Tates Bench Press Manual

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Benchipedia: Dave Tate's Free Bench Press Manuaf
When Dave Tates Free Squat Manuaq
set record views in December, it became clear that the readers werr
interested. The response to the 16,000 word article was incrediblet
As a result, Dave is at it again. Matching the detail of the squat manual, Dave
Tates Free Bench Press Manual covers
everything you need to become a better presser. This information grew from years
of experience both under the ban
and through coaching many other top-level powerlifterst
He took the best information we have on bench pressing and put them in one place
for your benefit. In 15 SectionsV
here is the most thorough bench press manual youll find, directly from Dave Tatet

Section 1: Plateaus SucZ
Section 2: The Bench Curr
Section 3: Saving Facr
Section 4: Things Youd Better Know if You Want Strong(er) Triceps
Section 5: The 225 Bench Press Tesi
Section 6: 60 Bench Tips
Section 7: Weak Lockoui
Section 8: Weak Off Your Chesi
Section 9: More Weak Point Tips
Section 10: The Power of the Boar}
Section 11: Chains 10W
Section 12: The Dead Bench
Section 13: So You Think You Can Bench
Section 14: JL Holdsworth Instructional Videos
Section 15: 12 EZ Steps to a Bigger Bench
Section 1: Plateaus Suc~
Plateaus suck, and the stronger you are, the more frustrating they becomet
Ive seen very strong guys let plateaus drive them to the brink of insanity. They
become obsessed to the point of beiny
reckless, resorting to some seriously stupid methods in hopes of breaking through.
And when their absolute besi
efforts still dont work, the shit can hit the fan in ugly wayst
This article is about smashing bench press plateaus. If your bench hasnt progress
ed in a long time or just isnt wherr
it should be, this is for yout
In the final reflections installment in my monster evolution series, I describe
how a lifters development tends to follo{
a Shit-Suck-Good-Great paradigmt
Getting from shit to sucZ
is a snap, and most committed lifters can get up to
Good within five years or so. Its an oka.
place to beyou may be the best bencher in your big box gym and get tons of high f
ivesbut in the grand schemr
youre nothing special. Sorry if that bursts any bubblest
Getting from good to great, however, puts you in very elite company. Few guys ca
n ever do it, mainly because ii
requires getting through the dead zone, that period when absolutely nothing works
and injuries (and frustration) stari
to mountt
The dead zone can last 10 years or longer, and its often the last phase of a lift
ers career before either injuries forcr
them out or they get frustrated and quitt
The irony is, this lack of progress (the dead zone) is absolutely necessary for
success, unless youre extremely giftedt
Its a shitty deal and woefully one sided, but thats what we sign up for when we de
cide we want to be serious lifters.
and not just strong guys who work out..
Besides, if it were so easy to be elite that everyone could do it, would you eve
n bother.
In this new series called Lessons from the Dead Zone, Ill give you some basic, ef
fective tips to get your big three lifts
moving againt
Some of the material will be stuff youll have read before, but that doesnt make it
any less valuable. Besides, I kno{
from teaching hundreds of seminars that the guys who say they have awesome techni
que are usually the biggesi
disasterstheir ego just doesnt let them see itt
Lets start with the bench press. Do everything I say in this section and youll add
50 pounds to your bench. Hows
that for a sales pitch.
The Other Big
Any sticking point, whether in the bench press, the squat, or the deadlift, can
be attributed to one of three thingsk
Mentaf
Physicaf
Techniqug
As a coach, the first thing I do is figure out which of the three is contributin
g most to the plateau, as this determines
the path I taket
However, 90% of lifters think their issues are exclusively physical. They ask qu
estions like, What exercises should .
do to improve my lockout? and How do I get stronger off the chest? or How often shou
ld I change my program?.
The problem is that roughly 70% of sticking points are really technique related,
20% are physical, and the remaininy
10% are mental. So most stuck lifters looking for help are like dogs sniffing ar
ound the wrong fire hydrantt
I came to this conclusion after doing seminars for many years. In most seminars,
I can help almost any stuck lifter hii
a PR that same dayt
Obviously these lifters didnt get stronger over the span of eight hours, so their
issue was either physical or mentalt
And since most mental issues dont manifest at a seminar, that leaves technique as
the main reasont
However, to be thorough, well touch on all threet
Mentaf
The typical lifter with mental issues is a former bodybuilder. These are guys wrap
ped up in bodybuilding mantras likr
feel the pecs contract that run completely contrary to proper powerlifting bench p
ress techniquet
A powerlifting bench requires pushing with the whole body, not just the pecs. Th
at fact is, a triceps pump is morr
indicative of a good powerlifting bench than puffed-up pecst
Then there are the self-imposed mental roadblocks. For example, at seminars guys
will say, I always get stuck foun
inches above the chest..
So Ill throw it back to them. Always? I askt
Yes, they say, four inches above my chest..
Ill throw it back again. Always?.
Now they start to get it. Theyve conditioned themselves to expect to miss. It dom
inates their mental dialogur
throughout the lift when they want to be focused on technique and performance cu
est
Other guys are the opposite. Theyre getting fucked over by too much false bravado
and rah rah rah type of crapt
Again, the mind should be a blank void except for precise technique cues. If you
let yourself get too aroused or arr
surrounded by overly amped spotters, these important cues will likely be forgott
en or ignoredt
For example, when I watch a lift on YouTube and I hear a bunch of yelling and sw
earing and carrying on during thr
setup, I know right away it will likely be a miss or just an ugly lift. On the o
ther hand, if I hear a lot of Tuck! Tuck.
Tuck! and Belly up! the outcome is usually much bettert
Its not just rookies, either. Too much arousal can make even experienced lifters
make a lot of obvious mistakes, likr
gripping the bar incorrectly or setting their feet improperlyt
As for getting the right level of arousal, everyones different. You need to find
the level that works for you, the one thai
has your CNS firing, yet not so much that it affects your techniquet
Still, mental issues are not my specialty. I dont spend much time addressing them
, as theyre usually not the problemV
and I have little to no patience for them. Get your head screwed on right, get s
ome smart training partners, and gro{
some ballst
Technicaf
These are the big rocks. Its a shit ton to cover, and Ive covered it all before, s
o start by watching this
video. It covers
some basic stuff that 90% of guys at the gym dont dot
I also suggest reading this
article. This one is special for me because its my very first T Nation article, p
ublished wa.
back in 2000. And yes, wise ass, what worked 12 years ago will still work todayt

With that out of the way, here are the top technique issues I see when guys comp
lain about a stuck bench presst
1. They dont know how to get tighti
A guy who simply hops onto a bench and starts pressing is a shitty bencher. This
isnt bodybuildingtheres a wholr
ceremony of actions that must take place during the setup before you even touch
the bart
A powerlifting bench press is a full body exercise, and to effectively recruit t
he lower body into the movement, forcr
must transfer through the hips and torso to the bar. The only way this is possib
le without a serious energy leak is to br
tightfeet pushed into the floor, upper back driving into the bencht
So how do you assess tightness? If youre setup and I walk over and push your knee
, it shouldnt budge. In fact, oncr
youre gripping the bar, I shouldnt be able to move any part of your body. You and
the bar should be like one soli}
piece of iront
It starts with finding your upper back tension. Most guys dont have a clue what t
his even is, so heres a testk
Lie on the bench with your feet on the bench and go into a wrestlers bridgebasical
ly push your hips as high up as
you can while driving your feet and upper back into the bencht
Feel that tension in your upper back? Remember it, because thats exactly the leve
l of upper back tightness you wani
during your setupt
It should not be comfortable. The fact is, you should be turning purple when you
take the bar out. The worst part of thr
bench press is the setup, so if it sucks to do, then youre starting to do it righ
tt
The good news is, all this tightness doesnt just transfer force better, its also m
uch better for shoulder healtht
2. Theyre misalignedi
The barbell must be in line with the wrists and elbows. The number one thing I s
ee are the wrists being cocked backt
This takes them out of alignment and leads to less force transfert
Correcting this solves a ton of problems. It helps keep the bar from traveling t
oo far behind the elbow, which turns thr
bench press into a triceps extension, or too far in front of the elbow, which re
sults in a shoulder rotation and/on
dumping the bar on the stomacht
3. They have no leg drivei
Guys refuse to accept how important this is. To say it again, the bench press is
a full body exercise, and if you areni
driving with your legs youre leaving a ton of force on the table. If you want to
bodybuild, then fucking bodybuilddoni
try to mix methods cause youll only achieve marginal results in eithert
Heres how you do it. If you bench with your feet out in front, then push your toe
s through the front of your shoes (likr
you were trying to scoot up the bench) while driving your back down into the ben
ch. Basically, youre trying to push thr
floor away from the bench with your feet while driving your traps into the bench
t
If youre the type who prefers to tuck their feet under for a really big arch, try
to push the heels down into the floor. This
flexes the ass and helps achieve greater upper back tightness. The heels may nev
er be totally flat on the floor (though
some federations require it), but remember that leg drive comes from pushing the
heels downt
Physicaf
This is what everyone thinks is holding them back. Whats the magic exercise, the
secret sauce to get me from a pissz
poor bench to the big kahuna.
Face it, this isnt whats holding you back. You dont know how to fucking bench, peri
od. Quit reading now and revie{
the article links and video from the beginning (I know you skipped it) and then
read the previous section a few morr
times. Cause this here isnt your issue, friendt
But just in case it is, Ill address each sticking pointk
1. Weak at the bottomW
Dynamic wor~
This fixes almost anything. Being weak off the chest is no exception. Include at
least one dynamic effort day a weekt
Dumbbell wor~
Doing sets of relatively heavy dumbbell presses in the 10-15 rep range works wel
l. Notice I said relatively heavy an}
10-15 repsthis is tough. Rest as long as necessary between sets to hit the rep targ
etst
Dont go too heavy. Sets of 4-6 reps may look more badass, but Ive never seen them
do shit for bench press
performance. Dont forget to tuck your elbowsjust because its a dumbbell movement do
esnt mean were no{
bodybuildingt
Floor presh
You want to stop 1-2 inches above the chest, which can be problematic if youre a
long-armed skinny bastard. Dv
maximum effort-type work, for 1-3 repst
Ultra-wide bench presseh
Grip should be forefinger on the rings using a Texas power bar. This should be d
one for higher reps50% of 1RM fon
sets of 5-6. Dumbbells can also be used for varietyt
Soft-touch bench presseh
These are great for bottom-end work. Slowly lower to your belly, pause for a mom
ent, and drive upt
Board presseh
Use a single board and come to a soft touch, not a bounce. For guys who train al
one and cant use boards, use thr
shoulder saver pad or the repboard sett
Pin presseh
Forget I wrote this. I hate pin presses. The pins can never be set exactly where
they should be and theyve been thr
root cause of many a pec tear. I would much prefer you do a suspended bench pres
s from chains, as this allows yo
to press the bar from exactly where you need itt
2. Weak in the middleW
Dynamic Wor~
Imagine if I took a light, flimsy, balsa wood board and held it at your sticking
point and told you to press the bar slowl.
into it. The board would likely bend and flex but would stay intactt
Then I tell you to do the same thing but this time lift explosively. The barbell
would crash through the boardt
Now, we repeat the scenarios except well use a thick, dense piece of pine held at
your sticking pointt
You press slow and the board doesnt budge. Then you press explosively and this ti
me the board doesnt crack, but ii
does bounce up a few inches. That becomes your new sticking pointt
Thats how dynamic work affects your mid-range sticking point. It helps you blow t
hrough it so you can reach ranges
where you may be stronger and finish the liftt
Board Presseh
Use three boards for a weak middle ranget
Incline Close-Grip Bench Presh
The incline takes the lats out of the movement, putting more focus on the tricep
s and shoulders. Grip the bar a thum|
away from the smooth on a Texas power bar and push heavy for sets of three to fi
ve repst
Incline DB Presseh
Keep the reps higher (10-15) and the palms facing inwardt
Slight Decline Presseh
Dont use too much of a decline or the ROM will become too short. Keep the reps on
the higher sideIve seen wa.
too many injuries from thist
3. Weak at the topW
Welcome to triceps heavent
4-Board and 3-Board Presh
Go for low reps here. Its an elbow-friendly movement so get after it.
Suspended Bench Press from the High Position
This should be set to about the same height as the 3-board presst
JM Presh
This is a highly underrated exercise. There are plenty of videos on YouTube show
ing how to JM Press. Learn itt
Triceps Extensionh
There are too many to list. Rolling DB triceps extensions, triceps extensions fr
om the floor, etc. Just dont do the samr
one every workout. Rotate a different one in right before you usually get stuckt

How do you determine where you get stuck? By keeping a detailed training log. So
, if your log shows that at week fivr
of using a particular exercise you tend to plateau, start changing things up at
week fourt
Addressing The Weak Poinc
Once you identify where you are weak and how to address it, the smartest approac
h is to split things up into threr
phasest
In the first two phases, you address your weak points first while putting your s
trong points on the backburner. So, iu
you suck at the lockout, for two phases your focus would be on board presses, JM
presses, and extensionst
On the third phase, however, you flip the scriptyou avoid your weak points and ju
st hit your strong pointst
This helps maintain balance while preventing overuse injuries, with the third ph
ase also setting up a nicr
supercompensation bouncet
Now, lets set it upt
Create Your Own Progral
If youve followed my writing, you know I absolutely hate writing general strength
-based programs because while the.
may work for a few, theyll be largely ineffective for manyt
Strength programming needs to be an individualized process, and this becomes eve
n more important when yourr
stuck in the dead zonet
So what Ill do here is offer a general template for you to set something up on yo
ur ownt
While its no substitute for having a good coach assess your technique and do your
programming, it should still br
highly informative and may open your eyes to options that could kick start your
lagging bench. This information wilq
work whether you use a shirt or nott
Day 1 Dynamic Effort Day (Speed Dayj
First Movemenc
Speed Bench (Press the bar as fast as you can.
