Bench Press

[franchise24]

What is your grip preference?

Thumb around the bar or false grip/suicide grip.

I read somewhere a while back that you put yourself in a stronger position to generate more force with a false/suicide grip. I believe I read that false/suicide grip also puts much less stress on shoulders and elbows. But seeing how the wrist is in a bent position with false/suicide grip it doesn't make any sense to me.

What are your thoughts?

I use full grip thumb around the bar.

 

[colossus25]

What is your grip preference?

Thumb around the bar or false grip/suicide grip.

I read somewhere a while back that you put yourself in a stronger position to generate more force with a false/suicide grip. I believe I read that false/suicide grip also puts much less stress on shoulders and elbows. But seeing how the wrist is in a bent position with false/suicide grip it doesn't make any sense to me.

What are your thoughts?

I use full grip thumb around the bar.

I saw a guy drop a loaded bar on his chest with false grip ever since then i wouldn't even attempt it. Besides i feel like squeezing the bar as hard as i can helps me push harder. My old strength coach taught me that years ago and I've always stuck with that.

 

[Maj1979]

I do both. I even go as far as changing hand placement on bar. So in one months time I pretty much do a different lift every time. But if I had to pick my favorite and the one that I push the most with is false grip I guess. Even read into it much but a therapist told me to do so last year after a tendon tear. She said all the variations limits the possibility of a muscular imbalance.

 

[DrinkFlintWater]

Suicide....been doing it that way for years. More out of necessity from a broken thumb that never healed right. Question, @franchise24 since were talking about grips. Have you ever used a "fat grip" adaptor or fat bar for bench or anything else?

 

[franchise24]

Suicide....been doing it that way for years. More out of necessity from a broken thumb that never healed right. Question, @franchise24 since were talking about grips. Have you ever used a "fat grip" adaptor or fat bar for bench or anything else?

I've never used a fat bar or fat grip adapter. I've been toying with the idea of buying a fat bar/axle bar. Do the fat bars help with grip strength?

 

[franchise24]

I saw a guy drop a loaded bar on his chest with false grip ever since then i wouldn't even attempt it. Besides i feel like squeezing the bar as hard as i can helps me push harder. My old strength coach taught me that years ago and I've always stuck with that.

I just found a YouTube video I'll attach it here. Give me one second. Dave Tate talks about the suicide grip.

 

[franchise24]

I saw a guy drop a loaded bar on his chest with false grip ever since then i wouldn't even attempt it. Besides i feel like squeezing the bar as hard as i can helps me push harder. My old strength coach taught me that years ago and I've always stuck with that.

 

[anfee]

I too have witnessed someone drop the bar on themselves. And it's also the reason I grip the bar with thumb around the bar. I have no problem benching my max like this

 

[DrinkFlintWater]

I've never used a fat bar or fat grip adapter. I've been toying with the idea of buying a fat bar/axle bar. Do the fat bars help with grip strength?

IMO- I believe so. I cant lift the same amount with the adaptors but when I return to a workout without them, im getting stronger(more weight) than where I was at before. However, my forearms feel tore up from them. So, am I doing more harm than good? Idk..Still up for debate..lol

 

[colossus25]

Interesting point of view. Honestly when ever im pushing max load my shoulders take over. I have extremely dominant shoulders, it made it hard for me to build my chest when i first started. My arms and shoulders in general take over a lot of workouts when im going for max weight.

 

[Ironlyfe80]

I myself am scared of getting crushed using a thumbless so I always use a full grip.

 

[colossus25]

I myself am scared of getting crushed using a thumbless so I always use a full grip.

Yeah pretty much lol. The argument presented in the video is that false grip utilizes more triceps and i really don't need more triceps then i already have lol. I think it comes down more to comfort than anything.

 

[Ironlyfe80]

Yeah pretty much lol. The argument presented in the video is that false grip utilizes more triceps and i really don't need more triceps then i already have lol. I think it comes down more to comfort than anything.

Im with you. My tricep strength isn't a weakness when it comes to my bench. Mentally I feel like I could maybe get a little more leverage thumbless, but have never tried, nor do I want to.

 

[Cash43]

I use both but on heavier lifts use false grip

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

If its a machine or smith going thumbless is great. I can get better contractions that way.
If its a free weight use your damn thumbs. Its a built in safety feature being born with thumbs. Duh! Lol

 

[MindlessWork]

I use false on lighter sets and I wrap thumb around bar on heavier sets as my left wrist gets a little unstable under a heavier load and thus a risk of bar slipping while using false/suicide grip at heavier weights.

 

[Demondosage]

Always thumbs around the bar for me. Training with fat bars will definitely help your bench increase, when u get back to a regular bar it feels like a pencil in your hands. All of the strongest benchers I know primarily use fat bars unless it's a meet. From my experience wrist support is necessary when benching with a fat bar , it can seriously kill your wrists

 

[brutus79]

I was taught to "bend the bar" where I have a thumb around the bar, gripping as tight as I can while attempting to make my wrists face each other and forcing my elbows in. All my torque comes from that activation, which activates my lats, which gives my tris a base from retracting my scapular area. I honestly wouldn't know how to stay solid and tight with a suicide grip... it just seems pointless.

 

[franchise24]

All all valid points. I use thumb around the bar and on a max effort lift. My hand placement it a thumb length away from the smooth part. Right inside the rings. This is where I generate more power. I will try it out to see how my elbows and shoulders feel, but not on a max effort lift.

I was using the Texas Power Bar at my gym. But after a few years of guys do oly lifts and just dropping it on the pins the bar has lost its rigidity.

A few months or weeks ago I purchased an Eleiko Competition powerlifting bar. And the difference in stability and rigidity was night and day. And I believe that has a small part to do with my shoulders and elbows feeling a bit beat up.

I love the bar. But like @brutus79 and @colossus25. I was taught to squeeze the shit out of the bar and try to bend it to get lat and tricep activation.

I'm sure that I won't make the switch to suicide. Just will work it in on lighter sets. More like my warm up sets.

@DrinkFlintWater @Demondosage, I'm going to get an axle/fat bar they are pretty inexpensive. And use it in my off season work.

@Demondosage every time I see you post your username just makes think of high doses of tren. Lol...

 

[colossus25]

I was taught to "bend the bar" where I have a thumb around the bar, gripping as tight as I can while attempting to make my wrists face each other and forcing my elbows in. All my torque comes from that activation, which activates my lats, which gives my tris a base from retracting my scapular area. I honestly wouldn't know how to stay solid and tight with a suicide grip... it just seems pointless.

Thats exactly what my strength coach taught me back then and honestly my bench started shooting up after that.