Determining Training Weights

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Explode Your Bench by Andy Bolton and Elliot Newman 2011, All Rights Reserved
www.andyboltonstrength.net
Explode Your Bench

What Every Strength Athlete Should Know About
The Worlds Most Popular Weight Training
Exercise
By Andy Bolton and Elliot Newman

2011, All Rights Reserved
Notice To Those Who Are Thinking Of Abusing This Book

(Or in other words Who wants to get sued or go to jail?)
This book is copyright 2011 with all rights reserved. It is illegal to
copy, distribute, or create derivative works from this book in whole
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derivative works of this book.
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contained in this book is an opinion, and it should be used for
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I expect you to abide by these rules. I have people who spend a lot of
time searching the Internet for people who violate my copyrights.
Now that were finished with this notice, lets discover how to
Explode Your Bench
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Andys Bench Press
3. Bench Press Raw (for Athletes, Bodybuilders and Raw Powerlifters)
4. Benching Equipped (for Powerlifters)
5. Setting-Up
6. Un-Racking The Bar
7. Going Down
8. Coming Up
9. Racking the Bar
10. A Word On Technique
11. Mind-Set
12. About The Authors
1. Introduction
The Bench Press is the most famous and popular weight training
exercise in the world and is, of course, one of the three official
Powerlifts (along with the Squat and the Deadlift).
Such is the prevalence of people performing the Bench Press, at
some time or another every man is likely to have been asked the
question, So, what can ya Bench? Well, one thing is for sure, if you
improve your Bench Press technique your answer to that question
will rise. However, before we get into the technique details that this
book is all about, lets have a look at the Bench Press in more detail.
The Bench Press involves laying on a Bench, un-racking a bar,
lowering it to ones chest and pressing it back to the start position.
This sounds fairly straight forwards. However, the majority of gym
goers manage to make a real mess of this and we see all kinds of
mistakes, performed in gyms all over the world.
The downside to these mistakes are many, with some of the most
common being a massively increased injury risk, a loss of power and
people thinking they are much stronger on the lift then they really
are.
Talking of strength, what kind of numbers are the best strength
athletes in the world putting up in competition on the Bench Press?
Well, the average man weighs around 12.5 to 13 stone or around
180 pounds. The all-time Bench Press record in the 181 pound class
is 750 pounds (340kg) by Jason Fry. This was done with the aid of a
Bench Shirt (supportive equipment that helps competitors in
Powerlifting meets lift more weight) and boggles the mind.
Three men have benched over 1000lbs (455kg) in competition. The
all-time record, regardless of weight class is 1075lbs (488kg) by Ryan
Kennelly in the 308 pound (140kg) weight class. This kind of strength
is outstanding and similar in terms of achievement to Andys Deadlift

numbers.
Without the aid of a Bench Shirt, monstrous numbers are still being
put up. Scott Mendolson has the all-time raw record of 715lbs
(325kg). Not so coincidentally, Scott is also one of the three guys who
have benched over 1000lbs. So for anyone reading out there who
thinks that its just the shirt doing the lifting; think again. You
cannot lift world class numbers in a shirt and have a lousy Raw
Bench. Its just not going to happen.
Its not just Powerlifters who like to lift big on the Bench Press.
Legendary Strongman, Bill Kazmaier, once owned the Bench Press
world record at 661lbs (300kg). And all time Bodybuilding great,
Ronnie Coleman, can be seen benching 220kg for 5 reps (with
relative ease), on one of his Training DVDs.
There are women out there putting up pretty fearsome numbers on
everybodys favourite lift too. Check out Laura Phelps-Sweat, who
has Bench Pressed over 500lbs (227.5kg) in competition, weighing
just 165lbs bodyweight!
Andys own Bench Press has always been something of a weak point.
The Squat and Deadlift have always come very easily to him. (He
Squatted 220kg and Deadlifted 260kg the first time he ever touched
a bar). However, a much more modest 70kg (the first time he ever
Bench Pressed) shows how much less gifted Andy is for the Bench
Press than the Squat and Deadlift. (His long arms account for much
of this).
However, the Bench Press is not to be ignored, especially as Andy
relentlessly pursues the all-time total and the magical 3000lbs
barrier. To do this he needs a good Bench Press and in the past year
he has made outstanding progress on this lift and is rapidly heading
towards an 800lbs (362.5kg) Bench in competition.
Andy would like to give thanks to Bill Crawford of Metal Militia for
taking his understanding of technique and programming to another
level and allowing him to make such rapid progress in recent months.
We hope to pass some of this new found knowledge (as well as that
collected through 20 years of hard training) onto you in this book
and hopefully you will then use it to help you reach your goals faster,
regardless of whether or not you are aiming for your first
bodyweight bench press or your first 500lbs bench press.
Outside of Powerlifting the Bench Press is held in high regard by
many athletes and associations to do with many different sports.
Perhaps the most famous use of the Bench Press in professional
sports (outside of Powerlifting) is seen in American Football.
At the NFL combine all athletes hopeful of landing a multi-million
dollar contracts with a top team are asked to perform many physical
tasks to prove their worthiness. The main test of Upper body
strength and conditioning is the Bench press. In this test, athletes are
asked to perform as many reps as possible with 225lbs (100kg). It is
not un-common to see the best guys do in excess of 40 reps with this
weight!
So the Bench Press is known and practised throughout the world; by
Powerlifters, professional athletes and weekend gym warriors alike.
But what muscles does the Bench Press use?
If the Bench Press is performed with good technique, as we will
explain and demonstrate in this book, then the lift is truly a total
body lift. Most people, especially those using the lift for aesthetic
purposes, may think that the Bench Press is just a chest exercise. This
is misguided and this illogical thinking can lead to poor technique
and a high injury risk.
A well performed Bench Press uses the pecs, anterior (front) delts
and triceps as the prime movers. However, the entire back and legs
are also important if you wish to maximise your Bench Press
numbers.
This may require a change in thinking for some of you reading this
and the technique we describe in this book may challenge your
beliefs. So, our challenge to you is to read with an open mind,
practise what you learn here and watch your Bench Press strength
and your physique improve dramatically.
2. Andys Bench Press

