How to Bench Press: The Setup | STOP Doing This!
/
The topic of setting up for and unracking the bench press is not a particularly exciting one, but it’s important, and today’s lifting error is one we see all too often - in both new and experienced lifters:
Quit being sloppy and undisciplined when setting up to bench.
Before You Unrack the Bar
When setting up to bench (i.e., before you lift the barbell off the hooks) everything that can be set up - everything that can be tight and correctly positioned - should be. You don’t want to be finishing this process (let alone starting this process) after you unrack the bar.
If you’re adjusting your grip, retracting your shoulder blades for the first time, setting your arch, driving with your legs, and/or adjusting your feet after you unrack the bar, you’re being preposterously inefficient. Also, as the bar gets heavier and heavier, it gets harder to do those things after you’ve unracked the bar (and are thus supporting a heavy weight over your shoulders), so do it before you unrack the bar.
The Top-Down Approach
Once you’re lying on the bench, here’s a quick checklist to run through before unracking the bar. It’s a top-down list, so you don’t need to remember it verbatim - simply remind yourself to start with your hands and work you way down to your feet (a bottom-up approach can work here as well):
1: Grip
The grip is slightly pronated, the bar is supported in the base of your palm, and you’re squeezing the bar tightly.
2: Shoulders
Your shoulders are pulled back and down.
3: Chest/Arch
You arch is up, i.e., your chest is up, and this position is supported by . . .
4: Legs
You are driving up the bench (i.e., toward your head) with your legs.
5: Stance
Your stance is roughly that of your squat stance (wider is fine). Admittedly, you hopefully already set your stance when you sat down on the bench.
Get all this taken care of before you unrack the bar, and you’ll have a better, stronger, and more efficient bench press (we’ll also cover the setup for the squat and press in articles that are coming up soon).
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)