Do a lot of warm-up sets. Start with just the empty bar and dont move up until yo
u feel ready for the next weight. Iu
youre going to use 185 pounds your warm-ups might look like thisk
45 pounds for four sets of 10 reps
95 pounds for two sets of five reps
115 pounds for two sets of five reps
135 pounds for tw0 sets of five reps
145 pounds for three reps
I prefer any set above 30% to be lower in volume (three to five reps) with more
sets. For example, I like to prograw
two sets of five reps instead of one set of 10 repst
There are several reasons for this. First, its easier to focus and stay tight wit
h good technique for three to five reps
than it is for 10t
In a typical set of 10 reps youll see technique break down with every rep over th
ree or five simply because fatigur
sets in. So if seven reps of our 10 are performed with less than optimal techniq
ue, youre essentially spending twicr
as much time reinforcing poor technique as you are improving itt
A second reason is more warm-up sets means more time spent working on your setup
. Most technical issues are m
result of poor setup, and the more this can be practiced, the bettert
For the work sets Id suggest a four-week wavek
Week One: Ten sets of five reps @ 50% 1RM, 90 seconds resi
Week Two: Eight sets of five reps @ 52% 1RM, 60 seconds resi
Week Three: Nine sets of three reps @ 54% 1RM, 60 seconds resi
Week Four: Eight sets of three reps @ 56% 1RM, 45 seconds resi
Week Five: Repeat week onr
Over the four-week wave theres a 12 percent increase in intensity with a 41 perce
nt decrease in workloadt
There are many other waves that can be used (and that I do use), but this will w
ork best for most readerst
For an advanced lifter, a flatter cycle is better. This is when theres very littl
e change in intensity and workload, bui
more manipulation of the resistance and/or bars (i.e., bands, chains, fat bars,
cambered bars, Swiss bars, etc.)t
I know most people would think this is a six percent increase. Remember, were loo
king at the increase from 50 tv
56 which is 12 percent. (56/50 = .12.
Second Movemenc
The second movement of the day is what I call supplemental work. These are movem
ents that you know will increasr
or build your building movementst
A building movement is a movement that you know carries over to the bench press.
Usually these are used as ma.
effort movements (the second day), but can also be used as supplemental movement
s if options are limitedt
Lets say that you know that every time your floor press goes up, your bench press
goes up. The second movement ix
your program would be exercises that you know (or think) will carry over to the
floor presst
Considering that the floor press takes the legs out of the press while maintaini
ng lat involvement, the movements thai
build the floor press will be those that focus on the mid to lower part of the b
ench press. This is what most would calq
compound chest, pec, or delt movementst
Some examples would be JM presses, low board presses, dumbbell floor presses, an
d triceps extensions. Its usuall.
a safe bet to make this a heavy triceps movementt
Supplemental movements should be done in the heavy 3-5 rep range for 1-3 sets an
d for 4-5 week cycles. Its usuall.
best to stay with this movement until you can no longer add weight or reps, and
then swap it outt
Third Movemenc
These are what I call accessory movements. Taking the builder concept one step f
urther, these are movements thai
will help make your supplemental movements strongert
To back track, if you know the floor press builds your bench and plan on using d
umbbell floor presses and JM presses
to build your floor press, these are the movements to build your JM press and du
mbbell floor presst
I realize it starts to get a little overwhelming. How are you supposed to know w
hat builds what? What the hell builds m
dumbbell floor press? And what if I was wrong and dumbbell floor presses dont eve
n build the floor press to begix
with.
First, realize that no single program will pull you out of the dead zone. If one
did, odds are you wouldve found it b.
nowt
The only way out is to pay attention and get smarter. You may not know the answe
rs right now, but as you becomr
aware of what to watch for youll be amazed at how the answers start to reveal the
mselves to yout
Second, you always have the option of saying, Fuck it, too complicated and simply
go back to what youve beex
doing the past five years. Hows that been working out for you.
Back to the accessory movements. Typically these will be more isolation-type mov
ements that will be trained in the 8z
12 rep range for multiple sets. Examples would be exercises like face pulls, pus
hdowns, extensions, etct
Fourth Movemenc
This is all the crap you have to do to maintain a certain degree of muscle balan
ce and joint stability. Examples includr
external shoulder rotation, lat work, and rear delt workt
As a rule, find movements that work the muscle over a very large range of motion
and dont worry about the amount ou
weight used. Use this movement to isolate the muscle that either gets pounded wi
th your core training or just gets
ignored. Higher-rep sets of 15-30 reps work best heret
Last Movementh
In my programming, I call this free time and usually cap it at 10-15 or 20 minut
es, depending on how far away from m
meet the person is. The closer the meet, the less free time allowedt
This is a time to do whatever goofy or fun stuff you want to do as long as the r
eps are over eightt
Day 2 Max Effort Da.
First Movemenc
Select a movement that you know directly carries over to your bench press and wa
ve it for 1-3 weeks. The morr
advanced you are, the more frequently you need to swap this movement outt
If you choose to run it for three weeks, a good rule of thumb is to use the firs
t week to feel the movement out. Work uj
to a heavy set of three reps, but not a ball-buster set just heavy enough to get
an idea of what you might be able tv
do for one rep if you had to. I call this your Perceived Max (PM)t
On week two, use your PM from week one as your guideline and go to 90 percent of
that for a set of one to three repst
This time, do bust your balls, but dont do more than three reps, even if you can.
Also, dont do an extra set if you kille}
this onet
On the third week, go up to a ball-buster max set of onet
If youre more advanced and need to change up movements every week because you cant
break your record twv
weeks in a row, I suggest working up slowly (same warm-up style used for the dyn
amic work) and listen to your bod.
as you warm-upt
If you feel great, go for the one-rep record. If you feel a tad off then shoot f
or a triple record. If it all feels like dog shii
then change movements before your work set or totally drop it and do more supple
mental work insteadt
Second Movemenc
Same as the dynamic day but with a different movementt
Third Movemenc
Same as the dynamic day but with a different movementt
Fourth Movement (and morej
Same as the dynamic day but with different movement(s)t
Last Movementh
Same as the dynamic day but with different movement(s)t
Thats Ith
I could write a lot more about bench press plateaus, but at a certain point gene
ral recommendations must give way tv
individualized programming. So start here for now. Figure out where youre weak an
d what exercises you need to gei
you over the hump. Establish an intelligent plan and get to workt
Section 2: The Bench Curg
Dave Tates Six-Week Bench Press Curg
by Nate Green
Originally published on May 18th,
200g
Im on the phone with T NATION strength specialist Dave Tate, and hes half-laughing,
half-yelling into my ear. His
voice is a few decibels higher than it needs to be. Hes not in a crowded place; t
his is just how Tate talks, aggressivel.
and with authority. I preemptively hold the phone away from my head, lest the ea
rdrum blow.This is the United States
of America, he bellows. Like it or not, the bench press will always be the most po
pular exercise. Too bad everyonr
sucks at it. But why does everyone suck at it? I ask.Give me any T NATION reader and
I can increase the amouni
he can bench almost instantly.But you didnt answer Then I realize what he just said.
Wait. How the hell do yo
do that?And if you give me six weeks, I can have him really add some pounds to the
bar. He wouldnt even believe itt
Ive seen guys jump up 50 pounds or more. I put the phone back against my ear, hear
ing be damned. With over 2
years as a competitive powerlifter, a career-best 610-pound bench press, and tho
usands of strength athletes across
the globe successfully using his methods, I know when Tate talks benching, Im sup
posed to take notes. Theres
absolutely no way Im going to miss his bench press cure.Lets hear it, I say, trying
to act nonchalant. Tates silent fon
a minute as if hes contemplating whether or not to tell a young punk his secrets.
Alright, he says finally. Let me telq
you what I know . . ..
NOTE: After the video, make sure you click the link below the video to continue
reading the article. Youll learn mor_
about Daves technique, as well as the details of his new 6-week bench press progr
amo
Dave Tates Six-Week Bench Press Curg
Section 3: Saving Facg
After a September 2009 weightlifting accident at USC, loads of interest sparked
online and in the press with regard tv
the bench press. While Ill admit Im not much of a news follower, this one, in part
icular, caught my attention. My firsi
reaction was to ask the same battery of questions Im sure many others have asked:
Who was spottingv
Why was th_
player even doing the bench press? Was this a single or a 1-rep maxv
Then I read the following statements in The Daily Trojank
It was scary, (Trojans Coach Pete) Carroll said. That happens sometimes when youre d
oing [theT
bench pressbut this one just hit him wrong._
Ive seen players have the bar slip and fall on their chest, but never in my 25 yea
rs of coaching have ^
heard of someone dropping a bar on their throat, (Trojans S/C Coach Chris) Carlis
le saido
At this point, I began asking myself WTF!? and began to wonder if this is a regula
r thingt
Then I woke up and realized that I come from a sport where knee wraps appear und
er bench shirts, then disappearV
then reappear only to have never been there in the first place. The point here i
s that unless you were there, you havr
no idea what happened or whos to blame. Its always easy to call the shots from the
back end or be the Monda.
morning quarterback, but the reality is that theres one hurt player and a lot of
people making excuses and placiny
blame within the context of something they really know nothing aboutt
What I havent seen is what can and should be done to avoid this in the future. Ju
st this morning, I did a Googlr
search on how to spot the bench press, and was shocked at what I saw in the firs
t four pagest
There is zero debate that the bench press in the most popular weight training mo
vement in the United States. Its as
American as apple pie. There is, however, a lot of debate with regard to its app
lication to sports performance (search
our Q&A for Dynamic Correspondence), but this is for another time. Everyone know
s the bench press. Just asZ
around. Actually, theres no need to because Im willing to bet at some point in you
r life, youve been asked how much
you bench press. Everyone has. So, you would think with all this movements popula
rity, a simple Google search
would provide you with valid and effective information on how to spot itt
While I am by no means the authority on the bench press, spotting or coaching, I
have paid my dues and speni
enough time in the gym to know what needs to be done to keep a lifter safe. This
is not to say pulled muscles, tears
and other injuries wont occur. What Im saying is that specific things need to be i
n place in case these things dv
happent
Having been involved in powerlifting for the past 26 years, I have seen just abo
ut every single way you can miss m
bench press. The multi-ply aspect of the bench press has now evolved to EXTREME
status, with lifters pressing 800V
900, and over 1000 pounds. Lifters are now using such strong bench shirts that i
f the bar is slightly out of the grooveV
it can easily lead to several muscle tears and broken arms. Because of this, spo
tting is critical. If a bar with 80Y
pounds on it was to crash down on the lifter, well, this would not be good. Luck
ily, in the past few years, Ive only seex
reports of bruised ribs if the bar was to fall out of the lifters hands while try
ing to touch in a shirt. So what about all thr
pectoral tears, triceps tears, broken forearms, etc? They still occur, and they
will occur, but the spotters knew whai
they were doing and kept a bad situation from becoming worset
Im going to present these tips based on advice from pro and elite level powerlift
ers and their spotters and coaches
because Ive always felt you should learn from the top down, and who better to lea
rn spotting from than those who arr
spotting these extraordinary lifters.
1. Personal Responsibilit.
As the lifter, you need to know what your limits are and take responsibility for
ensuring your own safety, as well as thr
safety of your spotter(s). This means trying what you think you can do. Just bec
ause you feel good doesnt mean yo
can go for a 50-pound record. This also means your spotters arent there to do shr
ug workouts on your last three repst
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is communication. Your spotter needs to k
now what your cue is if you nee}
help. Ive read and seen several times what a safe word means in the bedroom. Maybe
its a color or an animaq
name, but it means STOP. However, Ive never read this in one single bench press a
rticle on spottingt
In the world of powerlifting, we have the unspoken law of the words take it. If th
e lifter needs help, he will say it, if thr
spotters see trouble they will say it, and if the judges see a problem they will
say it. This is our safe word, and its
what prevents small issues from becoming giant issues. Funny how simple basic co
mmunication can make such a biy
difference in almost any situation in lifet
One other point is to make sure your hands are not sweating (use chalk), as this
can lead to the bar slipping around ix
your handst
2. The Setup
I dont want to turn this into a bench press technique article, as you can see all
this information here. I wouldV
however, like to make a few comments that can ensure the safety of the liftert
First, make sure your body is tight and braced. If someone was to come up alongs
ide you and try to push you to onr
side or the other, they should not be able to move yout
Second, your grip should be tight and even. Even if you use a false grip, you ne
ed to make sure your thumb is
jammed into the bar as hard as you can, and that you have as much tension as you
can on the bar. While this is
known as the suicide grip, and for good reason, it can be used safely if you know
what youre doing. In most cases
this is not true. In the future, I will try to write about the pros and cons of
this grip, but for this article lets just agree thai
its too advanced for 99.9 percent of the readers and should not be usedt
When I write tight grip, Im saying it should be tight from start to finish, and NOT
what I see time and time agaix
(mostly with athletes outside of powerlifting and bodybuilding). They will grab
the bar, and then after unracking, yo
will see something I call a top bob (where they do little pumpsI guess to get the b
ar ready), or the wave (the.
decide to open their hands in a wave-like motion). Both of these are far more co
mmon than you think, and if it was mr
personally, I would never let them bench over 50 percent until these habits were
stopped. As lifters, you need to gra|
the bar tight for the entire sett
3. Informed Spotterh
Before each set, its important that all the spotters know how many reps the lifte
r expects to achieve. It would helj
(even if its not quite realistic) if each spotter knows the capabilities of the l
ifter. Weve all spotted that guy that says
hes going to do five reps, but cant get one on his ownand then continues the set Ji
mmy The Bull style. Iu
someone tries to pull this with you, immediately grab-n-rack that barbell and an
nul your spotting dutiest
With each spotter knowing the expectations of the set, they can help better coac
h the lifter, count reps and givr
encouragement. The best spotters are always the most informed and involved. It i
s a win-win situation for both
partiest
In most gyms, the lift-off spotter is the main guy. At a meet, he has to step ba
ck so the judge can see. He is the onr
who has the control, and in many cases, he may be the only one there to spot. If
you are this guy, there is somr
information you need to know before you even get to the bar. You need to know wh
at the lifters max is, how man.
reps theyre going to do, and, if possible, where their sticking point is. You als
o need to know what type of liftoff the.
want and require. Some will want to count. Others will use a nod or tell you on
what breath they will go on. Lifters usr
various signals, and you need to know what your lifters signal is. If they dont ha
ve one, then provide them with onet
Tell them you will lift it out to them on three, then count one, two, three, and
then lift out. After lifting the bar out, keej
your hands on the bardont use the forearm Zercher liftoffuntil you feel the lifter
has taken all the weight and is
ready to lower itt
At this point, stay close and AWARE of what is going on. If you are the only guy
, and youre not AWARE, then who is.
