(If you like, you can scroll down to the end of this article and watch a video related to this topic.)
You’re all set to bench - your grip is pronated, your shoulder blades are pinched back, and you’ve got your focal point nailed down, but you’re forgetting one thing . . .
Use. Your. Legs.
When benching, drive up the bench with your legs. In other words, use your legs to drive your body in the direction of your head (i.e., “up the bench”). You should be driving in such a manner that - if the bar wasn’t pinning your shoulders to the bench - you might actually start sliding up the bench. Make sure you’re driving horizontally and not vertically - remember that the rep doesn’t count if your butt comes up off the bench. Drive with your legs throughout the entire rep - drive hard on the descent and drive even harder on the ascent.
Leg drive is easy to forget about - especially if you’re new to the bench press - but it’s important. Your legs give you lateral stability (the bench doesn’t help much here as it’s not very wide), they support your arch, and they help make everything between your feet and your shoulders that much more rigid, which makes for a more stable platform from which to bench.
So use your legs next time, and if you find that you keep forgetting, write “leg drive” down in your training log as a cue for yourself next time.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
