[verdantlife]

I know, how could anyone have a question on the simplest exercise ever, but...

As I read the books, this is supposed to hit the pecs and triceps. I find it really hits my triceps hard but not my pecs so much. After doing a good set of bench presses, my triceps are aflame but not my pecs (whereas with the incline dumbbell fly, I get a great chest pump).

I'm doing them with my arms shoulder-width apart (at the smooth rings in the bar), maybe at nipple level or so. Am I missing something?

Sorry if this sounds retarded...

[42gunz]

you felt it in your triceps first because they are not as strong as your chest....so your triceps got tired first

[jcreedon]

make sure that your elbows are closer to your body this will cause less stress on your front delts and more on your chest

[KM]

Make sure the form is perfect. The closer your grip, the more it involves Triceps. Bring the bar down to around 1-3 inches to your chest for a good stretch. Also don't lock out your elbows when you push the bar up again. That puts more stress on the pecs.

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by 42gunz

you felt it in your triceps first because they are not as strong as your chest....so your triceps got tired first

exactly

[monkeybiker]

You say you are using a shoulder width grip. What you are doing is called a close grip bench press. It is designed to target the triceps. Try widening your grip slightly. Not too wide or you put a lot of strain on the shoulders. You could start by moving your hands about 6 inches either side and see how that feels.

[picabloo]

Originally Posted by verdantlife

I know, how could anyone have a question on the simplest exercise ever, but...

As I read the books, this is supposed to hit the pecs and triceps. I find it really hits my triceps hard but not my pecs so much. After doing a good set of bench presses, my triceps are aflame but not my pecs (whereas with the incline dumbbell fly, I get a great chest pump).

I'm doing them with my arms shoulder-width apart (at the smooth rings in the bar), maybe at nipple level or so. Am I missing something?

Sorry if this sounds retarded...

maybe the smooth rings are closer at your gym :S because at mine, they def aren't at shoulder-width. Try a little wider. Other then that, your form seems fine. If you still feel your triceps a lot, it means they are weaker then your chest. Maybe doing exercises that don't involve triceps for chest, like flies, pec dec, etc.

[musclemaniac uk]

Originally Posted by jcreedon

make sure that your elbows are closer to your body this will cause less stress on your front delts and more on your chest

no, this would then be considered a close grip bench, and would put most emphasis on the triceps.

[bbdude]

okey, this is what ive been told..

tricep is a muscle that gets faster tired than the chest so the tricep will fail first. it is also dependant on ur grip as everyone else has said.

if u want to make ur chest tire up first u can do something called pre-exhaustion. u do pec dec before bench press so ur chest is already a little tired, but ur triceps are not.

[under construction]

Monkey biker and BBdude have got you covered try what they say its sound advice. Now get to benchin

[LBblitz]

^^Everyone has had excellent points^^ But also:

I don't always get a pump on Barbell day but I am always very sore in the pec region the next day. Dumbells, flyes, cables give you the best pump,, but barbell puts on the most mass and stimulates the most muscle fibers.

Just because you dont get a pump, you shouldnt think that your chest isnt getting stimulated. Deadlifts never give you apump but are proven to pack on the most mass. barbell bench is much the same way. Although there are ways to concentrate on the chest and get decent pumps out of it.. it is largely a mass building exercise so dont get discouraged (and definitely dont cut out this exercise!) just get the proper width of grip and really squeeze that chest!

[blue524432]

Yes Barbell Bench is an exercise I hardly ever get a pump from. To me it is always a core lift and the exercises that I get a pump from are my auxillary chest lifts (incline dumbbell, flyes, etc.). I wouldntworry to much about squeezing or anything, especially if you are just starting. Just dont bounce the bar off of your chest or anything. The simplest advice I can give you is go about 6" or so out from your shoulders go down and come up with explosion and dont lock out. Dont go down so slow you are almost doing a negative. To me regular benching is about power and the pump and other bodybuilding stuff comes from your chest auxillary exercises where you can focus more on the actual chest, with the bench just do it with form and dont worry about anything else.