How to Optimize Bench Press Technique?

[yongsoo26]

Okay so I know the bench form cues but i’m kind of missing out on two things
-Shoulders back and depressed, but what about the tension in my lats? Do i try to contract it as short and tight as possible like a close grip cable row/lat pulldown or spread it as if posing a lat spread?
-I can’t seem to utilize both my triceps and chest together in the movement. Sometimes my reps lack chest involvement making it mostly tricep and vice versa. Occasionally i will get a good rep in that fully optimizes both of the muscle groups to maximize the strength output. Is there a technical/mechanical cue i am missing? an error in my form? or is this more about practicing the mind muscle connection?

[khangles]

@yongsoo26

Shoulders back and depressed, but what about the tension in my lats? Do i try to contract it as short and tight as possible like a close grip cable row/lat pulldown or spread it as if posing a lat spread?

A lat spread is literally the opposite of what you should be doing. JP Cauchi has a good cue for lats in his bench video here.

Bench Press: Setting Up for a Big Arch

@yongsoo26

-I can’t seem to utilize both my triceps and chest together in the movement. Sometimes my reps lack chest involvement making it mostly tricep and vice versa. Occasionally i will get a good rep in that fully optimizes both of the muscle groups to maximize the strength output. Is there a technical/mechanical cue i am missing? an error in my form? or is this more about practicing the mind muscle connection?

All I can think of is tweaking grip width so that you have stacked joints when the bar is on your chest, perhaps even wider for powerlifting purposes. Making tweaks to your touch point may also yield some results if you’re currently on the extremes or inconsistent with your touch point.

In all likelihood you’re probably just stressing out and wasting timing ruminating and overthinking about a non issue. Unless your bench looks like a pec flye or Tate Press somehow then you should be alright. If you’re benching there’s plenty of tricep and chest action going on.

Overall advice: Put mind muscle connection and such out of your mind. Focus on cues that let you move the most weight efficiently/safely e.g. short arms, chest to bar, tuck/flare etc. Posting a vid for formcheck might be useful also

[Irishman92]

I like your advice giving ability khangles. Always consise, accurate and usually with material to back up or help support you. Here, have an apple

[khangles]

Cheers mate

[chris_ottawa]

There are plenty of youtube videos on bench technique, I would recommend the JTS bench pillars series. Other than that, make sure that the information you get is coming from someone who actually competes in PL or coaches powerlifters.

I’m not a fan or Mark Rippetoe but his book “Starting Strength” will give you the basics of how to bench. Most of his stuff is too dogmatic, his methods might not always be the best for everyone but at least they will work.

[osu122975]

1. Get under the bar.
2. Find a grip width that feel good naturally.
3. Line your neck up underneath the bar.
4. Do a horizontal row up toward the bar and then down. Your eyes should now be looking back towards the bar.
5. Use your legs to drive your upper back into the bench and keep tension and tightness there. Your back should feel like its a bridge(belly should be sticking up). Your back should feel tight and even uncomfortable holding that position(sometimes it might even cramp up on you)
6. Squeeze the bar as hard as possible. You should feel contraction tension from squeezing down your arms and into your shoulders.
7. Take a big breath and hold it the entire lift. This keeps you tight.
8. Take the bar out of the rack.
9. Stay tight and take another breath if you need it. If you don’t, then don’t.
10. Lower the bar keep your wrists and elbows in line/straight up and down from each other/perfectly vertical all the way to your chest.
11. Use your legs to drive your upper back into the bench and push the weight away from you in a straight line. Keep your legs driven into the floor all the way to lockout under tension.

This is what my set up looks like every time I bench. The key is staying tight from chest to lockout.

[flappinit]

A big cue for me was Dave Tate’s advice to pull the bar off the rack and over me instead of pushing it up and then out. When I pull the bar off the rack I am able to keep my shoulderblades pinched - the second I lift UP and off I lose the tension. This can cause the triceps to overcompensate.

Edit: this technique is great for engaging the lats as well, as they are what you use to pull the bar off the rack.

[ironmonster78]

Your lats need to be tight. Try to set the weight into them and use them for stabilizers and to launch the weight off your chest.

Off your chest you are into chest and front delts, then you’ll recruit the tris and front delts for the lockout. THe transition is tricky.

If you can isolate where you weak point is you can train it with boards or RLO’s. Full range overload can be done with a slingshot. I pause anything 3 reps or less.

I’d also highly recommend working a speed bench day in there. IT will help you all the way around.