Injuries can happen in an instant, so you have to be ready. If it is a max weigh
t and youre the only one, stay close. Iu
its a set of reps, you can stay back some, but watch the bar speed to see when it
starts to slow down. When it slows
down, be more AWAREt
I will say this, and Im being brutally honest, nobody wants your shorts in their
face, and nobody wants to be able tv
smell what you had for lunch. Also, wipe your damned sweat off BEFORE you step u
p to lift off, and make sure an.
excess chalk is off your hands. What you dont want to do is get up to help liftof
f and drop sweat and chalk all over thr
lifters face. If you do need a spot, dont ask someone right after they squatted a
10-rep PR. Give the guy some time tv
catch his breatht
Its also your job to double check the grip to make sure its tight and even, and to
make sure your lifter is focused ox
the task at handt
Finally, listen and use your best judgment. If the lifter says take it, then grab
the bar. If they look like theyre going tv
miss, then take the bar. Its far better to be safe than sorryt
If side spotters are used (and I feel they always should be if youre going for a
max or training to or past failure), thex
you need to make sure they have their heads out of their asses and are paying at
tention. Dont even lift the bar oui
until you have made eye contact with each side spotter and you see their hands a
re in position and ready. If the shii
hits the fan, they are the ones who will save the day. They are also the ones wh
o will get distracted the fastest. Its alsv
your job to yell take it if the time comest
The back spotter must have both hands on the bar to give a lift off. You are not
earning any strong points by lifting m
barbell with one hand. Not only does this give the lifter a sub par hand off, it
will be crookedt
This leads me to another point. The spotter must also have his hands wide enough
to give a smooth lift off and br
sure his hands are even. Also, once youve lifted the bar out to the lifter, the b
ack spotter must take his hands off thr
bar. There is a difference between being an active spotter and an annoying spott
er. Having your hands on the ban
THE WHOLE TIME is just as bad as not having a spotter at all. The lifter cant see
(you are giving him Chinnuts), an}
he cant focus on the task at hand. Furthermore, 100 percent of the time, the spot
ter is helping the lifter lift the barbellt
So if you do this, not only do you want the lifter to get hurt, you want them to
get weak. Hence, you are the worsi
training partner or spotter evert
Ninety-nine percent of the time, the back spot is the only one you will receive,
so be sure that you pick this persox
carefully. Too often, we will grab anyone to give us a spotany Tom, Richard or Ha
rry will do, right? If you pick a 100z
pound spotter for a 500-pound attempt, dont expect to be shocked when the barbell
starts to cave your chestt
Having a good spot is mostly the lifters responsibility. These are the people to
whom youre entrusting your safety. Dv
you really trust these people with your health.
4. The Side Spotterh
The role of the side spotters is simple. Theyre to watch the lift and the bar and
make sure theyre ready in casr
something happens. Keep your hands very close to the end of the bar. If the plat
es leave little room at the end of thr
bar, then two side spotters per side will be required, and their arms and hands
should be very close (but not touching.
to the plates. With one spotter on each side, you need to remember that if the w
eight is this big, there is very little thr
liftoff guy can do except direct the path the bar will go after you take it. Fin
ally, unless something major happens, dv
not touch the bar unless youre told. The worst thing that can happen is one side
spotter grabbing the bar while thr
other does nothing. Once again, awareness is keyt
5. Equipmenc
Finally comes the issue of equipment. In most cases, the lifter does not have co
ntrol over what equipment is in thein
gym or what they have access to use, so Im going to try and be brief with this an
d provide recommendations in casr
the features I present are not available to you. Please understand the features
and specs Im going to provide are frow
our equipment line, because we build our stuff for the most extreme use, which r
equires that safety be a very high
priorityt
You have two options when bench pressing. You can use a rack-type setup or a ben
ch made for the bench presst
If youre using a rack option, then there are a couple of important aspects to loo
k at. The J-hooks (where the bar is
racked) should not be too deep, as it can become hazardous to get the bar out. I
f theyre too shallow it can also posr
problems, so you need something that will allow the lifter and spotter to easily
lift the bar OUT and not UP. If the ban
has to be lifted up, the lifters tightness can be compromised. The hole spacing a
lso comes into play here. Most racZ
holes are spaced every four inches, so the bar is either going to be too high or
too low for the majority of the lifters. Iu
you have to pick, then select the option where the bar will be too low, BUT be v
ery careful to watch when the bar is
racked because it can bounce off the rack post before being racked, and in some
cases bounce past the J-hook an}
back onto the lifter. Aside from the safety aspects, not having proper J-hook he
ight can greatly affect the start of the lifi
and compromise the lifters strength. I suggest looking for racks with 1-1.5 inch
hole spacings throughout the bench
regiont
Elitefts Collegiate Power RacZ
Next are the safety pins. These should also adjust every one or two inches. With
the size of the average human headV
Ive never understood why most rack pins adjust every four inches. In almost all c
ases, this will put the setting too lo{
to actually do anything, or so high that the bench is no longer a full range of
motion. If you find your rack is
constructed this way, I suggest putting mats or something under your bench so yo
u can set the pins right above chesi
level. This way, when you get in bench position with your chest up, the bar will
be free of the pins, but, if needed, wilq
be in position to keep the lifter safet
The J-cups are also a feature of the stand bench press units that also need to b
e considered. With the radical bench
shirts and the amount of weight being lifted, Im also a huge fan of the head cage
. This provides extra protection ix
case the worst case situation happenst
Deluxe Competition Bench
6. Proactive Prevention
For coaches and administrators, spotting in the weight room is a huge liability.
I would highly recommend that poste}
signs explaining how to spot are placed in plain sight in the weight room, that
coaches be taught properly (sport an}
weight coaches), and that kids are also taughtt
If youre coaching athletes in a school or team setting, whether it be in junior h
igh, high school, college or higher, youn
first priority as a strength or sport coach is to make sure you dont get anyone h
urt in your weight room. Its like thr
Hippocratic Oath that physicians take: First, do no harm._
Keeping your athletes on the field is your number onr
priority, and this takes precedence over getting them stronger. I would rather a
school have no strength an}
conditioning program at all than have some hardcore jerkoff who puts his athletes
at risk by not learning propen
technique, not inspecting his equipmentor learning what equipment is right for hi
s programand not learning propen
spotting techniquest
When youre training athletes in groups, establish a set spotting rotation. If your
e training a group of five on thr
bench, rotate kids like a wheel. Once they lift, they take the next lifters setof
f. Then they go to a side, then the backV
then a side, and then theyre up again. The spotters on the sides load plates and
collar the bar. This will take somr
work, because youll always have kids who want to stare off into space, especially
when theyre spotting a squat. As m
coach, its imperative that you make penalties SEVERE for a lack of focus while sp
otting a teammatet
We all forget things because our minds are elsewhere sometimes, but attention mu
st be paid to spotting and safetyt
We dont really ever want to spot for anyone else, we dont have the time to go look
for the right people to spot for us
and we simply assume that the people we ask to spot us can handle what theyre ask
ing us to dot
The answer? Dont assume anything. While the USC situation is awful and our hearts
go out to everyone involved, lei
it serve as a reminder to us all that these things can happen to anybody. We sho
uld all look very carefully an}
objectively at our own behaviors and see where we can improvet
Section 4: Things Youd Better Know if You Want Strong(er) Triceph
Kicking back some thoughts on triceps training.
When I think of strength training, I think of training the muscle one of three w
aysk
1.
Strength: to make as strong as possiblet
2.
Hypertrophy: to make as big as possiblet
3.
Conditioning: to be able to handle and recover from the abuse of strength and hy
pertrophyt
Strengto
Lets look at this from the perspective of trying to build a bigger bench. Will tr
aining the bench press do this.
Perhapst
Those who have been training for a period of time already know the answer to tha
t question is no. If that were thr
case, everyone who walked in a weight room would have a bigger bench, because th
ey ALL bench. Yet, they dontt
Why.
There are many reasons for this, but for the sake of this section we will assume
its your lockout strength. Your lockoui
is largely determined by the strength of your triceps, so all you need to do is
add in some more tricep work, right.
Wrongt
Weve all tried that as well, and who did it work for.
What Im going to suggest is to look at this from a different perspective. If Im he
lping someone overcome a stickiny
point in the bench press, one of the first things I want to know is what movemen
ts seem to correlate with their bencht
In other words, what other movements go up when their bench goes up? Does their
2-board press go up at the samr
rate as their bench press? What about the floor press or close grip incline pres
s? If you look hard enough, youll fin}
somethingt
The answer then becomes, what do you need to do to make THAT movement get strong
er? Assuming your 2-boar}
press goes up at the same rate as your bench press, then what movements are you
doing to bring up your 2-boar}
press.
In most of the programs I see, the core movements are programed pretty well. If
they use a conjugated approach, thr
dynamic and max effort work is also programmed very well. Where I see the ball b
eing dropped is with thr
supplemental and accessory work. For most, these are seen as an afterthought, or
that they just need to dv
something for tris, lats and delts and then go home. To really push the boundaries
, it has to be better than thatt
Ive said this a millions times before, You can either train a lift or build a lift
. If you want to bench press just to bench
press, so be it. Train it to no end, but if you want to build the bench press, y
ou need to put some thought an}
experience into it. You need to know what builds your bench (usually another cor
e movement) and then what you cax
use to strengthen this movement (usually a supplemental movement)t
Driving the Bench Presh
While everyone is different, here are three examples of each grouping. Keep in m
ind the bench press is the corr
movementk
1. Close-grip Incline Presh
This was always a favorite of mine and one that always had a great effect on my
bench press. I like to work up tv
heavy sets of 3-5 reps and see if I can break a record each time I did this move
ment (about once a month). Over thr
years, Ive discovered this works better for me using a fat bar or some type of fa
t grip. The reason for this is to pui
more emphasis on the triceps and take some off the pecs. To illustrate what I me
an, do a set of push-ups on the floon
with an open hand. Then, do a set with a closed fist. With a closed fist, you wi
ll feel more tension in the upper pec an}
with an open hand, you will feel it more so in the triceps. The fat bar opens th
e hands up some allowing for more ou
the work to be done by the triceps. Of course, if you feel it is your chest, tha
t is holding back your bench. In that caseV
dont use a fat bar. However, in my experience (raw or geared) this is seldom the
caset
If this is a movement that drives your bench press, we need to look at what supp
lemental movements can push this lifi
up. Without getting into great details, these could include palms out dumbbells
presses, elbows out extensionsV
cross body extensions, or any other tricep movements where the elbows come out a
nd away from the body. Thesr
movements should cycle for 3-4 weeks in the higher rep ranges (6-8) for multiple
sets (3-4) just shy of failuret
2. Board Presseh
I personally think the best all-around board is the 2-board press. It still allo
ws for good technique, takes much of thr
shoulder rotation out of the movement and gives enough ROM to allow for you to b
uild a bigger bench. A lower boar}
is great for bench shirt work, but too low for much of anything else other than
technique work. The higher boards arr
awesome for lockout strength and building a stronger setup and upper back stabil
ityt
For a quick review of the board press, here is the article we posted titled, Boa
rd Press 101t
Here are some other types of lumber liftingk
The supplemental exercises that would effect this the most would include (but no
t limited to), rolling dumbbelf
extensions, spoon presses, close-grip Swiss bar presses or extensions, or any ot
her tricep movement where thr
elbows are tucked. These movements should cycle for three to four weeks in the h
igher rep ranges (6-8) for multiplr
sets (3-4) just shy of failuret
3. Any Chain Presh
Using the bench or variation of the bench also makes this top list. Not only doe
s this help build the lockout strength, ii
offers something else most people never consider. It deloads the eccentric porti
on of the movement, making it easien
to increase volume, repeat more frequently and train heavier at the top end. It
is very easy to set these movements uj
so you are over 100 percent at the top and 60 percent at the bottomt
For a quick review of chains, here is our Chain 101 articlet
Here are some other movements using chainsk
The supplemental exercises here depend on what the main movement is. For now, ju
st refer back to number one on
two to see if its more of an elbows-in or elbows-out selectiont
Hypertroph.
What if your goals dont have to deal with strength, but you are just looking to b
uild bigger arms? This does change m
few things such as exercise selection, order, volume, and execution of the movem
ents. This can always be revisite}
later if you like, but Im sure if you are reading elietefts, you already have a gr
asp on this. So lets just cut to the casr
and post some workouts for yout
I asked John Meadows of Mountain Dog Training Systems to provide me with some wo
rkouts to post in this
sectiont
Workout #}
Fat Bar Pushdowns After warming up, do a nice and heavy pyramid here. Rep scheme
is 15, 12, 10, 8 an}
6 for a total of five work setst
Seated Dip Machine Just use the range of motion that is okay on your shoulder an
d try to keep continuous
tension. Burn the shit out of them! Complete four total work sets of 8-10 repst
Decline Lying Extension This is just a slight decline. I use a sit-up bench and
lower it all the way down. Lowen
the bar to your forehead, and then drive it up and sort of back a bit, but not d
irectly over you. Do four total worZ
sets of fifteent
Workout # T
Rest break for triceps is 45 seconds between all setso
V-bar Pushdowns Do 2-3 sets to warm up elbows. Pyramid up. Rep scheme is 15, 12,
10, and 8 for a total ou
four work setst
Pronated Tricep Kickbacks Four total work sets of six. Try to go heavy! Flex har
d at the top.
Dip Machine Do four total sets of eight. On the negative, take five seconds to l
et the weight come up, thex
blast it down.
Incline Skullcrushers Now that your elbows are juiced up, do these and try and l
et the bar go behind youn
head for a real good stretch. Do three total work sets of fifteent
Workout #
V-Bar Pushdowns Do a few sets to get warmed up. With the blood already in your a
rms from bis, it wont takr
as long as usual. Start with a weight that you pretty much hit failure with arou
nd 20 reps. You are going to dv
four more sets. On each set, add some weight and go to failure. Complete five to
tal working setst
Dip machine Do five total work sets of 8-10 reps with a shortened range of motio
n. Dont come all the wa.
down and flex, but dont let it come up too high, either. Work the middle range of
motion and focus on doing alq
the driving with the inner head of your tricept
Incline Skullcrushers Now that you have some juice in your elbows, these should
feel awesome. You can usr
an EZ bar or straight bar on these. I want you to take the bar behind your head
and get an awesome stretcht
Do not lock it out. Only come up of the way. Shoot for five total work sets of 1
0-12 repst
Workout #]
Rest will be 45 seconds between all sets\
V-Bar Pushdowns Three sets of twleve to warm-uj
Bent-Over Triceps Rope Extension Do four total work sets of twelve reps on these.
Let the rope come back ox
each rep and really stretch your tricepst
Pronated Kickbacks Go heavy and flex for a second. Four sets of eight for four t
otal work setst
Dip Machine Three sets of ten. On every rep, I want a three-second negative. Do
this for four total work setst
Skullcrushers/Lying Extensions done on an Incline Bench Two sets of twenty for t
wo total work setst
Conditionin.