Andys Bench Press History
(Month and Year, Weight Lifted, Weight Category, Powerlifting Federation,
Equipment used, Additional information if applicable)
- January 1988, 70kg, 110kg Bodyweight, 18 Years Old

- January 1991, 150kg, 100kg Class, BAWLA, Raw, First ever
competitive Bench Press
- March 1991, 155kg, 110kg Class, BAWLA, Raw
- June 1991, 165kg, 110kg Class, BAWLA, Raw
- June 1992, 190kg, 125kg Class, BPF, Single Ply Bench Shirt
- November 1992, 207.5kg, 125kg Class, WPC, Single Ply Bench
Shirt
- November 1993, 220kg, 140kg Class, WPC, Single Ply Bench
Shirt
- 1994 to 1999, Competed In Strongman Not Powerlifting
- November 2000, 245kg, 140kg Class, WPC, Multi Ply Bench
Shirt
- June 2001, 260kg, 140kg Class, BPC, Multi Ply Bench Shirt
- November 2001, 250kg, 140kg Class, WPC, Multi Ply Bench
Shirt
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- November 2002, 267.5kg, SHW, WPO Qualifier, Multi Ply Bench

Shirt
-
March 2003, 272.5kg, SHW, WPO Arnold Classic, Multi Ply

Bench Shirt, First 600lbs Bench
- March 2004, 280kg, SHW, WPO, Multi Ply Bench Shirt

- March 2005, 290kg, SHW, WPO, Multi Ply Bench Shirt
- November 2006, 300kg, SHW, WPO Semi-Final, Multi Ply Bench
Shirt
- March 2007, 305kg, SHW, WPO Arnold Classic, Multi Ply Bench
Shirt, (551,305,417 = 1273kg/2806lbs All Time Total Record)
- November 2008, 312.5kg, SHW, WPC, Multi Ply Bench Shirt
- July 2009, 290kg, SHW, BPC, Multi Ply Bench Shirt
- October 2010, 330kg, SHW, Bull Farm Pro Show, Multi Ply
Bench Shirt, First Bench Over 700lbs
- March 2011, 342.5kg, SHW, GPC, Multi Ply Bench Shirt, All Time
British Record
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3. Bench Pressing Raw

When we refer to a Raw Bench Press we mean performing the lift
without the use of a Bench Press Shirt. This is how 99% of you
reading this will be performing your Bench Presses. The only people
using a Bench Shirt will be competitive Powerlifters who compete in
equipped federations.
A Raw Bench Press may be performed in just your gym kit, or with
the aid of a weightlifting belt and/or wrist wraps. Wrist wraps go
around the wrist and keep the joint tight. This can help to reduce
wear and tear on the joint and the increased stabilisation should help
you to handle heavier loads better than without their use.
Whether or not you use wrist wraps on your Raw Bench Presses is
personal preference. As a Powerlifter you probably should (nearly all
Raw federations allow the use of wrist wraps).
As an athlete competing in another sport it is up to you. You may feel
that when you compete in your sport you cannot wear wrist wraps
and you therefore want your wrists to get as strong as possible when
you are in the weight room performing exercises like the Bench
Press. In this case you may choose to disregard the use of wrist
wraps.
Or, you may feel that you want to protect your wrists as much as
possible and therefore use the wrist wraps. You must way up the
pros and cons and decide for yourself.
The Raw Bench Press will see a touching point around the sternum,
(lower chest) for most athletes. If the bar touches the chest at the
Clavicle (upper chest) you will put excessive strain on the shoulders
and lift less weight.
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4. Benching Equipped (for Powerlifters)

