bench press?

Question

somtimes when i bench, i arch my back, is this a bad thing?

im 18, i weigh 135, i bench 150, im single, i like long walks on the beach

Answer 1

Yes, it's bad form. You should aim to keep your lower back on the bench, which transfers the work to your chest and front deltoids.

When you arch your back you put strain on your lumbar and you reduce isolation in your pecs. In other words, you are using momentum to push the weight up, which reduces the load on your chest. So you really aren't fully-activating your chest muscles. This can also result in lower-back strain. So it's anything but a harmless habit.

One way around this is to make sure your feet are planted firmly on the ground beside the bench (you actually want to direct them back toward the bar, so that they are past parallel to your knees.) This will naturally reduce your tendency to arch, because this position limits your physical ability to actually perform an arch. When you press the bar up, instead of arching your back, drive the force down through your feet.

If it's still happening, you are probably using too much weight. Lighten up a bit and concentrate on your form. Trying to go to heavy at the expense of form is counterproductive in the long-run.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

im not sure if its bad but i do know it is a very common thing, escpecially when benching heavy weights

Answer 3

It's bad form, but it won't hurt anything. Pay attention to form as you lift. Don't worry too much about it.