There are a few ways to look at conditioning: endurance, strength endurance, rec
overy, rehabilitation and injur.
preventiont
Keeping with the simple theme of this article, these types of movements should b
e a part of ALL training. How yo
incorporate them will depend on the goals of the program. Personally, I always l
iked to use finisher type movements
such as thesek
This is one that I just started using and it BLOWS my arms apartt
Section 5: The 225 Bench Press Tesc
How to increase your 225-pound bench for reps tesc
Q&A answers were taken from "Eat My Meet,The SequeU
" by Dav]
W
Tat]
QUESTIOi
I am trying to get my bench reps up on 225 and was wondering if you had any tips
. I have to test il
about three weeks. Here is a video of a time that I tested http://youtu.be/ozl7T
_MWBfY . I have accese
to bands and fat bars and have been using them. I just wanted to see if there is
anything new I coul]
try. Thanks. ColV
ANSWEj
I get asked several times a year how to increase ones 225-pound bench press rep t
est. This has got to be thr
dumbest test of all time, but Ive found a few things to be very effective in perf
orming and training for this test. Thr
first, and most simple one, is to get stronger. You would think this would be we
ll-known, but just about every time I looZ
at the programming leading into this test, theres never any max effort work (ME).
So, make sure youre doing M.
work. Some of the most effective ME movements are 1-board presses, floor presses
, and close-grip inclines. If this
rep test is your goal, change this movement every week. The reason is simple. If y
oure asking this question in thr
first place, then you probably dont have much time before youre tested. This force
s you to hit these movements morr
frequently because you dont have the time to figure out which one works bestt
Pull out on the bar, or pull in? Check and see where you fail and how you fail.
If it seems to be the pecs (fails ai
the bottom) or triceps (the top), then change the focus. If youre a pec guy, just
press until you feel burning. Ai
this point, begin pulling the bar apart. This will give you a few extra reps. If
its your triceps, then pull int
Many times this is a time game. You may find you always fail around the same tim
e (say 45 seconds). You cax
change this with training, but as you know, this one will take time. Usually whe
n Im asked this question, time is
very limited. The trick then becomes how to get more reps in the same time frame
. You can either shorten thr
stroke (classic Westside tuck belly up and so on), or work with over speed work.
Use the reverse banq
press to help move the bar faster. By doing this, youll learn to press fastert
Do speed work with bands. The same concept as above, but work more on a faster e
ccentric phaset
If you can gain weight and maintain speed, gain weightt
Make sure your wrists stay straight and locked. If the bar falls too much behind
your wrists, your triceps will faiq
way too fast. This is a huge mistake that I see with ALL guys who do this. When
this happens, the triceps wilq
fail faster because of where the center of gravity of the weight fallst
Keep your hands SHUT. Dont do any of this opening your fingers crap that we all see
on TV hundreds ou
times. Keep your hands tight and locked onto the bart
Dont bounce the weights! I shouldnt have to write this, but Ive seen far too many p
eople do this test and Ivr
seen the same mistake over and over again. Aside from the injury potential from
bouncing weights, the bar gets
tossed all over the place. The best path is the same path for each rep. More flu
id motion equals greater outputt
Wear a black shirt and chalk the bar all over the center knurling. Do a few reps
and check to see if you havr
one or three chalk lines. If youre interested in doing more bench reps or increas
ing you max bench, then therr
better be only one line. If theres more than one line, your technique is off and
youre expending too much
energyt
Ive seen very few who can train and perform the test in a high arched position. T
he tension is too long and thr
reps are too high to maintain this position without cramping in the lower back a
nd/or hamstringst
Count the reps down, not up. Instead of counting one, two, three, four, and five
, start at what you would like tv
do and count back: 43, 42, 41, and so on. Better yet, count in groups of ten: te
n, nine, eight, seven, six, fiveV
four, three, two, one, and then ten, nine, eights, seven, and so on. Its even bet
ter if you can get someone tv
count for you. This is a mind game just as much as it is a physical gamet
Stick-UM on the bottom of your shoes will help big time. Or make sure that theres
no way your feet will slij
when you use leg drivet
Use your leg drive like gears. Start with enough drive to stay stable. Then, inc
rease the tension and drive with
about five reps before you would normally die out. This should happen a few reps
before you begin pulling in on
out on the bart
If your technique is great, do all your endurance bench work with a
Fat Bar (or Fat Gripz). This will make thr
regular bar feel like a twig when you go back to it. There are also physical rea
sons for this, but the mental ones
far out weigh themt
Never hold the bar at the top for more than one to two seconds, except after a s
eries of ten or more repst
Learn to only press with the required amount of force per rep. You wouldnt sprint
for a mile, would you? Thr
same holds true with the rep test. Dont expend more energy then needed. Youll need
it latert
Try to keep yourself down, not crunched up with your chin in your chest. This te
st requires oxygen to get thr
maximal number of reps. This practice has helped and may help with a one-rep max
, but were talking aboui
twenty-plus reps here, not onet
Unlike with a one-rep max or all other bench strength work, dont use a super tigh
t grip on the bar. Grasp thr
bar with enough force to control it and keep it there until the last few reps. T
hen, squeeze the crap out of thr
bart
When you discover where you fail, add in some extra work for that specific area
at a twenty percent higher timr
range than your bench fail time. For example, if your bench fail time is 42 seco
nds and your triceps are whai
fail on you, add in one set per session of 3-board presses at 50 seconds. If you
cant do all the reps for this
time, do what you can and statically hold the weight at midpoint for the rest of
the timet
Focus your eyes on one main point on the ceiling and dont deviate from it. Why? N
ext time youre in the gyw
with beginner or intermediate lifters, watch what they do when the reps get hard
. They always look to one arw
or the other. Then one arm begins to give out. This may be before they looked at
it or after. It doesnt mattert
What matters is that they acknowledged it and let it defeat them. Remember this
is a MENTAL game and ever.
rep countst
Make every rep count. Its your own fault and a waste of your effort to do a rep t
hat isnt legal and doesni
count. Do them ALL correctlyt
If you are weak chested in the bench press, check your wrist to elbow position.
They should be in line. If thr
wrist is toward the feet more than the elbow, then this is taxing the shoulders
too much in the bottom position. Iu
the wrist is closer to the head than the elbow, then the weight is focused more
on the triceps. If you use m
bench shirt this all changes depending on the shirt and length of the upper armt

Most importantly, learn how to bench press. The worst technical benches I ever s
aw were performed by high
school and college athletes in the combine or training for the combine. The inte
rnet is littered with videos ou
these sets. If all you did was learn how to bench properly, this alone would inc
rease your rep test. After all thesr
years, Im still shocked and amazed that there are strength coaches and combine pr
ep coaches that have nv
idea how to teach a proper bench press, but yet know every detail there is to kn
ow about how to nail the best 4Y
time. This is not to take anything away from the good onesthey do existbut unfortu
nately, they are not in thr
majorityt
Section 6: 60 Bench Tiph
1.) They dont grab the bar tight. Dave Tatr
2.) Lack of overall body tightness. Dave Tatr
3.) Dynamic effort method. Dave Tatr
4.) Keep the bar in-line with the wrist and elbows. Dave Tatr
5.) They do not set the weight. Dave Tatr
6.) 1. Big AIR. 2. Pull the bar apart. 3. Leg drive. Jor
7.) The article Dave did for T Nation was and is the best ever. Maybe you dont kno
w how to f*ing bench. Josh
8.) Bench Training for Gear and Raw by Matt Wenning. Andersox
9.) Being told that not everyone benches best with a massive arch and their upper
traps on the bench. Find your owx
grove. Bex
10.) Dont push the bar off you. Push yourself away from the bar. Jasox
11.) Tight back. Kurtis
12.) Just getting your upper back and core strength in-line with your chest stren
gth to allow for maximal strength
through leg drive and the rest (raw bench). Justix
13.) If you lift it really fast, its not heavy. Briax
14.) Dont push the bar off you. Push yourself away from the bar. Yuro
15.) Get your weight on your traps. Colix
16.) Grant McRenolds told me, Just push it, bitch. Stop f*ing around. Put everythin
g into perspective. Des
17.) Bench too low on your chest. Ro|
18.) I agree with Josh! The best video ever! The best tips: 1. Tight back. 2. Elb
ow under the bar. 3. And my favoriteV
PUSH YOURSELF INTO THE BENCH. Danijeq
19.) Squeeze the fuck out of the bar. Dax
20.) Just press it. Jox
21.) The directions for a tight setup by Dave, I think. Most people have no idea
how to perform the lift correctly. .
Davi}
22.) Full scapular retraction for more power! And.
23.) Daves six-week bench press cure video. I watched it, put those tips to work,
and went up 25 pounds in threr
weeks. Ryax
24.) Speed bench stuff. FranZ
25.) Retract the scapulae. Dont cock the f*ing wrists. Davi}
26.) Dont miss! Andre{
27.) If youre not a SHW, dont try to bench like one. Instead of raising your head a
nd touching low, keep your hea}
down. Raise your chest into your shirt and tear it apart. Stretch the chest pane
l until it bursts. Briax
28.) Be tight. Nicolas
29.) Only bench once a week. No other training. Boards, shirt, home. Karstex
30.) Keep elbows under the bar. NicZ
31.) Push yourself away from the bar, not the bar away from you. Dre{
32.) Be tight from grip to heels. Tomm.
33.) Dont push the bar back, push the bar UP. Straight up is a shorter distance th
an arcing back. I think it was Davr
who said, Pushing the bar back is the best way to smash your teeth out. Kirstex
34.) Nut up and push it. Jiw
35.) Lower the weight with the lats. Jor
36.) Technique first, weight second. Budd.
37.) Actually let the spotter help you get the bar off the rack, or else youll los
e tightness in your back. Mikr
38.) Courtesy of 24-hour Shitness: Dont bring the bar all the way down to your che
st. In fact, dont bench press at allt
Do some crunches on a stability ball instead. Mariv
39.) Train partials with a narrow grip in order to have same range of motion as r
egular bench, but avoid wear and tean
on shoulders. Marp
40.) Chains. Jonathox
41.) Larry P to Louie, You need triceps. Jefu
42.) Tight setup. No tap dancing feet during the lift. Davr
43.) Train with people who know how to bench. Luc.
44.) Wendlers benching is all about the elbows from the bench press exercise index.
It helped me a lot with stayiny
tight on the way down, flaring, tucking and taking the bar out of the rack. Adria
x
45.) Never lose control. Talk to people who know how to use a shirt. Jack your bo
obies. Lindsa.
46.) Belly to the bar is the best shirted advice Ive given. Chris
47.) AJ Roberts Tips video and Daves T-Nation article. Michaeq
48.) Shut up and lift. Davr
49.) Squeeze the pencil between your shoulder bladesChad Aichs video. MarZ
50.) Tuck! Tuck! Tuck! Flair! Thygr
51.) Eat pizza pops before training. Ro|
52.) Look good on the way down. Jiw
53.) Take more shit. Kenn.
54.) Pull the bar apart. Adaw
55.) How to properly setupmore specifically, squeezing our shoulder blades togethe
r and driving your traps into thr
bench like you are trying to break it off. Jeromr
56.) Push YOU AWAY from the bar, not just drive the bar up. Adaw
57.) Crush the bar with your hands. Jonathox
58.) George Halbert used to tell me to squeeze my hands tighter, which helped gre
atly at the time he told me that. .
Matt Wenniny
59.) Other than basic form advice, being told to do board presses. I have very lo
ng arms and board presses are thr
only thing that ever really helped me. They helped me to become faster and used
to heavy weights. Aarox
60.) Just keep pushing, no quitting early. Push until you lock it out, or your fo
rm breaks down. D.Mt
Section 7: Weak Lockouc
This is really one of the best problems to have and the easiest to fix. When your
e dealing with sticking points in thr
bench press you have to remember that there are several ways to correct the prob
lem, but most wont work for yout
So dont beat a dead horse! In other words, if what youve been doing isnt working, t
hen try something else. You havr
plenty of ammo. Ive had this same problem with my bench and sometimes it takes ye
ars to stumble upon the righi
movement to fix the problem. Other times I hit the right movement the first time
outt
1. Get your head righti
This is true with all sticking points regardless of the point at which you stall
out. If you believe you always miss at thr
top, then youll always miss at the top! Your mind has a lot to do with your stick
ing points. I try to teach all the athletes
I work with to visualize their sticking point at a higher position and focus ver
y hard on driving the bar through it. Ix
other words, when you bench you must focus on pushing the bar very fast through
your sticking point. Focus will makr
a big differencet
2. Learn to use your tricepsi
This is done by keeping your body tight and focusing on pulling the bar apart. T
his will involve your triceps morr
throughout the movement and keep the bar moving in a straight line. A good trick
to teach you to do this is to use ax
elitefts pro mini resistance band. You double the band up and wrap it around your
wrists while you bench. This
forces you to pull the bar apart and grasp the barbell tight. If not, your hands
will be shot together. Pull the bar apari
and watch that sticking point disappear.
3. Start the bar where you want to finishi
This is a very simple concept but its very seldom practiced. Most lifters will un
rack the bar and lower it to the chesi
without setting the bar first. This is usually done by habit and will cause you
to lower the bar in a diagonal pattern thai
will result in you pushing it back up in the same pattern. When you push the bar
back toward the rack, theres morr
rotation and less emphasis on the tricepst
You need to unrack the bar, then set it in the same exact position in which you wa
nt to finish. This should be directl.
above where you lower the bar. If you bench to your lower pecs, then the bar mus
t start above the lower pecs. This wiq
create a straight line both on the eccentric and concentric. Remember, the short
est distance between two points is m
straight linet
4. Move the bar fasti
You need to make sure youre pressing as fast as possible to bust through your sti
cking point. A slow press wont buil}
enough momentum to bust past your sticking point. If youre trying to open a stuck
door would you try to open it slowl.
or would you bust into it as hard as possible? Speed is key.
