Last week I touched on some of my personal history regarding the bench press and introduced you to someone that had a major influence on my bench, JM Blakley, and I left off with a couple tips for the bench press. This week, I would like to delve a little more into the actual lift itself and break it down a bit and help you build a stronger, bigger bench. And of course to do this, I will be passing on some of the advice of Mr. JM.

The most important part of the bench press is the set up and technique. Let me say that again — the most important part of the bench press is the set up and technique.

I cannot tell you how many mistakes I see people make on either one of these, and then they ask me why their bench isn't moving. But by just improving your set up and technique you can add pounds to your bench immediately, trust me.

Everyone has a different way they prefer to bench. Some bench flat footed and some like to bench on the balls of their feet. I am personally the latter. The most important thing to remember, regardless of which you prefer, is to always stay as tight as possible as you bench. So let's look at how to set up.

Benching on the Balls of Your Feet: Make sure your feet are brought back so they are past your knees. As you bench you will want to push down on your heels and at the same time squeezing your glutes. By doing this, you will be able to stay really tight, maximize leg drive and you will be able to keep your butt on the bench. This for a powerlifter is crucial — you don't want to get red lights because your hips came up!

Back & Trap Setup: Drive your traps into the bench and dig them in there. To do this, grab the bar and bring yourself past the bar, lift yourself up, then bring your traps straight down and drive them into the bench. Also pinch your shoulder blades together — this will help get your lats involved in the movement while also shortening your bench stroke. Your legs will also have to be brought back further, but once you set up your back and traps, bring your feet slightly forward until they are in a comfortable position.

Benching Flat Footed: Set up your back and traps the same way, but try to keep your legs as wide as possible and concentrate on trying to push your feet down into the ground — as if you are trying to drive them straight into the floor — at the same time still squeezing your glutes. This will keep you tight, get max leg drive and keep your butt on the bench. Now you are ready to bench.

I usually advise utilizing a hand off on the bench, especially when you will be benching heavy weight. This is for two reasons: first, why waste energy trying to lift it up yourself, and second — more importantly — by lifting the weight off the bench yourself, you will lose your tight setup.

Have your spotter bring the bar out to the exact spot you like it. Now, take a deep breath and hold it, squeeze the bar like you want to bend it, tuck your elbows and start lowering it toward your chest. Bring it down to your chest and touch it (or pause it if you are getting ready for a meet), then drive that bar back up — focus on driving it as fast as you can. Bring it up in a straight line. If you feel yourself starting to stall, start drifting the bar back towards the rack — this will help you bring the bar to lockout.

Remember, setup and technique is the most important part of any lift, not just bench. The weight doesn't matter. Be patient — once you get the proper setup and technique down, the weight will come, trust me!

Next week I will actually talk about a routine for a "big" bench which will be utilizing pause benching and how to work on weak points on the bench.

Good benching!
Mike