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Proper set up for benching can mean the difference from getting that world record bench press, and missing your old PR. Here is what I think are the five most important aspects of proper bench set up.
Foot placement - A lot of people don’t realize that almost your whole body comes into play when benching, including your feet and legs. You want to have a very sturdy base so your feet need to be placed firmly onto the ground. I pull my feet back enough so that my heels cannot touch the ground. Then when I am benching I try to push my heels into the ground sending that energy from my feet to my arms.
Arched Back - An arched back makes the lift easier by making the range of motion(ROM) less. You want to arch your lower back as much as possible but make sure your butt stays on the bench. Having an arched back also leads into my next pointer of how your upper back should be set up.
Tight Upper Back - When you are benching you want a strong firm base starting at your feet so once we transfer the energy from your feet we don’t want to lose it. A tight upper back is key to good benching form. I try to pinch my shoulder blades together as much as I can when I bench. This creates a strong firm base for holding those heavy weights.
Squeeze the Bar - You want to have “White knuckles” when benching. Meaning that you should be squeezing the bar as hard as you can and your knuckles should be white. This helps to activate all the muscles in your arms.
Breathing - Finally how you breathe when benching is very important. once you unrack the bar you want to take a huge breathe in. This breathe should be all in your chest and not in your stomach, you want to see your chest puff up as your take your breathe. Don’t release your air until you have pressed the weigth back up otherwise it will cause your body to become loose and weak and you’ll miss your lift.
Now putting it all together. First set up with feet firmly in the floor, back arched, and shoulder blades pinched together. Unrack the bar and take a huge breathe into your chest. Bring the bar down to your chest and as soon as it hits your chest your going to want to drive your feet into the floor and squeeze your butt, pushing the bar back into the air.
Thats a pretty big over view of the bench press. If you didn’t use any of these techniques before I would suggest starting with just one and working on it until you have it down. Then start to add in another. Hope you guys liked it, leave comments and feel free to ask questions.
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