5. Strengthen the top halfi
There are several movements that can help you strengthen the muscles that lockou
t the bench. These are best donr
using the max effort method. The best movement for a weak lockout is a 3- or 4-b
oard press. A board press is
performed by using 3- or 4- 2 x 6 boards placed on your chest. Lower the bar to
the boards, pause and press back upt
In extreme cases, you may want to use a set of mini bands on the bar as wellt
A second movement that works very well is the floor press with the use of chains
. The floor press is performed thr
same as the bench press except youre lying on the floor. Work up to about 60- to
70-percent of your best bench, thex
begin adding one set of chains on the bar with each additional set. You fail whe
n you can no longer add any morr
chainst
Section 8: Weak Off Your Chesc
I get asked a lot about being weak off the chest in the bench press. I decided t
o make it easy by designing a fourz
week phase to address the problemt
This assumes thatr
Your technique is rock solidt
You are not hurt or injuredt
You have your head out of your ass and think you can overcome this sticking poin
tt
You have the equipment I will be listing in this program. Please do not ask me w
hat to do if yo
dont have X or Y. This is all designed to work together. If you dont have X or Y,
then dont do thr
phaset
I feel when designing a program you need to look at all three means of increasin
g muscle tension: the maximal effori
method, the dynamic effort method and the repetition method. All three are utili
zed in this phaset
Week }
Day }
Dynamic Bench Press
Begin with the bar and make sure all warm-up sets are executed with perfect cont
rol an}
techniquet
Once you hit 50 percent of your best bench, stay at this weight and perform nine
sets of threr
reps. You will use three different grips. With a Texas Power Bar, these grips wi
ll be one finger ox
the smooth (close), a thumb away from the smooth (medium) and forefinger on the
rings (wide)t
On this week you will take 60 seconds between sets and push the bar as fast (whi
le keepiny
control) as you cant
Flat Dumbbell Presses
Do 2-3 warm-up setst
After you are warmed up you will work your way up in weight making sure to hit a
set of 12, a sei
of 10, and then two heavy sets of eight with the same weightt
Rest as long as needed between setst
Push-downs and Close-grip 1-board Press
Do 2-3 sets of 10-12t
Do three sets going to failure on the push-downs (between 15-20 reps), immediate
ly followed b.
close-grip 1-board presses for five reps. Your strength on the 1-board press wil
l suck. Its no biy
deal, just push as hard as you can and get the repst
Rest as long as neededt
Chest-supported Rows
Do two warm-up setst
Do three sets 10 repst
Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
Do three sets of 20 repst
Day T
Chain Press
Warm up the same as you would the bench press dynamict
When you get to 60 percent, preform three repst
With each succeeding set, add one chain per side (so the chain is totally deload
ed while the bar is
on your chest). Keep working up in chains until three reps is VERY hard to do, b
ut you still do itt
Dont work up so high that you cant do the required repst
Dumbbell Extensions on the Floon
Find a weight that you could do 12 reps with and perform four sets of 10 reps wi
th 60 seconds
between setst
Barbell Pushups
Position a barbell at the bottom of a power rack so it will not movet
Use an ultra-wide grip (forefinger past the rings)t
Perform four sets to failure. If you can do over 20 reps per set, add chains acr
oss your back. Yo
want to fail between 8-12 repst
Rest two minutes between setst
Dumbbell Rows
Pause the bell on the floor between repst
Do two warm-up sets and then three sets of 10 repst
Face Pulls
Do four sets 15-20 repst
Week T
Day }
Dynamic Bench Press
rol an}
techniquet
sets of threr
ll be one finger ox
the smooth (close), a thumb away from the smooth (medium), and forefinger on the
rings (wide)t
le keepiny
Do 2-3 warm up setst
After you are warmed up you will work your way up in weight making sure to hit a
set of 12, a sei
of 10, a set of eight, and then two heavy sets of six with the same weightt
Do two warm up sets of 10-12t
Do two sets going to failure on the push-downs (between 15-20 reps), immediately
followed b.
close-grip 1-board presses for five reps. Your strength on the 1-board press wil
l suck. This is nv
big deal. Just push as hard as you can and get the repst
Do three sets of eight reps. Make this heavier than last weekt
Day T
Chain Press
Warm up the same as you would for the dynamic bench presst
When you get to 60 percent, perform three repst
ed while the bar is
on your chest). Keep working up in chains until three reps is VERY hard to do bu
t you still do itt
BEAT YOUR RECORD FROM LAST WEEK.
Floor-based Dumbbell Extensions
Find a weight that you could do 12 reps with and perform four sets of eight reps
with 45 seconds
between setst
Barbell Pushups
oss your back. Yo
Rest 90 seconds between setst
Dumbbell Rows
Pause the dumbbell on the floor between repst
Do two warm-up sets and then three sets of eight repst
Face Pulls
Do four sets of 15-20 repst
Week
Day }
Dynamic Bench Press
rol an}
techniquet
sets of threr
ll be one finger ox
the smooth (close), a thumb away from the smooth (medium) and forefinger on the
rings (wide)t
le keepiny
After you are warmed up you will work your way up in weight, making sure to hit
a set of 12, a sei
of 10, a set of eight, and then two heavy sets of five with the same weightt
Do two warm-up sets of 10-12t
followed b.
close-grip 1-board presses for three reps. Your strength on the 1-board press wi
ll suck. This is nv
Do three sets of six reps. Make these heavier than last weekt
Day T
Chain Press
Warm up the same as you would the dynamic bench presst
ed while the bar is
on your chest). Keep working up in chains until one rep is VERY hard to do but y
ou still do itt
Dont work up so high that you cant do the required rept
2-3 warm up sets
Find a weight that you could do 12 reps with and perform four sets of eight reps
with 30 seconds
between setst
Barbell Pushups
Use an ultra wide grip (forefinger past the rings)t
Perform four sets to failure. If you can do over 20 reps per set add chains acro
ss your back. Yo
want to fail between eight and 12 repst
60 seconds between sets
Dumbbell Rows
Pause the bell on the floor between reps
Two warm up sets and then three sets of six repst
Rest as long as neede}
Face Pulls
Four sets 15-20 reps
Rest as long as neede}
Week ]
Day }
Dynamic Bench Press
rol an}
techniquet
sets of threr
ll be one finger ox
the smooth (close), a thumb away from the smooth (medium), and forefinger on the
rings (wide)t
le keepiny
After you are warmed up, you will work your way up in weight, making sure to hit
a set of 12 an}
then two heavy sets of 10 with the same weightt
Do two warm-up sets of 10-12t
followed b.
close-grip 1-board presses for six reps. Your strength on the 1-board press will
suck. This is not m
Do two sets of 10 repst
Day T
Chain Press
Warm up the same as you would the dynamic bench presst
ed while the bar is
on your chest). Keep working up in chains until one rep is VERY hard to do, but
you still do itt
BEAT YOUR RECORD FROM LAST WEEK.
Find a weight that you could do 12 reps with and perform four sets of 12 reps wi
th 90 seconds
between setst
Barbell Pushups
oss your back. Yo
Rest two minutes between setst
Dumbbell Rows
Pause the bell on the floor between repst
Do two warm-up sets and then three sets of five repst
Face Pulls
Do four sets of 15-20 repst
Week k
Day }
Dynamic Bench Press
rol an}
techniquet
Once you hit 50 percent of your best bench, stay at this weight and perform 4-5
sets of three repst
You will use your strongest grip. After these sets, begin to work your way up to
test your strength
on a 1- or 3-rep maxt
This will tell you if you are on the right track or nott
Section 9: Six Weak Point Tiph

1. Bar feels heavy or unstablg
Weak Points: Lats, posterior deltoids, external rotators, and rotator cufft
Coaching Point: Contract shoulder blades (requires a static contraction to maint
ain) and drive upper back into bench
upon concentric contractiont
2. Weak off chesc
Weak Point: Bar is too heavyt
Coaching Point #1: Lower the bar with your back. Activate stretch reflext
Coaching Point #2: Develop accelerative strength and prolong rate of force produ
ctiont
3. Stuck halfway up
Weak Point: Triceps
Coaching Point #1: Spread the bar with your grip to activate medial head of tric
epst
Coaching Point #2: Keep elbows positioned perpendicular under the bar. Any rotat
ion outwards transfers the load tv
the shoulder capsulet
4. Pressing into the j-hookh
Weak Point: Triceps
Coaching Point #1: The shortest path between two points is a straight line, so m
aintain a straight bar patht
Coaching Point #2: Do not push into bar. Press yourself away from the bar and cr
eate separationt
Coaching Point #3: Keeping the elbows positioned perpendicular under the bar mai
ntains the greatest mechanicaq
advantage. Any rotation outwards transfers the load to the shoulder capsulet
5. Butt rises off of benco
Weak Points: Incorrect technique, the bar is too heavy, and/or the bench is too
lowt
Coaching Point #1: Maintain correct posture: knees up, straighten legs, or drive
with heelst
Coaching Point #2: Do not arch low back. Arch upper back by contracting shoulder
bladest
6. Head rises with eccentric lowerin.
Weak Point: Incorrect techniqur
Coaching Point #1: Maintain correct posture. Keep head down with chin tuckedt
Coaching Point #2: Concaving chest causes an increased distance for the bar to t
ravelt
Section 10: The Power of the Boarq
During the past decade, the board press has become one of the most popular bench
training movements, says
elitefts founder and CEO Dave Tate. Whether the use of boards involves the dynamic
effort method, max effori
method, using it as a basic supplementary exercise, or as an exercise to increas
e tricep strength and developmentV
board presses remain at the top for bench training movements..
Board Benefith
Lifters use boards for a variety of different reasons. Dave believes the most im
portant and widely used purpose fon
boards is to directly effect the followingk
Increase/Correct Mini-Max: Wherever your mini-max happens to be, overload that sp
ecific arem
of the bench press where youre weak, says Dave. Youll develop more strength through
thai
range of motion..
Tricep Development: This is more for athletes or bodybuilders. A great exercise
you can try is
Triceps Hell. (example toward end of section)o
Handle Heavy Weight: With boards, youll have heavier weights in your hands, but y
oull br
working with only a partial range of motion. This is easier on your CNS, which m
akes for a fasten
recovery. When you actually compete or go for a max, says Dave, the weight will fee
l lighten
because youve handled it before..
Confidence: Because youve handled a certain weight before, youll now have the conf
idence .
or at least a good starting point, psychologically to bench it through a full ra
nge of motiont
Rehab/Prehab: Boards can help you with the movement you want. If you have should
en
problems, you can take the shoulder rotation out of the bench press by using boa
rds. Pressing ox
boards will bring the elbows up higher from the floor, says Dave, while still givi
ng them the rangr
of motion for development and reducing strain on the shoulders..
Breaking in Bench Shirts: Board presses are a good way to break in a bench shirt
. Davr
suggests using a 4-board during week one, a 3-board for week two, a 2-board duri
ng week threeV
etct
Working Specific Segments of Press: Using boards, you can train whatever segment
of thr
bench press you wantt
Size and Stroke Matterh
There are a variety of different boards. They start at 1-board and go up to a 5-
board. There are also various sofi
boards and, of course, the elitefts Manpont
Each board has a bit of a different application. Here are some general applicati
ons from Davek
Stroke the 1-boar_
The movement should be just like your bench stroke. However, if you wear a bench
shirt, youll want to flare as soox
as you press. I always tell the guys here, you want to stroke a 1- board. Bring i
t down, touch, press and flare. Davr
Tatr
Flare off the 2-boar_
This board should put you right about where you would start flaring if you werent
wearing a bench shirtt
Groove the 3-boar_
This board will get you to right where you start to groove, but not going to the
point where youd flaret
Muscle up the 4- and 5-boar_
These are pretty much just a muscle board, says Dave. Its a lockout board..
Manpom
The guys I train with called it this for obvious reasons, and they thought I was
a puss for using it, says Dave. Thr
Manpon is a foam roller cut in half, with a handle on it. Its light in weight and
easy to use. You can slip it right unden
your shirt and you dont have to balance a board on your chest or tie one on with
a belt. The point of the Manpon is tv
keep your elbows from going too low and also to take stress off of the shoulders
t
Soft Boar_
This is very similar to the Manpon, except it has a board on it and is padded so
itll compress. We tried to simulatr
something similar to the Manpon, says Dave, but more importantly something that gu
ys can use while trying to breaZ
in their bench shirts. The soft board doesnt limit how low you can go like the bo
ard does. Thus, it can break in a shiri
faster because you can bring the bar down lower and still have support from the
soft board..
Exclusive Board Footagg
Which Board Should You UseW
You cant just say to somebody, Oh, you have a weak lockout. Here, you need a 3-boar
}
.q
Elbow position is the key. You should be looking at the distance between your el
bow and the floor, not the board an}
where the bar will travelt
Keep in mind that even though everyone says a 4-board is a two-inch lockout, its a
ll irrelevant, says Davet
Everyones arm lengths are different, so a 2-board for one person may be a 3-board
for another..
Generally, a 1-board incorporates chest and lats, a 2-, 3-, and 4- board involve
more triceps. Therefore, the higher uj
the board, the more the shoulders become involved for stability. If a bencher ha
s a problem with setting the bench
press, high boards can come into play to help them. Be sure to pause at the top.
The lower the elbows go, the morr
shoulder rotation is used. Dave uses a 1-board or 2-board so his elbows are even
with the bench. Dave states, Its
worthless for me to do a full press because Im not going to be in competition. Th
e risks outweigh the benefits..
Cant Touch Thih
Most people dont think about how they touch the board, taking it for granted. Lot
s of people break records when usiny
boards, but what they dont realize is that theyre not really breaking them theyre j
ust changing the way the.
perform the press. As a rule, Dave cautions to always be consistent with your to
uch and pay attention to itt
Types of touchesr
Soft touch Bring the bar down with control. When you touch, you should barely he
ar it, and then press offt
This is more for teaching the bench press and working on technique and controlt
Hard touch Slam down the bar and drop it onto the board. This does have positive
applications even though
most people argue that you dont want to do this, says Dave. Its good for bench shirt
training or for peoplr
who lower the bar too slowly. It builds confidence because they dont feel like th
eyre going to break their chesi
in half..
Bounce Similar to a hard touch, but with no pause. Its just a touch and go. If your
e working with someonr
who wants to break an all-time record, this helps them get more reps in before t
hey fatigue, says Dave, bui
they still need to be in control of the bar..
Sink Bring the bar down, let it sink in, and then press back up. This teaches be
nchers to relax at the bottow
so they can touch better in a shirtt
Pause Stay tight, slow and controlled. Pause at the bottom, then press back up. T
his teaches tightness ai
the bottom, the exact opposite of sinking, and is more applicable for a raw benc
her than a shirted one, says
Davet
Types of gripsr
The width of your grip determines the benefits youll reap from using boardst
Grips range from close to ultra-wide and the muscle groups hit will range from y
our triceps to your deltst
Close Hands are 17 inches apart. This is used to work your triceps and for locko
ut strength during the toj
quarter movement of the bench presst
Medium Hands are 22 inches apart. This is the same as the close grip, but its for
lockout strength during thr
top half movement of the bench presst
Wide Hands are 28 inches apart. This is used for more pec work and strength pres
sing out of the bottom pari
of the bench depending on which board youre usingt
Ultra Wide Hands are 33 inches apart. This is used to work your delts and help w
ith stabilityt
Board Etiquettg
This is for the guy holding the bar, not the liftero
Pay Attention No checking out chicks, texting, or daydreaming about buffetst
Listen to Your Lifter Dont put the board down any sooner than what the lifter wan
ts. Make sure they are alread.
setup and in position, but that they havent taken the bar out yett
Hold the Board Correctly Dont hold the board at an angle or sideways. Make sure i
ts flat and stable. Also, doni
shove it into the lifters chint
No Battery Dont hold the board like a bat over your shoulder before lifts. You wa
nt to get the board to the lifters
chest in a timely manner, and you wont be able to if its so far away. Also, dont sm
ack the board down on the liften
when you go to place it on their chestt
Find Other Spotters As a board holder, youre not a spotter. Make sure theres a spo
tter on each side and onr
behind so you dont have to drop the board to grab the bart
Why Do YOU Use BoardsW
Helps me learn the shirt, my sticking points, and how to overload. Ray Law, Wiscon
sin Plattevill_
To build strength in the lockout.
