My chest effing sucks.

[#8]

This has been and probably always will be my most lagging body part. Not only in terms of size, but also strength and endurance. I have a fairly strong back, and very strong legs for my size, but my chest never seems to catch up. Its definitely not my diet, as everything seems to grow and progress steadily except for my chest. I have rather long arms and I find it very difficult to target my chest properly on pressing movements.

Does anyone have a killer chest workout that can help me out? High volume? Low volume? Super heavy? Less heavy? Im seriously at my wits end here.

These are my current max lifts that I can get 6-8 reps out of.

Dbell Incline Press - 200 lbs (total)
Incline Bench Press - 185 (properly) I know this makes no sense, its frustrating trust me

Please help.

(I also have not done ANY flat benching in the last 2 years as I am trying to be proactive in preventing shoulder injuries)

[natenator]

there's a reason it is the mass builder.... you need to flat bench dude.

Don't let your ego get in the way and you CAN prevent injuries.

Flat BB Press, 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Incline BB Press, 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Weighted Dips, 4 sets, 8-10 reps (slooooow on the negative)
DB Incline Press (35 degree angle), 4 sets, 8-10 reps


Basic basic basic.

[L3]

Here is my chest day split at the moment. High volume is the name of the game.

i would love to be able to do dips but my left shoulder says AHHHH THE HORROR

Smith machine incline press
1st set warmup with 25 plate
2nd set warmup with 25 plate
3rd set 225lbs x 10+reps
4th set 225lbs x fail
-rest pause x fail
-strip to 45plate x fail

Flat bench DB press
1st set 45lbs
2nd set 80lbs x 10+reps
3rd set 80lbs x fail
4th set 80lbs x fail

High pully cable flys with squeeze after every rep, I get on my knees for better leverage
1st set, medium weight, 15-20 reps
2nd set, high weight x fail
2nd set, high weight x fail

Pyramid set with no rest between sets on press machine, alternate between neutral grip and palms down grip
1st set (palms down) 180lbs x fail
2nd set (neutral) 120lbs x fail
3rd set (palms down) 120lbs x fail
4th set (neutral) 70lbs x fail
5th set (palms down) 70lbs x fail

[#8]

there's a reason it is the mass builder.... you need to flat bench dude.

Don't let your ego get in the way and you CAN prevent injuries.

Flat BB Press, 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Incline BB Press, 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Weighted Dips, 4 sets, 8-10 reps (slooooow on the negative)
DB Incline Press (35 degree angle), 4 sets, 8-10 reps


Basic basic basic.

proper form is shoulder blades dropped, back arched, squeeze the chest on the press, control on the way down? im pretty sure im doing it properly....i just really dont want to eff up my shoulder at all....

[L3]

proper form is shoulder blades dropped, back arched, squeeze the chest on the press, control on the way down? im pretty sure im doing it properly....i just really dont want to eff up my shoulder at all....

dunno about the arched back that doesnt sound right..

-shoulder blades squeezed together tight as possible
-when the weight is going up, you should be pressing through your shoulderblades, imagine that you are trying to push the bench down into the ground

the only way i can see a shoulder injury occuring is when taking the weight off the rack... i always have a spotter do that lift for me, even if it is <2 plates

you should really work on finding your "center line", dunno if thats the proper name but i msure someone will chime in

[Andre]

Come train chest with me for a couple months and you will grow :)

[Ritch]

I keep hearing to keep the shoulders back, tried it myself and it makes the movement odd and unproductive for me. If you`re affraid of messing up your shoulder, don`t go all the way down. I used to think it was cheating not to, but my chest grew even better after going down when the forearm forms a a 90 degree angle with the bicep. Maybe you should do some more dumbell work as many people feel the chest better with them. Personally never do any flat work. It`s all incline. I usually do 2 sets of incline barbell press, 2 sets of incline dumbell press, and 2 sets of incline flyes, then strecth the pecks.

Do you have naturally big calves or glutes? Has anyone ever noticed that the guys who have those bodyparts naturally usually have weak chests and or shoulders? My chest and shoulders grow very easily but ****in calves suck and my rear is underdeveloped. Just a thought.

