Talk:Bench press

message: It would be very interesting to me, and probably to others, to know how much the various lifters weighed at the time they made their records. However, I have no idea where to look for this information. Perhaps someone could add that information to this article? Also, how much weight would the "average" person be able to bench press, for comparison? Whateley23 02:14, 17 July 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Im not sure this is worthy of the article, but when bench pressing it is very important to keep the scapulae retracted and shoulders pinned back on the bench - too many novices/intermediates push through a bench press with their shoulders, placing unnecessary stress on the shoulders, which leads to all kinds of shoulder problems (Rotator Cuff, AC joint etc). If you watch a video of powerlifters bench pressing their shoulders are pinned back tight! StrengthCoach 21:52, 18 December 2005 (UTC)
replies: text:  i made a few edits, feel free to discuss, ignore my above comment, i missed that in the article first time around  (somehow?!?) StrengthCoach 22:01, 18 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Stuff that wound up above the table of contents 

message: Can somebody tell me why this is here? It has nothing to do with bench press other other than showing figures required for police for entering criteria? 130.15.194.74 21:20, 12 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  One-repetition fitness levels 

message: The article states the world record belongs to Gene Rychlak, but the Gene_Rychlak article itself states that his record was beaten by Scot Mendelson.
:I guess we haven't gotten around to changing it yet. Nothing is stopping you, however. Yankees76 14:26, 17 March 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  World record 

message: i am unsure asto whether the figure for bodyweight is given in pounds (i cant imagine somebody weighing 246kg)
if in pounds then: a person weighing 105-120lbs/47-54kg should have a bench press of 260lbs/117.93kg, and a person weighing 171-185lbs/77-84kg should have a bench press of 360lbs/163kg.
i think that is definitely not true, or achievable, except for those that are genetically gifted/assisted/or steroid users.
I hate to disagree with the comment above this but I must.  As  a person that never 'competed' in bodybuilding or in powerlifting; I broke the 400 lb. bench press when I weighed 215 lbs.  At this point of my life (I was 22) I never even considered steroids.  I ate right, worked out hard, slept enough and took supplements you can buy OTC.
Congrats to you (I'm not being sarcastic you should be proud of yourself) but I have worked out since I was 13 am a former personal trainer and also think they are ridiculous.Quadzilla99 00:09, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  strange advanced 'bodybuilder' bench press figures 

message: "Can also be performed with dumbbells which incorporates less use of stabilizer muscles."  It would be nice to have a quote saying that dumbells work less the stabilizer muscles than barbell.  I agree with it but a dumb gym owner told me the opposite.
:They don't though. Dumbells use more stabilizers.Yankees76 13:10, 25 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Barbell vs dumbell 

message: What's the source that states the average man who doesn't engage in strength training can bench between 115 and 150 pounds? Without a source, it sounds more like someone's opinion rather than actual fact. Odin's Beard 01:43, 25 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Average Bench Press 

message: The article mentions "closed grip" but many people might not realize that this means wrap your thumbs around the bar.
In fact, the photo in the article depicts the opposite.  Not wrapping the thumbs is a safety hazard.  It is a rampant practice in gyms
and I fear this battle is lost.  Some say it recruits the pecs better this way, but that is nonsense..to recruit the pecs, use a wide grip,
lower the bar high on the chest, and use vertical elbows.  I think people like to show they can tempt fate.  A H.S. kid died in my
area last year doing this.
:So? Work on improving and updating the article with information you posted. Just find some sources for the info - if you're righr it shouldn't be too hard. BTW i doubt a thumbless grip would be the cause of a kids death - I'd be more inclined to believe it was more weight than he could handle along with a lack of proper spotting. Yankees76 03:11, 17 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Safety

message: Is that, like, "a little bit pregnant"?
Daniel Barlow 13:22, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Thank you for your suggestion! When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes.  Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the  link at the top. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to).  The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills.  New contributors are always welcome.Yankees76 15:34, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  "This record was slightly broken" 

message: There's only one citation in the entire article. At bare minimum, we should aim to substantiate the claims about world records - not necessarily sworn affidavits, but specific information as far as which meet, what date, which federation, etc. would be great.
Beyond that, any reasonable sources to substantiate other elements of the article would be much appreciated - not just to prove it's true, but so people can conduct further research on the subject. I'll contribute what I can. TheRuss 05:04, 9 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Citations needed 

