Asif wonders if it's a good idea to Bench Press with free weights when you're training alone, or if it's safer to Bench on machines. Quote...
Hi Mehdi,
How are you ? Hope you doing well. I'd like thank for your support. I really like your blogs because they keep me motivated. I religiously check your website everyday.
I have just started your SL5x5 program and completed 2 days of worked. Just curious if I can do bench press on the machine. I work out alone and wonder if can set proper weight on the machine. I have cybex gym in my house. I want to do bench press on machine due to safety issue. What weight should I set and increase on machine bench press based on your SL5x5 program. I don't know if it going to work out but your suggestion is appreciated.
Thanks
Asif
Bench Pressing on machines is better than doing nothing, but not ideal. I did a lot of Benching inside the smith and on that vertical chest press machine from 1999 to 2004 (the period I trained in a public gym) because that's what all the other guys did and I didn't know better. Bench Pressed with free weights too though, the do-7-exercises-on-chest-day-until-sore-and-pumped idiocy.
The big difference between machines and free weights, is that barbells allow for natural movements. When you Bench Press with free weights, you don't have a perfectly vertical bar path. Yet machines force you into these fixed, unnatural movements. Couple that with heavy weights - crucial because muscle size is directly related to strength gains - and you get shoulder impingement.
So you may not never get stuck with the bar on your chest with machines, but injuring your shoulders you will. On top of that, machines balance the weight for you which is less effective for muscle building, strength gains and fat loss. That's why I don't recommend doing StrongLifts 5x5 on machines.
Dumbbells aren't safe either - the only way to get them back to the floor if you get stuck with the Dumbbell Bench is by throwing them. The total weight is also always lower than when using Barbells and that means less muscle gains. Heck, Arnold didn't got big with Dumbbells - he Barbell Benched Pressed 440lb.
Anyway, it's been my observation that most guys are afraid of things that never happen. I've been training alone, in home gym, without spotter, for the majority of the past 7 years. Failed reps on the Bench Press countless of times, got stuck under the bar a lot, but never ended up in the hospital. Here's 3 powerful tips I've found useful to Bench Press safely when training alone...
1. Get a Power Rack. Power Racks have safety pins to catch the bar if you get stuck under it. Sell that cybex gym on eBay or craiglist, and invest that money in a Power Rack like mine. If you're one of those cheapskates, build it yourself from scaffold or wood. If you lack space: get Squat Stands and saw horses.
They key is to set the safety pins correctly so you don't hit them on the way down and mess with your bar path. Bench with your back arched (keep your glutes on the Bench) so when you do get stuck, you just have to suck in your stomach for the bar to rest on the pins. Then simply get under the bar.
2. Stay Away From Failure. Just stop the set if you think you won't be able to do another rep. So when you've just done 3 reps on set 4 with StrongLifts 5x5 and feel you won't be able to do Bench the last 2 reps - stop. Give it another go on your 5th set, get as many reps as you can, and stop again when you think you'll fail. Then try to do better the next time you Bench Press.
There's only one problem with this method - there's a difference between what you THINK you can Bench, and what you can ACTUALLY Bench. Safety boosts confidence under the bar - you know you can go all out because nothing can go wrong. But by stopping your sets early without even giving it a try, you'll often find yourself Benching at lower intensities and thus making slower gains. That's why I think it's better to Bench inside a Power Rack and go all out.
3. Do The Roll of Shame. This is what I do with submaximal weights (meaning, when not going for 1RMs). Basically you just roll the bar to your legs and then Deadlift it. Here's a video of a Japanese guy over 50y old showing the Roll of Shame Bench Press technique with 264lb. If he can Bench safely like this...
Another solution is to Bench Press without collars so the plates can slip to the side and drop off the bar if you get stuck, and so you can tilt the bar to one side and then escape under it. I don't like this technique though, I think the roll of shame is a lot safer when Benching alone. Your mileage may vary.
If you're training in a public gym, just ask one of the gym goers to spot you. Heck, ask the gym manager if you're the only one training at that time because you lift late at night or early in the morning. Nobody is ever going to refuse you a spot, it doesn't exist. Don't be concerned if your Bench Press weights are still light, with StrongLifts 5x5 you're going to surpass the other guys quickly.
Thanks Mehdi, this is very helpful. I had to do the roll of shame the other day. I’m no longer ashamed of it when it happens, I now just consider it standard procedure in case of failure. Of course there are always some guys who will laugh at you (behind your back), but that shouldn’t affect you. Those guys probably never fail on the bench because they never bench beyond their comfort zone, and thus they will never have gains. I’m still a skinny guy but at least I’m not a pussy who is afraid to fail.
