How to Bench Press

Bench Press Setup

• Plant head, shoulders, butt, and both feet on the bench or floor
• Plant feet as far behind you as possible (as close to your head as possible) to keep you tight and prevent you from raising your butt off the bench
  • Go up onto your toes to create even more tightness and guarantee that you won’t raise your butt
  • Keep your whole foot on the ground if you don’t raise your butt of the bench
• Lower back should be at least slightly arched
  • Someone should be able to slide a piece of paper under your low back
  • The higher the arch, the shorter the range of motion which allows you to lift more weight
    • A high arch does not hurt your spine if done properly
• Dig shoulder blades into the bench
• Unrack and position the bar over the chest

Downward Movement

• Lower the bar by bringing the elbows slightly in (wrenching/screwing motion with shoulder blades)
• Touch your chest at nipple level or slightly under nipples
• Do not bounce the bar off your chest

Pressing Up

• Use leg drive by pushing backwards toward your head, not upwards
• Keep head, shoulders, butt, and both feet firmly placed on the bench and floor
• Press elbows out once your elbow reaches a 90 degree angle