How to Bench Press

To define upper body strength, we use the bench press as one the metrics. In the bro world people who are curious about your strength typically ask “how much do you bench?”

 

It’s the 2nd lift in contested in the powerlifting world but not only used for that purpose. In some cases, due to a lifters inability to put their arms overhead it fulfills the role of the overhead press, still allowing a lifter to develop upper body strength which as we know strength is crucial in day-to-day life. The #1 cause of poor quality of life is being too weak to do normal day to day activities.

 

How to Perform the Bench Press

Lay down on the bench with your eyes under the bar. This will prevent you from hitting the uprights when you’re pressing back towards the lockout. Grasp the bar using a compression grip with thumbs length away from the smooth part of the bar. You may need to adjust this later but for now it will do. Set your feet wide, pointing your toes out and knees tracking over the toes. Press your feet into the ground like you were trying to squish a bug and drive your knees out. Next set your shoulders down and back and raise your chest up towards the ceiling. With your arms apply pressure into the bar as if you were trying to bring it towards your feet. You should feel your lats turn on. Take a big breath in, hold it and lock out your elbows. Move the bar over your shoulder joint and hold it there.

 

With the bar stacked vertically over the shoulder keep your eye on the ceiling and note the position of the bar. This is where it will start and end every rep. While keeping the elbows forward of the bar hold the bar on the chest 2-5 inches below your clavicle. This spot will vary based off of your anthropometry. The humeral angle we are striving for is 45°-75°.  If the grip we initially took is outside this range adjust the to fit this range.

While keeping the elbows forward of the bar press the bar back up to the original starting position. Repeat. The goal is the touch two points, the correct position on the chest and the correct start position.

 

Problems You Will Run Into  

Loss of tightness and Bar path

The best way to address loss of tightness is to perform a mental check list before you start each rep.

Chest up = ✔

Feet tight = ✔

Big breath = ✔

Press!

For bar path it’s three Components

  1. Is the bar in the correct starting position? This is verified by looking at the ceiling.

  2. Does the bar touch the chest in the correct position? This is verified by making sure the initial spot on the chest is hit.

  3. Elbow position. Are the elbows behind the bar and are they excessively flaring? A simple fix is the tuck your elbows while allowing a space between your body and your arms.

 

The end result of a perfect bench press is maximum tightness in the body for each rep allowing  no movement as the bar moving from any other parts of the body except the elbows and shoulders. Pausing before you start each rep and running through a check is the best way to prep you for perfect execution