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The Bench Press Exercise Form and Technique Guide
By [Link niet meer beschikbaar] on Nov 12, 2009 in [Link niet meer beschikbaar], [Link niet meer beschikbaar], [Link niet meer beschikbaar]
Bench press is the second of three events performed in a [Link niet meer beschikbaar] competition. It is considered as one of the most dominant strength training movements for the upper body. Additionally, there are bench only competitions where, as the name says, only the bench press event is present. Unofficially, this exercise is used amongst lifters as a measure of strength. No one asks how much you can [Link niet meer beschikbaar] or [Link niet meer beschikbaar], everybody is wondering what’s your bench. I think that this is the reason why true powerlifters hate being asked how much they can bench.
[Afbeelding niet meer beschikbaar]European Junior Championship, men 67.5kg, Niklas Jönson 190.5kg. Image credit: Köberich
Bench press is a compound exercise and it should be done early in a routine to ensure fatigue of one muscle group does not limit the entire exercise (for example, working triceps before the bench). This exercise uses pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, long head of biceps brachii and coracobrachialis for flexing the shoulder. It also uses triceps brachii and anconeous (predominately) for extending the elbow. Hand spacing on the bar will dictate whether the shoulder flexion (wider grip) or the elbow extension (narrower grip) will be predominant. Upper and middle back (especially latissimus dorsi) are also utilized during this lift. In addition to these major dynamic (phasic) muscles benching activates stabilizing (tonic) muscles: core (obliques, transverse abdominis, quadratus lumborum, erector spinae, multifidus), scapular stabilizers (middle and inferior trapezius, serratus anterior), and humeral head stabilizers (rotator cuff muscles).
There are many variants and techniques used for performing this motion. I will focus on explaining the powerlifting bench press, which in essence is a flat bench press. Make note that in classic gym/bodybuilding training bench press is done differently than in powerlifting. I’ll cover the exact differences at the end of this post. Only IPF rules of competition and allowed apparel will be covered here. If you compete in a different federation, check their rules because they may be different.
Phases of the Bench Press
There are two well known but different techniques for performing the bench press. First is popularized by Bill Crawford and the Metal Militia and second one by Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell. As I go along and explain the phases, I will note the differences between these techniques.
- Phase 1: Setup (Prepare yourself by putting on your lifting apparel: shoes, shirt, singlet, belt, and wrists wraps, in that order. Chalk your hands heavily to get a good strong grip and your shoulder blades and butt to prevent any possible sliding off the bench).
- Feet Back: Metal Militia Technique (First lie down high on the bench so that your head is hanging off the bench. Unlike in bodybuilding bench, place your feet as far back underneath as you can. Don’t get on your toes; keep the entire sole flat on the floor. This will provide a solid leverage point for arching your back and pressing the bar from).
- Feet Front: Westside Barbell Technique (First lie down high on the bench so that your head is hanging off the bench. Place your feet somewhat wide and in front of you. Don’t get on your toes; keep the entire sole flat on the floor).
- Bridged Back (Grab the bar with an underhand grip and pull yourself up towards the bar and down towards your feet, so that your forehead touches the bar. Do NOT move your feet of the ground; just arch your back into a bridge. After touching the bar with forehead, first rest your head on the bench, then traps and upper back while maintaining an extremely strong bridge. NOTE: With Westside Barbell technique you won’t be able to achieve such a huge bridge like with Metal Militia technique because the feet will be in front of you. Nevertheless, create as high bridge as you possibly can).
- Squeeze Shoulder Blades (Roll the shoulders back to meet the shoulder blades. Until the pain of clenching is still bearable you are not doing it right. If you are not ready to feel enormous pain you are still not ready to compete. Clamping blades tight together shortens the path that bar needs to travel, avoids recruiting of the anterior deltoid muscles and creates a thick upper back platform that will carry out most of the weight).
- Bar Grip Type (First and most important thing I want to stress out is that you ALWAYS use a fully wrapped grip. Never use a thumbless (monkey) grip which is often practiced by bodybuilders where the thumb comes behind the bar with the rest of the fingers. Wrapping the bar with thumbs will prevent it from dropping on your chest and ensure more pressing power. Digging your hands deep into the knurls of the bar, and squeezing it as hard as you can, will trigger a reflex which will make your entire body to tighten. This is a little trick used by the professionals).