message: I'm not sure why the records are kept separate from the main article about bench press. Not that I'm saying it's necessarily right or wrong - I just don't know. Any relevant Wikipedia guidelines would be greatly appreciated. TheRuss 05:04, 9 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Separate page for bench press records 

message: When I was a kid in the early 60s I worked out for a while at Fred Hofmeister's gym in Indianapolis. Fred claimed to have invented the bench press. Can anyone confirm or disprove that? --Dan (talk) 21:38, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Sounds like Hofmeister was full of hot air. The bench press has been around since the turn of the century, if not earlier. --Yankees76 (talk) 02:03, 27 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  History 

message: The article says "The world record for assisted bench press..." for example, but nowhere does it say what an "assisted bench press" is.  I don't know - I was reading for interest - but it needs to be added for the record statements to make sense!  Thanks Caseykcole (talk) 22:26, 29 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Assisted is when what's laughingly called a "lifting shirt" is used. It's this big, wide strap-like thing that gets pulled onto the lifter, the main purpose of which - despite what anyone claims - is to do part of the work. Drug tested? How comprehensive are the drug tests? Why isn't it documented? I can't believe with all the pissiness that gets applied to other articles that this one is allowed to exist like this. The whole "world bench press record" issue is a joke. Bunch of roided-up clowns with big rubber bands helping them. I bet if they use a forklift they can really put up some big weights.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Docsavage20 (talk • contribs) 02:29, 3 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Assisted

message: Mendelson 715 lbs bench press : www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bu9csQC45c  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.128.58.10 (talk) 19:07, 31 August 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Youtube is self-published, not a reliable source and would probably constitute original research.  WLU (t) (c) (rules - simple rules) 03:01, 23 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sources 

message: OK, It looks like we are going to follow the swimming articles and have the progression of records in a separate article. However, can we find a better introduction to the world record article than an empty section with a "Main article" link? Maybe something about the numerous powerlifting associations and their record keeping bodies. Something along those lines. Padillah (talk) 14:37, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Sure - go ahead. --Yankees76 (talk) 15:17, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Fair enough, and if I didn't blow hairy chunks as a copy writer, I'd do it. As it is, I think I'd do better suggesting something here and letting it get cleaned up first. So how about we start with:Bench press world records are the international records in bench press across the years, regardless of weight class or governing organization, since the birth of modern powerlifting. These records are for bench pressing on the back without using a bridge technique. With the advent of bench press shirts, which support the lifter's shoulders and provide upward force, records have increased significantly.And yes, I stole it from the referenced article. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Padillah (talk) 15:32, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I think some editors will ask for a more robust introduction. Maybe a quick bit on the history of the bench press in competition, from the early days of the belly toss in the 30's leading up to modern bench pressing with supershirts - one paragraph tops. I will try to add something tomorrow or when I get some free time. --Yankees76 (talk) 00:07, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Can we come up with a better introduction to the records? 

message: The picture shows a soldier using a suicide grip.  It would be a shame if someone sees this picture and drops a bar on their throat as a result.  Perhaps we should show a picture of the thumb wrapped around the bar which is safer.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.192.43.203 (talk) 01:42, 5 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pic shows suicide grip 

message: Under "Variations"
# An incline elevates the shoulders and lowers the pelvis as if reclining in a chair; this variation emphasizes posterior deltoids.
# A decline bench press elevates the pelvis and lowers the head, and emphasizes the pectoralis major while removing shoulder strain making it the safest and most effective form of bench press.
Highlighted in bold are both so very, very wrong.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.131.55.105 (talk) 21:00, 10 March 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Incorrect Info. 

message: The article on Dumbbell_Bench-press is mostly a how-to manual, and the objective information about performing the exercise is already covered in the bench press article. If the advantages and disadvantages can be credibly sourced, they should be added to the dumbbell bench section under variations of the bench press. 75.180.29.69 (talk) 13:04, 31 October 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Merge of [[Dumbbell_Bench-press|Dumbbell bench-press]] 

message: The lats are a huge stabilising muscle in the bench press, shouldn't this be added?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Potsmoker88 (talk • contribs) 09:29, 24 June 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lats used as stabiliser 

message: It might be worthwhile to mention the floor press in the "Variations" section too. Alialiac (talk) 11:53, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Floor press? 

message: — Assignment last updated by Mitchelljasin (talk) 18:33, 2 December 2022 (UTC)
thread_title: Wiki Education assignment: SSC199 TY2