4 Tips for a Better Bench Press
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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/10/21)
Let’s briefly cover a few tips to help you achieve a better, stronger bench press.
Tip #1: Grip
Take your grip so that the barbell rests on the base or heel of the palm, i.e., directly over the bones of the forearm. This is the best position for efficient force transfer between you and the bar.
To do this, simply pronate your hands slightly by internally rotating your arms a bit and then squeezing the bar tightly with your fingers. (scroll through the photos below for a demonstration)
Tip #2: Retract Your Shoulder Blades
For demonstrative purposes, imagine that you’re sitting upright (Figure 2), and there is a pen oriented vertically between your shoulder blades. You want to try and pull your shoulder blades back (i.e., retract your shoulder blades) so that the pen is pinched in place.
figure 2: at left, Becky demonstrates protracted shoulders (bad), and at right, becky demonstrates retracted shoulders (much better).
Now, simply perform that same motion (lying down, of course) when setting up for your bench press. Retract your shoulder blades before you unrack the bar, and then re-retract your shoulder blades after the unrack as well in case you lose a bit of shoulder positioning during the unracking process. Some people find the uprights of the rack useful to assist the process of setting the shoulders. Then, keep your shoulders retracted throughout your set (and re-retract them between reps if they get a bit out of position).
Tip #3: Leg Drive
Drive up the bench with your legs, i.e., use your legs to drive your body horizontally in the direction of your head (“up the bench”). The drive is horizontal, not vertical, so don’t lift your butt up off of the bench (the rep doesn’t count if you do that). Engage your legs before the start of each rep and drive up the bench throughout the entire movement (not just on the ascent).
figure 2: Becky stares at the ceiling
Tip #4: Focal Point
Find a point directly above you on the ceiling and stare at that point throughout the entire set (Figure 2). Before you start your first rep, you can see the bar in your periphery, and the bar needs to finish in that same spot each time. A stationary reference point makes for a more consistent and efficient bar path, so we watch the immovable ceiling and not the moving bar.
We hope these tips help you get stronger and live better!
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