Greg Allen, LSA
Building horseshoe triceps. Bostjan Bavcon, Sloveni`
Learning to engage the triceps. Matthew Smith, Midland, Michigal
Overload lockout. So I can get good shirt work in without having to touch after a
lready learning the shirt via fulq
range. Jeff Adkins, Minnesot`
Lockout. Warm-up for bench shirt.
Andrew Abbott, Waterbury, ConnecticuV
Teaching guys how to maintain arch under supermaximal load. Lots of intermediates
fail the bench because the.
cant maintain their arch in descent. They wont really be able to build their chest
and lat strength until they cax
maintain proper body position to load those muscles. Otherwise, the shoulders ar
e just going to get beat to shit. I usr
the board press, and once they bring that up to 3-5 seconds of TUT, with a load
beyond their current max bench
(maybe 110-120%), well go back to full pressing exercises. Thom Lamb, Fredericton,
N=
I like them to hit weak spots I have and to become more efficient in high end shi
rts. Most people like to use thew
since they cant touch in their shirts, and hit big weights while using them with
their gear. Stephen Nilsen, EasV
BrunswicZ
I train alone so I place a mini band from one spot on the bar to the other at the
right height. It holds the boards right ix
place. I use them as a supplementary exercise for raw benching. I work to go rea
lly close to rep my raw max at 4- or K
board level. When I can do that at a 2- or 3-board, I know Im getting close to a
PR as long as my raw full range is
being maintained. Joe Lescano Handabaka, Union, NO
For me, its two different movements. Ive got short stubby arms, and using 1- to 2-b
oards is a very short ranget
Touching is completely different. My chest flattens out, its a longer range of mo
tion, and I have trouble locking out uj
to 50 less pounds than I can on a 1-board! Greg Buffingtol
I use it to develop strength in the top half of my lockout. I also use it as a me
ans of breaking a new shirt in, but thr
main reason is to increase tricep and lockout strength. Charles Bailej
Partials and to help work in a new bench shirt.
Jeff King, Hamilton, OP
Our crew uses boards weekly throughout the year for a variety of reasons. It all
boils down to some very boriny
physiology. It allows us to learn how to contract the muscle with 100 percent fo
rce during any point of the range ou
motion. You only fire a muscle at 100 percent of capacity at the start of the mo
tion and reduce the contraction thr
closer you are to the completion of the motion (so you dont throw the bar out of
your hands at the top of the motion)t
Boards allow the athlete to fire at 100 percent at various points in the ROM of
the press. This allows the athlete tv
overcome various sticking points and individual weaknesses. This is a similar si
tuation as to why band training is sv
effective. Most training methodology addresses strengthening muscles and connect
ive tissue. Board and ban}
training have the added benefit of addressing central nervous system conditionin
g. David Edgelk
To build the bench, shirted and raw. Daniel Garci`
Triceps and a strong lockout! Sometimes high boards are good for handling heavy w
eights. After my meet tomorrowV
Ill start doing high boards with a grand, and as time goes on, Ill drop a board un
til Im able to bang it full range. Te_
Tee Mccray, Norwich, Cy
I have very long arms and bench raw. I kept reading that board presses were best
for the shirted bencher, but wante}
to try them anyway. My bench shot up once we started doing a lot of board presse
s. Getting used to having a heavien
than normal weight in my hands helped me physically and mentally when I went bac
k to normal benching. Aarol
Snider, Huntington, IP
Ascending and descending pushups. Five on each board starting at a 4-board follow
ed by a five with a pause on thr
floor. Bret Carte^
Big lockout and a feel for heavier weights. Shannon Rotond\
Besides the above, always gave my pec/delt tie-in a break, while letting you trai
n heavy.
Sean Patrick Donegani
Pueblo, CS
Been using them lately for close-grip work. David Affolter, Baton Rouge, Lf
I use it to get used to a weight I want to hit in a meet. It keeps my shoulders h
ealthy while using heavy weights in m
shirt. Glenn BaggetV
How Do Top Lifters Use BoardsW
The most common use of boards, as explained by Dave earlier, is to work a weak p
oint or sticking point. Mati
Wenning, Marc Bartley and Jeremy Frey ( 650-pound benchers) discuss how they use
boardst
Work a Weak Poinc
Most of the board work Frey does is for his lockout. He usually uses a 2-board o
r 3-board to work on this. He alsv
uses the boards with his regular shirt workouts, but never usually goes above a
1-boardt
Using boards to work different ranges of motion in the bench press is a great too
l. Many lifters have sticking points
where the bench press is weaker. If the problem is your lockout, make sure it is
nt a technique issue. If its not m
technique issue, then pick the board that matches up with where your lockout str
uggles..
Engage Different Muscleh
Marc says the brain and nervous system are always looking for the easiest and fa
stest route. From the very first day m
bar is lifted, the routes become set and they never deviate. The muscles involve
d in the initial route become thr
strongestt
The board makes you take an alternative route and makes other muscles contribute.
For example, I use the samr
route from home to the store every day and it usually takes fifteen minutes. One
day my wife and I left the store at thr
same time and I thought I would pass her and beat her home, but I never saw her.
She had been home for tex
minutes because she took another side road which was more direct to the house. I
didnt realize it then, but I went thr
roundabout way..
This is similar to board work because it changes where you go with the bar, like
with Marcs wife and her new routet
These new routes lead to new and different uses of your muscles, and then they w
ork alongside the dominant musclr
groups that no longer have to do all of the workt
Break in a Shirc
Because new shirts are rather tough to break in, you may not be able to bench th
e amount of weight it takes to touch
the shirt. Boards can be used with a weight thats comfortable until the shirt str
etches and breaks int
I progressively work my way down from a 3-board all the way down to touching, says
Jeremy. By having the boards
there, you have something to shoot for, as opposed to always trying to touch, wh
ich makes the journey of touchiny
seem sometimes unattainable, especially if you just went down a size in a shirt
and its super tight..
Rehab Wor~
When someone injures their shoulders, elbows or hands, boards can be used to lim
it the range of motion an}
eliminate paint
Rehab work is used to limit the range of motion, says Marc. For example, if a guy h
as an injury that hurts as the ban
nears his chest, you can put a board on there before the pain starts. This limit
s pain, so they can still train. Itll allo{
the weak area to get stronger and back to normal..
Jeremy adds, injuries do occur and Ive had many athletes, as well as clients, with
bicep tendon and rotator issuest
Depending upon the injury, this can be very effective in rehabbing the injury wh
ile maintaining your upper bod.
strength..
Raise Confidencg
Marc believes boards make people feel more capable and confident while handling
big weights. Eventually when thr
boards are removed, this confidence carries over to handling real weight without
limited range of motiont
Increase Speeq
This is an easy way to teach someone how to push faster through the bench. It gi
ves the lifter a target to hit and also m
point to change momentum of the bar and improve leverages. This is like changing
gears (eccentric to concentric is
easier and faster)t
Its like learning how to drive a stick shift and hitting the gears right without g
rinding the transmission to pieces, says
Marct
Teach Pausg
Boards teach you to pause. In most competitive benching, theres a pause and then
theres a touch and go. In a meetV
you cant touch and go. You have to wait until the judge gives you a press command
t
You can use the board to teach someone how to lower the bar correctly into the ri
ght position, says Matt. This
means sinking the bar into the board while holding some of the muscles tight and
loaded, then pressing after thr
pause..
Increase Leg Drivg
Boards can be used to increase leg drive. After you sink the bar into the board,
you can get the timing right with youn
leg drive and add a lot to your bench while still keeping it legalt
Matt says this can add at least 50100 pounds to your bench presst
Marc adds, we tell guys to sink the bar in and let the abs sink some, then drive
the legs. Momentum creates a pop.
off the chest. If its done right, it will move the bar into the best leverage pos
ition to complete the lift..
Stabilize and Create Foundation
With boards, you can stabilize and create a foundation for the upper body. By us
ing the boards, in conjunction with
your leg drive, you learn how to time the lower body and upper body. Sinking the
bar into the board with the body untiq
the load is completely absorbed, Matt describes this as your body being stretche
d like an elastic band, and thex
pushing it all back into the bar like a slingshott
Board Press Workouts & Cycleh
Speed Training (dynamic effort): I recommend a soft board, 1-board or 2-board fo
r this. Every time you go up m
board, add one rept
Max Effort: Most beginners have success with this and work in three-week waves u
p to a 1- or 3-rep maxt
Repetition Method: The board is used as a supplement after the main movement. Th
e board chosen should helj
you work on a specific movement that is your weakestt
Hypertrophy & Finisher Workouth
Beekerh
Application: This is used more for strength endurance and muscle hypertrophy. Se
lect two different boards to worZ
from. Select 3-5 reps for each segment. Perform desired reps on the first board
and then proceed to do the same ox
the next board. Continue to repeat with no restt
Triceps Helf
Application: This is used more for strength endurance and muscle hypertrophy. Se
lect a weight you can do 152Y
reps. After warm-ups, proceed to the tricep hell set. For this, youll perform five
reps on a 1-board and thex
immediately do five reps on a 2-board, repeating this scheme until you get to 3-
, 4-, and 5-board. If you make ii
through the whole thing, try working back downt
Board Press Cluster Seth
Application: There are many examples of this, but one Ive found to be very effect
ive is to select a weight you can dv
for ten reps on a 3-board or 4-board. Perform three reps, rest for a ten-count a
nd perform three more reps. Keej
repeating this until you can only perform one rept
3-Minute Triceph
Application: I suggest a spotter with all pressing movements, but highly recomme
nd it with this one. For this, youlq
use a higher board (3- or 4-board) with a light weight (2530 percent of your best
1-rep full bench max). The goal is tv
make the set last three minutes without racking the weight. You CAN hold it at t
he top and rest on the board for a lony
as you need, but try not to rest on the board for more than 20 seconds. The perc
ent is just a guideline or startiny
point. Ive seen people use up to 50 percent for thist
Diminishing Seth
Application: Select any mix from the matrix below and select a total number of r
eps between 50 and 100. Pick m
weight you can do for ten moderately easy reps, then perform sets of ten reps (o
r whatever you end up doing) with 2Y
seconds rest until the final number of repetitions is reachedt
Working down boardh
Application: This is used to break in bench shirts and also used with many lifte
rs when doing shirt work. Warm up to m
point where you feel the need to put your shirt on. This is usually around 60 pe
rcent of your 1-rep max. Perform 3-K
reps on a 3-board or 4-board. For each set from here, youll work up in weight and
lower the board until you get tv
around 90 percent off your chest. A sample progression may look like thisk
Bar for 2-3 sets x 5 reps
95 for 2 sets x 3 reps
135 for 3 sets x 3 reps
185 x 3 reps
225 x 3 reps
275 x 3 reps
315 x 3 reps
405 (with shirt) off a 4-board x 5 reps
455 (with shirt) off a 3-board x 3 reps
495 (with shirt) off a 3-board x 1 rej
615 (with shirt) to chest x 1 rej
Shirt Work Cyclg
Application: Wear the shirt for your 4-board sets the SAME as you would for your
chest set. DO NOT jack the shirt uj
so you can barely touch a 2-board, just so you can press more weight. This is gr
eat for your ego, but theres no wa.
youll be able to touch your chest with your shirt jacked up the same way. A secon
d point is let the shirt and weighi
determine when to lower the board. If you cant get the weight down to a 3-board,
dont drop to a 2-board on the nexi
set. Stay with the 3-board until the weight touches, and then move the weight up
and lower the board after thatt
Week 1: 3-board working up to max set of 3-5 reps
Week 2: 2-board working up to max set of 3-5 reps
Week 4: 1-board working up to max set of three reps
Week 5: No shirt week: this would be a great place to drop in a concentric-only
pressiny
movement such as pin presses or presses off chainst
Week 6: 2-board working up to max set of three reps
Week 7: 1-board working up to max singlr
Week 8: Work down to chest for triple or singlr
Max Effort Board Press Cyclg
Application: This cycle is for beginner and intermediate lifters. Stick with the
same movement for three weekst
Warm-ups: Work up using small jumps (5 percent jumps.
Week 1: Work up to max set of five reps
Week 2: Work up to max set of five reps (beat week 1.
Week 3: Work up to max set of five reps (beat week 2.
1-Board Dynamic Effort Cycle with Bandh
Application: This cycle is intended for those trainees who would like to bring u
p their strength at the bottom point of thr
bench press with the use of bands. This is a great cycle for those who are deali
ng with shoulder problems and woul}
like to take some of the shoulder rotation out of the bottom of the liftt
Training Cycler
Week 1: 40 percent for 8 sets x 3 reps (use three different grips: close, medium
and wide.
and wide.
and wide.
Suggested Band Tensions (based on max bench press)r
100-200 pounds bands not recommende}
201-300 pounds 30-40 pounds of band tension at the top of the lifi
800 Plus pounds 140-160 pounds of band tension at the top of the lifi
One Board Dynamic Effort Cycle with Chainh
Application: This cycle is intended for those trainees who would like to bring u
p their strength at the bottom point of thr
bench press with the use of chains. This is a great cycle for those who are deal
ing with shoulder problems and woul}
like to take some of the shoulder rotation out of the bottom of the liftt
Training Cycler
Week 1: 45% for 8 sets x 3 reps (use three different grips: close, medium and wi
de.
de.
de.