As any Powerlifter who has competed Equipped knows; Bench
Pressing in a shirt is a very different proposition than Bench Pressing
Raw. Regardless of what shirt you wear, there will be a learning
curve and some people will get used to wearing the shirt much faster
than others.
Some athletes, usually the ones who are most suited to the Bench
Press, can see huge carryovers from wearing their Bench shirts. The
best guys in the world can get around 300lbs (140kg) from their
shirts. For clarification of this fact just check out Scott Mendolsons
Raw Bench Press of just over 700lbs and his equipped Bench Press of
over 1000lbs.
However, smaller lifters and those who dont fall in love with their
Bench shirts quite so easily may see much smaller carryovers of 10%
or maybe only 5 to 10kg. Until you put a shirt on and learn to use it,
it is not possible to guess what kind of carryover you will get.
Bench Press shirts are manufactured by many companies these days;
Inzer and Metal being two of the biggest out there. What kind of
shirt you wear comes down to personal preference and what
federation you compete in.
For example, the IPF only allow single ply shirts (or 1 layer of material
thick). They also do not allow their competitors to touch the bar to
the belly on the way down. This will influence what kind of shirt an
athlete competing in the IPF can wear.
In contrast, the WPC allow any kind of Bench Press shirt. Some shirts,
worn by the biggest and strongest lifters can be up to 12 ply in
certain areas (such as around the collar). This means the shirt is
comprised of 12 layers of fabric in that area. Shirts like these give
more carryover, but are harder to use. In federations like the WPC,
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lifters can usually touch as low as they like and this means you will
often see athletes touching the belly, as opposed to the lower chest.
This is not advisable raw and is not allowed in federations like the
IPF.
Bench Pressing Equipped takes time to learn and experimentation
with different sizes and styles of shirt to find one that works for you.
If you want to compete equipped then study your federations rule
book to make sure you buy a shirt that conforms to the rules. Other
than that the next best advice we can give is not to start off with a
shirt that is stronger than you or too tight for you as both these
things will lead to problems.
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5. Setting up
The set-up is the most important part of the Bench Press. If you get
this right you are paving the way for correct execution of the
movement. However, if you have a poor set up you are likely to
struggle the whole way through the movement and you will be
making compensations all the time. This will increase the risk of
injury and almost definitely result in a loss of power. Two things you
definitely do not want!
The issue of setting up correctly is often overlooked, both by novice
trainees and more advanced athletes alike. Yet, if you pay attention
to your set up, it can be one of the fastest ways to help eliminate any
pains you have and make your Bench Press numbers go up.
An excellent training program for an intermediate athlete could see
him or her add 2% to their Bench Press for 3 months on the trot.
However, technical improvements can see much greater increases in
the same time frame. So pay attention to your set up.
Setting up correctly is not just the most important part of the Bench
Press. It is the most important part of nearly all technical sporting
movements.
Tiger Woods does not place his feet in just any old position before
attempting to drive the Golf ball 300 yards. And Roger Federer does
not stand in just any old spot before attempting to serve an ace past
his opponent. In all sports, setting up a big key to success. So pay
attention to this chapter very carefully.
A good set up on the Bench Press involves being stable and tight.
There will be three points of contact between you and the bench and
you and the floor. These points of contact are your upper back (on
the bench), your Glutes (on the Bench) and your feet (on the floor).
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- Head Position
Your head should be placed so that when the bar is in the rack; your
eyes are directly under the bar or just behind it.
If your head is too far back on the bench then two potential
problems can arise. Firstly, your head will be off the bench and not
supported. This is a terrible position as an injury to the neck could
arise.
Secondly, when you un-rack the bar it will be too close to the stands.
This means that during the performance of the Bench Press you are
likely to hit the rack. If you do this on the way down or the way up
you will fail the movement in a Powerlifting meet. And if you do this
is training you will lose a whole lot of power.
So position the head correctly.
- Upper Back Position
The upper back must be as tight as possible when performing your
Bench Presses. In order to assume this position, you must force your
shoulders back and down and your chest out. Before un-racking the
bar you should feel uncomfortable tightness in your upper back.
Anything less and you are not trying hard enough.
To understand the level of tightness we are talking about, try this
simple drill with a Jump Stretch Band. Take a mini band or light band
and stand tall with the band in your hands at the same width as you
bench at and in line with your lower chest. Now pull the band apart
by spreading your hands out to your sides and forcing your shoulders
back and down. The tightness you now feel in your upper back is
exactly what you want to re-create when you set up for your Bench
Press.
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Band Pull-aparts: Start Position
Band Pull-aparts: Mid Way Position
The reason for getting the upper back tight and forcing the chest out
is twofold. Firstly, it creates a very stable position from which to
press. And secondly, it makes your range of motion as short as
possible. (The shorter the Range of Motion, the more weight you
should be able to lift).
Certain individuals may have problems assuming this position. Likely
candidates are those with poor posture (think Neanderthal man). If
this applies to you then try foam rolling your upper back and pecs
and doing some upper body mobility drills prior to Benching. After
your training sessions, perform some static stretching for your pecs,
delts, lats and triceps. For Mobility Drills we highly recommend any
of the Warm up/Mobility DVD programs by Eric Cressey, Mike
Robertson and Bill Hartman.
Over time your posture should improve and your ability to get your
shoulders back and down and your upper back tight will get better.
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- Grip
If you are Benching Raw you want to grip the bar so that when the
bar is on your chest your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. It
will take some experimenting to find this position and a good starting
point is to try your pinky fingers on the ring.
If you grip the bar too wide you will involve the Pecs too much and
risk injury to them. If you grip the bar too narrow you will involve the
triceps at the expense of the pecs, whilst also increasing the Range of
Motion. So it pays to play around and find the right grip for you.
If you are Benching in a shirt you will want a wider grip. The Shirt will
offer protection to the pecs and thereby allow you to do this and at
the same time you will benefit from a shorter range of motion and
you will be able to touch the bar to your chest easier.
Regardless of whether you are Benching Raw or Equipped, grip with
bar with your thumbs around the bar. Or put differently; do not use a
thumb less grip.
- Abs, Lower Back and Glutes
The Abs must be tight when performing the Bench Press. The Law of
Irradiation basically states that if you tense a muscle as hard as
possible, then the muscles around it will tense as hard as possible as
well.
To prove this to yourself, please perform the following exercise (first
brought to our attention by Pavel Tsatsouline in his book Power to
the People).
Try tensing your biceps with your hands and forearms relaxed. Take
note of how hard your biceps become. Now try the simple test again
and this time squeeze your fists as hard as possible whilst flexing
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your biceps. Note how much harder you are now able to flex your
biceps!
Now lets get back to the abs. The abs are at the centre of the body
so it is extremely important that they remain tight and braced
throughout the execution of your Bench Presses and of course, in
your set up.
Do not suck your abs in. Rather, brace them or push your belly out
against your belt if you are wearing one. To brace the abs, do what
you would do if somebody was going to punch you in the gut. You
will not go far wrong if you follow your instinct on this one.
Your Glutes will be in contact with the Bench (and will remain so
during your entire set of Bench Presses). The Glutes must not be
relaxed, but rather, like the upper back, must be flexed and tight.
If you have issues flexing your Glutes, then an excellent drill to
include in your warm ups, (prior to performing your bench presses),
is the simple Glute Bridge. Do 2 sets of 12 reps before every session
and you will soon learn how to flex those Glutes as hard as possible.
Glute Bridge: Start Position
Glute Bridge: Mid-way Position
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In order to achieve the best arch you possibly can and thereby make
your range of motion as short as possible you should try to get your
upper back and Glutes as close to one another as possible when
setting up on the Bench Press. Think of forcing your tail bone
towards your shoulders in order to achieve this.
If you are set up as described so far, then you will find that you lower
back is not touching the bench. This is the correct position to be in.
The amount of daylight you can see under your back will depend
on how much of an arch you have managed to achieve.
As with anything in sport, you must practise your set up over and
over again and on every set up perform. Do not take your warm up
sets for granted. Every set is a chance to work on your arch.
Some people have naturally very flexible spines and can achieve a
very good arch straight away. Look to Japanese lifters for examples
of this. Other people have spines that do not really want to arch and
will never achieve a great arch. Either way, as long as your upper
back is tight, the Glutes are tight and the abs braced, then your torso
is in a good position to Bench from.
- Foot Position
There are two ways to place your feet when performing the Bench
Press. You can either have your feet flat or be up on the balls of your
feet. Both methods have pros and cons.
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Flat Footed: Start Position
Balls of Feet: Start Position
Before we get into the advantages and disadvantages of each