- Bar Grip Width (As for the width of the grip, this is something you will need to figure out for yourself. Wider grip will put more stress on the chest while narrower on the triceps. Either way is fine, just be sure not to use too narrow or too wide grip. As I said try different widths and see what works the best for you. NOTE: The spacing of the hands must not exceed 81 cm measured between the forefingers. In other words, both forefingers must be within the 81 cm marks and the whole of the forefingers must be in contact with the 81 cm marks).
- Wrists Straight (First of all, put the bar on the root of the palms not the part that meets the fingers. As a result, the wrists should be completely straight, as almost as if you are doing push-ups on your fists. Nevertheless, some lifters rely on heavy duty wrist wraps that allow you to bend the wrists an inch back while saving them from additional pressure. This way the path of the bar gets shorter, which means that less distance it has to travel. Don’t forget that powerlifting is a game of inches. If you manage to steal an inch here and there successfully, it will make a difference between you and the competition. Although this technique is usable, I do NOT recommend it, because it’s way too advanced and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can destroy your wrists permanently very easily).
- Phase 2: Unracking (Here I will use the example of performing a bench press set with just one rep using maximum weight. Note: this example is actually a simulation of the maximum lift performed like the one on a meet. The only step that is different than in normal training is “Inhale Deep”, where you will inhale before every repetition and not just before the first one. During competition, the spotters are allowed to assist you with this step).
- Inhale Deep (Take an enormously deep breath, to take in a lot of oxygen supplies, because the next time you will breath in will be when you return the bar on the rack at the finishing point of the lift! NOTE: Don’t exaggerate by taking too much air. Take just enough to make your stomach hard and push it out on your belt).
- Elbows Locked (Keep your elbows locked during the lockout because you are strongest in that position. Bending your arms will only waste your lifting strength by additionally pressuring the triceps).
- Unrack the Bar (Don’t unrack the bar by pressing out with your chest and triceps or raising the shoulders. Instead pull it off by using only the strength of your back (lats). This is not the time to be aggressive and jerk the bar up like a mad man. It will waste your strength, mess up your concentration and balance or perhaps result in an injury. After unracking, wait while the weight stabilizes. NOTE: Make sure to use a bench that has shallow enough “J” hooks to allow you to pull the bar out and not cause a resetting of your shoulder blades. But, these hooks should be deep enough just to catch the bar though).
- Phase 3: Descent (Descent must be done in a very controlled and somewhat slow manner. Descending too rapidly will make you lose control and bounce the bar off the chest which is not allowed to do. So be sure to control this part of the lift. The strongest focus is required for this stage).
- Tuck Elbows (Lower the bar down and forward towards the lower end of your chest by rotating (tucking) your elbows in. The path of the bar will resemble a written backslash character “\”. This part of the lift may be very uncomfortable and appear to go against logic if you are a beginner, because it differs very much from the classic bodybuilding bench where elbows are benched out and the bar is traveling down in a straight line. However, this technique, once mastered will provide more power).
- Heels Down/Belly Up (While tucking your elbows, simultaneously dig your heels as hard as possible into the floor and arch your back as hard as you can! Basically, drive your heels into the ground and push your belly up to shorten the bar path, but don’t raise your butt of the bench).
- Phase 4: Ascent (During this stage you must put forth all the resources that you have in order to drive the weight up. Since your descent was done slowly and bouncing off the chest is not allowed, you can’t count on inertia to aid you in going up. The bench shirt in this situation will act as a sling and help you additionally. NOTE: If you wear a shirt, the bar should touch the chest at the sternum (breastbone). Without the shirt the bar should touch somewhere between the nipples and the sternum).
- Touch and Push: Metal Militia Technique (Once the bar is touching the chest wait for the referee’s bench signal. Press the bar up and towards your face by bringing (rotating) the elbows out. Make sure to press the weight up along the same backslash path that you lowered it down. Again, push from the heels and maintain the bridge, this is very important)!
