Bench Blog RSS

Bench Press Technique -

Having long arms in the bench press doesn't have to be a sentence to having a horrible bench forever!There are ways to make it work and it's easier than you might think!Honestly, nothing changes! Plain and simple. How you approach the bench technically shouldn't change!However there are some tips and tricks I can share to help prioritize certain things to aid youFirst is shoulder retraction. Something lifters think they manage well but typically don't. Learn how to maximize this on the set up and the take out and you can drop an inch off that long stroke. We have plenty...

Read more

Bench Press Technique, Leg Drive -

Another tip here which will quickly improve your bench press and help keep your hips on the pad!There is a couple different styles of "lunging" at the weight that I see. One is driving your hips up as the bar is descending and then dropping them completelyThe other is throwing your body at the bar when you go to press it. Both will void you of tension and you will no longer be using your entire body effectively, or staying tight to the bar.Instead, make sure you're using your entire body to push back on the bench. Leg drive should...

Read more

(free coaching consult below! Lets add 20 lbs to your bench in just 30 days!) The Spoto press is an extremely valuable movement to perform for both raw and equipped benchers, that will make a major impact on your strength! How is it performed? With the Spoto press you're simply stopping the weight before touching your chest.It is beneficial because it doesn't allow a deload. What happens often is if we pause, we allow some of the weight to sink in to the chest. This deloads the amount we actually stabilize!When you stop the weight short, you have to stabilize...

Read more

This cue is very common for the bench press. It's a fantastic cue that maintains your position and sets your back tightnessHowever, depending how you go about reacting to it as the lifter, it can be negative or positiveWhat I find that instead of just creating the chest up effect from the upper body, lifters tend to get their legs involved. They turn their leg drive into a glute bridge which brings the chest up, but also brings the butt off the padIt is important to note that with this cue you shouldn't ever be gaining new ground with your...

Read more

Bench Press Technique, Set Up Phase -

I commonly see lifters do an excellent job at shoulder retraction, but it goes by the wayside after the first rep. Which is often why lifters feel like they lose back tightness and their shoulder pinch as they rep out.The issue isn't how you started, it's how you've been finishing! Most problems are a result of relaxing as you lock out the weight. Whether it's with leg drive, or shoulder retraction as seen here.This video illustrates how huge shoulder retraction can be towards shortening range of motion, but more importantly, how to maintain it as you rep out!If you have...

Read more