ExRx.net

Hasn't really changed my opinion. Feet up may have it's uses. I know that in one of Poliquin's BP routines, he actually recommended it in conjunction with guillotines-that being flaring arms and lowering the bar to upper chest/neck area-in a prep/accumulation phase. That said, It's not something I would do anytime soon. I can't even remember when I even flat benched last.
Tim

One of the guys in my current gym sometimes benches with his feet up. He's got severe back pain, and a lot of knowledge. I figure he must know what he's doing.

I also thought that a floor press looks a lot like a limited ROM bench press with your feet up, so it's not like that position is inherently bad. The only concern I'd really have is stability.

It's only of value if you have a tendancy to excessively arch your back. Most people who do that are unlikely to want to put their feet up anyway. Those that don't have a tendancy to excessively arch their back, don't have any need to do it. Therefore, unless someone is being rehabilited, you shouldn't see it.

Edit: I agree with Pete that a floor press serves the same purpose and is a better exercise.

Oh yeah, I should add I saw that guy repping out feet-up bench presses, but not going extremely heavy. The one time I've seen him go heavy, he kept his feet on the floor.

Still, it seems like you'd be better off floor pressing, or rigging up a low bench so you can get the full ROM you want but not risk falling. Benches are just so narrow.

Ok I know I'll sound dumb, but what are floor presses?

Thanks! So basically it a bench press on the floor instead of using a bench. Interesting!

My opinion hasn't changed at all. I don't know why people don't understand that a FLAT back is not a NEUTRAL back. There's a difference. The lower back has a natural 'lordotic curve' (it arcs slightly). If your flatten it, you essentially flex it/round it. And anyone with back pain that becomes symptomatic with rounding will know how much that will deffinitly not help someone with feet up benching.

Don't get me wrong, the ever so slight flexion you're in from flattening the back is far from the end of the world. But you also have the upper back and shoulders to think about. Flatten the lower back and you'll flatten the upper back and lose some stability from the shoulder blades. Save one joint at the potential expense of the other.

Also, peter mentioned the guy that does feet up benching and it helps his back. If you have back pain that hurts in extension then that makes sense, so i'm not doubting that. And, I know this sounds disrespectful but I feel it's always a question worth asking in this situation - if he has 'severe' back pain, then is his knowledge REALLY that good? I know there's a chance that he's dealing with some acute injury and therefore would be an exception, and his knowledge might not be in a corrective sense, either... AND (attempting to show here that i'm not trying to be an a$$hole), the hardest person to 'assess' is yourself.

Anyway, the floor press recommendation is a great one.

What also annoys me (and it would appear i've come to the right place) is when people justify this by saying "to stop excessive arcing".... Can't you just stop arcing excessively? To me, that just means, 'can't you just do the exercise correctly?'. If you arc excessively, then lower the load, and consciously minimise your leg drive.... Kind of like Polquin criticising Box Squats because people get fatigued and bounce off the box. for the record, i'm a huge fan of Poliquin. But if someone is bouncing off the box, then they're not doing box squats, are they? They're doing their very own variation - Bouncing box squats, we can call them. Point is - do the exercise correctly...

(i really need to cut down on coffee)

KPj

Does the term "lateral pull down" bug anyone else besides me?

Yep. I've stopped correcting my wife because, well, because it's good not to correct your wife too much.

The term lat pull down isnt lateral its meant for your lats when you pull down its the same thing as pulling up thats why it hits your lats thats all.

btw stu im sure you knew it was a lat workout.. lol well if they say lateral tell them they are working their lats thats why its called that i would... lol

John, that's absolutely right. However, in Google, the term "lateral pull down" appears 10,500 times, "lat pull down" 93,900 times and "latissimus pull down" 2,410 times. The abbreviation is used most of the time, and when people write it out completely they do it wrong 80% of the time. What set me off was seeing one fitness site quoting another one and repeating the mistake.

2 months at the gym and i've come across a few.

1.) the dudes who stretch really hard before lifting weights. stretch after dumbass!

2.) the girls who are all dolled up and barely working out, but take every chance they get to talk to dudes. i don't really care that you are wasting your own time, but some people are actually their to lift.

3.) if the gym is packed, and dudes need to squat, don't waste time doing BB curls in the squat rack. if the gym is empty like on fridays at 5:30, yeah i'll probably do my dead lifts with the BB and then do rows in the rack since it's all right there. if the gym is busy, and dudes need to squat, i step aside, so should you. especially the dude i'm talking about in number one. that hangs from the chin up grips when there is 3 other areas to do chin ups. i have more on this, but you get the point.

4.) people who don't wear deodorant.

5.) the college kids who are on break and feel the need to work out in 5 different stations and get pissed at you when you decide to step into a station and actually work. look hard all you want, your 125lb soaking wet frat boy ass isn't going to do anything, so keep the dirty looks to yourself.

i really think i need to find an old dude gym.

oh also, the dudes who don't rack their weights. i really hate having to search for two of the four 2.5lbs plates. just put them back on the main rack. it's that simple!

i had a battle with my ocd on friday. i do my back stuff and go back to do a a few sets of curl when i look around and their are weights scattered everywhere. on the floor, on bb's, on curls bars. ugh.