Is Arching Your Back In The Bench Press Safe?

Benching with an arch has been a controversial topic among common gym people for quite a while and while it has it’s benefits, there are still some who deem it unsafe or as cheating. Arching within the Bench Press is a common technique applied by many Powerlifters to improve stability, traction and allows them to lift the most weight possible. It is highly specific for the sport which requires us to perform the most weight on the Bench Press for a one rep max. So why do so many people have such a hated opinion on Arched Bench Pressing? Lets find out!

Why do people arch to begin with?

Before judging or hating on this specific technique, let's actually look at the application and purpose behind it. Firstly, looking into anatomy we have 4 sections within our spine. We have our Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar and Sacral sections. The Cervical and Lumbar are both naturally within Lordosis whilst the Thoracic and Sacral are Kyphotic. The spine is quite mobile as there are 31 different segments (Cervical having 8, Thoracic having 12, Lumbar 5, Sacral 5 and the very bottom our Coccygeal). Each segment has its own range and thus, our spine can bend in many different motions. Ideally though we want to have the ability to resist movement within the spine and stabilise it for rigidity. 

The purpose behind arching your back within the Bench Press follows specific guidelines as you are laying flat on a bench and create a natural curvature to keep yourself planted . Ideally you want to have externally rotated and retracted shoulder blades which act like teeth, digging into a Bench. The pulled back scapular position engages your lats more and allows for more torque to be placed onto the shoulder joint itself, meaning the joint can naturally move and handle more force. This is safer for the shoulder girdle in horizontal pressing motions and when you do this, it creates a slight thoracic extended position. Note that we talk about thoracic extension and not lumbar extension. The arched bench press is primarily focused on thoracic extension and not excessively bending your lower back to reach into position. Due to the areas being connected it is inevitable for the thoracolumbar junction to get into extension however the UPPER back is what is arching the most, which is the proper arched back technique. There is also the factor of leg drive and hip stability within the bench press but that is another topic. 

Arching the back also limits the range of motion which in the sport of Powerlifting, is quite ideal as rules state that you need the bar to touch the chest and come back up. Limiting the range of motion decreases overall distance and thus decreases overall work required to move the most weight possible.

So now knowing that you have more stability within the shoulder girdle and can produce more force, why do we not arch in the bench press all the time? If you look at a push up position, do you push with elbows flared all the way out or slightly tucked into the body?

Why people hate on the arched bench press

The most common reason why a lot of people disagree with the arched bench press is due to ignorance. Most of the people you ask about it will complain about back pain or it being dangerous for your back. However if you ask them about anatomy and function of the joints, the majority of the time you won’t get an appropriate response back. The common misconception of arching your back being harmful is due to the negligence of education and understanding how the body functions, they would not be able to provide an appropriate answer. If arching your back was so bad, most of us would be paralysed from common everyday tasks. Ideally though, posture plays a big role and we do want to neutralise our spine as best as possible with axial loading such as weight pushing down onto our spine. It is also viewed as cheating due to the limited range of motion however, a slight arch is fine and should be endorsed, a huge arch is specific for the sport and if that is what a person is training for then they need to be training with high specificity.

Final notes

We do not recommend everyone start arching their back for the sake of arching your back but understand the application on why some people do it. The result of placing the shoulder girdle in a stable position will naturally cause an arch within the thoracolumbar junction which is optimal for shoulder health and moving heavier loads. An excessive arch is a technique with higher dynamic correspondence to Powerlifting and is not wrong as it is sport specific. Understanding this can be a useful tool for your training and we wish that more people would understand the reasoning behind specific exercises before criticising it.

We hope this article gives a little insight on the arched bench press and that it helps everyone with their training!

Tune in for next week and as always, 

Peace out Movement Fam!

Coach Matty