Where to hold the bench press bar?

This is an overview of the options of a wide grip, narrow grip and thumb length's grip on the barbell for the bench press to help you decide which one is the best for you to reach your goals.

Where should the bench press touch the chest?

This is an overview on where to touch the bench press based on my observations of experienced lifters and my personal learning on my journey to a 150kg bench press. Please also refer to other sources like Chris Duffin, Calgary Barbell, Brandon Campbell and supertraining06 to learn more and become a student of the art of strength.

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What bench press weight to start with

Less is more in weightlifting even though the ultimate goal is more. This article outlines the different options for beginners on how much weight to pick for the bench press and gives a recommendation for the best approach based on my personal experience.

What does the bench press target?

Once you start training and get into the nitty gritty of strength development it is also good to know which lifts target which areas of your body. Here is a quick overview what you are getting in motion during a bench press. The main parts are your pecs, your triceps and your delts.

What is a bench press lockout?

The bench press lockout refers to the upper third of the bench press which becomes relevant if you are weak at it and therefore fail to complete the motion. The lockout is especially of interest to anyone interested in maximum strength efforts in the sport of powerlifting. More details in the article for the interested.

What are bench press negatives?

When you are focusing mainly on the descent of the movement getting help on the ascend or not performing the eccentric movement of the lift at all we are talking about a negative. This article goes into more detail on how to perform a negative and how you can use it in different scenarios. This is a technique most suited for intermediate to elite lifters. 

Why use a bench press shirt

There are two main purposes to use a bench press shirt. The safety aspect has become less important in recent years while the performance impact to increase the one repetition maximum of lifters takes precedence for more modern models. A shirt can be obtained from 50$ upwards depending on your goals and should comply with the regulations of the powerlifting association you want to compete in if that is your goals. More details and further resources for the interested in the article.

Why is the bench press so popular?

This is a personal overview of why I think the bench press is so popular. You might find other reasons to be more valid and I am very interested in reading them in the comments to make this post even better. This is an article to entertain and educate. If you want deep dive information with more references and substance please refer to one of my program reviews for Stronglifts 5x5, Smolov Jr, Smolov and Jim Wendler 531.

Why bench press with feet up

This is an overview of different bench press variations and whether you should do them with your feet up or not. You will find links to other material supporting my personal experiences as a 150kg bencher. Let me know if you have any question in the comment.

Why bench press with boards

In a nutshell to get stronger by addressing the weak parts of the bench press and doing overload work. This article will go into more detail and explain different options.