Mark,

This is a blog post from my personal training website. It is pretty basic, but should get you set on the right path.

One of the most common questions that I run into is “What can I do to get a bigger bench?” It seems that no matter the athlete, or what sport, everyone wants a bigger bench. It also seems that everyone is looking for a special rep range, or exercise to push their bench up higher. The easiest tip that I could give is CHECK YOUR SETUP! So many people just think that benching is laying down on the bench, grabbing the bar and getting after it. Ive seen a lot of personal trainers do this exact thing. This is so far from the truth it’s not funny, especially if you want to push big weights. There are some key points that EVERYONE should incorporate into their bench routine.

1. Get your feet set!

I have seen it a million times. A guy goes for a heavy bench, and as soon as he tries to press the bar off of his chest, his feet slide all over. Some guys feet even come up in the air. This is completely wrong. You will NOT be able to press anything respectable if you don’t have a solid base, and guess what? That base starts on the floor with your feet. This part of the setup is probably the easiest to fix. Simply take your feet and get them set up underneath you. They don’t need to be pulled way back under your body, powerlifting style, but they do need to be underneath you. Everyone will be a bit different here, but start by putting your shins approximately perpendicular to the ground. You will want your legs at approximately a 45 degree angle to each other. This will help greatly with your stability, and let you focus on the press.

2. Keep your butt on the bench!

As much as I see feet sliding all over the place, I also see butts flying off of the bench. Believe me when I say this is much worse than the sliding feet from an injury standpoint. This places a lot of stress on your lower back, and its not the good kind. Keep your butt down. All is not lost if it si coming up however. One good sign if your butt is coming up is that you are employing good amounts of leg drive, which is vital to a bigger bench. Fixing this is easy as well, especially if you implemented my point from above. One easy thing to do, once your feet are set, is lift your toes up. this keeps you from pressing through the balls of your feet, and makes you drive through your heels. If you examine it closely it will change the angle of your leg drive so that its on more of a flat plane, pressing into your butt and traps, as opposed to lifting your butt up. If lifting your toes doesn’t keep your butt on the bench, simply move your feet out a little further in front of you. Problem solved!

3. Get your back tight and keep it that way!

This is a simple step, but will probably do as much to fix your setup, and get your bench up as anything. When you lay back onto the bench, pull your shoulder blades back and down. once you do this, really try to drive them down into the bench. This serves a few purposes. It shortens the range of motion, which allows you to press more weight. There are some professional powerlifters who have a 6 inch range of motion when benching! How much do you think that you could bench if you only had to press the bar 6 inches? I am willing to bet its more than you can do now! Digging your traps into the bench also works to keep you grounded and gives you a solid base to press off of. Think of it like this. is it easier to get up off of your couch, or a hard dining room chair? Of course it’’s the dining room chair. Its the same principle with having a solid base to your bench. It’s easier to press out of! That alone will help your bench, and, when combined with the other two, should add instant pounds to your bench. Who doesn’t want that?

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Hope this helps,
Jason Pegg