Bench press advantage, long vs short arms?

motoman991

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Have you guys not ever had a basic physics class? Torque = force x distance. Short arm people have the advantage. The arms are shorter requiring less force to rotate up and they don't have to push the weight as far.
 

SCcobra4me

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Have you guys not ever had a basic physics class? Torque = force x distance. Short arm people have the advantage. The arms are shorter requiring less force to rotate up and they don't have to push the weight as far.

Force would remain the same if you're talking F=MA?? So shorter arms require less force doesn't make any sense, assuming the same mass! It would create the same amount of force but require less torque in your equation due to distance traveled.
 
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Force would remain the same if you're talking F=MA?? So shorter arms require less force doesn't make any sense, assuming the same mass! It would create the same amount of force but require less torque in your equation due to distance traveled.

Don't mind him. He's looking at things from the simpleton angle. He doesn't even factor the design and structure of a person's chest or shoulder's into the equation. Which is why BreBar21 is on the mark. Its not black and white as so many present it.
 

SCcobra4me

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It is an advantage to have shorter limbs due to the mechanical disadvantage if long limbs. Try holding a 20lb weight in you hand straight with a straight arm. Then try it again holding the weight in the krook of your elbow. It is not quit this simple as fast twitch muscle % plays a major role, but strictly answering ops question, short lever gives greater advantage. Travel of weight plays no role. Degree is Sports Medicine here as a reference. Sorry for long answer...:banghead:

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Pretty much the same analogy I threw at him, then I also mentioned a shovel in comparison. Is it easier to hold a short shovel with 20 lbs in it or a long one with the same weight. But travel not playing a role?? Does it take the same amount of work to move 300 lbs 2 feet as it does 4 feet? No, distance is a variable.

After many posts on facebook going back and forth I threw this at him.....How is it you can bench 550 lbs on flat bench, yet well over 600 lbs with a three board press? Distance traveled.
 

Blown_By_You

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Jesus christ obviously no one in here lifts..

Guys with short arms always bench more than you would expect.. period.

Guys who have longer arms, have LESS mechanical advantage, and require more strength to lift the same weight...
 

neatofrito1618

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Uhhhh...it's definitely not that simple. You can't boil down strength to arm length. It's impossible to make a definitive statement one way or the other.
It is that simple. Shorter arms will allow one to bench press more. This is basic kinesiology.
 
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quad

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It is that simple. Shorter arms will allow one to benchpress more. This is basic kinesiology.

Yes. I can pump out 10 reps of 315lbs on a decline bench and only 1 or two on the flat bench. with the decline the bar travels a shorter distance and less stress is placed on the shoulders.
 

VNOMIS

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If anybody thinks tall people have an advantage when bench pressing they need to be slapped in the face. Long arms kill you with bench press.
 

WireEater

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Basically a thread like this comes down to larger guys getting jealous when they see a smaller guy working more weight than them. The true answer is nobody here is probably qualified to give a certified explanation so we can continue to assume and try and use logic to figure it out but in the end we're probably all wrong.

We need to get Mythbusters up on this shit.
 

Blown_By_You

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Basically a thread like this comes down to larger guys getting jealous when they see a smaller guy working more weight than them. The true answer is nobody here is probably qualified to give a certified explanation so we can continue to assume and try and use logic to figure it out but in the end we're probably all wrong.

We need to get Mythbusters up on this shit.


Lol. Due to my freakish build, I can bench more on incline than anyone that I've ever seen...

But I never go past 275 on flat.. Hurts my Bicep tendons..

I never get jealous of the little guys benching a shitload.. I don't work out for a number, or to stroke my ego, but I do know some 165# guys that can rep 315, although most of them are on Dbol too
 

Jack Burton

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Lol. Due to my freakish build, I can bench more on incline than anyone that I've ever seen...

But I never go past 275 on flat.. Hurts my Bicep tendons..

I never get jealous of the little guys benching a shitload.. I don't work out for a number, or to stroke my ego, but I do know some 165# guys that can rep 315, although most of them are on Dbol too

I've been lucky to be pretty good at incline. My 315 for 15 was on incline. For some reason it doesn't bother me at all. I actually find it easier than flat bench, but then again, when I was younger I made sure to focus on incline quite a bit while most people were stuck in the flat bench warrior mindset :lol1:
 

TheCPE

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It really is simply work = force x distance...

Nothing else is required to discern that the further you move the weight in opposition to gravity the more work you are doing THUS why shorter arms is advantageous.

Regarding the force involved, both a short and long armed person must apply the same amount of force to move the same amount of weight (this should be extremely obvious since weight....POUNDS is a unit of force) however the longer arms must move the weights further with that force thus more work. More work means more energy...

Therefore, to complete the bench press motion, the individual with shorter arms and thus a smaller distance to move the same amount of weights will have performed less work and expended less energy.
 

mc01svt

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this thread is funny.,,,

Tall, lanky guys have a huge disadvantage in any type of power lift. :bash:

Mechanically there is more stress on a long lever than there is a short one. In this case, long arms work against you.

Also the amount of energy required to achieve lock-out is greater. More work is done when lifting the same weight over a longer distance. Its simple physics.

This is the exact reason why more proportioned or stubby guys with thick limbs dominate power lifting. :idea:
 

61mmstang94

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Jesus christ obviously no one in here lifts..

Guys with short arms always bench more than you would expect.. period.

Guys who have longer arms, have LESS mechanical advantage, and require more strength to lift the same weight...

It is that simple. Shorter arms will allow one to bench press more. This is basic kinesiology.

If anybody thinks tall people have an advantage when bench pressing they need to be slapped in the face. Long arms kill you with bench press.
These three quoted for truth.
 

ttk53

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It more of the length from shoulder to elbow, thats the lever arm the weight has. Longer that disntance the more work the chest has to do to move the same weight.

Its pretty simple go do a normal workoutbut when you grip the bar go spred your grip two fingers bet it works your chest more.


So people with shorter arms have the advantage if you want to call it that.
 

NateV8

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Yes. I can pump out 10 reps of 315lbs on a decline bench and only 1 or two on the flat bench. with the decline the bar travels a shorter distance and less stress is placed on the shoulders.


Never seen anyone that 10 on decline = 1 or 2 on flat. That sounds a little ridiculous.



I've been lucky to be pretty good at incline. My 315 for 15 was on incline. For some reason it doesn't bother me at all. I actually find it easier than flat bench, but then again, when I was younger I made sure to focus on incline quite a bit while most people were stuck in the flat bench warrior mindset :lol1:


315 for 15 on incline... how tall are you/how much you weigh, how much you lift on flat?
 

NyteByte

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Work = Change in Energy

Work = Force x Distance

Force in the case of bench pressing is simply the weight. Pounds, is a unit of force.

The distance is of course the measure of how far the bar with weights is traveling during the exercise. Thus, the further the bar of weights travels the greater the distance.

Therefore, the work done with the same weight is MORE when the distance of travel is further. The amount of energy required is also MORE since the distance of applied force is greater.

:shrug:

This is the simplest and best answer.

I've been working out for decades and have always noticed that the shorter arm / leg guys always have a much easier time lifting. They're not moving the weight as far.
 

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