IPF revises standards for benchpress

[ChickenBrother]

Haven't seen any threads on this, but apparently the IPF just made it harder to get away with ridiculous back arches on the bench. I don't follow this stuff closely but it popped up in my google feed. And we've all seen the crazy videos of what counts as a "good lift" under the old standards:

• During the setup on the bench, the athlete is not allowed to place his or her feet on the bench.
• The lifter must lower the bar to the chest or abdominal area whereby the underside of the elbow joint is level with (or below) the top of the shoulder joint.

Failure to lower the elbows equal to or below the height of the shoulders will be considered grounds for disqualification in the bench press.

https://barbend.com/ipf-bench-press-rule-change-2023/

Thought this was interesting.

 

[Poon Goon]

I understand using the rules to your advantage, but I would feel like a massive shithead using the extreme arch and having a 2 inch ROM

 

[ASUThermo]

I love eliminating the feet up on the bench set up rule, seems like at least half of the lifters don't even set up right anyways. I like the elbow rule a lot, but the negative is it gives the refs even more areas to watch. It would be cool if they eliminated the head down rule, only some equipped lifters get any type of advantage out of that really.

 

[vision1]

I don't know much about powerlifting but bottom of elbow to top of shoulder still seems like very short ROM. I'm surprised many people can touch their chest without having the bottom of their elbow drop below the top of the shoulder.
A floor press would be essentially bottom of elbow to bottom of shoulder. Depending on the lifter's shoulder thickness that's probably another 4+ inch reduction.

 

[NoSmilez]

Most of the lifts in the video, the elbow ends up equal to shoulder height. I wonder if they will touch sumo deadlifts?

 

[ASUThermo]

Most of the lifts in the video, the elbow ends up equal to shoulder height. I wonder if they will touch sumo deadlifts?

I thought this too. Sumo impacts a much higher percentage of lifters, so I don't think it's going to happen.

 

[boingyman]

I like that they are addressing this, but it's one more thing the head judge needs to look for. Of course the most obvious benchers will be easy to see, but those that are borderline will become much harder. I wonder if Daiki Kodama's bench would pass with the new rules?

 

[aus101]

I don't know much about powerlifting but bottom of elbow to top of shoulder still seems like very short ROM. I'm surprised many people can touch their chest without having the bottom of their elbow drop below the top of the shoulder.
A floor press would be essentially bottom of elbow to bottom of shoulder. Depending on the lifter's shoulder thickness that's probably another 4+ inch reduction.

Yeah exactly and who touches the chest on floor presses. Yes some people can just hit massive arches but yeah the standard shoulder blades retracted, diaphragm as high as possible arched gym bench will still easily be within the parameters. I consider myself a larger archer than nearly anyone at my gym yet I'd be miles off the chest with elbows at parallel to my shoulder joint even with my arch and rom reducing body position.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Yeah exactly and who touches the chest on floor presses. Yes some people can just hit massive arches but yeah the standard shoulder blades retracted, diaphragm as high as possible arched gym bench will still easily be within the parameters. I consider myself a larger archer than nearly anyone at my gym yet I'd be miles off the chest with elbows at parallel to my shoulder joint even with my arch and rom reducing body position.

Depends on several factors. Including physiology, grip and the type of bar. It's not common, but some people will touch their chest with the bar during Floor Press. I use a Football Bar for Floor Press, and my ROM is exactly the same as Bench with the same bar. It touches my chest.

 

[vision1]

Depends on several factors. Including physiology, grip and the type of bar. It's not common, but some people will touch their chest with the bar during Floor Press. I use a Football Bar for Floor Press, and my ROM is exactly the same as Bench with the same bar. It touches my chest.

I think you're doing it wrong.
Even with a football bar where the cross-members are thicker than the handles, some one your size shouldn't be touching their chest on a floor press.

 

[KnightTemplar]

I think you're doing it wrong.
Even with a football bar where the cross-members are thicker than the handles, some one your size shouldn't be touching their chest on a floor press.

It surprised me as well. But the only way I don't touch my chest in a FP is if I make an effort to stop the bar. The full range of motion ends with the bar just touching my chest.

I'm using a narrow grip, which may be a factor.

 

[NoSmilez]

It surprised me as well. But the only way I don't touch my chest in a FP is if I make an effort to stop the bar. The full range of motion ends with the bar just touching my chest.

I'm using a narrow grip, which may be a factor.

You are touching your chest with a narrow grip on a floor press?

 

[deadshot138]

I think you're doing it wrong.
Even with a football bar where the cross-members are thicker than the handles, some one your size shouldn't be touching their chest on a floor press.

Lmao I'm just imagining the amount of elbow flare necessary for this dude to touch the bar to his chest on the floor press. For reference, I'm barrel chested and my elbows hit the ground about the same time the bar touches my sternum on the floor press.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Lmao I'm just imagining the amount of elbow flare necessary for this dude to touch the bar to his chest on the floor press. For reference, I'm barrel chested and my elbows hit the ground about the same time the bar touches my sternum on the floor press.

Semantics. Sternum or Pectorals, the fact is, the bar touches your torso, it doesn't stop above it.

And I don't flare my elbows. I keep them very close to the sides of my body. I find this easier on my shoulders, which is the whole point of the exercise as far as I'm concerned.

 

[KnightTemplar]

You are touching your chest with a narrow grip on a floor press?

Yes. The narrow grip means my forearms are at a slight inward angle, rather than straight up.

 

[deadshot138]

Yes. The narrow grip means my forearms are at a slight inward angle, rather than straight up.

I'm guessing you're gripping like this, which means your elbows are flared relative to your wrist position rather than being stacked like in a traditional bench press

 

[KnightTemplar]

I'm guessing you're gripping like this, which means your elbows are flared relative to your wrist position rather than being stacked like in a traditional bench press

That's fairly accurate. However, the grip of the FB leaves me no choice but to adopt that elbow position. The next set of grips on the bar are much further out, which hurts my shoulders.

 

[vision1]

That's fairly accurate. However, the grip of the FB leaves me no choice but to adopt that elbow position. The next set of grips on the bar are much further out, which hurts my shoulders.

Have you tried a false/suicide grip on an axle? I find that better on my shoulders than any neutral grip position.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Have you tried a false/suicide grip on an axle? I find that better on my shoulders than any neutral grip position.

We don't have an Axle Bar at my gym, unfortunately. I'll mention it to the owner, though. They have a lot of other Strongman kit.

 

[deadshot138]

We don't have an Axle Bar at my gym, unfortunately. I'll mention it to the owner, though. They have a lot of other Strongman kit.

You could even do block bench presses. EliteFTS even sells an item called the Shoulder Saver. It's essentially a foam pad that slips onto the bar and cuts the ROM of the bench press so you don't experience too much shoulder rotation/irritation