- Touch and Push: Westside Barbell Technique (Once the bar is touching the chest wait for the referee’s bench signal. Press the bar up in a straight line by bringing (rotating) the elbows out. Again, push from the heels and maintain the bridge, this is very important)!
- Feet/Butt/Head Down (Pushing from your heels will make you want to raise your butt. Concentrate and resist the urge to do so because it is forbidden by the IPF rules. Some people like to look at the bar during bench press, which is also forbidden. Make sure to incorporate all this into your technique early on in your training so you can develop a reliable habit).
- Phase 5: Racking (When the bar is up and the elbows are locked the only thing left to do is racking the bar. The lift is not complete until you conclude this step. Only afterwards will the lift be fully finished. Don’t let the fact that you managed the weight so far to steal your focus, because it isn’t over yet. During competition, the spotters are allowed to assist you with this step).
- Rack the Bar (By using only the strength of your back (lats), and not your chest and triceps or raising the shoulders, rack the bar. This constitutes that the movement is finally over).
Jim Wendler from Elite Fitness Systems bench pressing 370lbs x 7
Common Errors and Misconceptions
- Face Presses (OK, I know that this sounds ridiculous but some people just can’t resist the urge of holding the bar above their neck or face when they do bench presses. They think such high positioning of the bar works the upper chest better. It does NOT! On the contrary, the only thing that this does is put the shoulders in a very awkward position where popping out from the socket is not unusual occurrence. Don’t do this and risk a shoulder dislocation).
- Shoulders Up (Keeping your shoulders raised up will in return prevent you from keeping your chest up and shoulder blades clenched. The result is less power and this means weaker bench press. So, avoid this because it’s not a part of any existing bench press technique).
- Bending Wrists (First of all, put the bar on the root of the palms not the part that meets the fingers. As a result, the wrists should be completely straight, as almost as if you are doing push-ups on your fists. Nevertheless, some lifters advise using of heavy duty wrist wraps that allow you to bend the wrists an inch back while saving them from additional pressure. This way the path of the bar gets shorter, which means that less distance it has to travel. Don’t forget that powerlifting is a game of inches. If you manage to steal an inch here and there successfully, it will make a difference between you and the competition. Although this technique is usable I do NOT recommend it, because it’s way too advanced and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can destroy your wrists permanently very easily).
- Elbows Untucked (Usually you’ll hear that forearms need to be perpendicular to the floor while you perform the bench press, thus forming the letter T with your chest. This is not wrong but you don’t want to do it. T letter formation is a classical gym (bodybuilding) benching technique which is not what we’re going for. This isolates pectorals but doesn’t develop synchronization of the muscle groups necessary for creating a powerful lifting apparatus. Remember, we do not build muscles, we lift weights! Instead, what you should do is tuck your elbows closer to your body. This is a very hard position to be explained with a written word, so I’ll add a video or two where you will be able to see how this is done properly).
- Head/Butt/Feet Up (Neither of these is allowed in the competition. Do any of these and you’ll be facing a disqualification of the lift. This is a mistake that inexperienced lifters often do. It’s just an illusion that raising the feet or head will put you in a stronger position. Instead it just puts pressure on your back. Although sticking the butt up will shorten the distance that bar has to travel, but don’t use it, since it’s not allowed on a meet).
- Unspotted Bench (I will remind you that you always use a spotting partner and appropriate apparel, especially when you’re maxing. Having this reduces the chance of injury and helps you train above the current strength level, but you already knew that, right? It’s enough to see just one of those clips on YouTube with bench press accidents to realize that this is not a joke).
Benching Equipment
It’s no brainer what equipment is used in benching. But apart from bench, barbell and weight plates additional goodies can be used to give your
bench press a competitive boost. Chains, bands and weight releasers are heavily used in powerlifting training to accommodate the resistance and work with the athlete’s natural strength curve. For example, the chains can be attached to hang from each side of the bar. When the lifter lowers the bar to the chest the chains will rest on the ground. So when the lifter is at his weakest the weight will be at its lightest. On the way up, the lifters becomes stronger while the weight gets heavier. This way lifter’s natural strength curve is practiced and in this particular case the lockout phase of the press is strengthened. This is a great way to bypass weakness in some muscle groups. Boards can also be used for performing the partial repetitions (board bench) and strengthening the triceps necessary for a strong finish in the lockout phase.
