Tfw I finally figured out how to activate my chest on bench press

>tfw I finally figured out how to activate my chest on bench press

Holy fucking shit. So this is what it's supposed to feel like

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What did you do. I'm always curious if my form is ass or I'm just a chestlet because it's pretty low relative to my other lifts.

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literally just flex your pecs at the bottom of the rep

how'd you do it? ive been struggling with this for a while

Please elaborate. I feel like I'm lifting with my arms and my bench progression is shit compared to squats and deads.

>lower the amount of weight Im lifting
>do it slowly
>flex my pecs at the end of the movement
>let it down slowly as well

This has helped me much more than all the years of broscience advice. I actually feel my chest muscles are tender after I work out rather than my shoulders and elbows being sore. Heavy weight really is the biggest meme in lifting

>literally impossible to move the bar without using your pecs
HURR I "ACTIVATED IT" YOU GUYS
what a fucking moron

Of course. But it is possible that other muscles, such as triceps and shoulders do more work than your pecs. Why do I get a crazy chest pump if I focus on actually using my pecs?

Is not the point of bench press to activate pecs while also strengthening other muscle groups at the same time?

No, really, am I retarded or is this thread a meme? I'm completely lost here.

You're right but the pecs should be the main targeted area in a bench press, otherwise you'd be better off doing generic arm exercises

>mfw finally figured out how to activate my almonds

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It's commonly known that a lot of people compensate with their triceps and shoulders.

I just tweaked my bench a little and got great results too. I moved up on the bench so the barbell came down lower on my body and it felt a lot better.

BEADY

>tfw can't even more my pec muscles

How am I meant to activate them then!?

>my muscees are tender

what a faggot

Wait, so you "activated" your pecs and now you can lift less weight?

Lifting less weight puts less stress on your CNS and allows you to be more in control of the weight. When you lift heavy you're just focused on getting the weight up and you do whatever comes naturally, which could mean that your shoulders and triceps take over.

It's a compound movement. It doesn't really matter where you feel it as long as your form is on point. The more weight you can press, the more your chest will grow, no matter if you feel it or not.

What if you don't know how to flex your chest ?

Just keep lifting and eating then. As you gain more muscle it will become easier.

My own issue was my grip was too narrow. Once I widened it my chest was kill the next day

Too wide of a grip is not a good thing. I feel it more in my chest if I go super wide, but it kills my shoulders. Having a bit of a narrower grip is best on the bench.

Thanks boss

I barely figured this out a few months ago.
>flex chest at top of movement (kind of like squeezing boobs together)
>pop out chest at the bottom like in db flies
I’m a fatty but my chest has gotten a lot more blocky and formed and doesn’t sag at all despite being around 30 lbs overweight

Oh also planting your shoulder blades into the bench and arching your torso a little isolates the chest more. I literally get all the fatigue in my chest and none in my shoulders or tris that way

>tfw the only muscle i have is pecs
after a year of stronglifts i still cant squat more than 80lbs

Squeezing your chest at the top does nothing, as your chest involvement at the top is almost nonexistent, it's mostly just triceps.

Idk you might be right. It’s working for me though and I’m sure it can’t hurt to do it. I hardly get any fatigue in my tris or my shoulders so I must be doing something right

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>he doesn't point his inner elbows at each other throughout

80lbs after a year? Are you memeing or being serious? Most people can do that on their first day.

I used to bench too low, by that I ment I brung the bar almost to my stomach.

Now I bench right below my nipple and I've gone from 75kg to 85 kg 5x5 without stalling. I used to be stuck at 70~

It's gotta be a grill

>tfw you finally get down bench form
>get chest doms for the first time
>go from plateauing at repping 135 lbs. to 205 smoothly with weekly progression
>people you haven't seen in a while comment on chest
>can actually see pecs coming out

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Yeah I've found my sweet spot. Before I was so narrow my triceps were doing all the work.