World Class Benchers Do this Technique With The Elbows!

[@HughLeFitness]

I like these more digestible vids than your longer more drawn out ones. Also thanks to your editor!

[@BrendanTietz]

LOL what’s funny is I have people requesting both so I’ll do both!

[@Veg-Power]

A 260 kg bench presser and also a well known former german record holder in the bench press - and still record holder in the masters category - always shamed me for flaring my elbows with heavy weights and they told me I shouldn't do as heavy weights for that reason and that it was nothing but ego lifting with that flaring. Instead I should get rid of all the flaring by practising with lighter weights only. And somehow I took that to heart - being gaslighted into thinking I've got bad technique - even though I was suspicous of their good will and training wisdom. So I did only medium weights with tucked elbows all the way for approx. half a year now bc everytime I went higher, elbows flared again. And now I've just gotten weaker and elbows still flare at heavier weights so even if I wanted to, I couldn't get rid of this natural pattern. Now I am slowly accepting (or rather healing from that gaslighting) that this is optimal allready which psychological it's a hard thing to accept when people like them still hating and bullying on all my videos for months and one of them even on his own channel after I blocked him on mine lol.

[@BrendanTietz]

Idk if this is a legit comment or a masterful troll. Either way yeah they were super wrong lol. Dont pay attention to what silly people say.

[@danieeeeelSBD]

I love you Brendan

[@thedamme6526]

I haven't watched you for a while now. Good vid as usual. Looking good Brendan and nice tats 👌

[@BrendanTietz]

🤙🏼❤️ thank you!! Glad you liked the video and thanks for the compliment! Too more sessions left on my left arm

[@mariomolnar3184]

Glad to see the great content and also getting an editor to polish things up

[@BrendanTietz]

🤙🏼❤️

[@MagnaniGustavo]

The editing is a great addition, but please keep the whiteboard long videos coming!!! Those are the greatest gems

[@BrendanTietz]

It’s funny because I’m getting requests for both! I can definitely do that though’

[@pbkimblee1858]

Watched Matt Vena's "Proper Bench Press Bar Path" a few days ago and tried to implement it. This video provides additional information 👍

[@alic6958]

Best and clearest info out there. Thank you!

[@BrendanTietz]

Thank you for the support 🤙🏼❤️

[@LoveLikeaHurricane]

short version, bend the bar (tuck) coming down, allow your body to naturally release from that tuck as you push.

[@BrendanTietz]

I wouldn’t bend the bar. Very bad cue that initiates the radius and ulna to rotate which overly tucks the elbows into a bad position. All rotation should happen from the shoulder with very minimal to zero twisting of radius and ulna.

[@NoahHornberger]

I find it feels like putting my palms through the sides of an imaginary window with the forearms stacked under them for the follow through. I sometimes call it the window of power, because if I can find that plane with my body, I can generate so much more force than normal. It's just tough to line up with it intentionally if you are not really focused on it. Sometimes i'm thinking more about my hands and feet, forgetting that the focus needs to be on the elbows for alignment along that bar path plane!

[@Yupppi]

I remember the now somewhat old Greg Nuckols' bench press paper showing that interesting J curve where the best powerlifters first brought the bar over the shoulders in the early part of the lift and then pressed much more vertically. This elbow flare is interesting when most people learned to not flare elbows doing pushups. But for bench it's not the same. Bench definitely has a long learning curve, it feels so odd trying to learn efficient bench technique.

[@BrendanTietz]

Yeah it’s the fixed bar and open chain, it’s very awkward and then mixing leg timing is hard! The j curve imo implies a really steep diagonal path followed by a vertical path which imo isn’t ideal. I like a straight diagonal path that’s far less extreme

[@user-dn4lg1dv5v]

Great video. I've been trying to master this technique for a while now.

[@BrendanTietz]

The key is flowing with it to where you allow it rather than force it. It’ll happen naturally if you don’t overly externally rotate

[@danielryjov]

awesome info

[@BrendanTietz]

🤙🏼❤️

[@Bottomsuptraining]

That clip of Dawson shows his hips leaving the bench? Is that just how he trains when he’s going for max?

[@ExqMed]

Great vid! When’s the next part in the squat mastery series coming out?

