Bench Boosters? Board Press and Chain Questions

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

I’ve never been a member of an elite gym. My first job was in a small town close to a military base. I stumbled across a book on “strength training for athletes” and have been lifting regularly for several decades since doing that. Over time, I could lift much more than most.

The military base had a room with thirty Nautilus machines, and eventually I could max out all of them thrice while circuit training. It also had an awesome bench press setup with two posts on each side of the bench you could make any (equal) stop height you wanted. So a solo lifter could push hard but also press safely. An awesome thing - nothing wrong with rack pins or Smiths but you are much more limited in where you can put the stops. My bench became impressive.

Many years later, and after Covid pauses, my deadlift and squat are close to where I want them. But my bench press is weaker than I want. So I’m concentrating on that at the moment. I miss the Nautilus room; gyms don’t have them anymore and they were awesome.

Really, my triceps are strong and the lockout is good. I can max out the 300# pec deck machine, but am weaker off the chest than I want. I am sometimes an ego lifter going too heavy, because I could do it once. But not always… I still do GVT 10x10s and modified 5x10s as well as more reasonable weights and volumes.

My shoulders are still good but wide presses strain them more than they used to. I am very cognizant about keeping my shoulder joints healthy.

I’ve never seen someone use boards or chains in a commercial gym. Even in the Canadian military one. Though bands are very popular. I’m trying both chains and boards in my home gym. My strategy with board is to get comfortable using them, then decrease the number of boards while increasing the number of chains.

Mixing these with a “bottom up” strategy of starting the lift from pins just above my chest. Adding in some floor presses, Spottos, dumbbells, wall push-ups, pec deck, chest dips and other triceps exercises.

I made my own boards by buying a long 2x6 and cutting it into 16” pieces. Drilled a hole in four pieces near one end, and added two longer 3/4” pieces to act as a handle and to allow for more options. Used a single carriage bolt to unite the four 1.5” thick pieces and two 3/4” pieces. So you can rotate the number of boards you want and get many thicknesses with one unit. Bulky but fairly portable in a canvas shopping bag.

The videos generally show a spotter holding the handle. Previous threads suggest bungee cords, or just throwing the boards beneath ones tank top.

Playing around with my creation, using just the tank top to secure it, felt too flimsy. Guess I’ll try the bungee cords.

My questions.

1. Are there any significant safety issues with board pressing solo? Tate in his EliteFTS video suggests longer boards (18”) are safer. Commercial ones are often 15” and overpriced when making them ain’t hard. 16” is easy to use with board lengths which are multiples of three (say 6’, 9’, 12’). The two handle half-boards are 20”. It probably does not matter much but anecdotally 12” is too short to be maximally safe.

2. Is board pressing worth the aggro? Did it significantly help improve your bench press, or really just the lockout?

3. Is my anticipated strategy of using my decent lockout strength but gradually reducing the number of boards reasonably sound?

4. Since our gym lacks dumbbells over 100 lbs., what might be the best strategies to improve when weak at the chest? Did you find chains helpful and worth the aggro? Bottom-up presses? Or is your gum blessed with heavier dumbbells? I Spotto press, but this seems to improve lockout more than chest.

5. Any other anecdotes, advice, cautions or whatever around boards? Or bench accessory lifts or tools? I bench natural, never have used a bench shirt, but did buy a slingshot which helped some (as in making me feel I could bench heavier more safely). Are chains more effective than a slingshot in your experience?

Thanks muchly.

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

Another question about chains: is there any reason you could not divide them into half lengths, and have one upper piece connected to the bar and to two or more lower pieces on the floor, since the advantage is the only weight of the chains now on the floor when the bar is on the chest?

[taylortooswift]

When I was training for my first comp back in 2016 I loved board press. I mostly trained alone and our boards were slick so I ended up making a strap to attach two 10lb plates together since they were more grippy. You could also go to a local skate shop and get some Grip Tape for the chest side of your board! It should grip your clothes better that way.

Also try pin press. That helped me work out f the hole a lot more than board press dip. That and heavy full ROM dips.

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

I went to the dollar store. They were selling pairs of elastic, long fabric cylinders that you are supposed to put over your arms, to mimic having patriotic arm tattoos. Never seen these before, but they were perfect for giving a fabric cover to the top and bottom boards to improve grip and the slightly exposed bolt and nut. Still, gonna need some bungee cords.

Anyone ever use boards on a decline press?

[bulldog9899]

If i understand what your saying. ( since my reading comprehension is questionable)Thats the way your supposed to use them or at least the way i was taught.

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

Thanks. Is there any maximum number of chains in the bottom half for every chain in the top half? (Or if the chain is shaped like a fork, could you have three or four pieces on the handle?).

