Here are three critical hacks for a bigger bench press that I recently posted on my Instagram (Follow me HERE).

Spotting for the Bench Press

When you’re spotting for the bench press, make sure you slide the bar to the front of the rack. This will ensure the load gets into the optimal bar position for each athlete quicker and doesn’t put the athlete or client in a bad position right from the start.

Quick Setup Steps for the Bench Press:
– Have the athlete setup with their eyes directly under the bar.
– Slide the bar to the front of the rack.
– Have the athlete take a huge breath.
– Slide the bar out to their optimal position over their chest.
– Have them reset their air driving their chest up.
– Begin the set.

A post shared by James Smith (@smittydiesel) on Jun 16, 2017 at 7:34am PDT

Hand Position for Spotting

When you’re spotting the bar, especially for new lifters, make sure that you always use an alternating grip AND you move your hands out so that you’re right inside their hands.

This gives you more control over the bar and ensure that the bar doesn’t roll out of your hands. This control is key to safely allowing the athlete to progress to greater strength levels and keeping their technique precise. Whether there is 135lbs on the bar or 315lbs, the setup, technique, tension, and movement should be always be the same.

A post shared by James Smith (@smittydiesel) on Jun 19, 2017 at 11:53am PDT

Let the Weight Settle

After handing the weight off for a bench press, the athlete should let the weight settle before they begin their first rep. This will allow them to get their upper back into “position” – shoulders back and down, chest driven upward, tension through the entire body from the feet up into the traps.

The setup is really the key to stay safe and optimizing your technique. While each rep will be different and no reps are perfect, the goal is to try and make them perfect.

And, with all lifts, the real key to great strength is optimizing your position – and once you achieve the starting position – generating large amounts of full body tension to ensure you don’t lose this position throughout the full execution of the lift.

A post shared by James Smith (@smittydiesel) on Jun 20, 2017 at 5:33am PDT

If you love these bench press tips, you are going to love the NEW STRENGTH System.