Exercise Technique Focus: Identifying Bench Press Performers
Getting Your Bench Press Right: Ideas to keep you hale and hearty
Forget about being a couch potato; it's all about being a badass who can handle anything life throws at you, right? Well, here's a weekly dose of knowledge to pump up your manliness, straight from our archives. This week, let's focus on mastering the bench press without limping away with an injury!
The bench press is like a ticking time bomb; one false move, and it's game over. With the barbell perched precariously above your chest, the last thing you need is an amateur spotter making things worse. Most gym-goers think they're doing you a solid, but their supposed help often disrupts your form and robs you of valuable muscle gains.
So what's the perfect spotter etiquette for the bench press? Well, they should be almost invisible. That's right; you want them out of sight and out of mind. The ideal position is directly behind you or slightly to the side, easy enough to grab the bar if need be. The fewer distractions the better, so keep them at a comfortable distance.
Now, when helping out, your spotter should only touch the barbell if it's going down instead of up, or if you ask for assistance. They shouldn't interfere for the "sake of helping," as it might ruin your ballistic momentum and take away the benefits of a successful – if sweaty – lift.
What about that pesky lack-of-collars issue? Don't worry about that when you've got a spotter around. In case they can't help you push the barbell back into the J-hooks, they can tip it to the side, allowing the weights to slide off without causing a domino effect of disaster.
Eager for more manly wisdom? Check out our book The Illustrated Art of Manliness on Amazon!
Explore More:
- Identifying Hidden Handguns: A Guide for the Keen-Eyed
- The Perks of Hoisting Overhead: Know Your Lifts
- Slap on Some Iron: Bench Strength Standards for Gentlemen
- The Art of the Overhead Press: Mastering the Move
- Four All-Important Bench Press Don'ts
- Benching with Mark Rippetoe: A Vitude Tutorial
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