Should you lock out every rep on bench press?

For best results, you should not completely lock out the elbows for a bench press. The elbow lockout creates the illusion of achieving the greatest range of motion. However, at the same time, you sacrifice muscle tension. Subjecting the muscles to continuous, non-interrupted tension will produce maximum results.

Should you lock out your arms bench press?

It’s okay to straighten your arms, but don’t lock them. When performing upper-body moves that involve flexing and extending at the elbows — including bench presses, pushups, biceps curls, and overhead presses — it’s best to straighten your arms without locking them, says exercise physiologist Dean Somerset, CSCS.

Do you need to fully extend on bench?

You should never fully extend your elbows when bench pressing unless performing single reps in preparation for competition. This is important because it helps you stabilize the load better by always keeping muscles on both sides of the elbow joint engaged between reps.

Should you lock out reps?

Training without locking out doesn’t give your body a chance for even the slightest rest period between each rep and training this way is another tool for growth. In summary, locking out the muscle is okay if done slowly.

Should I lock out on pull ups?

The Elbow: To Straighten or Not to Straighten Some people say that you should not lock out your elbows when doing pull ups. The reasoning for this is that it is claimed it can cause injury. It can do that, in fact, but not really in the way most people think.

When you bench press do you have to touch your chest?

The barbell should lightly touch the middle of your chest when performing the barbell flat bench press. By touching the bar to your chest, you ensure a full range of motion, which, in turn, activates more muscle fibers.

Should elbows be tucked in bench press?

The optimal way to transfer force from the shoulder girdle, through the arms, and to the barbell is to keep your elbows DIRECTLY UNDER THE BAR. Your foreman must be perpendicular to the floor – this is critical for optimal force transfer.

Why is locking joints bad?

In summary, locking out the muscle is okay if done slowly. Crunching at the joint in even the slightest abrupt manner is not doing your muscles any good, and will only add to the long-term stress at your joints.

Why pro bodybuilders do partial reps?

A key aspect of the partial rep (in the bodybuilding realm) has to do with the avoidance of the lockout position. The theory is that by performing partial reps and avoiding the lockout position, a greater degree of stress is placed upon a muscle (or muscles involved), lending itself to a greater amount of gains.