Full range and board bench maximum training with Katana single-ply bench t shirt
Apparel and Accessories
- Bench shirt is worn for safety and additional support during the lift, especially during the pressing phase where it behaves like a slingshot helping you on the way up. Bench shirt must be made from a single-ply polyester material. Canvas and denim bench t shirts are prohibited. I don’t recommend using a shirt during all training cycles. Usually, I will introduce the use of a shirt somewhere around 6th week before the meet, depending on how well I have mastered it. But if you never used a shirt before or you want to get accustomed to a new one, include it in your training even earlier than that. Learning to use a bench shirt is not easy and requires months of practice. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not good at it in the beginning. I know many lifters that simply gave up on exploiting the shirt further. So they ended up not getting an additional 30kg or 40kg from it. I myself can squeeze up to 15kg to 20kg more out of mine. That’s definitely not much, and I’m still looking for the shirt that will suit me the best. For those of you that never used bench shirts before, don’t worry, I will be covering this topic in detail in future posts.
- Singlet is a one piece suit made from either polyester, spandex, cotton or any mixture of those materials. Singlet is worn over a bench shirt. It must not provide any additional support during the lift. Singlets should be of that type commonly used in weightlifting and wrestling. Every manufacturer of powerlifting apparel has a collection of available singlets.
- Weight belt is used to support the torso and lower back and to hold your shirt in place and from coming up. Maximum allowed width of the belt’s body is 10cm. In addition to standard 10cm (4″) wide body bench belts are made in 5-7cm (2-1/2″) width. Some belts are 2″ wide only along the part that covers the stomach.
- Wrist wraps ensure stronger wrist support and relieve the stress that bar puts on your joints. A wrist covering must not extend beyond 10cm above and 2cm below the center of the wrist joint and must not exceed a total covering width of 12cm. Maximum allowed length is 1m and width 8cm.
- Shoes or boots must have uniform underside on both sides. I recommended you to use boots that cover your ankles which provides additional stability. Inner soles are limited to 1cm thickness.
- [Link niet meer beschikbaar] (gym chalk) on your hands will provide stronger grip on the bar. Make sure you apply it heavily across the entire palm and fingers, especially the area where thumb meets the index finger. Chalk your shoulder blades and butt to prevent sliding and ensure additional stability during the lift.
Competition Judging (Unsuccessful Lift)
The following list defines criteria that will make your attempt unsuccessful. In your training be sure to avoid all these errors. While rules in general are similar across federations, there are certain differences. Following rules only cover IPF (International Powerlifting Federation).
- Failure to observe the Chief Referee’s signals at the commencement, during or completion of a lift.
- Any change in the elected lifting position after the Chief Referee’s signal, i.e. movement of the head, shoulders, or buttocks, from the bench, or movement of the feet on the floor or lateral movement (sliding) of hands on the bar.
- Bouncing the bar off the chest or sinking the bar into the chest after it is motionless in such a way as to make the lift easier.
- Any pronounced (exaggerated) uneven extension of the arms during or at the end of the lift.
- Any downward movement of the bar during the pressing out phase.
- Failure to press the bar to full extension of the arms at the completion of the lift.
- Contact with the bar or the lifter by the spotters (loaders) between the Chief Referee’s signals in order to provide help for the lifter.
- Any contact of the lifter’s feet with the bench or its support construction.
- Deliberate contact between the bar and the bar rests in such a way as to make the lift easier.
IPF World Championship 2009, men 75kg, bench press, group 2
Competition Judging (Referee’s Signals)
From time to time you should try to mimic the real competition situation in your training. Because sometimes, lack of experience in this area may throw an athlete off course, disturb his natural peace and concentration and all that hard work invested can be lost because of such a trivial thing. These are the three (3) signals which Chief Referee gives on a meet during the bench press.
