Let’s talk bench sticking points

Lets talk bench sticking points from Hybrid Performance Method on Vimeo.

Let’s talk bench sticking points. 

The first thing we’re going to talk about is missing the bench press at the bottom of the lift. To fix this, practice a slow eccentric bench including a proper setting up. 

When I go to set up for a bench press, I make sure my shoulder blades are retracted and pulled together as much as possible. I’m also trying to bend the bar downwards with my pinky fingers.

The key to an eccentric bench is just slowing it down to at least a 4 second count. 

Now let's talk about why you might be missing the bench press halfway through or at 90 degrees. 

Recently, the idea of the most efficient bar path has been challenged by new and upcoming research which basically states that instead of having a bar path that goes up and back, it is better to have a bar path that goes straight up - under the premise that this bar path is more efficient because it requires the barbell to travel a shorter distance.