Quick Tip to Improve Your Bench Press | FAST FIX!

Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers a quick and easy breathing tip to help you improve your bench press.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 07/01/23)

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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?

Use This Grip for a BIGGER Bench Press and Press!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/24/23)

Want a bigger bench? A bigger press? Of course you do. Let’s get right to it.

figure 1: Compression grip (bench press configuration)

This article is the first in our short series on the correct grip for each lift - from pushing movements like a bench press or a press to pulling movements like a deadlift or a row, and we’ll also discuss the differences that come into play when you have an Olympic movement like a snatch or clean.

Today’s Topic: Pushing Movements
The grip we are covering today is the type of grip you would take for the bench press (Figure 1), the press, the incline bench press, the close grip bench press, etc. This grip is commonly referred to as a compression grip.

An important concept to remember is that - and this is true for both pushing and pulling movements - gravity alway wants objects to move downward.

This includes the barbell that’s in your hands, so when you’re pushing on the bar, you don’t want to put the bar in a position that permits the bar to accidentally reach a lower position (in your hands) than the position it’s already occupying. In other words, make sure that the bar is in the lowest, stable position you can achieve . . . right from the start.

figure 2: Do not put the bar up here.

What NOT To Do
For example, when you unrack the press, don’t support the barbell up high in the hand (Figure 2). If you do this with a heavy weight, it’s simply going to bend your wrist backward (thus lowering the bar). As a result, your flimsy, little, dainty, baby wrists are in a rather unstable position of extreme extension (Figure 3).

You’ve created an energy leak, and this is not a productive position from which to press or bench heavy weights. What to do?

figure 3: wrists in extreme extension - don’t be like this fool.

Figure 4

The Answer
Before unracking either the press or the bench, get the bar sitting over the base of the palms - not up by the base of your fingers, but at the base of your actual hand (Figure 4).

This position permits the bar to be stacked right over the bones of the forearms, which is excellent for force transfer.

From here, pronate your grip just enough that your thumbs can grip the bar (Figure 5). This positions the thumbs so that they can wrap around the bar in the opposite direction of the rest of your fingers.

Squeeze the bar tightly, and that’s it - this is your grip (Figure 6).

figure 5: pronate the grip slightly until the thumbs are below the bar.

The Result
This grip permits the bar to sit deep in the base of your palm - whether you’re benching or pressing. Your wrists are as straight as they can be, although they won’t be entirely straight - let’s call it a neutral position.

As a side not, wrist wraps can help achieve and maintain this position, but they shouldn’t be a crutch - learn to achieve the correct position without wraps, and then start using wraps as your work weights get heavier.

Figure 6: squeeze the bar tightly.

The wrists certainly are no longer bent back in extreme extension, and they also aren’t so straight that it feels like the bar is pushing down on the webbing of your thumb.

As previously mentioned, the bar is now positioned right over the bones of the forearm (Figure 7), which makes for efficient force transfer between your arms, hands, and the bar, and this makes for a stronger press or bench press.

figure 7: compression grip (press width)

Next up - the tension grip.

As always, 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.)

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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?

8 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Benching HEAVY (plus BONUS tip)

Let’s cover 8 things that successful, intelligent, wily lifters do before bench pressing, and at the end, we’ll address a bonus tip that people rarely consider. Let’s dive in.

#1 Stance
The bench isn’t that wide, so it doesn’t give you much lateral stability. Instead, it’s your stance that performs this job; in addition, your stance gives you the ability to effectively drive with your legs (covered later in tip #4) and therefore make yourself more rigid and stable.

With this in mind, take a roughly squat-width stance – you can go wider if you like, but a squat-width stance generally serves very well. Also, keep your feet flat on the floor as you can drive your feet into the floor more effectively when they are flat on the ground than with your heels up in the air (this is also often a rule in competition).

#2 Grip
Take a grip that is about a hand-width wider than where the knurling starts (a thumb-length will also often work quite well).

This will serve nicely to get started, and you may need to make a small adjustment inward or outward once you start benching. Record yourself on video or have a friend watch you – specifically, you’re looking for a grip that permits vertical forearms (as seen from the head or the foot of the bench) when the bar touches your chest. 

Also, you want the bar positioned over the bones of your forearms, so pronate your grip slightly and make sure the bar is supported in the base of your hand and not up by the pads of your fingers.

Lastly, do not take a thumbless grip (AKA “suicide grip”). Wrap your thumb around the bar when benching – always.

#3 Chest & Shoulders
Your chest should be up and your shoulders should be pinched back and down.

Doing this puts your shoulders in a stronger, safer position from which to bench, and by getting your chest up, you also position your pecs into a more mechanically advantageous position.