I always tell myself I’m not in the gym in order to impress the other guys in the gym (that would be pointless). I’m in the gym in order to gain strength and muscle in order to boost my confidence outside the gym. A roll of shame every now and then is just a step towards a better bench press.
I’ve done the roll of shame. Except. I didn’t know what to do when it happened. But this seemed the most logical. I then deadlift with bent arms to get back on rack. NOT RECOMMENDED!!!! It was hard but I’d tear my bicep with these heavier weights
Had to do the Roll myself a few times. Easier with an olympic bar than a standard bar! And Elmer has a great point- you’ll never be in this situation unless you’re truly using heavy weight.
After you bench alone for awhile you’ll gain an awareness of what your last rep is. I could always know because I had to do some funky pushing out with my abs to squeeze the bar all the way to the top. After that another rep was a sure failure and I would stop there.
I never did the roll of shame, but dumped the bar to my sides. My first time failing this was still with clips on both sides and rather hard to perform. After that I took clips off one side and always dumped to that side (allowing the plates off and making the barbell lighter). I usually put pillows or something there to protect the floor.
Just don’t be stupid and try to do a 1 RM 10 kilos more than you’ve ever lifted.
I was wondering what if i do push-ups till failure after the reps on a heavy bench. For e.g: 3rd set, only 3 reps possible with a certain weight, i rack the bar and instantly do push-ups till failure? Will that be any good?
I have done the roll of shame MANY times. I bench alone at home, and I no longer care if this happens – it doesn’t hurt, so I just go all out everytime. Added 20lbs to my bench in three months. Confidence is essential to benching. Not saying the roll is for everyone though. Clearly this Japanese dude loves it :-)
I have been doing 5×5 over 3 months, and one thing that I’ve learned, is that you learn a lot about your body’s ability along the way. If you are increasing your weight by 2.5k every workout, you will know from experience if that 2.5k is going to make a big difference on your next workout.
As for stopping before failure; I am confident that I have made such a huge effort on some presses to finish a rep that I know the next one would most likely be a failure anyway (and if it isn’t, the advantage of being safe outweighs the benefit from one more rep).
Having said that, I use a rack at my gym with pins, so the bar can drop without crushing me.
I think experience will teach the original poster about his own limits.
That can give you nasty bruises, but it’s better than beavus-ing your neck :) I keep my pins as low as they’ll go so I don’t have very far to go on a bail. I haven’t had to do a roll since changing them.
I have done the roll of shame many times, but I didn’t know that it was actually a pre-existing technique. It happens to me often, because I WILL NOT lower my weights once I have decided to go up. By the next workout, I usually get through all 5 sets.
Hell, my first bench didn’t even have the bar holders. I had to do a sitting clean to get the bar up, lie down, then bench. Afterwards, I was required to do the roll to sit up again.
Hey Mehdi,
I am 46, 254pounds, was 45% bmr, dropped to 33% bmr and been on stronglift 5×5 close on 9 weeks, cardio twice a week . Started light but progressed really well fairly quickly… squat 285pounds, bench 175pounds and deadlift 290pounds… not huge weight but i m getting there. I work as an expat in Ghana West Africa (long 12hr days, 35 – 40C temp). The gym on the Mine is well fitted (althought no squat rack so i use the smith machine, empty most of the time so no help should i get stuck). Although fat % dropping, still got a fairly big gut which i m struggling with, diet is good…5 meals a day protein (mainly chicken breasts but steak when i can find good stuff) , veg, carbs (in form of potatoes, pasta and rice) and fruit…
just a short note to say thanks, so much better then split long drawn out routines i did before…… Andrew
I prefer benching without collars. I also do the power rack, so if I can lift it even a little I can get it to the pins. However, if I get stuck under the bar I just tilt it and let the weights slide off. Just as embarassing as the roll of shame, and I don’t crush the jewels on the way down. :)
Andrew, one word of advice on your carbs. Rice and pasta. Try to go whole grain on those. You’ll see a big difference in your fat retention. Also, try to incorporate more oatmeal into your diet. Just becareful not to add too much to it in the way of processed sugar. Good luck and keep up the good work!
Steve, thanks for tha,t all help/info is greatly appreciated… i do try eat brown rice (prefer the taste) but not always easy to get here. The fact is alot of years not training after i stopped playing rugby have caught up, thankfully persistance and training (with good diet) will beat the belly.
“No one will ever refuse to spot you…” Sadly i have had someone refuse. The guy was a jerk, hopefully no one else will ever have that happen to them.