Hi. Does having broad shoulders automatically give men the edge in the bench press? What role does broad shoulders play, if any, in doing a bench press?
I used it as an explanation why men who are 120 lbs, yet fully developed, can bench press more then the best 200 lb female bench presser.
Afraid not.
The reason men are better at lifting (and really, any sports) is (much, much) higher testosterone levels. Any mechanical advantage given by characteristics (such as narrow hips and broad shoulders) is absolutely minuscule in comparison.
And I don't think many 120 lb men can press 500+ lbs, even with gear & a 3 ply...
I would say broad shoulders have nothing to do with it. I'd say shorter arms with fast twitch muscle fibers give some people an advantage.
is that what the best 200 lb woman can bench? , when I say 200, i dont mean 220, i mean 190 to 210, somewhere in the close range.
Here are the stats. Taken courtesty of (http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/yearly-rankings/women-alltime)
This is for Raw lifting, without bench shirt:
Top 4 American women in 198 lb class:
Bench PressRank Name Federation Date Bench Press
1. Shannon Nash SPF 2011-11-12 360
2. Shannon Sanders SPF 2010-06-06 330
3. Barb Page SPF 2011-12-04 310
4. Karen Campbell USAPL 2008-05-17 275
4. Ann Vanderbush APF 2011-08-20 275
Top 4 in super heavyweight:
Bench PressRank Name Federation Date Bench Press
1. April Mathis APF 2011-10-29 415
2. Brittany Pryor USPA 2011-08-27 303
3. Barb Page SPF 2010-03-27 300
4. Dana Shealey SPF 2010-06-07 280
Now for the lightweight men (132 and under)
Bench PressRank Name Federation Date Bench Press
1. Adam Zehr NS 2010-01-30 363
2. Eric Head APC 2010-04-10 341
3. Javakhishvili WNPF 2007-04-21 336
4. Mike Kuhns ADAU 2010-10-23 33
So yea, you are right. The top super heavyweight woman has a 52 lb advantage in the bench over a 132 lb and under male.
April mathis is the same lady i posted video of who was doing that super squat, but had a bad receeding hairline. Maybe her testosterone levels are just naturally that high, but I'm inclined to think otherwise..:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYNpculSXQs
615 lb squat, but with bad case of receeding hairline, and she is just 24 years old. Gotta wonder what would drive a woman to do that to her body...that is not a good look for womens powerlifting.
bguyj2109 wrote:
April mathis is the same lady i posted video of who was doing that super squat, but had a bad receeding hairline. Maybe her testosterone levels are just naturally that high, but I'm inclined to think otherwise..:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYNpculSXQs615 lb squat, but with bad case of receeding hairline, and she is just 24 years old. Gotta wonder what would drive a woman to do that to her body...that is not a good look for womens powerlifting.
Thanks bj guy!
I thought you implied that it was a woman doing the squat. I saw a balding dude.
I wouldn't have thought for a second that was a woman without being told. Damn, testosterone is a hell of a drug
it is a woman, lol. her name is april mathis.
but, it could just be that she is a freak of nature, or someone like castor semanaya, bordering on male and female.
she is publishing a 19 page e-book for 25 bucks if u want to buy it from her website. It is her tips for improving your squat:
http://mathistrainingsolutions.com/
Somehow, i don't think she will include steroids in the guide...lol
Yes, broader shoulders are advantageous. Broader shoulders translate into the capacity for longer muscle bellies in the pectorals, which in turn translates into greater muscle mass in those muscles. It is not a guarantee that a man with broad should will have powerful pecs, but it is at least a possibility, whereas a man (or woman) with narrow shoulders is guaranteed not to have them.
Additionally: because there are other factors that contribute to how much you can bench press, a person who lacks the attribute of having great shoulder breadth might still be able to bench press a lot if he makes up for the deficiency with other favorable traits.
Another way of putting it is: "all other things being equal, broader shoulders translates into stronger pectorals."
The most impressive bench press I ever saw was this skinny Chinese guy who benched 315 for 6 reps. He had a small frame and probably weighed 125-130. He had no visible upper body muscles.
The only explanation that I could come up with to explain this feat was that he had incredibly short arms.
Slappy wrote:
The most impressive bench press I ever saw was this skinny Chinese guy who benched 315 for 6 reps. He had a small frame and probably weighed 125-130. He had no visible upper body muscles.
The only explanation that I could come up with to explain this feat was that he had incredibly short arms.
It's technique and efficiency. Pure strength doesn't require size. It is all about efficiency and coordination.