[ChickenLittle]

The 915 Workout Program

[The-915-Workout-Program] by Christian Thibaudeau A program built around the three powerlifts that will make you 15% stronger and 7 pounds bigger in just 9 weeks. If you want to build muscle at a fast rate, you don’t have to include an exercise for every single angle of every single muscle in your body. You don’t have to use all the most advanced methods at the same time. Growing is all about working hard on exercises that will deliver results 10 out of 10 times. It’s also about finding your p…

Down in the article/program Thibs helps you select exercises for weak points. Not sure boards are going to fix your situation.

[bulldog9899]

One chain off the sleeve of the barbell. All other chains connected to it. You will want a complete deload at the bottom of the movement

[FlatsFarmer]

Here’s a cool article that talks a bunch about using boards a few different ways.

A strategy that stuck out was doing singles in the Dead Bench (benching off pins in the bottom position, in the rack) to build strength and acceleration off the chest. Then using boards as close as possible to your sticking point to make sure you don’t forget how to lower and press “normally.”

CAT, Plyo, and Board Presses

Short video about hooking up chains.

How To PROPERLY Add Chains To A Barbell

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

Thanks. What I’m asking is what is the practical limit to the number of lower chains? Tate suggests he has used nine chains in a video he did on bench pressing, but this video only shows him using one chain, hence my question. Do you think he meant he had nine lower chains on each side hanging from just one upper chain, or something asymmetrical?

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

That’s helpful, thanks.

It would be better if our gym had heavier dumbbells. But they are still useful. I should do more wide grips and “bottom-up” pin presses. And work on adding more weight to full-range chest dips.

[FlatsFarmer]

Use the same number of chains on each side.

[ChickenLittle]

You can always make the dumbbells harder by pausing, tempo, bands etc… Unless they are ridiculously light.

[bulldog9899]

You being serious?

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

I’m serious Tate said in his video he used nine chains. How he could do this in a balanced way was unaddressed. Nine chains on each side seems a stretch, especially if all the tails are on one cat (besides, most lifters would then claim eighteen chains).

But I’m not serious about me buying or using so many chains. My motto: “Start low, push hard and grow”. If I like ‘em I could see working up to three each side max. Probably no good if too many chains get all mixed together…

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

True enough. One hundred pound dumbbells aren’t featherweights. So your advice is good. Pauses seem the easiest option.

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

Thanks for that video. The explanation was extremely clear and helpful. I don’t know Wenning, but the man knows how to teach - very concise, focused on fundamentals, no obvious BS or ego or distractions or “look how nice my gym is”.

As a contrarian, I point out two additional things. I am not judging anything, and lack the experience with chains to do so.

1. Tate argued you want a “bunch of chain on the ground” at the beginning of the motion, and this extra weight will make the chain more likely to stay in place. The Wenning video argues for just a link or two on the ground. I could see both arguments - more friction versus “wasted weight” since more ground chain does not mean more weight difference - just the lifted part. Probably does not make much difference?

2. Hanging the chain over the bar is more bad ass. But I bought a cheap pair of collar, T screw, locking carabiner things which look very solid and should keep the chain from slipping or “hitting the platform”. Probably not really needed, but might keep my gym happier. Gotta confess I kinda like buying gym gadgets, but some (e.g. sliders) turn out to be kinda useless for me.

[SkyzykS]

@DoesTheHeavyLifting

Probably does not make much difference?

Bar path and load stability is very important. I don’t like any sway imposed on a load. Other people may have their own personal preferences. With the caliber of Tate & Wenning, its a matter of what suits you. They’re both right.

[FlatsFarmer]

Tate says you want a bunch of chain on the ground at the bottom of the bench press. That way, there is more chain to pick up as you extend your arms.

Wenning says to make sure there is still a link or two on the ground at the top. That way, the chain doesn’t dangle or swing when your arms are extended and the chain is mostly off the ground.

So if you’re benching, at the bottom, when the bar is on your chest, the big chains are mostly on the ground. And at the top, when your arms are fully extended, the chains are mostly in the air, with just a link or two on the ground.

Top. Chains mostly in air.

Bottom. Chains mostly on ground.

[DoesTheHeavyLifting]

I get that, but Tate and Wenning are not saying exactly the same thing.

Tate’s bench video he did for Elite has a short segment on chains, but not much. If memory serves, he shows a setup but does not actually bench with them. It looks like he keeps six or so links on the ground when the bar is in the rack, which he said helped with reducing sway and keeping the chain stable. Obviously as you bench press, more chain goes on the ground to reduce weight at the chest, which then increases as you raise the bar.

It is easy to get bogged down with unimportant minutiae. Lots of lifters talk about de minimus stuff when what they need to do is show up and lift. I’m prepared to say without much experience it might not matter or might be a personal preference. In any case, try both and just do it.