Suggested Chain (based on max bench press chain weight is for both sides combine
d)r
100-200 pounds: 20 pounds
800 Plus pounds: 140 pounds
Supplemental Training Cycleh
These cycles would be for those who are using submaximal training cycles or bloc
ks to train their bench press. If this
is the case, the board press work would fall as a second movement or on another
day. The key here is to select m
movement from the matrix below that will help bring up your weakness or mini max
. The simplest technique that wilq
cover most issues is to pick the board closest to where your sticking point is,
ASSUMING your technique is goodt
Heavy Band Cyclg
Application: Select a band or combination of bands that will represent 50 percen
t of your max bench weight at the toj
(this 50 percent is true if its a shirt max or raw max). Load the bands on the ba
r first, then work up with weight frow
theret
Training Cyclek
Week 1: 3-board working up to a max set of 5 reps. Rest 3-5 minutes and try to r
epeat fon
max number of repst
Week 2: 3-board with 80 percent for 3 sets x 3 reps. NO band tension addedt
Week 3: 3-board working up to a max set of 3 reps. Rest 3-5 minutes and repeatt
Week 4: No heavy supplemental worZ
Week 5: Change movemeni
Section 11: Chains 10}
No, I am not talking about the bling around your neck, what connects your wallet
to your jeans, or even the crazy S&U
stuff you may secretly be guilty oft
What Im talking about is lifting chainsand these can help develop your speed, stre
ngth and stability. Chains can br
added to your bench, squat and deadlift for a kickass workout. You can set them
up for speed, so that they deload ai
the bottom and you must power through each rep. They can be set up for stability
, so that they dont touch the groun}
and you must balance and stay tight for every solid rep. No matter how theyre use
d, youre bound to becomr
strong(er)t
In the squat and the bench press, the movement becomes easier at the top. Thats w
hy you can half squat and halu
bench more than you can full squat or full bench. Chains can be added to balance
or accommodate the strength
curve. The strength curve is a result of the amount of exertion delivered during
a movementt
You can work on the stability of the muscle or the movement that youre trying to
work. A lot of people have a hard timr
getting locked in for the bench press at the top and this is also true for the s
quat. Some have problems at the bottow
of the squat, where they cant maintain their balance and they fall overt
Besides stability, you can also work on how much force is put into the movement.
This is something anyone from m
beginner to an advanced lifter can benefit from. Some dont understand the concept
of explosion. So, when they ad}
the chains to the movement, it deloads at the bottom. If they try to stand up in
the squat as slow as they normall.
would or without force, they wont be able to make it to the top. Theyll eventually
be shoved back down. Hopefull.
theyll think, oh shit, I should have used more force and then next time theyll stand
up more explosivelyt
Chains will teach you to apply more force throughout the whole entire movement b
ecause you wont have a chance tv
decelerate. It will also teach you to lower the bar faster. This isnt a big probl
em with raw lifters, but its a big problew
for those with bench shirtst
With chains, heavier loads can be handled. Youll know what it feels like to have
a greater amount of weight then yo
could ever imagine squatting on your back. Say you have 900 pounds, and 500 poun
ds of that is chains. Youll gei
used to having 900 pounds on your back, but you dont have to deal with it through
out the whole movement because ii
will deload to 400 pounds at the bottomt
The last two things I use chains for is to take pressure off my injuries, and fo
r motivation and confidence with lifterst
How to Set Up Chainh
Each side of the chain set up weighs 18.2 pounds, with 29 links and one hookt
Bench Press and Squat: Stabilit.
Attach the chains any way you want so that they arent touching the ground in the
beginning. There are many ways tv
do this and you can even set up the chains so they NEVER touch the ground to mak
e the movement more difficultt
Bench Press and Squat: Accommodating Resistancg
Set up the chains so that theyre even on both sides. The best way to guess where
to put the chains is to have half ou
the chains on floor for the bench press when the barbell is on the rack. You wan
t all the chain deloaded onto the floon
when at the bottom position. For the squat, its a little different, as youll want
four or five links of chain on the floon
when the bar is on the rackt
Floor Press: Accommodating Resistancg
Throw the chain over the sleeve of the bar, which will allow for a partial deloa
dt
Deadlift: Accommodating Resistancg
If youre using a lot of bar weight, you should use a chain mate to extend the cha
ins out from the bar. This way yo
can load up the bar with as much weight as you want. However, if youre pulling su
mo, throw the chains over thr
center of the bart
Accessory Movements: Accommodating Resistancg
This is very easy. Just decide on a handle and attach the chaint
Training Cycles with Chainh
Basic Chain Squat Cyclg
This is a very good cycle for the advanced lifter who has good squat skill and f
orm. The chains will help to develop m
greater level of squat stability as well as increasing the explosion out of the
bottom of the squat. This would be a ver.
good off-season strength cycle for the advanced liftert
Training Cyclek
Week 1 55% for 8 sets x 2 reps
Recommended chain weight is based on max squat. Chain weight is for both sides c
ombinedt
Max Squac
Chains (per sidej
Weight of Chain (topj
200-400 pounds
1 (5/8.
40 pounds
400-500 pounds
1 (5/8), 1 (1/2.
60 pounds
500-600 pounds
2 (5/8.
80 pounds
700-800 pounds
2 (5/8), 1 (1/2.
100 pounds
800-900 pounds
3 (5/8.
120 pounds
Chain Speed Strength or Heavy Chain Phasg
This cycle is intended for the intermediate and advanced lifter looking for a wa
y to shock their bench training. This
cycle is very effective for bringing up the top end of the bench press very quic
kly. It is recommended to follow this
cycle up with a straight weight or chain cyclet
Training Cyclek
If the weight does not feel heavy, then add more chains to the training weight.
This workout should be very hard tv
complete and may require rest periods in the 90120 second ranget
Recommended chain weight is based on max bench press. Chain weight is for both s
ides combinedt
Max Benco
Weight of Chain (topj
100-200 pounds
40 pounds
201-300 pounds
80 pounds
301-400 pounds
120 pounds
401-500 pounds
160 pounds
501-600 pounds
200 pounds
601-700 pounds
240 pounds
800+ pounds
280 pounds
How elitefts Uses Chainh
Our elitefts sponsored athletes all use chains for various reasonst
Matt Kroczaleskir
I drape them around my neck for added weight on chins and dips. I also throw the
m over the ends og
the bars when performing floor presses for added bench work. Occasionally I put
them either over th_
ends of the bar, or in the center when doing deadlift worko
Scott Yardr
I use chains for my bench training. Chains allow me to keep my intensity and wei
ghts high, but als\
gives me some rest at the bottom part of the lift, which is also the most strenu
ouso
I use 100 pounds of chains on bench and go for singles. I like the chains better
than bands, as thej
allow for more freedom and make me balance the weight moreo
I also like to use chains for my delt training. Side raises, with a chain in eac
h hand, are great. Th_
chain swings and makes me work harder to lift the weight. Next time, try to perf
orm three sets of 1W
with a 5/8 chain in each hand of these and youll get a great workouto
Brian Schwabr
I use chains in my max effort training , dynamic effort training and occasionall
y with accessory work. ^
prefer them over bands since theyre real weight, rather than constant tension, wh
ich often seems t\
place excessive stress on my joints. Chains incorporate accommodating resistance
and allow for you t\
overload through the portion of motion where most lifters are the strongest. I u
se them up until abouV
eight weeks out from a meet for max effort training on all three lifts, and thro
ughout the entire traininc
cycle for dynamic effort if Im incorporating ito
Josh McMillanr
I rotate chains into my training cycle on a regular basis. I use chains for squa
ts with safety bar (I attacT
chain weight to each side of the bar and add 40 pounds of chain per set), deadli
ft speed pulls (th_
chains are draped over the end of the bar), floor press (the chains are draped o
ver the end of the ba^
and I add 40 pounds of chain per set), and speed work on bench (the chains are h
ooked to each side og
bar with a set bar weight)o
Matt Rhodesr
I use chains when I bench and usually use a full range of motion when I use them
. I set them up so thaV
theyre completely off the floor at lockout. When Im not using the shirt, I use the
chains and/or bande
as a way to train my lockout other than using board presseso
Brian Carrollr
I like to use them on my deload day for the squat. I still feel some decent weig
ht on my back, but it gete
lighter at the bottom and teaches me to explode and drive through as they load u
p and get heavier. ^
use about 200 pounds at the top and 100 pounds at the bottom, when theyre touchin
g the ground. ^
use them about every three weeks for the squato
Zach Even Eshr
We use chains at Underground Strength for lots of body weight training as we tra
in a lot of younc
athletes from middle school through college. The chains are AWESOME for adding e
xtra loading t\
movements such as8
Push-ups (with hands on floor, on dumbbell handles, rings or blast strapsR
Pull-upe
Dipe
Our advanced guys will use them when performing the bench press or floor press,
squatting an]
deadlifting. For the most part though, our ability to easily use them during bod
yweight movements ie
where its at\
Jo Jordanr
I use chains for squatting, benching, deadlifting, tricep work, and shoulder wor
k. I use them fo^
accommodating resistance and cycle them in every three to four weeks for a three
-week wave. It helpe
me overcome sticking points at the top of my bench and my lockout on the deadlif
t. It makes me worZ
harder and stay tighter during my squat trainingo
For tricep extensions, I use them because theyre lighter at the bottom and they t
ake some pressure ofg
my elbow joints, which allows me to train around elbow pain. For shoulders, I us
e them on lateral raisee
for stabilization work during the lifto
How YOU Can Use Chainh
Below is a playlist of chain exercisest
Linking it to Researco
1. Your strength can increase more just by how you set up the chains. For exampl
e, a case study was done using m
double-looped hung supplemental heavy chain to add more resistance for the squat
. At the end of the day, it proved tv
have two times more resistance at the top, compared to just hanging the chain st
raight down. Basically, it really does
matter how you set the chain up. (Neelly, Kurt R; Terry, Joseph G; Morris, Marti
n J. A Mechanical Comparison ou
Linear and Double-looped Hung Supplemental Heavy Chain Resistance to the Back Sq
uat; A Case Study. Thr
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Volume 24. Issue 1. 2010: 278-281
..
Hypertrophyincreased sizeof muscle fibers occurs mainly in fast-twitch fibers (esp
ecially Type IIb fibers iu
stimulated to fuse with surrounding satellite cells) in response to stimulation
afforded by weight training, and mosi
especially weight training that is explosive in nature (Hakkinen et.al., 1985; T
horstensson et. al., 1976; ConnellyV
1992)t
2. When Rhea, Kenn and Dermody implemented the speed squat and accommodated resi
stance into the training ou
48 NCAA athletes, they found that variying resistance training produced more pow
er and strength than using heavyV
slow resistance. (Rhea, Matthew R; Kenn, Joseph G; Dermody, Bryan M. Alterations
in Speed of Squat Movemeni
and the Use of Accomodated Resistance Among College Athletes Training for Power.
The Journal of Strength an}
Conditioning Research. Volume 23. Issue 9. Dec. 2009: 2645-2650.
Section 12: The Dead Benco
By Josh Bryani
If your goal is to develop overwhelming starting strength in the bench press, ca
n you simply pause the bar for onr
second on your chest and circumvent the whole stretch shortening cycle? The answ
er to this question is both yes an}
not
A recent study by the Physical Education Department at the Josef Pilduski Univer
sity in Warsaw, Poland, ix
conjunction with the Biomechanics Department at Somelweis University in Budapest
, Hungary, found that a onr
second pause at the bottom of the bench press movement causes a 55 percent disru
ption of the benefits derived frow
stretch-shortening during the bench press. That means that 45 percent of the sto
red elastic energy is still present aften
a one second pause. Pausing will help develop starting strength, but it still do
es not completely bypass the benefits ou
the stretch reflex. How is this paradox remedied.
I would like to introduce you to a GREAT exercise for developing starting streng
th. The exercise Im referring to is
something that I call the dead bench, and its a great way to make your bench gains
come alive! The dead bench
has helped me improve my explosive power during that crucial initial period of c
learing the bar off my chest. The lift is
performed by pressing dead weight off your chest (as shown in the video below).
Theres no eccentric motion to storr
elastic energy, which is why the dead bench is a superior exercise for building
blasting power in the initial phaset
The dead bench should be performed for single repetitions only, because, as the
study indicates, even after a pausr
in the bench press motion, almost half of the stored elastic energy remains. For
higher volume, lower intensit.
training, rather than pumping out rep after rep, you can use multiple singles fo
llowed by shorter rest intervalst
Proper progression is where most strength programs fail. One can know the scienc
e of training front to back, but if yo
do not understand the art of progression, youll be lost in a sea of missed gains.
Some variables to increase intensit.
in the dead bench are: shortening rest intervals, adding more singles with the s
ame weight, and adding more weightt
Focusing only on increasing bar weight is a good prescription for running yourse
lf into the ground of failed progresst
However, you can consider lengthening the rest intervals and decreasing the numb
er of singles as the weighi
increases. An example of this would be starting out with eight singles with a on
e-minute rest in between lifts, and b.
week six, performing four singles with three-minute rest. Obviously, the weight
would increase each week during this
hypothetical cycle (excluding deload weeks)t
If your starting strength in the bench press is whats holding your numbers down,
then give this exercise a try. .
promise, you wont be disappointed. Now start blasting.
Some Points to Remembeb
Start the weight at chest level, but no more than two inches off the chestt
To maximally develop starting strength and rate of force development push the ba
r as har}
and fast as possiblet
In regard to hand placement, use your raw competition bench press grip for the g
reatesi
carry overt
Foot placement is the same as a normal bench presst
Use singles, not repst
Here is bodybuilder/powerlifter in training of Metroflex Gym, John Combs, doing
a very brief demonstration of the dea}
benchk
Heres all-around West Texas Badass Jeff Lofton, pushing some weight on the dead b
enchk

Section 13: So You Think You Can Benco
In this video series, Dave Tate showcases the process he takes to teach correct
bench press technique. Prior to thr
video, Dave had never met this lifter. He had no idea of his training history, t
echnique, or strength level. From start tv
finish, all nine parts of Daves So You Think You Can Bench series are authentic, un
edited coaching videost
Part }
Part T
Part
Part ]
Part k
Part l
Part s
Section 14: JL Holdsworth Instructional Videoh

Are you struggling to increase your bench press? Is your upper body getting beat
up in the process?
