Weak Bench Press? QUICK FIX
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Don’t be a moron when you’re benching. A little harsh, perhaps? Sure, but ignoring that, what are we even talking about here?
The Mistake You’re Making
The bench press mistake we’re discussing today is very common - especially with newer lifters (but yes - experienced ones too) - and it is the error of allowing your shoulders to “bounce” or “jump” up off the bench at the top of the movement.
Analogy: The Squat
When you squat - when you finish standing up at the completion of a rep - you stay flat-footed. Specifically, you certainly don’t squat down, drive back up, and then finish the rep by coming up onto your toes momentarily (i.e., with your heels up off the ground) and then settling back down to a flat-footed position (i.e., with your heels back on the ground again).
This would be unstable, unnecessary, and ridiculous as well, so you don’t do it. However, you might be making an analogous mistake when benching.
What This Looks Like on the Bench Press
A correctly performed bench press will have the following components - you set your stance at roughly squat width, you lie down on the bench and retract your shoulder blades, you unrack the bar with straight arms, you lower the barbell until it touches your chest, and then you press the bar back up to the same position from which it started . . . with your shoulder blades still retracted (Figure 1).
Figure 1: The correct lockout position (shoulders retracted). note the position of the bar against the backdrop of the uprights - compare this to figure 2.
You finish the rep in a controlled fashion, and because you do so, you don’t have to pull your shoulders back into place each time after completing a rep.
However, lifters often allow their shoulders to come up out of position at the top of the rep. If you’re making this mistake (record yourself on video to check), you’ll see the bar “jump” at the top of the rep. That is, the bar will go up a bit too far (Figure 2) and then settle back into its final position.
Figure 2: don’t do this. note the position of the bar against the backdrop of the uprights - compare this to figure 1.
In this situation, the bar is traveling upward too far because you’re allowing your shoulders to pop up off the bench slightly and then settle back into place at the top of the rep. Watch the included video below to see this error in action (as well as a demonstration and explanation of how to fix it).
Shoulders are Stability
Remember - your shoulders are for the bench press what your feet are for the squat. They are your base of support, and you want a wide and stable base of support when benching. With this in mind, you need to keep those shoulders pinned down and pulled back as much as possible. If you allow your shoulders to pop off the bench at the top of each rep, you’re adding an artificial, unstable, and inefficient range of motion to the lift. In addition, you now need to re-retract your shoulders before the next rep, and that’s wasted energy that you shouldn’t need to utilize.
You squat with your feet flat on the floor, so bench with your shoulders retracted and firmly attached to the bench.
How to Fix the Problem
First, and assuming that you’re already focused on keeping your shoulders back, you can remind yourself to “finish deliberately” or “lock out with control.” This will often help ensure that you aren’t aggressively causing your shoulders to get out of position.
Second, cue yourself to “finish only with your elbows” or “bench only with your elbows.” While this is a bit of an exaggeration as your shoulders are most certainly moving whenever you bench, it often helps lifters keep their shoulders from moving out of position when locking out a rep.
Third, cue yourself to finish with “short arms” or remind yourself to lock out the rep with the bar as close to you as possible. If your shoulders pop off the bench, the bar will be farther away from you than it should be, so these reminders often help people keep their shoulders pinned back, thus keeping the bar as close as possible to the lifter (while still having locked elbows).
Keep your shoulders in the correct position, and you’ll have a stronger, more stable bench press. As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
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