

@trinci Do you thrust you back backward like you’re doing the limbo while doing curls?

 

[lagc]

@great_depression So should we be benching with our legs lifted or on the ground? What’s the consensus?

 

[thyda]

@great_depression I misread the title and thought it said "bench pressing with the feet causes greater chest activation"

 

[burning___bush]

@great_depression I'm always tempted to lift my feet toward the end of a set, when I'm fatigued. It feels easier to get a few more reps that way. What does that mean?

 

[singlecandle]

@burning___bush This means your form is off a little. With the correct arch and foot placement you feel much stronger driving your feet into the ground.

 

[zimzet]

@great_depression Similiar to declines.

Declines activate the chest more.

I love declines. Always include them .

 

[nevermindkid]

@zimzet Declines activates lower chest muscles, just like when you arch properly.

 

[zimzet]

@nevermindkid Ok.

 

[nonamenomad]

@great_depression The next gym fad is to bench with feet up looking like you're giving birth /s

 

[dawn16]

@great_depression I have always done feet up due to a chiropractor telling me it was better for your back and spine. Even though he wasn’t a weight lifter I figured he know more about that stuff than I did.

 

[markkram]

@dawn16 What I've always heard, which may be total bs but hear me out, is that arching one's back is fine/beneficial because (1) you're not loading your spine so you're not creating any significant shear force, and (2) you can stabilize your shoulders better because of the increased lat activation that comes with having one's arms closer to one's torso.

 

[captscotted]

@markkram This is what I’ve come to believe as well. But why are people stronger when arching if more cheat activation when feet up? Arms are just better tool for pressing?