I've been benching by myself and using the safety stops. This obviously limits how far down I'm able to go. Is this something that could inhibit growth? The limited distance is very short, maybe an inch or two, but I'm curious. Thanks,

Can you set them lower so that failure would result in the bar pressing on your chest and no lower? The benches that I use have it so that I would just be able to squirm out from under it, though I tend to do sub-failure and not always use the stops. If you are using a conventional elbows flared BB approach, going all the way down will put severe strain on your shoulders and rotators. I used a closer powerlifting style and take it all the way down to my chest.

Growth will be due to a progressive lifting plan and proper nutrition. You're probably not cheating yourself much, and if you're stuck with the stops at 1 inch above, well, that's that :).

Can you set them lower so that failure would result in the bar pressing on your chest and no lower?

You can get along pretty well even setting the safeties so that the bar is slightly above your chest on the safeties.

Is this something that could inhibit growth? The limited distance is very short, maybe an inch or two.
Don't always train to failure. Know your limits and save cage presses for only your heaviest lifts.
You could prop someting under the bench and make it higher so effectively the safties are lower.

The biggest downside I could see is if you did it long enough, your adaptation would be in a certain range, not necessarily limiting growth but.....
Taking the bar through a full ROM does present a certain excitation of the CNS and endocrine system.A 'Press this thing off my chest or get crushed response'. Might lead to more hormone release.

I've been benching by myself and using the safety stops. This obviously limits how far down I'm able to go.It shouldn't. When you're on your back on the bench your chest sticks up the most, higher than your lower rib cage or lower torso I mean. Just set the safety stops a hair lower than your chest and you can lower the bar all the way to your chest. If you get stuck at the bottom of a rep you would just lower the barbell onto the safeties and slide out from underneath them.

Edit - I guess it depends on how closely spaced the holes for your safeties are. Some cheaper cages have 4" spacing so it's hard to fine tune things as much as you can on a cage with tighter spacing.

When benching in my cage I set the pins a little lower than the chest to get a full range of motion...and if I don't make the rep I just lower it and get out from under it.


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Taking the bar through a full ROM does present a certain excitation of the CNS and endocrine system.A 'Press this thing off my chest or get crushed response'. Might lead to more hormone release.

Well, it leads to more rotator cuff injuries. There are a bunch of hormones associated with trauma, but it's not really the set of hormones you are looking for.

Thanks for all of the advice. I guess I've never tried putting some plates or a platform underneath the bench to give it a little extra height. I usually don't fail, but there is that occasion. It makes sense that if I can get the pins to the point where the bar is on my chest, I can still slide out from the rear. Thanks again,
:tu:

Set the pins so they are lower than your chest, but above your neck. If you start to fail, drop it on the pins at neck level and slide out.

If you can't set the pins that low, then you better not try and drop it over your neck. :)

Set the pins so they are lower than your chest, but above your neck. If you start to fail, drop it on the pins at neck level and slide out.

If you can't set the pins that low, then you better not try and drop it over your neck. :)

That's the way I do it. As long as I can roll the weight up (or wiggle out without getting choked), I'm good. I hate tapping the safeties. It breaks my concentration too much if I'm going heavy.