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Powerlifting vs bodybuilding bench press [Article]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Nov 13, 2019 9:30:00 AM

Powerlifting vs bodybuilding bench press

Powerlifting vs bodybuilding bench press

 
The powerlifting and bodybuilding bench press pursue two very different goal sets. While the powerlifting bench press maximizes for power output the bodybuilding bench press maximizes for muscle growth. See the details in this article. 

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What is your why 

 
Before we go into more details of the powerlifting and bodybuilding bench press let me ask you a couple of questions:
 
  • Why do you want to bench press?
  • Why do you want to change your body?
  • What happens when you do?
  • What happens, if you don't?
These questions will make all the difference between your personal success and failure. Research shows that people who write down and reflect on their goals are more likely to achieve them. When was the last time you did this? Can you even remember? If not, maybe it is time to get out a pen and paper and get started. Most people go about their lives like this:
 
  • What do I want
  • How do I get it 
  • Why do I want it
A pretty good way to fuck things up. Why? What you want changes hundreds of times a day based on who you are with, where you are and what you do. Making this the center of attention is like chasing all rabbits at once. You will waste a lot of energy and catch none. Your resources will be spread thin and time scattered between too many activities. Something interesting happens when you flip the order of these questions on their head:
 
  • Why do you want something
  • How do you get it
  • What needs to be done
This way your longterm, meaningful goals will get more attention. As a result, your thoughts and actions will become more connected. Success will follow and you will live a happier, more peaceful life. If you want to know how this works on a psychological basis, read Daniel Kahneman's book thinking fast and slow. Simon Sinek's TED talk on the golden circle will change your life.
 
It all starts with establishing better rituals and habits. One of the best ways to do this for me was to keep a journal. The self journal from best self is now with me for more than two years. Since I started using it my marriage and wages have dramatically improved. You can check it out via this link.
 

Powerlifting

 
Powerlifting is the sport of the total. Your total consists of three lifts, the bench press, deadlift, and squat. For each lift, you have three attempts to establish the maximum weight you can lift. The best attempt for each lift will be counted towards your total. Based on your total you will be ranked against the other competitors. 
 
A big difference to lifting in the gym is that you will get judged. Three referees will observe each of your attempts and decide whether they have been performed according to the rules of the federation you are competing in. Two out of three have to agree for your attempt to qualify. You need at least one qualifying attempt for each lift to qualify for the leaderboard.
 
Your total usually splits 40/40/20. The deadlift and squat usually contribute about 40% each to your total while the bench press adds 20% to your score. It helps to have very strong legs to do well in powerlifting
 

Bodybuilding

 
 
Bodybuilding stopped to have a requirement to lift heavy on the stage. All that counts know is how your body holds up against the scrutiny of the eyes of the jury in the competition you are competing in. Your physique will be judged based on:
 
  • Symmetry
  • Size of your muscles
  • Definition of your muscles
  • Stage presence 
  • Choreography
  • Overall impression
From this perspective, bodybuilding is a lot more subjective than powerlifting. To do well you need a well-rounded physique and the bench press becomes a means to an end rather than the ultimate goal.
 

Bench press

 
The bench press is one of the most iconic exercises you can do in the gym. Most movie montages have some kind of bench press movement included when the hero is getting ready for the final battle. It is one of the exercises that most many gym rats compare their strength with and even the NFL has it as a test when you want to enter their ranks. There many variations of the bench press you can do:
 
  • Wide grip bench press
  • Narrow grip bench press
  • Reverse grip bench press
  • Skullcrushers
  • Paused bench press
  • Spoto press
  • Floor press
  • Bench press with chains
  • Bench press with bands
A wide grip bench press usually grips the barbell at the outer ring. This variation of the bench press leans more into the chest muscles and less into the triceps. Therefore this variation is a great option when you want to grow your chest and pump yourself up. Depending on your leverages and build it might not be the best option to lift the most weight.
 
The narrow grip bench press reverses the idea of the wide grip bench press. The narrower your grip the more triceps heavy the bench press becomes. This is usually a good variation as accessory work to a good powerlifting routine or to be sued for bodybuilders who are getting fed up with tricep extensions.
 
The rever grip bench press is one of the lesser used variations of the bench press. In this version, you perform a bench press with the palms facing towards rather than away from you. Chris Duffin from Kabuki Strength did a longer test on this variation. Check out his YouTube to figure out whether you want to give it a try yourself. I would recommend that you not go anywhere near this version until you can bench press 100kg for repetitions for males and 80kg for women. 
 
Skullcrushers are a variation of the bench press which heavily leans towards your triceps. Instead of lowering the weight to your chest you allow the arms to tilt in a way that the weight comes towards your head. You will usually get a great pump in your triceps and it is a great accessory exercise to bring up your bench for powerlifting.
 
The floor press means that you perform a bench press while laying on the floor. This is a popular variation of the bench press for fans of the westside method. It limits your range of motion and also activates a different motor pattern than the normal bench press to bring more variety to your training.
 
The paused bench press means that you let the weight rest on your chest for a short amount of time before you press it up again. Usually for the count of two seconds. This is the closest you can get in training to a powerlifting competition standard. For bodybuilding, you can increase the time under tension with this variation to stimulate more muscle growth compared to a touch and go bench press.
 
The Spoto press is a variation of the bench press which gets its name from world record holder Eric Spoto from the US. He claims that it is the one exercise which helped him most to boost his bench press to world record levels. To perform a Spoto press you will lower the weight about halfway to the chest, stop there and let the weight hover for a split second and then press up. You might as well call it half a bench press.
 
Bench pressing with chains is very popular for lifters who lift with a bench press shirt. Chains are a critical component of the westside method of powerlifting championed by coach Louie Simmons. The idea is to overload the bench press at the top of the movement while keeping at lighter at the lower end of the range of motion. The chain links will add weight to the barbell when moving up and subtract weight when moving down. This simuöates the effect a bench press short has in competition.
 
Bench pressing with bands has a similar effect than bench pressing with chains. The big difference with bands is that the load curve is more streamlined and continuous than with chains. The resistance with chains comes in sudden increments when the chain links leave the floor whereas the resistance with the bands increases steadily throughout the movement.
 

Powerlifting Bench press

 
The powerlifting bench press is all about moving the maximum weight. Therefore you want to achieve the following things:
 
  • The minimum range of motion
  • Maximum activation of the triceps
  • Maximum activation of leg drive
  • Maximum tightness in the back 
  • Minimum time under tension
The main technique to achieve this is to form an arch. By arching only your shoulders and your butt will touch the bench. This is a controversial maneuver as it is said to be bad for your back. What it will achieve is maximum leg drive and a minimized range of motion. Based on how you grip the bar you can find the perfect balance between the tricep and chest. This is a very different setup to what you want to do when you bench press for bodybuilding.
 

Bodybuilding bench press

 
Bodybuilders usually use the bench press to train their chest and make it bigger. Therefore, the goals you pursue the bodybuilding bench press are a lot different from the powerlifting bench press. You want to:
 
  • Maximize the range of motion
  • Minimize the activation of the triceps
  • Minimize leg drive 
  • Minimize tightness in the back
  • Maximize the time under tension
Therefore you will not build an arch on the bench press for bodybuilding. You might even want to put your feet up onto the bench to get the maximum out to make your chest grow. 

Topics: Powerlifting