[#8]

^^ i have naturally big calves, hams, glutes and quads. years of hockey on and off ice training makes my lower body far superior in terms of strength and conditioning without a doubt. i can skate much faster than most guys i know who are 20 lbs less than i am. i have been doing A LOT of DBELL presses over the last few years in hopes of growing in strength and size symmetrically. seriously im just so fed up at this point, i dont know what to do. i think its time i go back to flat presses. it also sucks cause my local gym only has 100 lb dumbbells :(

[tiramisu]

While I am no bench press specialist...

I found rippetoes explanation of bench press technique was very good.
For me bench is a strength exercise and I need to keep my elbows tucked in and the bar low on my chest to avoid injury. Once I found a straight stable line to lift in and started concentrating on lifting explosively rather than pushing in a controlled fashion I started feeling like it would be quite a while before I found my max bench.

My shoulders tend to limit my bench and I am still developing technique in standing press, power clean and squats so I tend to tweak my shoulders. Things I learned recently.

Bench... Push with the legs
Standing press... keep your darn shoulders back, don't let them wander forward.
Powerclean... keep your darn shoulders back, don't let them wander forward.
Squats.... too stupid to learn... I've widened my grip, lowered, raised the damn bar but when I'm doing 3 rep maxes I'm still tweaking my shoulders and/or biceps tendons.
Deadlift... squeeze the darn bar for all your worth and then pull. It makes a difference.

[Ritch]

If your caloric situation allows you to do so how about some low rep training in the squat cage starting each rep from a dead stop? Could do 4-5 sets in the 4-6 rep range even as low as 2 reps with long rests then another chest movement for 3 sets and call it quits. I did that to get my incline press up and it worked great.

[natenator]

^^ i have naturally big calves, hams, glutes and quads. years of hockey on and off ice training makes my lower body far superior in terms of strength and conditioning without a doubt. i can skate much faster than most guys i know who are 20 lbs less than i am. i have been doing A LOT of DBELL presses over the last few years in hopes of growing in strength and size symmetrically. seriously im just so fed up at this point, i dont know what to do. i think its time i go back to flat presses. it also sucks cause my local gym only has 100 lb dumbbells :(
go back to BB dude. The only way a muscle will change is if it is forced to change. That requires weight and TUT. While keeping correct form, benching (and other exercises) is also about finding a form that works for you and your body.

Put your worries at the back of your mind and get your ass under the bar. You'll grow and get stronger.

[AlbertaBeef]

I was in the same boat as the hockey puck there. Got to develop strength in the triceps big time, it's been posted here before just look for the BP thread. Lots of intense flat close grip benches, decline close grip presses, J presses and DB extensions.

It works!

[Andre]

go back to BB dude. The only way a muscle will change is if it is forced to change. That requires weight and TUT. While keeping correct form, benching (and other exercises) is also about finding a form that works for you and your body.

Put your worries at the back of your mind and get your ass under the bar. You'll grow and get stronger.

I agree! And I really don't think you need more than 100lbs DB's... I have shoulder issues, but I use a narrow grip when pressing the oly bar and it helps take the stress off the rotator cuffs... My chest workout looks like this...

I alternate between starting with flat and incline... strength wise they are the same...

1)incline oly bench press in the cage
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
2)incline bb bench press
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
3)machine press
Pyramid set work up to the full stack and then back down
4)flat oly bench press in the cage
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
5)flat bb bench press
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
6)chest fly machine (aka pec dec)
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
7)cable cross over
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12

It's a tough workout but it gets results...

The photos are 6 months apart... 'au naturelle'...
http://solo2.abac.com/avigdor/fat2fit/Resize%20of%202003%20to%202004%20front.jpg

[kawikaratekid]

go back to BB dude. The only way a muscle will change is if it is forced to change. That requires weight and TUT. While keeping correct form, benching (and other exercises) is also about finding a form that works for you and your body.

Put your worries at the back of your mind and get your ass under the bar. You'll grow and get stronger.

It took me a long time to realize that my bench form wasn't right. Time and time again I would get underneath the bar and try to bring the bar as close to my chest as possible thinking that was better. Full range of motion blah blah blah...I read in several locations to bring my elbows no lower then a 90 degree angle. Well it worked and my bench is going up and the stress on my shoulders isn't that great at all. It's amazing how little things can improve you dramatically in the gym. That's one reason why I love the sport!! It's more then just lifting heavy weight.

