The bench press might sound easy, nevertheless it is without doubt one of the most technical lifts, and even small errors can maintain again your progress. Many lifters make errors with out realizing it, which may restrict power positive factors, cut back effectivity, or improve the chance of damage. Whether or not you might be simply beginning out or trying to refine your method, fixing these errors could make a giant distinction in your bench press efficiency.
On this article, we’ll go over 19 of the most typical bench press errors, why they occur, and right them. By making the precise changes, you possibly can construct a stronger and extra environment friendly bench press whereas preserving your self injury-free.
1. Not Warming Up
Warming up earlier than any compound motion is a crucial piece of excellent efficiency nevertheless bench press heat ups in my expertise appear to be extra rushed than these for squats and deadlifts.
Nonetheless, simply because your higher physique could also be cellular sufficient to bench and not using a heat up doesn’t imply it ought to. You shouldn’t solely deliver up your core physique temperature however you must also interact in dynamic stretches in addition to activation workout routines corresponding to band pull aparts or scapular push ups to fireside up the shoulder joint.
Not warming up will have an effect on the best way you carry out the motion, probably placing you in danger for damage in addition to making weights really feel heavier than they need to as a result of you’ve gotten gone from 0 to full depth far too rapidly. Listed below are the best bench press heat ups.
2. Not Utilizing Leg Drive
The primary newbie oversight in my view shouldn’t be figuring out to make use of leg drive after which subsequently doing it incorrectly when making an attempt it.
The bench press is taken into account an higher physique motion and so it’s pure to not assume to make use of your legs nevertheless there may be a variety of energy to be expressed by means of place and activating the legs correctly.
Leg drive consists of pushing the bottom down and away from you in a approach the place you are feeling your quads are about to do a leg extension train. Not solely will it make the carry really feel simpler, however it should additionally permit your higher again to come back into the right place and set up an arch as effectively. Here is the right approach to do leg drive for bench press.
Wish to enhance your bench press method?
3. Not Creating an Arch
Whereas a really pronounced arch is fairly normal observe in aggressive powerlifting, even the on a regular basis health club goer who’s engaged on bench press power ought to nonetheless be making a modest arch to assist them transfer extra weight.
The arch is averted by many as a result of it’s regarded as harmful, nevertheless that could be a delusion and in reality retains your shoulders in a protected place for urgent.
If it’s a mobility restriction stopping your from creating an arch, foam rolling and doing extra higher again equipment will help. Learn extra in regards to the bench press arch.
4. Not Retracting the Shoulder Blades
Retracting the shoulder blades is an important step when establishing the bench press as a result of it retains the shoulders safely locked into place and fewer more likely to shift round and probably trigger damage.
Preserving the shoulder blades retracted could be addressed by means of varied methods together with, warming up the lats and shoulder blades, specializing in preserving them retracted all through all reps, making a secure arch in addition to utilizing leg drive.
Shoulders popping out of place solely below heavy weight often implies that your pecs have given up and also you’re attempting to get your shoulder to bear the load, nevertheless, this isn’t what you need to occur and specializing in preserving them in place by means of a correct arrange is essential.
5. Not Preserving Your Glutes on the Bench
In case your butt is rising off the bench in the course of the bench press it might be an indication that there’s a difficulty in the best way you might be harnessing leg drive.
Having your butt come off the bench in coaching is probably not terribly detrimental, however it’s trigger for pink lights in aggressive powerlifting and needs to be averted in any respect prices by these coaching to compete. It may well additionally make you lose assist in your arch and place stress in your decrease again.
To keep away from having your glutes lift-off, don’t push your ft into the bottom, however slightly push away, additionally strive widening your legs or putting them additional out in entrance of you.
There shall be a candy spot together with your foot positioning that may anchor you in place and forestall this from occurring however could require some trial and error.
6. Shifting Your Toes Between Reps
That is one thing that I’ve seen even well-trained athletes do out of behavior, however it’s one thing that needs to be averted if potential.
The identical approach we attempt to maintain the squat walkout as exact as potential to keep away from dropping any stress, the bench arrange needs to be simply as clear minimize. Wiggling or shifting your foot after you’ve gotten already arrange your total physique could also be one thing you don’t even understand you’re nevertheless it’s since you really feel like your ft aren’t in the precise place.
Attempt practising getting the precise arrange the primary time round so that you don’t threat dropping stress and probably sacrificing some power and energy throughout your set. We additionally lined which bench press is hardest.
7. Not Touching Your Chest
A standard mistake made by novices shouldn’t be touching the bar to your chest on each rep.