method, we feel it necessary to say that the flat foot position is
easier to learn for most people and for athletes and gym warriors,
this is probably the way to go. However, for Powerlifters whose
federations allow it, the up of the balls of the feet method is well
worth experimentation with.
Regardless of which foot position you do assume the feet should be
placed symmetrically on the floor. This means that they should be an
equal distance from the Bench to the left and the right and front to
back. Any asymmetry with foot position can lead to strength
leakages and an increased risk of injury.
Due to the nature of the Bench Press it may be necessary to get a
training partner to line your feet up in order to ensure symmetry.
Over time you should learn to feel the position yourself and the
need to be lined up by your training partner will disappear.
The flat footed Bench position should involve having the feet spread
as wide as possible. This ensures a stable base and a great position to
bench from. Think of how a pyramid is built and you will get the idea.
With the flat footed position most people will find that they will be
able to get their best leg drive during performance of their Bench
Presses with their heels under their knees. However, other athletes
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have found that having the feet out in front of the knees is their
strongest position.
Finding a sweet spot is a matter of trial and error. No matter which
foot position you go for, aim to find a spot where you can drive with
the legs, without your Glutes coming off the Bench during the
execution the Bench Press movement.
The advantage that Benching on the balls of your feet brings is that it
will usually result in an athlete being able to assume a higher arch
during the set up. This reduces the range of motion and could result
in more weight being lifted.
For equipped lifters, this method also allows them to drive their
heels down towards the floor as they are lowering the bar towards
the chest. This has the effect of further raising their belly into the air
(creating a bigger arch) and this helps them to touch, which can be
tough in a very tight bench shirt.
However, some lifters who bench up on the balls of their feet
experience stability issues; especially when they have their feet close
together, nearly touching the bench. This is the main drawback of
this method and can be seen when lifters un-rack near maximal
weights and look like they are rowing a canoe as they try to get
stable before performing their set.
Andy himself had this problem for many years and experimented
with the flat footed version in order to compensate. However;
despite this curing his stability issues, it resulted in less of an arch
and further to press the weight. So, Bill Crawford suggested that he
try going back to the up on the balls of your feet method and this
time having his feet out wide. And guess what, voila; stability
problem solved and high arch achieved. Best of both worlds.
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So foot position can be a tricky thing. Play around and find your ideal
Bench Press stance. Athletes and gym-warriors are probably best
sticking to the flat footed stance for simplicities sake. Competitive
Powerlifters, must, as ever, know the rules of the federation that
they compete in and then find their strongest stance, whilst
conforming to the rules.
- Putting it all together: finding the perfect set up
There are many different ways to ensure that you achieve a good set
up that encompasses the points above. In order to ensure that you
get a good set up every time, Andy will describe a method based on
how he assumes his set up for the Bench Press.
Once you have a routine that works, use it on every set of every
Bench Press you do. This way your set up will get better and better
and more consistent every time you practise it.
- Lay on the Bench with your eyes under the bar and an
underhand grip on the bar
- Using the bar for leverage, lift your upper back off the bench,
squeeze your shoulders back and down and force your chest
out and then place your upper back on the bench and maintain
the tightness you have created during this phase of the set up
- Assume your Bench Press grip
- Force your Glutes towards your upper back in order to create
the best arch you can
- Place your feet where you want them
- You are set up and ready to un-rack the bar
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6. Un-racking The Bar