#4 Leg Drive
Drive your feet forward and downward (i.e., diagonally) into the ground.

This is closely related to the concept of getting your chest up and providing yourself with a nice arch – your feet should be driving into the ground almost as if you are trying to slide up the bench, i.e., as if you are trying to slide toward the uprights.

Of course, you don't want to slide toward the uprights, but the bar is pinning you in place, so don’t worry about that.

Be sure you aren’t driving your legs in such a way as to cause your butt to come up off of the bench (your rep doesn’t count when you do that).

You drive with your legs so that you compress yourself slightly and create as stable and rigid of a platform (i.e., a more rigid and stable you) as possible from which to bench.

#5 Focal Point
First, have a focal point, and second, it’s not the barbell (don’t stare at something that moves).

With the bar locked out, pick a spot on the ceiling directly above you and note that you can still see the bar in your peripheral vision. That bar needs to finish in the same place every single time at the top of each rep.

#6 Breathing and Bracing
We’ve covered how to do this for lifting in general, and we’ll link to a video below that addresses these general principles of breathing and getting tight. 

Here, let’s cover two interesting notes specifically related to breathing when benching.

First, the bench is a rare lift wherein you might consider doing multiple reps on one breath. That is perfectly acceptable, but don't take this as a test of your manhood (or womanhood) to see how many reps you can get on one breath. Passing out while benching is always a lousy idea.

Second, when you have the bar locked out at arms-length between reps and need to take a breath, don't take the biggest possible breath. When you do that, it's moves your upper body, which makes it difficult to keep your shoulders pinched back into place. Instead, think of the breath as a smaller, “topping-off-your-gas-tank” breath.

#7 How to Unrack a Heavy Bench Press By Yourself
If you’re training with someone, it's great to have your buddy help you with the unrack (i.e., the “lift-off”) so that you can stay in position efficiently and keep your shoulders pinned back and down.

However, if you're lifting on your own, it can be difficult to lift a heavy barbell up off the j-hooks and then maneuver it horizontally to the starting position directly above your shoulders.

The key is to use the leverage provided by the rest of your body to help you accomplish this task. Check out the short video below for an explanation and very useful demonstration of this process, but in short, the steps are as follows – first, flare your elbows out and back slightly. Second, lift your hips up off the bench. Third, unrack the bar, and fourth, bring your hips back down as you bring the bar into position.

#8 Safeties and Spotters
When possible, get a spotter. 

A spotter is great for the lift-off, and a spotter is also great if you get into trouble – after all, the bench press is the most dangerous lift in the room, so be smart about this and have a spotter when possible.

However, having a spotter is not always possible, and in this case, make sure that you set the safeties at the appropriate height. They need to be set low enough that you don't run into them when benching, but they also need to be set high enough that they save you from trouble if you fail a rep.

Check out the short video below for a demonstration of this.

Be sure to practice this, i.e., practice failing a rep with an empty bar and with the safeties set at the correct height. You should be able to relax your arch, set the bar on the safeties, and then slide out safely from under the bar. If you can’t do this, raise the safeties until you can.

We also recommend not using collars when benching as you can dump the plates (side-to-side) if you fail a rep, but the absence of collars is not sufficient as it won’t save you from the type of catastrophic disaster that can occur during the unracking or racking process and results with a bar on your face or neck.

Get a spotter or use safeties correctly. These are the only two options.

Bonus Tip
Use chalk.

Take a look at the big bench presses on YouTube or on social media, and you’ll notice that these guys and gals use chalk (you’ll see a few examples in the video below as well).

Chalk is most important in pulling movements like the deadlift, but it’s still important in the bench as well, and if you’re ever had your hand start to slide outward slightly when benching, you already know what I’m talking about.

You don’t need a lot of chalk, but it is wise to use some. Also, remember that if you’re training at a commercial gym, you’re not only dealing with the moisture and oils from your hands – you’re also dealing with the moisture and oils from whoever has used that bar before you.

Stay chalked, my friends.

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.)

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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?

Your BENCH PRESS Waits Your WHOLE LIFE For You to DO THIS (Don't Mess This Up)

Lifters make these bench press errors their whole lives and never realize it, and if your bench is stuck, you might be making one of these four common mistakes. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers how to fix them fast and bench more effectively.

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.

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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?

12 Pieces of Lifting Gear to THROW AWAY (and What to Replace Them With) - Part 2

We’re back with Part 2 in our series on gear that should be avoided, gear that should be thrown away, and gear that actually works well. If you missed Part 1, you can check that out by clicking here.

Let’s get to it . . .

