Bringing the bar down to your chest in different positions...

Zero Tolerance

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Hey. Since I can't do incline barbell presses anymore, I'm trying to replace them with dumbells and barbells brought down to my neck.. I've read that bringing the barbell down to around your nipples works the mid chest, down to the top of your stomach works like a decline and down to your neck (all on a flat bench) works like an incline...

How much truth is there to this and how effective is it as a replacement?

Thanks in advance...
 

rocketscientist

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Hmmm - don't know. But it seems weird to me that you would be able to move the bar that high and not turn the bench press into a triceps exercise, i.e. in order for this to effectively hit the upper chest it would seem to me that you would have to make sure that your elbows move up high towards your head as well, which would put them in an unstable position.

But I don't know I've never tried the bench this way and have to check that the next time I work out. I'll post my impressions on this if you want.

But from all your posts on the exercises you can't do anymore I think you should really be taking mega doses of cissus :)
 
flytrapcan

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Using a light weight and TUT I think you can vary the method and see what kinda pump and stress you feel. I'd be weary of doing any kind of weight with these variations though, the shoulder is at risk enough with the normal method.
 
JBlaze

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that's a perfect way to injure your shoulders
Agreed....why can't you do incline anymore? If it's because you workout at home, i suggest grabbing a cheapie $50 fold up incline bench from walmart. You can use this to do spider/preacher curls also.
 

Zero Tolerance

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Nah, the inclines just hurt my shoulders.. I've trained for years and years and made it to the point where I built a great base but that's it. Now I'm kinda stuck and looking for alternatives...
 
JBlaze

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Nah, the inclines just hurt my shoulders.. I've trained for years and years and made it to the point where I built a great base but that's it. Now I'm kinda stuck and looking for alternatives...
It just seems that the method you asked about would hurt the shoulders even more, not to mention how dangeous it could be if you tried to push too much weight.

Have you tried using dumbbells instead of the barbell? Theres plenty of other upper chest exercises, lemme know and I can list a few if you want.
 

Jstrong20

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Benching to the neck is called a guillotine(sp?) press. It will work but It will probably make your shoulders ache worse. have you tried diffrent angles of incline? Also you could try doing work for the extrenal rotator cuffs. I got to the point where I couldn't bench at all. I did external rotations for a few weeks and then started adding in benching. I can know bench and only have slight discomfort now and again. You could also try cissus as it seemed to help me out. I used 9 ed.
 

stxnas

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Benching to the neck is called a guillotine(sp?) press. It will work but It will probably make your shoulders ache worse. have you tried diffrent angles of incline? Also you could try doing work for the extrenal rotator cuffs. I got to the point where I couldn't bench at all. I did external rotations for a few weeks and then started adding in benching. I can know bench and only have slight discomfort now and again. You could also try cissus as it seemed to help me out. I used 9 ed.
Rotator cuff...people still have those? Seriously though, I pretty much wore mine down to the point to where my muscles hold my arm in place more than my RC does (surgery was suggested, but I don't wanna). I agree with Jstrong on a couple of accounts. I have gotten back into incline benching through the use of less drastic angles and by working my RC using various rotaions--> http://familydoctor.org/265.xml

Hope this helps and good luck bro.
 
Ronin13

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Nah, the inclines just hurt my shoulders.. I've trained for years and years and made it to the point where I built a great base but that's it. Now I'm kinda stuck and looking for alternatives...
Is it only when you use the barbell or dumbbells as well?
 
Ubiquitous

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bringing the bar to your neck on flat bench will flare your elbows and cause way too much stress on your shoulders. Rehab the problem and then learn how to bench correctly (with DB's) and you won't encounter the shoulder impingement or whatever problems you had in the past. It worked for me.
 
Ronin13

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bringing the bar to your neck on flat bench will flare your elbows and cause way too much stress on your shoulders. Rehab the problem and then learn how to bench correctly (with DB's) and you won't encounter the shoulder impingement or whatever problems you had in the past. It worked for me.
I agree. As I have mentioned in a few other threads - I had shoulder surgery last November and have switched to using dumbbells with Power Hooks. Chest is developing much nicer and with zero pain in the shoulders!
 
Ubiquitous

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I also forgot to mention to focus on retracting your scapula, keeping your shoulders back and never rounding them forward at the top of the lift.
 
Mulletsoldier

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Those rehab exercises listed were good, but if you want a more comprehensive program Zero, google the "Throwers Ten"..It's an all around program made for strengthening of that entire RC area, and the surrounding muscles. Works great.
 
somewhatgifted

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Those rehab exercises listed were good, but if you want a more comprehensive program Zero, google the "Throwers Ten"..It's an all around program made for strengthening of that entire RC area, and the surrounding muscles. Works great.
good advice fix the problem dont find ways to cope with it.
 

dirtysouthmuscl

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I always heard Flat barbell was the worst for your shoulder. How do you do your pulldowns or military presses if your going behind the neck chance for healing is not good.
 
Ronin13

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I heard from various sports medicine professionals if you have any issues at all with either shoulder you should avoid behind the neck presses, lat pull downs behind the neck, upright rows and any type of benching using a smith machine.

The throwers ten exercises were prescribed as part of my rehab for my shoulder surgery - definitely helped.
 
jmh80

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I found that a slight incline - around 10 to 20 degrees - took much of the stress off my shoulders and seemed to give a bit of emphasis on the upper chest muscles.

There was an awesome incline bench at my college that had like 15 degree incriments.

Now, the gym I'm at has 45 degree inclines only. :rant:
:mad:
 

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