Oftentimes it’s only a results of misinformation or lack of schooling and could be fastened fairly rapidly simply by studying that the bar ought to contact the chest for a correct bench press.
There are bench press variations the place the bar deliberately doesn’t contact the chest like a pin press, spoto press or useless press.
Nonetheless, a full vary of movement, competition-approved carry requires the bar to make contact together with your chest.
8. Bouncing off the Chest
Bouncing off the chest is one other novice mistake that tends to occur as soon as somebody has been instructed to the touch the chest with each rep and it’s misunderstood as hitting the chest and rapidly operating by means of every rep.
This isn’t a observe that may profit you in the case of constructing power generally and particularly gained’t switch effectively in the event you’re a powerlifter trying to compete. You might be lacking on vital time below stress when you attain your chest and thru the urgent portion of the carry since you might be utilizing the bounce to assist propel the barbell upward.
This system lacks management and isn’t advisable for many. We additionally answered: must you pause throughout touch-and-go bench press?
9. Dumping the Bar
Dumping the bar is the results of dropping management of the barbell’s weight proper as you land in your chest. It’s such as you’re crushing your chest or simply transferring all its weight out of your higher physique.
There are a pair causes this may happen, one being that you’re touching down too low in your physique or maybe you wrestle with sustaining stress close to the chest on account of a weak spot. This may be overcome by both adjusting your bar path or integrating a tempo bench with a gradual decreasing section or t-shirt presses to observe constructing power off the chest.
There’s one other factor to contemplate too. Here is what to do in case your bench press is weak off the chest.
10. Heaving the Bar
Heaving the bar is a lesser recognized mistake and one thing you is probably not looking ahead to particularly as a newbie nevertheless it’s one thing it is best to keep away from moving into the behavior of doing.
Heaving the bench press is whenever you sink the barbell into your physique and depend on your legs capacity to propel your chest as much as get the bar off your chest.
It is a downside for just a few causes:
- In a powerlifting competitors, it’s possible you’ll get known as for the bar sinking in your chest after you’ve gotten acquired the press command
- You might be extra inclined to having your glutes come off the bench
- You aren’t constructing power off the chest
This subject could be labored on by means of longer paused bench press, t-shirt press, and constructing your pec power by means of accent actions.
11. Urgent in a Vertical Bar Path
Most individuals will let you know that benching is nearly urgent the bar up and down; nevertheless, the best bar path for the bench press is definitely a “J” form the place you press barely horizontal in addition to vertical.
A straight up and down vertical bar path is inefficient and it may be a results of a number of elements corresponding to touchdown too excessive on the chest, flaring the elbows, over-reliance on shoulders to get the load up and simply lack of expertise.
Want a deeper information on this? That is the most effective bench press path.
12. Gripping Too Slim or Too Huge
The place you grip the barbell is vital as a result of it should permit or hinder your capacity to activate the precise muscle tissue.
Whereas a extra slender grip will focus your efforts in your triceps, a wider grip will place emphasis in your pecs.
Inexperienced persons will generally grip too slender and never be capable to recruit their pecs effectively sufficient whereas powerlifters will go for a usually wider grip, nevertheless it’s additionally potential to be too large the place you might be not capable of activate your triceps effectively sufficient.
A great place to start out is about shoulder-width aside and in the event you want to widen it from there go about 1-1.5” exterior of shoulder width aside. Try the information to large grip bench press.
13. Lifting Your Head off the Bench
It’s not unusual to seek out on a regular basis gym-goers carry their head throughout reps of bench press because the bar comes right down to their chest.
As a aggressive powerlifter this isn’t allowed as the pinnacle has to stay on the bench for the carry to be counted, moreover this may impede in your capacity to take care of a correct bench arrange and put your neck vulnerable to damage.
To keep away from this, actively press your neck into the bench as you’re establishing your arch and shoulder blades and work to take care of it when you decrease and press the bar up.
14. Inconsistent Touchdown on the Chest (Too Excessive or Too Low)
Choosing the proper touchpoint for the bench press could be difficult and selecting one that’s too excessive on the chest or too low on the chest isn’t unusual.
Touchdown too excessive will trigger you to make use of your shoulders an excessive amount of and probably put you vulnerable to damage, whereas touchdown too low will trigger you to dump the bar and lose stress on the best way down.
Moreover, an inconsistent touchdown on the chest simply causes you to should reset your urgent method every time and can hinder your capacity to turn out to be proficient.
Securing the right level could be the results of some trial and error, however a fast approach to make sure you are touchdown in the precise spot is by recording your bench press from the facet and checking to see in case your wrists are stacked instantly on prime of your elbows.