If your bench
press doesnt have proper leg drive, youre leaving half of your body out of the lif
t and holding yourself back frow
heavier weight and new PRs. In his second installment of his Friday technique vi
deos, JL Holdsworth shows how tv
set up to maximize leg drive in your bench press. Holdsworth claims that setting
up properly, as he shows in the videoV
could increase your numbers by 10 to 15 percentt
Holdsworth covers how tor
1. Get tight before unracking the bab
2. Place feet to allow drive without raising your hiph
3. Fully engage leg drive at the proper timg
4. Push with your heels from a tucked position
5. Decrease range of motion in shoulder to prevent injur.
In this technique video, JL Holdsworth looks at the very start of the bench pres
sthe setup. Because each lifters
body is different, the optimal setup for the bench press will vary. To find your
best setup, Holdsworth says that yo
should look at the length of your bench stroke and the placement of your feet. B
y experimenting with foot placementV
youll find the setup that gives the shortest bench stroke and strongest leg drive
t
Holdsworth demonstrates these four options for foot placementr
1. Tuckeq
2. Untuckeq
3. Widg
4. NarroS
For tucked positions, your feet will be near or behind your butt. Only your toes
will be on the floor but by pushing youn
heels down (you wont be able to touch) you increase the arch and leg drivet
For feet out, the knees will be slightly in front of the feet. Again, the heels
down cue is vital for leg drive and improve}
positioningt
In this technique video edition, JL Holdsworth shows how and where to grip the b
ar for the bench press. A lot of lifters
let their wrists bend back during the bench press. These same lifters will use t
he tightest wrist wraps available but stilq
cant seem to keep the bar in line with their wrists and elbows. Holdsworth explai
ns why this is problematic for thr
lockout and shares his own experience with missed bench attemptst
Holdsworth explains how tor
1. Avoid the dangers of a thumbless grip
2. Properly place the bar in your handh
3. Wrap your thumbh
4. Squeeze with your pinkieh
5. Keep your elbows and wrists in line with the bab
Section 15: 12 EZ Steps to a Bigger Benco
1. Train the Triceph
Years ago, if you had asked Larry Pacifico how to get a big bench, hed have told
you to train the triceps. This samr
advice applies today. This doesnt mean doing set after set of pushdowns, kickback
s, and other so-called shaping.
exercises. Training your triceps for a big bench has to involve heavy extensions
and close-grip pressing movements
such as close-grip flat and incline bench presses, close-grip board presses, and
JM pressest
Various barbell and dumbbell extensions should also be staples of your training
program. Dont let anyone try to telq
you the bench press is about pec strength. These people dont know the correct way
to bench and are setting you uj
for a short pressing career with sub-par weights. I just read an article in one
of the major muscle magazines by one ou
these authors on how to increase your bench press. The advice given was to train
your pecs with crossovers and flies
and your bench will go up! This, along with many other points, made me wonder ho
w this article ever got published on
better yet, how much the author himself could bencht
I believe articles should go under a peer review board before they get printed.
Id like many of my peers to revie{
these authors in the gym or better yet on the bench to see how much they really
know. Bottom line: train the triceps.
2. Keep your shoulder blades pulled together and tightp
This is a very important and often overlooked aspect of great bench pressing. Wh
ile pressing you have to create thr
most stable environment possible. This cant be done if most of your shoulder blad
es are off the bench. The bench is
only so wide and we cant change this, but we can change how we position ourselves
on the bencht
When you pull your shoulder blades together youre creating a tighter, more stable
surface from which to press. This
is because more of your body is in contact with the bench. The tightness of your
upper back also contributes. Thesr
techniques also change the distance the bar will have to travel. The key to pres
sing big weight is to press the shortesi
distance possiblet
3. Keep the pressure on your upper back and trapsi
This is another misunderstood aspect of pressing. You want the pressure around t
he supporting muscles. This is
accomplished by driving your feet into the floor, thereby driving your body into
the bench. Try this: Lie on the bench
and line up so your eyes are four inches in front of the bar (toward your feet).
Now using your legs, drive yourself intv
the bench to put pressure on the upper back and traps. Your eyes should now be e
ven with the bar. This is the samr
pressure that needs to be applied while pushing the barbellt
4. Push the bar in a straight linei
Try to push the bar toward your feet. The shortest distance between two points i
s a straight line, right? Then why ix
the world would some coaches advocate pressing in a J line toward the rack? If I w
ere to bench the way mosi
trainers are advocating (with my elbows out, bringing the bar down to the chest
and pressing toward the rack) m.
barbell travel distance would be 16 inches. Now, if I pull my shoulder blades to
gether, tuck my chin and elbows, an}
bring the bar to my upper abdominals or lower chest, then my pressing distance i
s only 6.5 inches. Now which woul}
you prefer? If you want to push up a bar-bending load of plates, youd choose the
shorter distancet
Heres another important aspect of pressing in this style. By keeping your shoulde
r blades together and your chin an}
elbows tucked, youll have less shoulder rotation when compared to the J-line meth
od of pressing. This is easy to ser
by watching how low the elbows drop in the bottom part of the press when the bar
bell is on the chest. With the elbows
out, most everyones elbows are far lower than the bench. This creates a tremendou
s amount of shoulder rotation an}
straint
Now try the same thing with the elbows tucked and shoulder blades together while
bringing the barbell to your uppen
abdominals. For most people, the elbows are usually no lower than the bench. Les
s shoulder rotation equals less
strain on the shoulder joint. This means pressing bigger weights for many more y
ears. Ive always been amazed ai
trainers that suggest only doing the top half of the bench press, i.e. stopping
when the upper arms are parallel to thr
floor. This is done to avoid the excess shoulder rotation. All they have to do i
s teach their clients the proper way tv
bench in the first place.
5. Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and elbowsi
This is probably the most important aspect of great pressing technique. The elbo
ws must remain tucked to keep thr
bar in a straight line as explained above. Keeping the elbows tucked will also a
llow lifters to use their lats to drive thr
bar off the chest. Football players are taught to drive their opponents with the
ir elbows tucked, then explode throught
This is the same for bench pressing. Bench pressing is all about generating forc
e. You can generate far more forcr
with your elbows in a tucked position compared to an elbows out positiont
The most important aspect of this is to keep the barbell in a direct line with t
he elbow. If the barbell is behind the elbo{
toward the head, then the arm position becomes similar to an extension, not a pr
esst
6. Bring the bar low on your chest or upper abdominalsi
This is the only way you can maintain the barbell to elbow position as described a
bove. You may have heard thr
advice, bring it low at almost every powerlifting competition. This is the reason
why. Once again, the barbell musi
travel in a straight linet
7. Fill your belly with air and hold iti
For maximum attempts and sets under three reps, you must try to hold your air. E
veryone must learn to breathe frow
their bellies and not their chests. If you stand in front of the mirror and take
a deep breath, your shoulders shouldni
rise. If they do youre breathing the air into your chest, not your belly. Greater
stability can be achieved in all the lifts
when you learn how to pull air into the belly. Try to expand and fill the belly
with as much air as possible and hold it. Iu
you breathe out during a maximum attempt, the body structure will change slightl
y, thus changing the groove in which
the barbell is travelingt
8. Train with compensatory accelerationi
Push the bar with maximal force. Whatever weight youre trying to push, be it 40 p
ercent or 100 percent of your maxV
you must learn to apply 100 percent of the force to the barbell. If you can benc
h 500 pounds and are training with 30Y
pounds, you must then apply 500 pounds of force to the 300-pound barbell. This i
s known as compensator.
acceleration and it can help you break through sticking pointst
These sticking points are known as your mini maxes, or the points at which you mis
s the lift or the barbell begins tv
slip out of the groove. Many times Im asked what to do if the barbell gets stuck
four to five inches off the chestt
Everybody wants to know what exercise will help them strengthen this area or wha
t body part is holding them backt
Many times it isnt what you do to strengthen the area where it sticks, but what y
ou can do to build more acceleratiox
in the area before the mini max. If you can get the bar moving with more force t
hen there wont be a sticking pointt
Instead, youll blast right through it. Compensatory acceleration will help you do
thist
9. Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar aparth
Regardless of the lift, you have to keep your body as tight as Monica Brants behi
nd. Youll never lift big weights iu
youre in a relaxed physical state while under the barbell. The best way to get th
e body tight is by squeezing the bart
Weve also found that if you try to pull the bar apart or break the bar, the triceps
seem to become more activatedt
10. Devote one day per week to dynamic-effort trainingi
According to Vladimir Zatsiorsinsky in his text
Science and Practice of Strength Trainingi
there are three ways tv
increase muscle tension. These three methods include the dynamic-effort method,
the maximal-effort method, and thr
repetition method. Most training programs being practiced in the US today only u
tilize one or two of these methodst
Its important, however, to use all threet
The bench press should be trained using the dynamic-effort method. This method i
s best defined as training with subz
maximal weights (45 to 60 percent) at maximal velocities. The key to this method
is bar speed. Percentage traininy
can be very deceiving. The reason for this is because lifters at higher levels h
ave better motor control and recruii
more muscle than a less experienced liftert
For example, the maximal amount of muscle you could possibility recruit is 100 p
ercent. Now, the advanced lifter aften
years of teaching his nervous system to be efficient may be able to recruit 70 t
o 80 percent of muscle fibers, while thr
intermediate might be able to recruit only 50 percent. Thus, the advanced lifter
would need less percent weight thax
the intermediate. This is one of the reasons why an advanced lifter squatting 80
percent of his max for 10 reps woul}
kill himself while a beginner could do it all day longt
If you base the training on bar speed, then the percentages are no longer an iss
ue, only a guideline. So how do yo
know where to start? If youre an intermediate lifter, I suggest you start at 50 p
ercent of maximal and see how fast yo
can make it move for three reps. If you can move 20 more pounds with the same sp
eed then use the heavier weightt
Based on years of experience and Primlins charts for optimal percent training, wev
e found the best range to be eighi
sets of three reps. Based on Primlins research, the optimal range for 70 percent
and less is 12 to 24 repetitionst
Weve also found it very beneficial to train the bench using three different grips
, all of which are performed within thr
rings. This may break down into two sets with the pinky fingers on the rings, th
ree sets with three fingers from thr
smooth area of the bar and three sets with one finger from the smooth areat
11. Devote one day per week to maximal-effort trainingi
For the second bench day of the week (72 hours after the dynamic day) you should
concentrate on the maximal-effori
method. This is best defined as lifting maximal weights (90 to 100 percent) for
one to three reps. This is one of thr
best methods to develop maximal strength. The key here is to strain. The downfal
l is you cant train above 90 perceni
for longer than three weeks without having adverse effectst
Try performing a max bench press every week for four or five weeks. Youll see you
may progress for the first twoV
maybe three weeks, then your progress will halt and begin to work its way backwa
rd. Weve combated this b.
switching up the maximal-effort exercises. We rotate maximal-effort movements su
ch as the close-grip incline pressV
board press, floor press, and close-grip flat press. These exercises are all spe
cific to bench pressing and all have m
very high carryover valuet
12. Train the lats on the same plane as the benchi
Im talking about the horizontal plane here. In other words, you must perform rows
, rows, and more rows. If you wani
to bench big then you need to train the lats. Ive heard both George Hilbert and Ke
nny Patterson say this for years
when asked about increasing the bench press. When you bench youre on a horizontal
plane. So would it make sensr
from a balance perspective to train the lats with pulldowns, which are on a vert
ical plane? Nope. Stick to the barbelq
row if you want a big bencht
Hopefully, Ive helped you correct a few problems that mightve been keeping you fro
m breaking your own personaq
record. Remember, the smallest things often bring the biggest resultst
Section 16: 10 Shirted Bench Press Tiph
By Joey Smith
People are always asking me how to fix their bench press, how to improve their t
echnique, or the obvioushow to gei
strong(er) on the bench press. So, I decided to sit down each week for 10 weeks
and give a bench press tip, hoping tv
help someone who might be lacking in the area I addressed that day. Did I cover
every aspect of the bench press.
No. But what I tried to do was give tips that worked for me and helped increase
my bench press over the yearst
While these tips are better suited for geared shirted lifters, some of these tip
s can still be utilized for the raw guys, toot
If you have any questions, contact me on the Q&A or comment section below, and I
will do my best to answer youn
questions the best I cant
1. H2
If youre having trouble touching the bar, try wetting your collar and chest plate
with good ol H2O. Just get a spra.
bottle, fill it up with water, and keep it in your gym bag. Wetting the collar a
llows the material to stretch easier, which
can help you get the bar downt
2. Dig into the Paq
When setting up on the bench, make sure that you dig your traps into the pad of
the bench so that you get a goodV
solid foundation. Be sure to pull your shoulders and lats back tight to the pad,
and make sure that you dont roll youn
shoulders back up when you receive the bar from your handler. This will give you
better stability and keep your shirt ix
placet
3. Pull Bac~
As you set up on the bench, be sure to pull your shoulders back as hard as you c
an. Do this before the weight is
handed to you. Pulling back the shoulders allows your lats to provide a strong(e
r) and better foundation. Plus, yourr
utilizing the power from your lats in conjunction with your triceps when you pus
h the bar upt
4. Eyes Under the Bab
Make sure that your eyes are under the bar. Before you lift the barbell off, its
important that your body is positione}
correctly on the bench. The easiest way to ensure your position is correct is to
have your eyes directly under the bart
5. Arco
Learn to create a good arch. A good arch can cut two or three (or more!) inches
off your stroke. Be sure to keep youn
butt on the bench while arching. Placing a four-inch PVC pipe under my lower bac
k helped me start learning how tv
get an arch. Then, as I got better, I started using a six-inch foam roller on al
l of my raw sets to help me with my arch
and to stretch my lower backt
6. Bend the Bab
When taking your handoff, be sure to grab the bar tightly and try to bend the bar,
as this will help with your stability. Ix
turn, always make sure that youre tight throughout the lift. Be sure that your la
ts and triceps are doing the work as
you descend and push up. Stay tight. Technique is everythingt
7. Leg Drivg
Leg DriveThis power comes through your feet and legs. It fortifies the arch in yo
ur back, stabilizes your body, an}
focuses the energy towards your upper body. However, pushing through your legs d
oesnt mean that you should raisr
your ass off the bench. The front of your feet should be trying to press through
the floor as you try to press your heels
to the floor. This takes a lot of practice to get correct, but what else do you
have to do.
8. Deep Breato
Make sure to take a deep breath before you lower the bar (take a breath at hando
ff and hold it). Hold it in as you briny
the bar down, pushing your belly to meet the bar, and continue to hold your breath
as you push the bar upwardst
Dont let your breath out until you complete the rep. This technique gives you bet
ter core stability and spinaq
reinforcement. This will lead to a stronger bench press and better overall tight
ness and stabilityt
9. Elbow Flarg
When coming down with the bar, keep your elbows flared out to allow the shirt to
help carry the weight down. As thr
shirt tightens, begin to cut your elbows in so that you can touch the bar to you
r belly area. Once you touchV
immediately flare your elbows back out (as fast as you can) in order to create t
he momentum and power needed tv
press maximal weights to the locked position. When pressing the bar up, fade the
bar slightly back over your eyes an}
remember to explode the bar upwards. Contract your muscles forcefully in order t
o lift as fast as possible. Even if thr
bar goes up slowly, youre still delivering maximal force outputt
10. Visualizg
Visualize the lift. What is visualization? In essence, visualization simply mean
s using your creative imagination to ser
something you want and then achieve it. Always see yourself over and over again,
going through your checklist an}
successfully completing the lift every time. Arch, take a deep breath, grip the
bar, get tight, leg drive, and press
upwardst
Bench Press Productsr
Board Press Boardh
Specialty Barh
Bandh
Chainh
Dumbbellh
Benches and Rackh
Related Articleh
Dave Tates Free Squat Manuaf
My Return to Powerliftin.
Under the Bar: A Matter of Perspectivg

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