[kawikaratekid]

I agree! And I really don't think you need more than 100lbs DB's... I have shoulder issues, but I use a narrow grip when pressing the oly bar and it helps take the stress off the rotator cuffs... My chest workout looks like this...

I alternate between starting with flat and incline... strength wise they are the same...

1)incline oly bench press in the cage
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
2)incline bb bench press
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
3)machine press
Pyramid set work up to the full stack and then back down
4)flat oly bench press in the cage
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
5)flat bb bench press
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
6)chest fly machine (aka pec dec)
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12
7)cable cross over
6 sets (2 warms up at 50%-75% of my work sets)
Rep range is 6 to 12

It's a tough workout but it gets results...

The photos are 6 months apart... 'au naturelle'...
http://solo2.abac.com/avigdor/fat2fit/Resize%20of%202003%20to%202004%20front.jpg

I'll have to give that work out a try next time I'm in the gym. That work out will definitely exhaust my chest...I'm assuming you do arms on a different day?

You put on a lot of quality mass in six months with out any aid. Good job man! You must have been eating like a horse on EQ hahaha

[Ritch]

Holy crap Andre, that`s alot of volume, but the proof is in the pudding...

[Andre]

I spend my entire day in the gym... about 70 hours a week... so I got lots of time to train :)

My split is
Chest
Back
Legs
Shoulders
Bi's & Tri's

[natenator]

I spend my entire day in the gym... about 70 hours a week... so I got lots of time to train :)

My split is
Chest
Back
Legs
Shoulders
Bi's & Tri's
ever thought about:

Chest
Back
Off
Shoulders
Legs
Bi's/Tri's
off

Just a suggestion. Don't mean to give out of place advice dude.

[Ritch]

^^^ That looks better to me. Hopefully the clients are cool with you Andre and don`t bug you while you train. When I was working in a gym and would train where I worked it was a frustrating experience every time.

[Andre]

ever thought about:

Chest
Back
Off
Shoulders
Legs
Bi's/Tri's
off

Just a suggestion. Don't mean to give out of place advice dude.

That's not a bad idea!

[Andre]

^^^ That looks better to me. Hopefully the clients are cool with you Andre and don`t bug you while you train. When I was working in a gym and would train where I worked it was a frustrating experience every time.

My workouts often start at 8AM when I get in and end at 9PM when I go home... it does not bother me :)

[buildinthaskinnys]

Do you guys include bar weight when you post poundages?

[Andre]

Do you guys include bar weight when you post poundages?

I would...

[buildinthaskinnys]

I dont mean to hijack but what is the standard weight of a barbell? I thought it was 45 lbs but I have heard different a few times

[natenator]

I dont mean to hijack but what is the standard weight of a barbell? I thought it was 45 lbs but I have heard different a few times
standard is 45 but there are 50 and 55lb bars as well as 40.

[ironwill]

i have been told by 2 excellent trainers,and various other fellas i respect, that flat bench is a definite no go...I still do them occasionally, but incline is your best bang for your buck, 2/3 of chest mass is top of chest and if you think your total chest doesnt grow from them being stimulated then you are kidding yourself.....also i get great results from dumbells only, a deeper fiber soreness after complete, and chest press and flies with dumbells, and a dip exercise and you are golden, honestly, i would hit them 2 times per week, and stimulate, dont annihilate them with a couple of good compound movements each week and you will grow, be sure you are eating enough to support new growth as well...
yes ill say again, dc style will do you well here......rest/pause technique going to failure 3 times, positive failure will result in greatness..

[Praetorian]

You need to learn correct technique when benching. The bench press is the most misundestood lift and yet the most popular. That in essence is the problem itself...thus 80&#37; or more of people perform it incorrectly.

Here are some tips from an article i posted earlier.



- Keep your shoulder blades pulled together and tight.

This is a very important and often overlooked aspect of great bench
pressing. While pressing you have to create the most stable environment
possible. This can't be done if most of your shoulder blades are off the
bench. The bench is only so wide and we can't change this, but we can
change how we position ourselves on the bench.