- When the lifter is motionless with elbows locked and the bar properly positioned the Chief Referee will give the signal to begin the lift. The signal to begin the attempt shall consist of a downward movement of the arm together with the audible command “Start”. After receiving the signal, the lifter must lower the bar to the chest (not lower than the base of the sternum / breastbone).
- Once the bar is motionless on the chest the Chief Referee will signal the audible command “Press”. The lifter must then return the bar to arms length (as at the beginning of the lift).
- When the bar is held motionless in this position the audible command “Rack” shall be given together with a backward motion of the arm. The lifter must then return the bar to the racks.
Different Types of Bench Press
- Flat Bench Press (When the term “bench press” is used, it is usually referred to a flat bench press which is thoroughly described in the text above. As I said, there are two types of this bench press: a bodybuilding/gym /standard version and a powerlifting version. First one focuses on stimulation and development of muscles, primarily chest (the pectoralis major), shoulders (anterior deltoids), and triceps, while second on weight lifted, which additionally employs middle (latissimus dorsi) and upper back muscles).
- Incline Bench Press (This variation works the same muscles as flat bench but with focus on slightly different muscle subgroups. In the position where the pelvis is lowered and shoulder are elevated, emphasis is shifted towards the deltoid and upper portion of the chest. In general, less weight can be pressed from this angle than from flat or incline benches).
- Decline Bench Press (Here the pelvis is elevated and the head is lowered. Although the same muscles are engaged as with flat bench, lower portion of the chest and deltoid are aimed. Such short trajectory of the bar usually allows greater weight to be pushed than on any other type of bench. This is an equivalent to raising the butt up on a flat bench).
- Close Grip Bench Press (Close grip is considered to be a shoulder width grip. At the bottom of the movement a barbell is rested on the sternum, i.e. lower than in normal or wide grip bench. Close grip forms such angle of the elbows where emphasis is thrown on triceps muscles, rather than on pecs).
- Wide Grip Bench Press (This one works the same muscles but with completely opposite focus than close grip bench. Triceps works very little at the top during lockout, while pectorals and deltoids carry out most of the strain. This variant is ideal for strengthening the press in the lockout phase of the movement).
- Floor Press (The weight is pressed while lying on the floor. Contact of elbows with the floor dictates how much the bar will be lowered. At the bottom of the movement focus is primarily left on pecs, but at the top triceps is targeted more. This exercise develops static strength more than dynamic strength).
- Reverse Grip Bench Press (Hands should grab the bar in such way that the palms are looking at you, which is the same as grabbing the bar for biceps curls. Reverse grip creates a position where only close grip can be used on the bar. As a result, triceps is heavily engaged. Although it may sound like an exotic exercise, this is actually the dumbest thing ever invented when it comes to benching. It can cause a number of injuries, starting from the wrists all the way up to the shoulders. As one smart man once said: “With reverse benching you are just pressing your luck”).
- Dumbbell Bench Press (Instead of using barbell, all bench variations listed above can also be done with dumbbells. Depending on the angle and grip width the same groups of muscles are activated. In addition to the major phasic (dynamic) muscles these presses also uses tonic (stabilizing) muscles even more than in regular barbell benching. As a result, greater stabilization skills are developed. Dumbbell bench press can be great a supplemental program to your core bench training, but I do NOT advise you to use it as a primary exercise).
...maar ik heb net als Hummer ook wat last van bepaalde pijntjes...en alles wat auwa doet, vermijd ik
. Maar de oefeningen die ik je eens heb doorgemaild zijn oefeningen die door veel succesvolle benchpressers worden beoefend!
wat weet je het toch altijd weer leuk te brengen...je bent overigens wel vrij snel (een minuut of twee)...er zijn mensen die laten de "druk" zelfs wat express toenmen, om het tempo waarin de ontlasting plaats vind wat te bevorderen. Wellicht ten overvloedde, maar ik behoor niet tot die categorie...ik neem me (zoals bij alles in het leven) altijd wat meer tijd...neem een tijdschrift of boek mee...of ga lekker in het donker lekker "ontlasten"...heel relaxt...moet alleen oppassen dat ik dan niet in slaap val 
...helemaal vergeten...
.
