Are you supposed to lockout on bench press?

For best results, you should not completely lock out the elbows for a bench press. The elbow lockout creates the illusion of achieving the greatest range of motion. However, at the same time, you sacrifice muscle tension. Subjecting the muscles to continuous, non-interrupted tension will produce maximum results.

What is the difference between chest press and bench press?

While working out alone, a chest press is safer as it does not require any weight to be held above the body, and chances for injuries are less. The bench press involves riskier weightlifting movements as the bar is held directly over the chest and neck area.

Should I lock out my reps?

Short range of motion keeps tension on the muscle that you’re training and therefore pumps a larger volume of blood to the area. So, not locking your elbows won’t diminish your results whether it be strength or size. However, full range of motion or locking out is still considered proper training.

Why do bodybuilders not lock out?

While the joints are locked out the muscle gets a short reprieve and a momentary recovery. Bodybuilders prefer to not rely on their skeletal systems to bear load but leave the tension in the muscles. So by not locking out and completing the rep, they are working under constant muscle tension.

Should you fully extend on bench press?

You should never fully extend your elbows when bench pressing unless performing single reps in preparation for competition. Press the bar back to the starting point directly above your mid chest but do not fully extend your elbows.

What is lockout bench?

Training your bench press lockout means prioritizing the top 1/3 of the range of motion. Typically, this means training the bottom end, mid-end, and top-end range of motion. The muscles used in the bench press are the pecs, shoulders, and triceps.

Why pro bodybuilders do partial reps?

A key aspect of the partial rep (in the bodybuilding realm) has to do with the avoidance of the lockout position. The theory is that by performing partial reps and avoiding the lockout position, a greater degree of stress is placed upon a muscle (or muscles involved), lending itself to a greater amount of gains.

What is bench press lockout technique?

Bench press lockout technique is very similar to bench press technique. Lockouts are performed in the power cage (or squat rack provided it has adjustable safety pins). Place a flat bench inside the power cage and set the safety pins to the desired height.

What are the benefits of lockouts?

Particularly if you are an equipped lifter (use a bench press shirt) a strong lockout is a must, since your bench press shirt will help you press larger weights off your chest. For the general strength trainers, lockouts are also useful:

Is the floor press a good workout for lockout problems?

The floor press is great for lockout problems because when the elbows make contact with the floor, it’s much more difficult to generate power due to lack of momentum. There’s no reliance on any stretch reflex for the floor press.

Do close-grip bench presses Work Your triceps?

The close-grip bench press already does a great job at targeting the triceps, however, when you add in a half-rep the toughness of this exercise increases. Basically, the triceps now need to manage an eccentric load, a slight press, then a smaller and more precise eccentric load before completing a rep.