When you pull your shoulder blades together you're creating a tighter,
more stable surface from which to press. This is because more of your
body is in contact with the bench. The tightness of your upper back also
contributes. These techniques also change the distance the bar will have
to travel. The key to pressing big weight is to press the shortest
distance possible.

- Keep the pressure on your upper back and traps.

This is another misunderstood aspect of pressing. You want the pressure
around the supporting muscles. This is accomplished by driving your feet
into the floor, thereby driving your body into the bench. Try this: Lie
on the bench and line up so your eyes are four inches in front of the
bar (toward your feet). Now using your legs, drive yourself into the
bench to put pressure on the upper back and traps. Your eyes should now
be even with the bar. This is the same pressure that needs to be applied
while pushing the barbell.

- Push the bar in a straight line.

Try to push the bar toward your feet. The shortest distance between two
points is a straight line, right? Then why in the world would some
coaches advocate pressing in a "J" line toward the rack? If I were to
bench the way most trainers are advocating (with my elbows out, bringing
the bar down to the chest and pressing toward the rack) my barbell
travel distance would be 16 inches. Now, if I pull my shoulder blades
together, tuck my chin and elbows, and bring the bar to my upper
abdominals or lower chest, then my pressing distance is only 6.5 inches.
Now which would you prefer? If you want to push up a bar-bending load of
plates, you'd choose the shorter distance.

Here's another important aspect of pressing in this style. By keeping
your shoulder blades together and your chin and elbows tucked, you'll
have less shoulder rotation when compared to the J-line method of
pressing. This is easy to see by watching how low the elbows drop in the
bottom part of the press when the barbell is on the chest. With the
elbows out, most everyone's elbows are far lower than the bench. This
creates a tremendous amount of shoulder rotation and strain.

Now try the same thing with the elbows tucked and shoulder blades
together while bringing the barbell to your upper abdominals. For most
people, the elbows are usually no lower than the bench. Less shoulder
rotation equals less strain on the shoulder joint. This means pressing
bigger weights for many more years. I've always been amazed at trainers
that suggest only doing the top half of the bench press, i.e. stopping
when the upper arms are parallel to the floor. This is done to avoid the
excess shoulder rotation. All they have to do is teach their clients the
proper way to bench in the first place!

- Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and
elbows.

This is probably the most important aspect of great pressing technique.
The elbows must remain tucked to keep the bar in a straight line as
explained above. Keeping the elbows tucked will also allow lifters to
use their lats to drive the bar off the chest. Football players are
taught to drive their opponents with their elbows tucked, then explode
through. This is the same for bench pressing. Bench pressing is all
about generating force. You can generate far more force with your elbows
in a tucked position compared to an "elbows out" position.

The most important aspect of this is to keep the barbell in a direct
line with the elbow. If the barbell is behind the elbow toward the head,
then the arm position becomes similar to an extension, not a press.

- Bring the bar low on your chest or upper abdominals.

This is the only way you can maintain the "barbell to elbow" position as
described above. You may have heard the advice, "Bring it low" at almost
every powerlifting competition. This is the reason why. Once again, the
barbell must travel in a straight line.

- Fill your belly with air and hold it.

For maximum attempts and sets under three reps, you must try to hold
your air. Everyone must learn to breathe from their bellies and not
their chests. If you stand in front of the mirror and take a deep
breath, your shoulders shouldn't rise. If they do you're breathing the
air into your chest, not your belly. Greater stability can be achieved
in all the lifts when you learn how to pull air into the belly. Try to
expand and fill the belly with as much air as possible and hold it. If
you breathe out during a maximum attempt, the body structure will change
slightly, thus changing the groove in which the barbell is traveling.

- Train with compensatory acceleration.

Push the bar with maximal force. Whatever weight you're trying to push,
be it 40% or 100% of your max, you must learn to apply 100% of the force
to the barbell. If you can bench 500 pounds and are training with 300
pounds, you must then apply 500 pounds of force to the 300-pound
barbell. This is known as compensatory acceleration and it can help you
break through sticking points.

These sticking points are known as your "mini maxes," or the points at
which you miss the lift or the barbell begins to slip out of the groove.
Many times I'm asked what to do if the barbell gets stuck four to five
inches off the chest. Everybody wants to know what exercise will help
them strengthen this area or what body part is holding them back. Many
times it isn't what you do to strengthen the area where it sticks, but
what you can do to build more acceleration in the area before the mini
max. If you can get the bar moving with more force then there won't be a
sticking point. Instead, you'll blast right through it. Compensatory
acceleration will help you do this.

- Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar apart!

Regardless of the lift, you have to keep your body as tight as Monica
Brant's behind. You'll never lift big weights if you're in a relaxed
physical state while under the barbell. The best way to get the body
tight is by squeezing the bar. We've also found that if you try to pull
the bar apart or "break the bar," the triceps seem to become more
activated.

- Train the lats on the same plane as the bench.

I'm talking about the horizontal plane here. In other words, you must
perform rows, rows, and more rows. "If you want to bench big then you
need to train the lats." I've heard both George Hilbert and Kenny
Patterson say this for years when asked about increasing the bench
press. When you bench you're on a horizontal plane. So would it make
sense from a balance perspective to train the lats with pulldowns, which
are on a vertical plane? Nope. Stick to the barbell row if you want a
big bench.

-Drive with the legs

A good arch and leg drive keep the body in a tight groove and allow you to tuck the elbows and keep the bar lower.

If you train correctly youll be able to press more, avoid injuries and get better overall chest development.

P

[ironwill]

where the hell is short dave when you need him, the dude knows stuff....definitely one of the better benchers on here....

[ironwill]

good post P.....

[Andre]

Another thing to keep in mind is that there is difference between powerlifting benchpressing and body building benchpressing!

My working sets are about 70&#37; of my 1 rep max... I very rarely go above 75% of my 1RM... In other words, I am not a hero :)

hero = injury

[#8]

Another thing to keep in mind is that there is difference between powerlifting benchpressing and body building benchpressing!

My working sets are about 70% of my 1 rep max... I very rarely go above 75% of my 1RM... In other words, I am not a hero :)

hero = injury

i thought hero = sandwich.....hmmmm....lol

kidding :)

ya, this is all good info, thanks a lot guy, im gonna have to try and apply these to my technique as well as find a new workout partner so i can really push myself without worrying about choking to death. thanks again.

[Shortdave]

P ftw.

Always.

Fak. This is Alladdinsane under SD's account.

[AlladdinSane]

P ftw.

Always.

[Durk]

Bill Star 5x5 ftw

[waderow]

I agree with Ironwill, in that upper chest is the key to size (appearance).

However, do not neglect flat bench either.

If you are lagging in chest, do Incline first and go as heavy as you are comfortable with. Then proceed to flat.

This will give you the most benefit of your workout in upper chest.

Decline is not necessary, especially since you will be hitting low chest with flat bench.

[Praetorian]

Another thing to keep in mind is that there is difference between powerlifting benchpressing and body building benchpressing!

My working sets are about 70&#37; of my 1 rep max... I very rarely go above 75% of my 1RM... In other words, I am not a hero :)

hero = injury

Bingo!!! and here's the kicker...the difference is powerlifters bench correctly...BB's bench incorrectly and then blame the bench press for shoulder injuries and lack of development. The next excuse is youll always hear them say "it doesnt matter what i bench its what i look like" then 6 weeks later (on a heavy cycle) there they are going for a max and then getting hurt. The biggest bunch of bullshit ive ever seen! There is a correct way to bench press and an incorrect way. If you are a powerlifter your training will determine what you do ie dynamic training, reps in the 1-3 range etc. For bodybuildiing the training is different reps in the 5-10 range, less sets, more emphasis on multiple chest exercises and less on power development.
Oh and by the way...il let you in on a secret....the reason powerlifters bench correctly is because with the weights commonly used in training their careers would be very short lived if they didnt.
I can say this because i have trained as both a powerlifter and a bodybuilder and have hit some pretty respectable PR's...ie 585lbs on the bench raw. I learned how to bench press from the world champion in the 198lbs class in 96 from Finland and ive also trained along side many IFBB pros.

