Question for PowerRack users

[Euro_Hunter]

Had my PowerRack for a couple of years now & been meaning to ask this question for ages

When benching where do you position the safety bars? as for me it either seems too low and the bar touches my chest (which is how I like to bench) but obviously this defeats the object of the Rack and one hole higher and the bar is an inch or 2 above my chest and I don't seem to get a good stretch in the pecs.

 

[Morba]

well, if you are benching to gain mass, then you would have a flatter back, not going 100% so could get away without the safety bars imo.
however, if you are benching for strength, then the position that is a couple of inches above your chest would be perfect, because you would have an arched back raising your chest.

if you really must to 1rm's or close to it, then it might be better to do partials as low as you can while remaining safe when training on your own.

 

[chrisd]

They seem to be just right for me. As I inhale on the negative, my chest rises just above the level of the catchers allowing me to get a full ROM.

 

[oddjob62]

Had my PowerRack for a couple of years now & been meaning to ask this question for ages

When benching where do you position the safety bars? as for me it either seems too low and the bar touches my chest (which is how I like to bench) but obviously this defeats the object of the Rack and one hole higher and the bar is an inch or 2 above my chest and I don't seem to get a good stretch in the pecs.

Position it below where you hit your chest. If you can't get it off your chest, just roll it up to your neck (remember that's a lot thinner than your chest) and onto the safety bars, then you can just slide out.

 

[Euro_Hunter]

Position it below where you hit your chest. If you can't get it off your chest, just roll it up to your neck (remember that's a lot thinner than your chest) and onto the safety bars, then you can just slide out.

Thats what I used to do its just pretty scary lowering the weight near your face

Just started working out again seriously after about 18-24 months off so still on pretty light weights (around 50kg) but last week took it to failure on one set and got stuck under the bar for a while till I managed to slide out

 

[BennyC]

I don't have a powerrack, but could you not raise you bench slightly off the floor? to the desired height that would be right for the catchers?

 

[Morba]

Thats what I used to do its just pretty scary lowering the weight near your face

Just started working out again seriously after about 18-24 months off so still on pretty light weights (around 50kg) but last week took it to failure on one set and got stuck under the bar for a while till I managed to slide out

why would you be lowering it onto your face? roll off chest onto the bars above your neck, then move out from under it.

when im training bench heavy on my own, i dont have collars on to hold the plates. i know if im not going to make a lift, so normall get it back to the catchers, but if not, i can let it fall to one side without issue.

 

[toxic]

Position it below where you hit your chest. If you can't get it off your chest, just roll it up to your neck (remember that's a lot thinner than your chest) and onto the safety bars, then you can just slide out.

Thats sortoff what I do at home. My chest sits level with the bars at its best position...if I had to drop I would probably just have to breath in and try roll it up to towards neck position and escape Never had to do it yet though. Ive dropped once doing incline bench but I set the bars in a totally different place and it doesnt cos so much potential damage.