15. Flaring Your Elbows
Ought to your elbows be in or out for bench press? Brief reply: In. Flaring of the elbows means sticking them out to the facet in order that they turn out to be nearly in keeping with your shoulders.
Alanna Kate Derrick, a licensed private coach and senior contributor at Gold BJJ, says this “strains shoulders and limits how a lot weight you possibly can deal with.”
As a substitute, it is best to do that: “Hold elbows tucked at about 45 levels out of your sides for a safer place. This allows you to press powerfully out of your chest and triceps.”
16. Bending Your Wrists Again
Holding the bar within the right spot on the hand could not pose an issue early on whenever you first begin benching, nevertheless, because the weights get heavier, having wrists that bend or cock backward will take a toll in your joint well being.
It’s an especially widespread mistake and occurs to the most effective of us after we aren’t being intentional with how we grip the bar.
The bar needs to be fairly low in your hand and tucked proper into the crease of your thumb whenever you seize it slightly than reducing throughout the center.
One other approach to observe not letting your wrists bend again is utilizing a bulldog grip, maybe simply as a drill. The bulldog grip is the place your thumb is wrapped round however your finger suggestions are pinching the bar slightly than wrapping round.
This is probably not a grip you retain long run, however can nonetheless be a approach to get your wrists used to the right alignment with the bar and your forearm. Additionally try this 12 months’s finest wrist wraps for powerlifters.
17. Not Lifting off Correctly
The carry off of a bench press is the section the place you unrack the bar and get it to the beginning place.A carry off that isn’t achieved effectively can throw your begin place off steadiness and have an effect on your efficiency.
Sadly, generally we’re topic to poor lift-offs from mates and different gym-goers, there may be additionally a proper and unsuitable approach to give your self a lift-off as effectively.
You first need to make sure the rack peak is ideal the place you don’t want to make use of a lot power to get the bar up and off the rack itself. Then it is best to set your shoulders and the remainder of your physique in place earlier than externally rotating your arms earlier than pulling the bar off the rack.
One factor that has helped me get extra power with the lift-off shouldn’t be setting my glutes on the bench till the bar has been lifted off and has reached its start line.
This may will let you carry off heavier weights by your self by means of the power in your leg, that approach you don’t have to depend on others and threat a probably horrible lift-off from an inexperienced pal. Here is do a bench press carry off (step-by-step).
18. Not Respiratory Appropriately
Respiratory within the bench press is vital as a result of it’s instantly tied to bracing which, within the bench press, is vital for preserving your chest up and sustaining stability all through the carry.
Respiratory could be achieved unsuitable in quite a few methods together with respiratory usually as in the event you’re not lifting, holding your breath too onerous, or exhaling and inhaling on the unsuitable instances.
It’s best to inhale at first of the carry earlier than you provoke the decreasing of the barbell, this can aid you puff up your chest, cut back the vary of movement and put together to obtain the load. You then ought to brace your core and maintain your breath whereas additionally permitting a small and managed breath to come back out all through as you’re employed to press the load.
19. Decreasing the Bar Too Slowly
The pace of the bar on the eccentric could change all through your lifting profession, however for good purpose.
As an entire novice you need to preserve a stage of management as you be taught to activate the precise muscle tissue, work on completely different cues and simply be taught to do the carry itself. Nonetheless, as you turn out to be more adept it’s not really in your finest curiosity to take a really gradual descent to your chest.
It’s because you might be losing a variety of power and spending an excessive amount of time below stress and lowering the quantity of power it is possible for you to to harness to truly press the load.
This may simply be fastened simply by consciously fascinated about dashing up on the best way down or counting a tempo in your head and guaranteeing it doesn’t take you greater than 1-2 second to succeed in your chest. Here is a way more complete take a look at bench press tempo. It covers precisely how briskly it is best to deliver the bar down.
Ultimate Ideas
Errors with the bench press can typically go unnoticed since a lot of them aren’t all the time simply seen until you might be in search of them.
Nonetheless, as small as they might appear, just a little adjustment on the best way you land in your chest, arrange your higher physique or kind stress all through your legs will in lots of instances be simply the factor your bench wanted to get to the following stage.
Curious to find out about different errors which might be made in powerlifting? Try the next assets:
About The Creator
Elena Popadic has labored inside the health business for over 6 years, is co-host of the Squats and Ideas podcast and trains and competes as a powerlifter. She has a BSc in Life Sciences from McMaster College, a Postgrad Certificates in Public Relations from Humber Faculty and is at present pursuing a MSc Occupational Remedy at Western College. Join along with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