When un-racking the bar you should be aiming to do two things. The
first is to get the bar from the Bench Press Rack to the starting
position of your Bench Press. And the second is to maintain the
Bench Press stance, stability and tightness that you created in your
set-up.
In order to make both of these jobs as easy as possible it pays to look
at what kind of bench you are using in your training. If possible, you
want to use a bench that has very small lips on the j-hooks that hold
the bar in place on the rack.
Now, this can be easier said than done because a lot of racks are
poorly designed. These poorly designed Bench Press Racks (and
power racks) often have lips that are 2 to 3 inches deep. This
basically means that you have to perform your Bench Press lockout
just to un-rack the bar. In turn, this makes it very difficult to maintain
that tight upper back, shoulders back and down and chest out
position that you created so meticulously during your set-up.
To avoid this ugly scenario, find a Bench with very shallow j-hooks.
The j-hooks only really need to be a quarter of an inch high. This kind
of Bench will allow you to pretty much drag the bar out of the rack,
instead of lifting it too high over poorly designed j-hooks. These well
designed benches will play a part in allowing you to maintain your
set-up position as you un-rack the bar.
If you are looking to upgrade (or start) your own gym, be it a garage
set up or otherwise, we highly recommend that you look into Forza
Benches. Costly, but worth every penny.
Forza Benches allow you to adjust the height of the j-hooks, so the
Bench works for lifters of all shapes and sizes. Ideally, you want it so
that when the bar is in the j-hooks, your arms are just slightly bent.
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If your arms are massively bent, then you will perform half a rep just
to get the bar out of the rack. This will waste energy, compromise
your set-up and increase injury risk. And if the j-hooks are set too
high and you have to stretch to reach the bar in the rack then you
will again compromise your set-up and it will be very difficult and
unsafe when you come to un-rack the bar.
If you are training with a partner, here is how you and your partner
should work to un-rack your Bench Presses:
-
Your partner should know what you say before you un-rack the
bar
- This should be the same every time (For instance: 3, 2, 1)

