This blog post will give a detailed guide on how to bench for maximal strength, primarily focused in the 1-5 rep range.
Proper equipment setup is crucial for a successful bench press in powerlifting. Especially as with strengh based training, you'll be pushing yourself to increase your 1 rep max. To consistantly gain strength over time, safety must be considered as you will at times push past your body's limit and fail a set. Ensuring that your equipment is correctly setup not only enhances performance but also guarantees safety during your lifts as you will be able push yourslef beyond your limit at times. There are 2 ways to do this safely with the bench press, ensuring you have a spotter when lifting with heavy loads and correctly setting safety pins. First we will dive into the setup of spotter arms.
A sturdy power rack is essential for safety and performance. Make sure it's set up at the correct height so that the barbell is positioned precisely above your chest when you're lying on the bench. The safety bars or spotter arms should be adjusted to not interfere with the lift but catch the bar if you fail to complete a rep. This is particularly important when working with heavy weights in the 1-5 rep range as it will allow you to push yourself safely. The first video belows shows me adjusting the safety pins before performing a heavy lift. The second shows me failing a heavy rep without a spotter.
Setting Up Spotter Arms
Failing a Rep
As the spotter arms are set up, they catch the bar and allow me to fail the rep safely. For me personally, a height of 3 on a typical powerlifting bench for the spotter arms work perfectly as they do not interfer with the movement but if I release my brace, they will catch the bar. This height can be found through trial and error for each individial.
The other way to safely benchpress with maximal load is with the assistance of a spotter. They will stand behind the bench while you perform the exercise and if you are unable to move the bar, they will assist in lifting the weight back up and racking it. A spotter needs to pay attention during the lift and ideally should only assist with lifting the weight up if the bar stops to move upwards or if asked to assist. This give the person performing the bench press the ability to push themselfs safely and only have assistace if the lift has failed.
Bench Pressing With A Spotter
Both spotter arms and a spotter can be used simultaneously to further increase the safety while lifting under maximal load. They are the most important safety aspect when bench pressing for strength. I would strongly advise against bench pressing without spotter arms or a spotter when focusing on strength in the 1-5 rep range as you will be unable to challenge yourself safely with the exerise.
Aside from using a spotter or spotter arms, another piece of equipment to ensure safety while bench pressing with a heavy load are wrist straps. Wrist straps help in maintaining a stable grip on the barbell, reducing the risk of wrist strain during heavy presses.
TProper wrist support ensures that your pressing muscles take on the majority of the load, enhancing overall lift performance and fundamentally take one more thing out of the equation when performing a heavy bench press. However, they should not be considered a subsitute for improper technique for poor grip positioning. The most common mistake is having your wrists bent back rather than ensuring your joints are loaded inline with your elbows for maximal strength. This will be discussed in more detail below in the lifter setup section.
The video below shows me wrapping my wrists tightly with a high quality pair of wrist straps. This reduces load on the wrists while performing the bench press.
Wrapping Wrists
Using a weightlifting belt can provide additional support for your lower back, especially when lifting heavy weights. However, this is a optional piece of equipment and it's use is ultimately down to personal preference. Currently, I personally prefer bench pressing without a belt as I find it gets in the way of arching and I find I can brace just as well without one.
For those that prefer the use of a belt, it is important to ensure that the belt is snug but not overly tight. This allowing for proper breathing and intra-abdominal pressure. This support is vital during maximal lifts, helping to maintain core stability and reduce the risk of injury.
Below I've got a video of myself benchpressing with a belt.
Bench Pressing With A Belt
Adequate warm-up is essential to prepare your muscles and joints for heavy lifting. Ensure you have access to bands, lighter weight plates, and foam rollers to facilitate a comprehensive warm-up routine. My typical warmup routine is as follows:
I then typically perform 4 warm up sets gradually increasing the weight on the bar. For example, if I am aiming to bench press 100kg for my active set for 3 reps, my warmup sets would look something like this:
I typically take my time warming up with the bench press as it's one of the first exercises I perform during a gym session. Typically if I then perform another chest exercise such as chest flys later on, I will only perform 1 or 2 warmup sets as I'd have adequatly warmed up with the bench press.
A proper warm-up can enhance muscle activation, increase blood flow, and improve overall performance. For me, I also see it as a safety precaution to ensure I'm physically and mentally ready to perform a heavy set. Typically, you'd notice any aches or pains during this period and can make adjustments to the rest of the training session or even terminate it early if you find you're unable to execute the final warm up safely with proper technique. There's no shame in taking some more time to recover if required.
