QUESTION: Proper form in doing flat bench press

Can anyone tell me the proper form in doing a flat bench press. I have been given many different techniques and not sure which is best.

Where should the feet be placed?? Some say on the floor. Others say crossed and in the air. Others say on the bench. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these positions??

How low should the bar be lowered?? Some say until arms are parallel to the ground. Others say just before it hits the chest. Others say until is rests on the chest.

What should the position of the elbows be??

Where should you lower the bar??

Should you arch your back or keep it straight??

How many reps to maximize hypertrophy??

How often should one do bench press to maximize hypertrophy?? Once, twice or thrice weekly??

Is there a website that shows proper form??

Apologies if this has already been discussed here. I am newbie. No flames please.

Thanx for any help.

You might want to check out the bench press articles here: http://www.hardgainer.com/articles.html

Or you could just buy the book 'the insiders tell-all handbook on weight-training technique' and get a long description of correct (?) form in the bench press and lots of other exercises.

Matti the pimp daddy

basic research) but my Bench Zen Master has convinced me that it is only the power bench lift that will save the world. So here are two articles from the archives. The first, by Bob Mann, a powerlifter who has acheived a 335 bench in competition at 165lbs bodyweight. The second by K. Hobman, a Canadian power lifting champion. Read, train, and may the Great Bencher In the Sky smile upon you. 1) A Bench Routine Contributed By Bob Mann

First thing to look at is your form on the bench. In order to maximize your bench it is important to set up properly. When you set up, put your feet on the bench as you grab the bar. Don't take it off the catches yet. Lift your torso up by pulling on the bar and firmly drive your shoulders down into the bench while pulling your shoulder blades together. Put your feet on the floor and try to keep as much of an arch in your back as possible while keeping your butt in contact with the bench. Now take the bar and fill your lungs with air, pushing your chest as high as you can. Hopefully now the spotter bar will be below your chest. As you lower the bar, concentrate on pulling it in with your lats. I have heard people describe this as pulling the bar apart or trying to bend the bar. Keep your elbows in to your sides at about 45 degrees. As you push the bar off your chest, drive it with the lats as well as the chest. This takes some practice and you should work on this with a lighter weight. We do it using the speed work at 62% of max.

The workout: Here is another routine I ave someone to help them get to 315. Do your warm ups while pyraniding the weight up to a 3-5 rep max. Pick a weight you can just get 5 reps with. If you get the five reps, next workout you go up in weight and stay at that weight until you do 5 reps again. The weight should never be more than a 3 rep max. If you can't do 3 reps, drop a bit of weight next time. Your pyramid, assuming you can do 185 for 5 would look like this. 45x10 95x8 135x5 155x3 185x5

Now you practice your speed work. The idea is to push off as fast as you can from your chest after a competition legal pause and set up. You do 8 sets of 3 reps starting each set on the minute. Each rep is done with a pause and an explosive lift. Use as close to 62% of your max as possible. Example for a lifter who maxes at 225: 225x62% is 139.5 so he would use 140 lbs.

After you have finished that, do your regular assistance work. Work your triceps hard on the second bech day. If you have trouble recovering doing this in one week, spread it out so you work 3 times a week like this. Mon - bench Wed - squat Fri - dead/back Mon 2nd bench Repeat

Our normal routine is Mon -bench Tues - squat Thurs - 2nd bench/triceps Fri - deads/back

A strong upper back is also important for a good bench. We usually throw in a few sets of lat pulls and rows on the first bench day.

We usually follow this plan for 5 weeks and then do a test week where we just go in and find our new max. We try to add just a little to it each time.

A Bench Routine Contributed By Bob Mann First thing to look at is your form on the bench. In order to maximize your bench it is important to set up properly. When you set up, put your feet on the bench as you grab the bar. Don't take it off the catches yet. Lift your torso up by pulling on the bar and firmly drive your shoulders down into the bench while pulling your shoulder blades together. Put your feet on the floor and try to keep as much of an arch in your back as possible while keeping your butt in contact with the bench. Now take the bar and fill your lungs with air, pushing your chest as high as you can. Hopefully now the spotter bar will be below your chest. As you lower the bar, concentrate on pulling it in with your lats. I have heard people describe this as pulling the bar apart or trying to bend the bar. Keep your elbows in to your sides at about 45 degrees. As you push the bar off your chest, drive it with the lats as well as the chest. This takes some practice and you should work on this with a lighter weight. We do it using the speed work at 62% of max.

The workout: Here is another routine I ave someone to help them get to 315. Do your warm ups while pyraniding the weight up to a 3-5 rep max. Pick a weight you can just get 5 reps with. If you get the five reps, next workout you go up in weight and stay at that weight until you do 5 reps again. The weight should never be more than a 3 rep max. If you can't do 3 reps, drop a bit of weight next time. Your pyramid, assuming you can do 185 for 5 would look like this. 45x10 95x8 135x5 155x3 185x5

Now you practice your speed work. The idea is to push off as fast as you can from your chest after a competition legal pause and set up. You do 8 sets of 3 reps starting each set on the minute. Each rep is done with a pause and an explosive lift. Use as close to 62% of your max as possible. Example for a lifter who maxes at 225: 225x62% is 139.5 so he would use 140 lbs.