[@PaigeYesLee]

I really like this type of informative video 😊💪

[@BrendanTietz]

Thank you! I’m glad you like it!

[@NboOfficialAus]

Can you make a video on your knowledge of different logic breath work but in depth

[@s57r11method]

Brendan quick question- Have you ever read the book Good Energy? Feels like it’s right up your alley highly recommended anyway thanks for the great content

[@BrendanTietz]

I haven’t! I looked up the general premise and the author and agree with it. I actually started researching mitochondria and processed foods/glyphosate and other factors some years ago after hearing Zach bush speak. It’s pretty clear we’re being poisoned lol and I think intentionally. I’ll check this book out!! Thanks for the rec

[@s57r11method]

@@BrendanTietz yeah she gets into sunlight and cold exposure and how a life lived primarily indoors is extremely unhealthy, all things you have been preaching. Also very into trusting your instincts as a human being and unlearning some of the structures of society that we are told are “normal.” Refined sugars, refined grained, and vegetable and seed oils are basically poison to the human body and once you really learn about it and the lies we are told you don’t even wanna look at a box of cereal again haha

[@cp_pdn]

Thanks for this tip ....

[@BrendanTietz]

You’re welcome! 🤙🏼

[@rjmcgowan]

Have you considered PRP or Stem Cell therapy for your shoulder?

[@BrendanTietz]

I haven’t but I might soon tbh lol. This is coming close to beating my old longest injury, quad tendinopathy of 3 years. If it doesn’t go away by October it’ll be the new front runner 🙃

[@ubz_1063]

Bit off topic but, just wanted some advice if you don't mind! I am a low bar squatter that squats in flats. Am thinking of switching my accessory lift to a high bar squat. Would you recommend using heels when I do hb squats or will flats suffice? (I do already own some heeled squat shoes)

[@biggadawg]

Great video? Would you suggest this technique even if you're benching for hypertrophy or should you remain tucked...or does it not matter that much?

[@BrendanTietz]

Yes definitely better for hypertrophy too

[@BernieDiveley-il1qg]

Sick shirt 🤘🤘

[@dennisrobinson8008]

Does Mark Bells sling enhance or hurt this elbows tucked being optimal?

[@BrendanTietz]

Not a fan of the sling, forces awkward movement

[@divicospower9112]

So many guys in France do the wrong way. Many mimic them and they end with shoulder tendinitis and they wonder why.

[@mangogoose23]

almost like a squat when you flare out to get through a hole

[@XanderYTV]

I think about pulling my elbows to my ears.

[@ChrisFood]

I've noticed that my elbows rapidly and instantly flare out as I try to press the weight off my chest, is this what you're describing or would it be better to try and more progressively flare as I perform the rep?

[@XanderYTV]

Watch Matt Vena's bench press bar path video. He basically says the more you flare the better your bench will be. This video by Brendan is the first I've heard to control your flaring relative to the your concentric press. Not saying it's wrong but it is the first time I've heard it.

[@ChrisFood]

@@XanderYTV That's actually funny, because I'm a long time fan of Matt Vena and I know exactly what video you're talking about, and right before I saw this response I just watched three of Matt Vena's powerlifting meets and it seems like even he flares more gradually than a sudden flare at the bottom like I've noticed in my own bench.

[@BrendanTietz]

When it’s uncontrolled it’s a sign of weak triceps. There’s two ways to bench, arch a ton and leverage or build muscle. If you can’t arch huge (or even if you can) build the triceps and it’ll prevent this from being uncontrolled. When it’s uncontrolled it ends up being really misgrooved at heavy loads.

[@BrendanTietz]

Yeah flaring progressively is the best way to do it if you don’t have a large arch.

[@ChrisFood]

@@BrendanTietz My triceps have been a weak point I reckon, thank you for your response I'll try to program a cue to fix this

[@valentinocozzi]

YESSS

[@BrendanTietz]

🤙🏼

[@robertomaligni]

I heard that flared elbow position is dangerous for the pec tendon

[@BrendanTietz]

No unfortunately that’s a myth.

