The Bench Press Truth No One Told You

Want to improve your bench press? Make sure you're doing this . . . and not that.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 07/22/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

4 Tips for a Better Bench Press

(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!

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

The ONLY Grip That Will Make Your Bench & Press Stronger

Your grip can make a big difference in how effectively you bench and press. In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers shows you the grip that gives you the strongest, most effective position for both lifts.

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Want a BIGGER Bench Press? | Use These FOUR Tactics

Today, let’s quickly cover four tactics to help you get a better – and therefore bigger – bench press. 

Remember, if you don't have a coach, then by default, you are your own coach, so be sure to check for these items when you watch your own bench on video.

These are not the only things to look for, of course, but they certainly are large “bang-for-your-buck” items. Solve these issues, and you’re well on your way to a much-improved bench press.

#1 Focal Point
Have one, and no – it’s not the barbell. You want a stationary focal point, and the moving barbell obviously fails this criterion.

When the bar is locked out overhead, i.e., before you start your first rep, find a point on the ceiling to stare at – you're going to stare at this point before each rep, during each rep, and between reps. You'll note that you can see the bar in your periphery when it’s locked out overhead, and to help achieve the desired bar path, you're going to make sure that that bar finishes in the same place in your periphery every single time

#2 Shoulders
Performed correctly, the bench press requires effort to get and keep your shoulders in the correct position when bench pressing. You want your shoulders retracted and pulled down – think “back and down.” This puts your shoulders in a stronger, more stable, and safer position from which to bench so lift your chest (more on that in a moment) and pull your shoulders back and down.

A solid cue for shoulder retraction is “grip the bench with your shoulders.”

#3 Touch Point (and bonus tip)
The bar starts (i.e., at lockout) directly above your shoulders, but you do not bench straight down. The bench is the one lift wherein we're not trying to have a vertical bar path. Instead, you touch the bar to your chest a little lower than the level of your shoulders. The precise point will depend on anthropometry, but let’s say roughly 2 inches as a general ballpark figure. To help with this, check to make sure your elbows are oriented vertically when viewed from the 6 o’clock position (as if someone was standing at the foot of the bench).

Be consistent with your touch point, and be sure that you drive the bar up and slightly backward on the ascent (since the bar needs to finish directly above the shoulders).

Here’s the bonus - to assist with the “up and back” bar path, make sure that the tips of your elbows are just a bit forward of the bar (i.e., slightly in front of the bar when viewed from the side).

#4 Leg Drive
When we lay down on the bench, we’re just a mushy mess of humanity, but we want to be as rigid and stable as possible to achieve efficient force transfer.

To achieve this, drive hard with your legs. Get your feet flat on the floor, and drive your body in the direction of your head. You don’t actually slide in that direction because the bar is pinning you to the bench, but this allows you to correctly set your arch, gets your chest up as much as you can without your hips coming up off the bench, and it has a compressive effect as well.

Check out the video below for a demonstration of the error as well as the solution.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

The 2 Most Overlooked Bench Press Tips

What's the worst mistake on the bench press? It's not what you think.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 07/15/23)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

What Strength Coaches Know About Squat Safeties That Most Lifters Don't

Confused about squat safeties and which type is best? In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down the different types of squat and bench safeties, how to set them up correctly, and ranks them from worst to best.

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

---

At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?