As we have covered safety, this section will go into detail with the lifter setup for a bench press. Despite being such a popular exercise in the gym, for powerlifting, or particularly for maximal strength, bench pressing is a very technical exercise.
Setting up your body correctly on the bench is vital for maximizing strength and maintaining safety. Proper setup involves several key components, each contributing to an efficient and powerful bench press.
In particular, proper setup on the bench press is critical in preventing one of the most common injuries with the exercise - shoulder pain. First we will go into how to correctly grip the bar and where to place your hands on the barbell.
When using a powerlifting bench, you will have much more options in terms of bar heights. The bar height can be adjusted to suit your height and body type. I typically use the highest bar height set to 9 which works well for me. This is something that you will need to trail with for yourself to find the height that works best for you. The thing to aim for is to have the bar set up such that while your arms are fully extended, you can lift the bar ever so slightly to slide it off the bench to above your chest. This setup allows for minimal energy expended during the setup phase so it can be exerted during the press.
Your grip width can significantly impact your bench press performance. A wider grip generally targets the chest more and reduces the range of motion, while a closer grip emphasizes the triceps. I peronally prefer a closer grip than most lifters and will have my pinky finger just inside the ring of the bar. Typically, most lifters use a wider grip and have the ring of the barbell between their index and ring finger. There's no right or wrong grip, and it's important to find the grip that works best for you through trial and error. In the first video below, I've got a closer grip setup. In the second video my grip is wider.
Closer Grip Positioning
Wider Grip Technique
Where the bar is positioned in your hands is critical. Placing the bar too far towards the fingers creates an unnecessary moment arm, increasing the leverage against your wrist and reducing lifting efficiency. Instead, position the bar closer to the heel of your palm to minimize this leverage and enhance stability. Again, this takes trial and error and I typically aim to have my wrist inline with my elbows for maximal strength. A common mistake is having your wrists bent back rather than ensuring your joints are loaded inline. Using wrist straps should not be considered a substitute for proper grip positioning but enhance the wrist support and help ensure the wrist is loaded inline with the elbows.
Proper positioning involves aligning your feet, back, and shoulders to create a stable base. Your feet should be firmly planted on the ground to allow for effective leg drive, while your back should maintain a slight arch to optimize power transfer. This alignment ensures that your body is in the optimal position to handle heavy weights. We'll first focus on setting up the lats and shoulders first, then move onto the chest, feet and then the arch.
There's 2 common ways to begin setting up your bench press. I preffer starting with my feet on the bench and possitioning my upper body before creating my arch. The video below shows me doing this, then set up my lats and shoulders.
Activating your latissimus dorsi (lats) is crucial for bench press stability. Tightened lats help in keeping the bar path consistent and reduce shoulder strain. Focus on "breaking the bar" by retracting your shoulder blades before initiating the press. I typically do this immediately after setting up my grip on the bar.
Your shoulders should be retracted and stabilized throughout the lift. Proper shoulder positioning enhances the efficiency of the press and minimizes the risk of injury. Maintaining scapular retraction ensures that your shoulders remain in a strong and safe position during the entire movement. My next queue after retracting my lats is to ensure my scapula is fully retracted along with my lats being tight. This retracts my shoulder blades and sinks them into the bench while also beginning to bring my chest out. From here I then focus on my chest positioning.
Setting Up the Lats and Shoulders
Foot positioning is integral for generating leg drive to support effective power transfer into the lift. Firmly planted feet provide a solid base, allowing you to drive your legs into the ground and transfer that force through your body to the barbell. The video below shows me positioning my feet from the bench to the floor and maintain a controlled arch.
Maintaining a controlled arch in your lower back not only improves your bench press mechanics but also engages the core muscles, providing a more solid foundation for lifting. The arch should be natural and not excessive, ensuring that you can maintain stability and control throughout the lift. It is critical to help transfer the force generated by your legs into the weight you are lifting. The video below shows me positioning my feet with an arch. I personally use a slight arch but you can experiment with how far you want to arch your back and others have more success with a more arching back.
Placing the Feet with an Arch
Right before unracking the bar, I focus on positioning my chest to ensure maximum stability and power transfer. I do this by engaging my chest muscles and ensuring they are tight during the press. For the duration of the press, I ensure my chest is open and maintain the position throughout the entire lift.