After you have finished that, do your regular assistance work. Work your triceps hard on the second bech day. If you have trouble recovering doing this in one week, spread it out so you work 3 times a week like this. Mon - bench Wed - squat Fri - dead/back Mon 2nd bench Repeat

Our normal routine is Mon -bench Tues - squat Thurs - 2nd bench/triceps Fri - deads/back

A strong upper back is also important for a good bench. We usually throw in a few sets of lat pulls and rows on the first bench day.

We usually follow this plan for 5 weeks and then do a test week where we just go in and find our new max. We try to add just a little to it each time.

First thing to look at is your form on the bench. In order to maximize your bench it is important to set up properly. When you set up, put your feet on the bench as you grab the bar. Don't take it off the catches yet. Lift your torso up by pulling on the bar and firmly drive your shoulders down into the bench while pulling your shoulder blades together. Put your feet on the floor and try to keep as much of an arch in your back as possible while keeping your butt in contact with the bench. Now take the bar and fill your lungs with air, pushing your chest as high as you can. Hopefully now the spotter bar will be below your chest. As you lower the bar, concentrate on pulling it in with your lats. I have heard people describe this as pulling the bar apart or trying to bend the bar. Keep your elbows in to your sides at about 45 degrees. As you push the bar off your chest, drive it with the lats as well as the chest. This takes some practice and you should work on this with a lighter weight. We do it using the speed work at 62% of max.

The workout: Here is another routine I ave someone to help them get to 315. Do your warm ups while pyraniding the weight up to a 3-5 rep max. Pick a weight you can just get 5 reps with. If you get the five reps, next workout you go up in weight and stay at that weight until you do 5 reps again. The weight should never be more than a 3 rep max. If you can't do 3 reps, drop a bit of weight next time. Your pyramid, assuming you can do 185 for 5 would look like this. 45x10 95x8 135x5 155x3 185x5

Now you practice your speed work. The idea is to push off as fast as you can from your chest after a competition legal pause and set up. You do 8 sets of 3 reps starting each set on the minute. Each rep is done with a pause and an explosive lift. Use as close to 62% of your max as possible. Example for a lifter who maxes at 225: 225x62% is 139.5 so he would use 140 lbs.

After you have finished that, do your regular assistance work. Work your triceps hard on the second bech day. If you have trouble recovering doing this in one week, spread it out so you work 3 times a week like this. Mon - bench Wed - squat Fri - dead/back Mon 2nd bench Repeat

Our normal routine is Mon -bench Tues - squat Thurs - 2nd bench/triceps Fri - deads/back

A strong upper back is also important for a good bench. We usually throw in a few sets of lat pulls and rows on the first bench day.

We usually follow this plan for 5 weeks and then do a test week where we just go in and find our new max. We try to add just a little to it each time.

2) Keith Hobman BenchTechnique:

Most people can put between 5% and 10% onto their bench using techniques from powerlifters. That is - if you are doing a flat back / high chest bench you can not only bench more, but it is far safer on your rotator cuffs. Personally if I wasn't a powerlifter I wouldn't do the bench press - or at least not the way its generally taught.

Here is a good way to add pounds to your bench and make it safer. Please note - train this way. The flat back bench press pins your scapulae to the

Hey Lee!!! Great to have you back.

Thanks, Lee for reposting. Although Bob seemed to get a bit repetitive <G>, it was timely for me. I'm going to snip here and there and ask a few novice questions, in hopes that someone can guide me.

chest. snip

part. snip

Now, then. I keep these above recommendations mind when I bench. I have only recently begun doing flat bench again, in hopes of gaining strength while my Squats and DLs are restricted to ~50-65%. I am frustrated in that I seem to be a lat/triceps bencher and have a difficult time recruiting pectorals. I don't know if this is necessarily a Bad Thing, and if it doesn't matter, I won't lose any sleep over it, but if I could enjoy greater progress by actually *using* the muscle this is supposed to target, it'd be cool.

Question #2 - When I do speed work, with that 'exploding' thang going on, as I lock out my scapulae and shoulders (which I have pulled together and back and down and so forth) come out from their tucked position, and even my lats spread somewhat. It seems to be from velocity? Is this a Bad Thing? I thought maybe it was because I was going too light, but my speed bench is at exactly 65%. FWIW, my limbs are long, my grip is avg.-wide (my index fingers on the rings) and I have little-no appreciable arch. Do I need to change something?

You seem to make a lot of ASSumptions. So far most of them are wrong.

Do you think this is clever or is it just a lame attempts at trolling?

Or does this ')))' somehow mitigate an asinine remark?

Roger. Forget the Bench Press. You are obviously a man without grace and not yet ready for the enlightenment that such a worthwhile struggle could bring to you. Lee Embe.

Thanx for the suggestion Lee. I guess I can only aspire to the grace demonstrated by some of the posters here.

My goal is to bench 405 by the end of 2003. And your kind words have given me the encouragement, motivation and confidence that makes me sure I will achieve that goal. And for that I thank you.

Good point. OTOH, at that size ain't nobody gonna move ya if you don't wanna go, right?