- You should take a deep breathe into your belly immediately
prior to the bar leaving the rack
- Your training partner should lift most of the weight for you
- You take all the weight when the bar is in the starting position
(over your sternum)
To get this process right takes some practise and a good deal of
sound communication between you and your training partner. It
pays to bear in mind that a few people die every year in the USA
Bench Pressing; so your training partner (spotter) may save you from
a nasty accident at some point. For this to happen; clear
communication is vital!
What you say before you un-rack the bar is vital so that your training
partner knows when to un-rack the bar for you. Different lifters say
different things; some just say lift. Others count down 3,2,1.
Others count up 1,2,3. It doesnt matter what you say, but it does
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matter that you keep it the same and you training partner knows
exactly when to un-rack the bar.
Lets say you choose to say 3,2,1 and then your training partner
will un-rack the bar immediately after you say 1. As soon as you
say 1 you must then take that deep breath into your belly. This
creates further tightness as your training partner lifts the bar out to
you.
In order to maintain your set-up position, your training partner
should aim to lift the bar so that it just clears the j-hooks. If your
partner lifts the bar way higher than the j-hooks you will lose some
of the upper back tightness and arch you created in your set-up. This
will increase your range of motion and make the set harder.
Your training partner should take most of the weight between
starting to un-rack the bar and getting it into the start position over
your sternum. This movement is quite a few inches and it will take
some practise for you to trust your training partner to do this
efficiently for you. It is especially important on your heavier sets
(even more so if you are wearing a Bench shirt).
This is because lifting the weight out of the rack yourself, without a
partner, and then getting it into position is extremely harsh on the
shoulders. Over time this can take its toll and lead to shoulder
injuries. So the message is, dont Bench without a good training
partner who can lift the bar off safely for you. The pros are
outweighed by the cons, especially if you are an athlete and are
simply using the Bench Press to improve your upper body strength
for another sport.
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Flat Footed: Start Position
Balls of Feet: Start Position
A great drill for re-creating the feeling you should get during the unracking phase of your Bench Presses is the Straight Arm Pull Down.
To perform this movement:
- Stand in front of a high pulley station with a straight bar
attached
- Take two paces back, with the bar in your hands at around your
Bench Press grip width
- Assume an athletic stance (slight knee bend, lower back
arched, push the Glutes back, lean the torso over until you are
at around a 60 degree angle)
- Force your shoulders back and down, your chest out and get
that upper back tightness
- Start with the bar at eye level
- Keeping your chest out and shoulders back and down; lower
the bar to your legs
- Return to the start position and repeat for reps
27
- The idea is to keep your chest out and feel the lats pull the bar
from the start position to your legs and then back again
- Moderate weight rules on this drill. If you allow your ego to get
in the way you will not get the correct feeling
Straight Arm Pull-Downs: Start Position
Straight Arm Pull-Downs: Mid-Way
28
7. Going Down
Now that you have un-racked the bar and have it positioned in the
start position, (directly over your sternum); you are ready to begin
lowering the bar down to your chest.
To begin with, do not be in a rush to start lowering the bar. Instead,
hold the bar for a second once it is in the start position, prior to
beginning the descent. This will force you to stabilise the bar and is a
good technique to develop grip strength for the Bench Press.
With your breath still held, squeeze the bar as hard as possible and
start to lower it down. Feel like you are breaking the bar apart. To
break the bar apart your left hand will feel like it is twisting counterclockwise and your right hand will feel like it is twisting clockwise.
This squeezing of the bar should take place throughout the descent.
Aim to keep the forearms perpendicular to the floor and touch the
bar on your sternum/lower chest level. There is much talk of tucking
the elbows. We have found that this is an un-natural command for
many Raw lifters and causes them to tuck too much. Instead, if you
just think of touching the bar to your sternum, you will find that you
probably do just that and your elbows will naturally tuck to do this.
With Bench Shirts things can change a bit because some shirts are
designed for a lot of tucking and a touching point at the upper belly
instead of the lower chest. We cannot go through different
techniques for every shirt because it all depends on whos wearing it
and where your federation allows you to touch.
Regardless, in a shirt you must still think of breaking the bar apart on
the descent and keeping the forearms perpendicular to the floor.
29
To check your touching point is consistent, try this simple drill.

