6 Coaching Cues to Improve Your Bench Press

I thought it was time for a meathead post. I love discussing training philosophy and how to help all kinds of people progress toward their goals, but my real passion is lifting heavy things. To me, there are few things manlier than picking up something heavy or pushing it over your head. Some people like to work on cars, others prefer bowling (not sure why). If I was stranded on a desert island with only three wishes, I would wish for:

1. My wife
2. A barbell with a ton of weight
3. The complete works of AC/DC and Metallica

Greatest Band of All Time

Some of you might think I'm a total dumbass. "What an idiot! Why wouldn't he wish for a boat?" I'll tell you why.

To me, (assuming there is food, water, and a brewery nearby) these are the only three things I need to be happy.

Its like being on a permanent vacation! What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, the bench press.

The bench press is considered by many to be the king of upper body strength exercises. It is used by powerlifters, bodybuilders and athletes everywhere to build strength and size. During any discussion between two guys about weight lifting, nine times out of ten the question "So what do you bench?" arises. Here are six coaching cues to help you get the most out of your bench press.

1. Stay Tight!

As with any of the big lifts, if you want to push big weight, you have to learn to create tension through your entire body. Many will just hop under the bar, push it out of the rack and begin pressing. This is extremely inefficient, unsafe and will limit the amount of weight you can lift. Start by screwing your feet into the floor, tighten your legs, glutes and abs, and squeeze the bar hard.

2. Arch





Arching your back before you begin accomplishes a few things:

• Decreases the distance the bar has to travel
• Puts the shoulders in a safer, more efficient position
• Creates more tension, allowing you to create more stability

A couple of things to remember when arching are to get as much extension through the thoracic spine as possible, and to always keep your butt on the bench. I have seen a lot of guys use their hips excessively by thrusting their hips off the bench to "cheat" the weight up. Don't do it.

Excessively arching through the lower back can also be problematic because this essentially crushes the facet joints in your lumbar spine. Another recipe for back pain. Arching is good, but too much can be a bad thing.

The degree to which you should arch depends on your goals. If your goal is to push the most weight possible (like the guy in the picture above), you will want a big arch. If your goal is chest development, you won't need to arch as much.

3. Pull the Bar Out of the Rack

Pulling the bar out of the rack allows you to keep your lats activated through the lift. When you pull the bar out of the rack the shoulder blades automatically assume the "back and down" position required for an efficient press. The lats are important during the bench press because they provide a ton of stability through the eccentric portion of the lift. When you press the bar out of the rack, you lose most of your stability  Most guys that have weak lats or are unable to use them properly will fail at the bottom portion when the bar initially leaves the chest. Think of pulling the bar out as a straight arm lat pulldown.

4. Pull the Bar To Your Chest

This one is similar to pulling the bar out of the rack in that it helps you create more stability through the eccentric portion of the lift. The more your upper back works during the press, the more stable you will be. As always, more stability = more strength. When lowering the bar to the chest, picture pulling the bar down as in an inverted row.

Also, don't be the guy that says he benches 400 pounds but only lowers the bar six inches. If that's you, just stop. Its not cool. Unless you have serious shoulder problems, the bar should touch the chest on every rep. If you have shoulder pain while benching refer to #2, it can help. Check your ego at the door and take some weight off the bar if you can't do it properly.

5. Drive the Legs

Contrary to popular belief, the bench press is a whole body movement. The feet should remain flat on the floor from beginning to end in the bench press. I often see guys straining to push the weight up with their feet kicking like they are being choked out at the end of The Godfather.

Your legs provide yet another two points of stability you can use during the movement. If used correctly, the legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally along the bench through the hips and into the upper body. The legs and hips should act as a brace to give the upper body a connection to the floor and allow the lower body to contribute to the movement. Push the feet into the floor and squeeze the quads and glutes to maximize leg drive.

6. Push Yourself Away from the Bar

Instead of thinking of pushing the bar away, think of pushing your shoulders into the bench and away from the bar. This ensures that you maintain extension though the thoracic spine and keep your shoulders pinned back all the way to the top. If the shoulders roll forward at any point of the ascent, t-spine extension is lost, the shoulders roll forward and stability is lost. When the shoulders leave the bench, they also get placed in a bad position, making you more prone to injury.


Used properly, all these cues can help you build a bigger bench press. Also make sure to include plenty of upper back work in the rest of your program to balance out all the pressing you do.

Remember, strength is a skill. The best way to improve your press is to do it more often with perfect technique using the cues above.