Proper breathing technique is essential. I inhale deeply before unracking the bar, and hold my breath until I have the bar in position to start the lift. When pressing a heavy load, it is extremly important to hold your breath to maintain intra-abdominal pressure. This is helps your body retain it's previous setup and also helps with preventing injury as your body will be significantly less likely to shift during the lift. It is optional to continue holding your breath for the entire lift when performing lower reps. My preference is to breathe out and inhale one more time before starting my first rep and then holding my breath for the entire lift in the 1-3 rep range.
This breathing pattern helps in stabilizing your core and optimizing force transfer. While unracking the bar it is important to maintain the brace as this will ensure all the prior setup of your body is maintained before peforming the exercise and allow you to press the bar with maximum power.
To brace, I first begin with taking a deep breath and then brace my body by breathing out from my abdomen. This tightens my core and creates interabdominal pressure. I then brace my body by tightening my quads and lats ensuring they are fully engaged.
A well-braced body acts as a solid foundation, allowing you to generate more force and maintain control throughout the lift.
Unracking the bar efficiently is the first step in a successful bench press after the setup phase. Maintaining proper posture during unracking ensures that you start the lift from a stable position.
You should already be in the perfect position for unracking the bar and at this point, your body should be fully braced and engaged ready to unrack. If the bench press is correctly set up, you should be able to unrack the bar with ease by pushing from your elbows slightly to lift the bar and then slide it off the rack. This process should be quick and smooth, ensuring that you start the lift from a stable position and use minimal energy in doing so. The video below demonstrates the correct unracking technique.
Unracking the Bar
Before attempting heavy lifts, practice your bench press technique with lighter weights to ensure all components of your setup and execution are aligned. This practice helps in ingraining proper form and making necessary adjustments before progressing to heavier weights. The video below shows me pressing under maximal load. Ensure that you are able to press the bar under minimal load before attempting a higher weight.
The descent phase is where control meets power. Lowering the bar efficiently can set the stage for a stronger press. Some people prefer to lower the bar as fast as possible, while others may take a more controlled approach. I prefer to lower the bar relatively quickly, however again, there is no one size fits all and you should experiment with what works best for you.
While lowering the bar, it is essential to maintain tightness in your entire body from the prior setup phase. The lowering phase should be controlled with the primary movements being your arms lowering the bar to your chest. My preference is lowering it to my lower chest. Your support muscles such as your lats, shoulders, and core should be fully engaged, allowing for the bar to descend with minimal resistance. It is absolutely critical to ensure your shoulders are fully retracted and your lats are tight during the descent phase while remaining in the same position as they were during the setup phase. This will help minimize any injury to the should and should prevent shoulder pain as they will be fully retracted and locked in with your chest, triceps and legs generating maximal force in the ascent to lift the bar.
The point where the barbell touches your chest is crucial. To maximize strength and efficiency, aim to touch the barbell just below the nipple line. This touch point minimizes the range of motion, allowing for a more powerful ascent.
The video below shows me lowering the bar.
Lowering the Bar
The pressing phase is where all the prior setup culminates in a powerful lift. All the prior setup phase is done to maximize the force generated from your body while ensuring it's done safely.
Drive the bar upward explosively while keeping your elbows tight to your body. Engage your chest, shoulders, and triceps simultaneously. Leg drive will help transfer the force generated by your legs into the barbell. The video below shows effective pressing mechanics.
Ensure a full lockout at the top of the movement by fully extending your arms. This final phase maximizes muscle engagement and completes the lift efficiently.
Pressing the Bar
Incorporating additional repetitions can help in building endurance and muscle growth, which indirectly supports strength gains. This is beyond the scope of this article, with the focus of this being on the fundamentals of bench press technique. A new article on repetitions will be coming soon. For now, there's a video below showing how to perform reps with proper technique. Again, as I'm in a lower rep range, notice how I'm fully braced for the entire lift and do not let my body relax. This maintains interabdominal pressure and helps prevent injury while allowing me to press the bar with maximum power for reps.
Performing Reps
Mastering the bench press requires a combination of proper equipment setup, meticulous lifter setup, and disciplined execution. By following the guidelines outlined in this post and consistently practicing with focused training, you can enhance your bench press performance and achieve your powerlifting goals. Remember to prioritize technique over weight, listen to your body, and continually seek improvement through both practice and education.
Below I've got 2 videos putting everything above together while performing a 102.5kg bench press for 2 reps and a 100kg bench press for 3 reps. Hopefully this article will help you improve your bench press technique and achieve your powerlifting goals.
102.5kg x 2
100kg x 3