Where a dark t-shirt and put some chalk on the middle of the bar.
Now, as you Bench, you will mark your t-shirt. If you do a set of 5 and
the mark on your t-shirt is around the thickness of the bar then you
know that every rep touched in around the same place and your
technique is consistent. However, if the markings are in different
places you know you need to pay extra attention on the descent of
your bench press.
Balls of Feet: Mid Way Position
Balls of Feet: Mid Way Position
If you go into any commercial gym today you will see a lot of guys
benching in a style that involves touching the bar to the upper
chest/throat area. This is probably because they are trying to isolate
their pecs more.
Never use this style and if you already do, please change to the one
described by us in this book. Touching to the upper chest will
severely chew up your shoulders and will almost definitely lead to
shoulder injuries at some point. And when you are injured you cant
train so your pecs wont be getting any stimulation then!
Also, imagine if you drop the bar and you have been lowering the bar
to the throat area! Which do you prefer: a broken jaw? No front
teeth? Or a crushed windpipe? Because they are all on the cards
with this style of Bench (especially if your spotter decides his phone
is more interesting than you).
30
If you require one further piece of information to stop you

performing your Bench Presses this way then try this simple
technique. Assume your Bench Press set up and hold your arms in
the start position. Now, keeping your elbows out (which is what
benching to the upper chest/throat requires) let your arms fall to
where they naturally want to go. You will almost definitely find that if
there was a bar in your hands it would be several inches from your
chest, clearly showing you that you should not be benching this way
if you value your shoulder health.
Get with the program and break the bar apart, keep the forearms
perpendicular to your chest, tuck the elbows, touch the bar to the
lower chest and keep the Glutes on the Bench the entire time. Your
shoulders will thank you and your Bench Press strength will go up.
One final word on lowering the bar relates to the issue of pausing.
When you touch the bar on the chest you can either pause on the
chest for a second before driving the bar back to the start position or
you can touch and go. Either style is correct and whether or not
you choose to do one or the other will depend on your goals and
why you are performing the Bench Press.
Some points for you to consider regarding whether or not to pause
your Bench Presses are:
- If you are a competitive Powerlifter it probably pays to pause
sometimes; because you have to in competition (practise as
you play)
- Pausing too often and for too long can kill your stretch reflex.
This will not make you stronger, that is for sure
- A 1 to 2 second pause is long enough
31
- When you pause; stay tight. Do not let yourself lose tightness
when the bar is stationary on your chest
- Pausing may help to develop starting strength
- Dont be afraid to use both styles. Pause for a few weeks in
training and then do a few weeks of touch and go pressing
- Remember, if you do the same things you always did, youll get
the same things you always got
Flat Footed: Mid Way Position
Flat Footed: Mid Way Position
32
8. Coming Up
The ascent of the Bench Press is the phase where you drive the bar
from your chest and back to the start position.
To perform this phase as efficiently as possibly requires a lot of leg
drive. This is where the Bench Press really becomes a total body
movement.
Your Pecs, Delts and Triceps are small muscles in comparison to
those of your lower body; such as the Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads and
Calves. If you learn to utilise a good leg drive on the Bench then your
numbers will go up very quickly (especially if your legs are used to
being passive on the Bench Press).
As soon as you begin to drive the bar off your chest you must drive
with the legs. If your feet are flat, with your heels more or less
directly under your knees then think of driving the heels into the
floor as hard as you can. Simultaneously keep forcing you knees out,
keeping your Glutes tight and carry on driving the bar up in a straight
line towards the start position.
If your feet are flat but you are using the feet forwards position,
(where your heels are in front of your knees); try to drive your feet
forwards in your shoes. Imagine you are trying to force your big toe
to touch the end of your shoe. Try this at the gym and you will soon
get the feeling. At the same time keep forcing the knees out, keep
the Glutes tight and drive the bar in a straight line back towards the
start position.
If you are Benching up on the balls of your feet then you will need to
drive through the balls of your feet in order to utilise your leg drive.
With this style, you still want to force the knees out and keep the
Glutes tight; but the bar path will probably be slightly backwards
towards your chin. This is a subtle difference with this style of
33
Benching. (It becomes much more pronounced when a lifter has a

Bench shirt on as he or she may touch the upper belly and then drive
the bar back towards their face).
During the driving phase of the Bench Press you want to maintain
the positions you assumed in your set up. Your upper back must stay
tight and your shoulders back and down. In order to do this it is often
easier to think of pushing yourself away from the bar on the ascent
instead of pushing the bar away from you. This is a subtle difference,
but can work wonders for keeping the shoulders back and down.
Once you have pressed the bar back to the start position, hold it
there for half a second before beginning your next rep. You will want
to take some more air into your belly before you start the descent of
the next rep.
You may find that you work up to being able to do triples (or the first
3 reps of any set) on the same breath you took when the bar was unracked. This takes practise, but helps to maintain tightness.
A cautionary word on holding your breath
For some people, usually those with high blood pressure and heart
problems, it may not be advisable for them to hold their breath
throughout the duration of each rep of the Bench Press. The
alternative would be to hold your breathe on the lowering phase and
then breath out with the effort on the way up.
Please consult your doctor on this matter and before embarking on
any new exercise routine.
34
9. Racking the Bar

