Big Bench Do’s and Dont’s

Everyday I go to the gym, I walk past the bench press area and I see people either lifting too much weight , using horrible form, or using horrible form while lifting too much weight. I personally do not want to ever see someone get injured to the point where they are in pain and/or can stall their progress in whatever fitness journey they are on. So I am sharing a quick list of do’s and dont’s for anyone wanting to develop a solid bench press.

Do keep a slight arch in your lower back, with your feet planted firmly on the floor and your chest high.

Do take a slightly wider-than-shoulder-width grip on the bar.

Do have a spotter standing by.

Do touch the bar to just below the lower-pec line.

Do push the bar up and slightly back towards the rack follow your natural strength curve.

Do inhale as you lower the bar and exhale as you drive the bar back to the start position.

Do use a two-seconds-up/two-seconds-down cadence.

Do keep the bar moving! No rest at the top or bottom unless you’re powerlifting.

Do use exercises like the ones shown below to properly warm up strengthen those small muscles in the shoulders (rotator cuffs) and back so you can move more freely and lift heavier with decreased chance of injury.

Don’t let your feet move during the lift. Maintain a permanent foot position to create a solid base of strength.

^{Pro Tip: Focus on pushing your feet through the floor to create a tight base from you feet through your torso}

Don’t take a narrow grip unless you’re training triceps instead of chest.

Don’t take a grip that’s much wider than shoulder width or you could damage your rotator cuff muscles.

Don’t drop the bar through space to bounce it off your chest. Maintain control at all times.

Don’t rest at the top’keep the bar moving.

There they are ..this is a quick post but the info provided can be very helpful for getting that 315 pound bench press you are trying to achieve! (Why does everyone set 315 to be a milestone for bench press? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) If you want to see anymore tips or tricks for building a strong bench press, drop a comment and let me know.

I normally end with Eat Smart Train Hard. Today will simply be ending with Train Smart!!