[@robertomaligni]

@@BrendanTietz well id say luckily then

[@chonkeboi]

I’m guessing it’s flaring elbows on the concentric before watching the vid? I first learned of that technique from tank strength who is massively underrated. He benched like 530 lbs once and 515 or so in competition as a junior or something.

[@BrendanTietz]

Yessir you got it!

[@chonkeboi]

@@BrendanTietz niiice!

[@littlethuggie]

He said benching is the most complex strength movement you can do with a straight face.

[@BrendanTietz]

I’ve coached powerlifting at the world level and actually coincidentally counted how many clients I’ve had over the years last night. 432 personal strength training clients over a 11 year period… do you honestly think I don’t have an idea of what warrants the most difficult strength training movement both conceptually and experientially? And further more can you provide a biomechanical or data driven explanation as to why you think otherwise?

[@littlethuggie]

@@BrendanTietz I don't care if you've trained every single person on earth. The bench press isn't that complex, especially of 'all strength movements', unless you're only counting the 3 used in powerlifting.

[@snorlaxcom]

​​​@@littlethuggie Bruh it's not complex to throw the weight up and you can definitely just muscle fuck your way to a pr, but this guy is a Coach that addresses variables to succeed where athletes have stagnated. That's going to take some level of analysis and breaking down the movement and programming. Bench has the most variability in form, technique, and style that are all correct for individual lifters. Bench is indeed complicated if you are trying to optimize the comp lift.

[@littlethuggie]

@@snorlaxcom compared to 'all the strength movements' you can do, not at all. It's minimally complex in the big picture of strength. Powerlifters think powerlifting is the most complex, hardest, manliest shit ever lol

[@snorlaxcom]

@@littlethuggie It's a powerlifting channel. Did you think he was coaching gymnastics or weightlifting?

[@jerseyjim9092]

Funny how many different opinions there are among even world class benchers. Just heard one discount that force is transferred by leg drive. ("Defies physics") and also a straight bar path is best, not diagonal.

[@BrendanTietz]

Whoever said that doesn’t understand physics. I actually literally went to a physics PhD to understand leg drive. That person is inaccurate. Leg drive works through compression of the shoulders into the pad. Because the pad doesn’t move anywhere while your legs drive your shoulders into it, force is transferred back through the arms to the bar. That’s like saying staggering your feet doesn’t transfer force when you go to press something… football players are a good example here. A straight bar path literally doesn’t make sense. You don’t need a PhD for that one. Next time you go to bench. Don’t tuck at all. Move the bar STRAIGHT down and see how that feels on the shoulders. Not that we need this but there’s literally scientific data tracking J and diagonal paths in the bench press of high level lifters. I wouldn’t listen to that person at all.

[@jerseyjim9092]

@@BrendanTietz It was actually JM Blakely who said it. He has a PhD too. He trained at Westside Barbell where straight bar path was taught so that may be where he learned it. His view on leg drive is much more controversial. Both ideas may be out of the mainstream but that doesn't mean they can't or haven't worked for some.

[@sayitoutloudchp]

@@jerseyjim9092*might be because the bench suits require a different bat path*

[@Tuti23-yt1vw]

Lol its funny that in medicine we study that glenohumeral joint evolutionary so unstable, and you are saying its stable lol

[@BrendanTietz]

No I actually said it’s the most unstable joint. It has the largest range of motion of any joint which is why the bench press is such an unstable movement.

[@JohnChilds-jr6pn]

Everyone who does bench press seem to have shoulder injuries. What does that tell you 🤔

[@BrendanTietz]

Everyone who pursues any exercise in excess will get injured. That’s like saying throwing a baseball is risky. It is when you’re in the MLB, it isn’t when you’re playing for fun. Expand your mind bro, and start living for something other than safety.

[@ubz_1063]

Bit off topic but, just wanted some advice if you don't mind! I am a low bar squatter that squats in flats. Am thinking of switching my accessory lift to a high bar squat. Would you recommend using heels when I do hb squats or will flats suffice? (I do already own some heeled squat shoes)

[@BrendanTietz]

Yes I would because it will compliment the low bar nicely! Use the heels

[@ubz_1063]

@@BrendanTietz thanks bro, and keep the videos going, learning so much from them!