Bench Press - Powerlifting
About This Exercise
The Bench Press - Powerlifting is a maximal strength movement focusing on the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It is a core competition lift in powerlifting, requiring technical precision in setup and execution to safely handle heavy loads.
1Setup
1. Position yourself on the bench so your eyes are directly under the bar. 2. Plant your feet firmly on the floor, slightly behind your knees, and drive them into the ground to create full-body tension. 3. Arch your back moderately, focusing on retracting and depressing your shoulder blades into the bench. 4. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width, aligning your wrists over your elbows. 5. Unrack the bar by straightening your arms, using leg drive to assist, and stabilize it directly over your shoulders.
2Execution
1. With the bar stabilized over your chest, take a deep breath and brace your core. 2. Lower the bar in a controlled manner to your mid-to-lower chest, keeping your elbows at approximately a 75-degree angle from your torso. 3. Briefly pause on your chest without relaxing your upper back. 4. Drive the bar back to the starting position by extending your elbows, maintaining leg drive and upper back tightness throughout. 5. Lock out your elbows directly over your shoulders before re-racking the bar.
Pro Tips
- Drive your feet into the floor to create full-body tension.
- Imagine bending the bar in half to engage your lats and create a stable shelf.
- Lead the press with your elbows, not your hands.
- Squeeze the bar hard throughout the entire movement to enhance stability.