Thumbs vs no Thumbs benching.

[affeman]

nope dumbells are waaay harder than barbells for
chest hence why you dont see many guys doing them... if the did their poundage would have to be lowered
as its hader to spot  ahem yank the bar off your training partner

I agree for the most part. I usually stick to incline dumbbell press nowadays and flat bench on machines (Hammer strength) most of the time. Flat barbell bench is way overrated, but it's the ego exercise #1 for all the geeks. Too bad none of them ever develops pecs.

[QuakerOats]

I agree for the most part. I usually stick to incline dumbbell press nowadays and flat bench on machines (Hammer strength). Flat barbell bench is way overrated, but it's the ego exercise #1 for all the geeks. Too bad none of them ever develops pecs.

translation= like 90 percent of guys you're not good at flat barbell benching and make excuses for why it's "overrated".

[affeman]

translation= like 90 percent of guys you're not good at flat barbell benching and make excuses for why it's "overrated".

If you think...

[QuakerOats]

If you think...

flat barbell benching is like squatting, it's the hardest chest movement and that's why most people avoid training it intensely.

[spinnis]

flat barbell benching is like squatting, it's the hardest chest movement and that's why most people avoid training it intensely.

is has ruined alot of shoulders though

[affeman]

flat barbell benching is like squatting, it's the hardest chest movement and that's why most people avoid training it intensely.

Ask your idol Bob Chick what he thinks about the barbell benchpress.

[QuakerOats]

Ask your idol Bob Chick what he thinks about the barbell benchpress.

he gave it up after YEARS of going heavy and could bench over 500 when he stopped doing them, ask him how much upper body mass he built with them initially.

[chainsaw]

no thumbs, that method places the bar in a more centered position over the wrists and allows you to push with more power and stability.

Exactly.  I hear people on here makin jokes about people not using thumbs.  In Venice when I lived there, no serious BBer used thumbs.

[QuakerOats]

Exactly.  I hear people on here makin jokes about people not using thumbs.  In Venice when I lived there, no serious BBer used thumbs.

EVERY big bencher i've ever seen in person has used the "suicide" or thumbless grip while benching, like i said it centers the weight more squarely over the wrist and forearm and when you combine it with wrist wraps almost anyone would make a big jump in weight.

[Mars]

I'm Bill Gates, minus the money and the brains.

loll

[Bobby]

thumbs up for no thumbs...on flat and incline and close grip benches

yip yip

[Lion666]

I like to pratice both..... my gym used to call it "monkey grip"
months I go w/o thumbs on presses..... then a few months with thumbs....
same thing with pulls.... thumbs.... then for a few months I just "hook" with the 4 fingers.... and pull... ala jay cutler on his pull downs... minus the straps.....
which by the way.... gonna start employing the starps again.... soon, for a coupla months anyway   

[bigbobs]

I knew of a guy who was benching with "no thumbs" (with 225 lbs) and the bar rolled off of his palms and broke his ribs!  The injury lasted a loong time and he was always grabbing his chest feeling pain while breathing.

[The Coach]

Not using thumbs because he's using straps.

[pugalist666]

this is coaches preferd grip

[marcus]

[Meso_z]

this is coaches preferd grip

hahaha, what a "sport"! 

[The Showstoppa]

Exactly.  I hear people on here makin jokes about people not using thumbs.  In Venice when I lived there, no serious BBer used thumbs.

I think thats why a lot of people don't use thumbs.  They want to mimmick others, look like they know what they are doing.  Just do whatever feels comfortable for you, who gives a shit one way or the other. 

[DK II]

Thumbs.

Evolution gave us a thumb able to grip stuff. People that bench without thumbs are evolutionary closer to monkeys.
Plus having a 400lbs barbell fall 40cm down on your chest is way more stupid than using a thumb.

I doesn't matter at all in benching, especially not for the recreational bodybuilder.

[polychronopolous]

this is coaches preferd grip

haha, yeah Coach prefers giving his boyfriend the G.I. Joe Kung-Fu grip

[Method101]

I use thumbs on benching because i'm afraid of dropping the bar on myself, i always do bench press in my gym's powerack aswell because i don't like asking random people to spot me.

But i Don't use thumbs on the lat pulldown/rowing movements where i know that if the handle/bar does slip the weight won't land on me anyway.

[Dreadlifter]

Thumbs.

Evolution gave us a thumb able to grip stuff. People that bench without thumbs are evolutionary closer to monkeys.
Plus having a 400lbs barbell fall 40cm down on your chest is way more stupid than using a thumb.

I doesn't matter at all in benching, especially not for the recreational bodybuilder.

lol

Personally i always with thumbs since the day one of my training parters dropped a barbell on his chest him using a thumbless grip when i was spotting him. Too quick for me to catch and he got winded good.

I do use a thumbless grip when doing close grip for triceps, as i feel i've got my hand in a safer position where dropping the bar is less likely.

[CalvinH]

No thumbs for me.

[brent2741]

when going heavy i think no thumbs is kind of dangerous

[The.Giant]

Thumbless. It's just way more comfortable.