I would love to see more studies that factor in anatomical variations such as arm length and rib cage size differences amongst lifters, as this can also have an impact on muscle recruitment depending on position and range of motion.
There is a little on arm-length differences, effectively saying that longer arms = more work. If you have long arms, you’ll generally need to move the bar further, which can make the bench press harder and may slightly limit your 1RM compared to someone with shorter arms. A longer moment arm increases the torque required at the shoulder and elbow, making the lift harder for those with longer limbs. You could go a little wider, but that changes things again down stream differently than for someone with a shorter arm span. There isn't too much on the rib cage, but if I were to guess: I suspect it can be more impactful than we think in the long term. For example, a wider ribcage may increase stability, but perhaps the arm and scapula cannot rotate or move as freely? Another factor is how that would change with the bench pushing the ribcage forward, or with how much of an arch you might use. There are many factors that change depending on ribcage differences and then with the technique used.
I would love to see more studies that factor in anatomical variations such as arm length and rib cage size differences amongst lifters, as this can also have an impact on muscle recruitment depending on position and range of motion.
There is a little on arm-length differences, effectively saying that longer arms = more work. If you have long arms, you’ll generally need to move the bar further, which can make the bench press harder and may slightly limit your 1RM compared to someone with shorter arms. A longer moment arm increases the torque required at the shoulder and elbow, making the lift harder for those with longer limbs. You could go a little wider, but that changes things again down stream differently than for someone with a shorter arm span. There isn't too much on the rib cage, but if I were to guess: I suspect it can be more impactful than we think in the long term. For example, a wider ribcage may increase stability, but perhaps the arm and scapula cannot rotate or move as freely? Another factor is how that would change with the bench pushing the ribcage forward, or with how much of an arch you might use. There are many factors that change depending on ribcage differences and then with the technique used.