Bench + putting feet up

[Chong Warrior]

Arching the back allows you to use your back muscles more, thus allowing you to lift much heavier weights.

I used to do this but found that my lats were becoming very tired from bench pressing when I went heavy!! I've stopped this now as I want to hit my chest when I perform chest exercises like the bench press.

It's different if you're a powerlifter or in competition as arching the back will allow you to go much heavier.... this really leaves you no choice in that scenario but as a body builder I'd say arching the back could be detrimental.

 

[Turbanation]

Meh...Feet up or Down same thing to me.

 

[Nazbit]

well to the op, personally I put my feet up at lower weights so that it is purley my upper body that is lifting the weight, but when I lift heavier I always put my feet on the floor, keeps you more stable and stops you form moving around on the bench at all.

As for the arching debate that seems to have popped up, I always thought that arching your back was bad form, and it kind of happens automatically when certain muscle groups start to fail, you divert the movement to your back.

I always thought that arching your back was bad for two reasons, the first being that you are not working the muscles that you intended to and that you risk damaging your back.

I hold my hands up and say I am no expert at all, I may well be wrong, but I will be watching this thread closely to see what the outcome is.

 

[theleg]

Remember that weighlifting is also a sport and not just a way to work out your muscles.

 

[oddjob62]

As for the arching debate that seems to have popped up, I always thought that arching your back was bad form, and it kind of happens automatically when certain muscle groups start to fail, you divert the movement to your back.

I would say that yes, if you start a lift with no arch then start arching as you start finding he lift hard then you are likely to injure yourself. If you see most of the top benchers, they will take time setting up the arch before they even touch the bar. Their back hips and legs are kept tight througout the whole lift, not squriming around like you usally see in your local gym when a person is trying to push the last few reps out, or using a weight that's obviously too much for them.

 

[Nazbit]

I would say that yes, if you start a lift with no arch then start arching as you start finding he lift hard then you are likely to injure yourself. If you see most of the top benchers, they will take time setting up the arch before they even touch the bar. Their back hips and legs are kept tight througout the whole lift, not squriming around like you usally see in your local gym when a person is trying to push the last few reps out, or using a weight that's obviously too much for them.

Ahh I take your point, thanks for clarifying