Bench
Specifically, don’t get a slick bench. You need to be firmly affixed to the bench when performing the bench press, and a slippery bench makes it difficult or even impossible to (a) create stability by effectively driving with your legs, and (b) keep your shoulders retracted.

We have several Rogue Fitness benches at Testify, and while I don’t regret buying them, there are probably some better options out there in terms of grip (granted, it’s possible that Rogue has improved their bench since we last purchased one).

If I were shopping for a bench right now, I would lean toward the Rep Fitness bench. I don’t have personal experience with it, but a number of our online members have it, and I’ve heard solid reviews from them.

Power Racks & Squat Stands
Stay away from the 3” x 3” uprights.

This is absolutely a champagne problem, and if someone gave me a rack with 3” x 3” uprights, I would gladly use it. With that said, all of our racks have 2” x 3” uprights, and I strongly prefer this configuration.

First, 3” x 3” racks are more expensive than 2” x 3” racks. Second, consider unracking and racking your squat on a 3” x 3” rack versus a 2” x 3” rack. By comparison, 3” x 3” uprights give you 2” less space either between the outside of the uprights and the plates or between the inside of the uprights and your hands (or a combination of the two).

If you lose space on the outside (which is usually the case), you’re more likely to bump into the uprights when unracking and racking, and losing space on the inside of the rack can be rough on those with tight shoulders (and thus a relatively wide grip).

Nathan squats 485 lb for a set of 5 reps inside the rogue r-3 rack, which has 2” x 3” uprights.

Thus, for example, I’d recommend the Rogue R-3 or Titan T-3 over their 3” x 3” cousins. With that said, the 3” x 3” racks usually have more options for customization and accessories, so if you’re looking for more than a basic power rack, you’ll probably need to go that route.

Belts
Choose wisely when purchasing your lifting belt. Here are a few considerations:

1. Don’t get a tapered belt (i.e., wider in the back, narrower in the front). Your belt is as good as its narrowest point, so simply get a belt that is a uniform width all the way around. A 10 mm thick belt that is either 3” wide or 4” wide will work for 99% of lifters.

2. Don’t get a padded belt. A belt helps you brace and create stability, and cushioning defeats this purpose.

3. Don’t get a cheap belt. Buy a quality belt (usually $100 or more) - it will be far sturdier than a cheap belt, and it will probably outlast you.

There are a number of quality belt manufacturers out there - Pioneer, Dominion Strength, The Strength Co., and Inzer just to name a few, and with that in mind, here are a few belt options I typically recommend:

• Pioneer Cut - single prong with 1/2” adjustments, 4” wide x 10mm thick

• Pioneer - PAL V2, 4” wide x 10mm thick (if you’re looking for a lever belt)

• Dominion Strength - single prong, 3” wide x 10 mm thick

• Dominion Strength - single prong, 4” wide x 10 mm thick

Blocks
Blocks are very useful for deadlifting from a higher position (i.e., a block pull), deficit deadlifts, and snatching and cleaning from a higher position.

DC Blocks are a specific brand of block – they are stackable and durable, which makes them very useful. However, they’re a bit on the small side (in terms of surface area), and specifically, they are quite expensive. With this in mind, I would not recommend them unless you get can get them at a steep discount as we did when we purchased over $1000 of used DC Blocks for $300 at a garage sale.

Instead, most people are better off building their own blocks from horse stall mats, or if you need taller blocks, constructing them from a combination of wood and stall mats. You can check out the videos above and below for how to do this.

Lifting Gloves
Don’t.

A glove puts a layer - it puts distance - between you and the barbell.

If you’re benching with gloves, now you have a padded surface between you and the bar, and a pad is not good for force transfer.

If you’re deadlifting with gloves, you have the same problem, and you have the significantly worse problem of effectively making the bar larger in your hands (since your hand now goes around the bar and the inner surface of your glove).

I was once silly enough (many moons ago) to use gloves. Then I started using my brain like a sane person and threw them away. Learn from my silliness and avoid the gloves (or throw them away if you have them).

Technical Shirt
A tech shirt is also known as a “dri fit” or “moisture wicking” shirt, and indeed, they are excellent at wicking moisture away from your body, which makes them great for running, basketball, soccer, etc.

However, they are rather terrible for lifting as they tend to be slick.

The last thing you want when training is a slippery surface between you and the bar when squatting or between you and the bench when benching.

Ditch the dri fit shirt and wear a basic, cotton t-shirt. It’s not high-tech, but it’s remarkably effective.

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.)

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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?

This Mistake Will RUIN All Your Lifts!

Want to improve every one of your lifts with one fix? Make sure you're doing this. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explains.

(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 05/27/23)

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.

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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?