P

[#8]

Bingo!!! and here's the kicker...the difference is powerlifters bench correctly...BB's bench incorrectly and then blame the bench press for shoulder injuries and lack of development. The next excuse is youll always hear them say "it doesnt matter what i bench its what i look like" then 6 weeks later (on a heavy cycle) there they are going for a max and then getting hurt. The biggest bunch of bullshit ive ever seen! There is a correct way to bench press and an incorrect way. If you are a powerlifter your training will determine what you do ie dynamic training, reps in the 1-3 range etc. For bodybuildiing the training is different reps in the 5-10 range, less sets, more emphasis on multiple chest exercises and less on power development.
Oh and by the way...il let you in on a secret....the reason powerlifters bench correctly is because with the weights commonly used in training their careers would be very short lived if they didnt.
I can say this because i have trained as both a powerlifter and a bodybuilder and have hit some pretty respectable PR's...ie 585lbs on the bench raw. I learned how to bench press from the world champion in the 198lbs class in 96 from Finland and ive also trained along side many IFBB pros.

P

do you live near toronto dude. id pay you to show me a proper chest workout with form.

[Ritch]

I know for sure P knows what he is talking about. I once had a trainer who keept telling me to keep my wrists straight. I figure if they go back a little so what? Most big guys train like that anyway. But when you`ve been training that way for over 10 years it`s almost impossible to correct it. I still don`t understand what people mean when they say elbows tucked in, can`t even say if I do it myself. I mean my elbow goes down yes, but with a barbell how do you tuck it in??? And again I know one is supposed to keep the shoulder blades together, but man it just ****s everything up when I do it like that. I think if I know my shoulders are not protruding forward, it`s not that bad of a problem. Text book form is not always necessary, I think if you feel it better a different way, do it like that.

[AlladdinSane]

Bingo!!! and here's the kicker...the difference is powerlifters bench correctly...BB's bench incorrectly and then blame the bench press for shoulder injuries and lack of development. The next excuse is youll always hear them say "it doesnt matter what i bench its what i look like" then 6 weeks later (on a heavy cycle) there they are going for a max and then getting hurt. The biggest bunch of bullshit ive ever seen! There is a correct way to bench press and an incorrect way. If you are a powerlifter your training will determine what you do ie dynamic training, reps in the 1-3 range etc. For bodybuildiing the training is different reps in the 5-10 range, less sets, more emphasis on multiple chest exercises and less on power development.
Oh and by the way...il let you in on a secret....the reason powerlifters bench correctly is because with the weights commonly used in training their careers would be very short lived if they didnt.
I can say this because i have trained as both a powerlifter and a bodybuilder and have hit some pretty respectable PR's...ie 585lbs on the bench raw. I learned how to bench press from the world champion in the 198lbs class in 96 from Finland and ive also trained along side many IFBB pros.

P

:a+

[swolegantor]

big huge copy and pasted chunk of bench press tips


Most of that information is dated and even louie doesent advocate driving in a straight line anymore.

As far as raw benching goes most of that is not entirely true. Look at most of the top raw benchers form and its alot more akin to a bbing form. noobs who read these bench press articles online dont realise they are written by geared lifters and dont have a raw carryover like most think. Overtucking/bellybenching will ruin your leverage.

[Praetorian]

Most of that information is dated and even louie doesent advocate driving in a straight line anymore.

As far as raw benching goes most of that is not entirely true. Look at most of the top raw benchers form and its alot more akin to a bbing form. noobs who read these bench press articles online dont realise they are written by geared lifters and dont have a raw carryover like most think. Overtucking/bellybenching will ruin your leverage.

Most of the information is defintely not outdated as it applies to bench press training not just technique. Yes lifters may all have a varying style or indidual technique based on leverages, arm length, degree of arch etc. This doesnt mean you forget about training the triceps or disregard leg and hip drive etc. The principles are used to teach someone how to bench safely and optimally. However when it comes to advanced lifting etc you are talking a different story here and out of scope of the original question posted. Yes overtucking can ruin your leverage so can many things...the idea is to get a basic understanding of how to position yourself and how to incorporate the different muscles to bench optimally. Louie still advocates straight line lifting...as written in many of his articels still posted on west-side but again as the lifter advances style may vary and technique will be determined by leverages. There is no cookie cutter program its about learning the basics and adapting them to your individual leverages. As for geared lifting the article was not written with that assumption. Benching with a shirt takes practise and is different from raw benching however you still need to maintain and try to improve raw power even if you compete with a shirt.
P