Once you have completed the last rep of your set, hold the bar at
lockout for a second. This will build strength and stability and if you
are a Powerlifter you must do this in competition, prior to getting the
Rack command from the judges.
To rack the bar, move it backwards into the rack. Your training
partner should help you do this by symmetrically placing his hands
over the middle of the bar and taking some of the weight. (A mixed
grip from a spotter never works as well as a double overhand grip as
it often leads to a helicopter effect on the bar).
35
10. A Word On Technique

This entire book has focused on correct Bench Press technique
because great technique will allow you to achieve your strength
potential on the Bench Press and minimise injury risk.
It is true in every sport that we have ever studied that the athletes at
the highest level tend to have the best technique. This does not
mean that they all look the same when competing in their given
sports; but rather that certain communalities will exist.
For example, every strong Bench Presser you see will aim to perfect
their set-up, but you will see some top Bench Pressers with their feet
flat on the floor and some up on the balls of their feet. Every top
Golfer will keep a constant spine angle, but the way they use their
arms during the swing may differ greatly (just go compare Tiger
Woods and Jim Furyk).
The bottom line is to practise your technique on every single rep,
without exception. Also, use foam rolling and mobility drills to warm
yourself up before Bench Pressing and use appropriate assistance
exercises to bring up weak areas and make your Bench Press more
balanced.
Technique is much like your strength. Progress will not be linear. You
will have good days and bad days. Regardless, do not let this get you
down, but do make sure that over time your technique gets better,
because thats one of the hallmarks of great athletes. They tend to
have great technique.
It has become common in recent years for Coaches of Athletes who
are not Powerlifters to allow their athletes to let their hips come off
the Bench when they are Benching. They rationalise this poor choice
by saying that it makes the movement more athletic and that
36
because the athletes are not competing in Powerlifting there is no

need for them to Bench with their Glutes stapled to the Bench.
Well, our opinion is that this is nonsense. There will always be some
athletes who abuse this approach and end up with their Glutes
extremely high and their lower backs arched more than they really
can do safely. So now you have a room full of Rugby Players, Hockey
Players (or whatever sport you care to name), who are performing
extremely dangerous Bench Presses and all in the name of more
athleticism.
If you want your athletes to use their legs more in their upper body
pressing movements then you have two choices:
- Get them to learn to Bench properly; in which case the leg drive
can be achieved with the Glutes still on the Bench, by utilising
the techniques we teach in this book
- Get them to do Push Presses
Just dont bastardize a movement in the name of Athleticism without
first understanding the technicalities of the movement and then
thinking of the injury implications (in this case specifically to the
lower back).
37
11. Mind-set
A bullet proof mind-set can be the difference between a PR and a
disappointment, or a World Record and 5 spotters having to pull the
bar off your chest. With that in mind, lets look at how Andy
approaches his Bench Press from a mental point of view.
1. Get in the zone before you get to the gym. You can do this be
listening to some empowering music in the car on the way to the
gym.
2. Visualise your top set before you do it. The human mind cannot
tell the difference between something strongly imagined and
something you have actually done. So if you visualise lifts in your
mind, with enough intensity and clarity, prior to doing them, you
should find the performance of the lift much easier when you come
to do it.
3. Never think of failure. This one is obvious but it is easy to let your
mind play games on you if you are not careful. Do not think of
missing your top set or a PB in competition. This is just weak. As soon
as any negative thought like this comes to mind you must change
your focus immediately to something empowering: like smoking the
lift!
4. Never let a weight intimidate you. Think of others who have done
what you are about to attempt and this way you will see that it is
entirely possible
5. Commit to the lift. Once the bar is in your hands you must be
aggressive and attack the weight once it touches your chest
6. Believe in yourself. A Bench Press is a solo physical endeavour and
you and only you can break gym PBs and meet PBs. Nobody else
can do it for you.
38
12. About The Authors
Andy Bolton is one of the greatest Powerlifters of all time. A multiple

world champion in the WPC and WPO federations, one of only 5 men
to ever Squat over 1200lbs and the only man to ever pull in excess of
1000lbs on the Deadlift.
Elliot Newman is a competitive Powerlifter who has competed in the

BDFPA, WDFPF, BPC and WPC. He has competition best lifts of 255kg
Squat, 157.5kg Bench and 260kg Deadlift. He is passionate about all
things related to nutrition and strength training.
For more information on how YOU can develop herculean strength,

explosive power and muscular size, please check out:
http://www.andyboltonstrength.net

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1

Explode Your Bench

By Andy Bolton and Elliot Newman

Notice To Those Who Are Thinking Of Abusing This Book

is outstanding and similar in terms of achievement to Andys Deadlift

2. Andys Bench Press

- January 1988, 70kg, 110kg Bodyweight, 18 Years Old

- November 2002, 267.5kg, SHW, WPO Qualifier, Multi Ply Bench

March 2003, 272.5kg, SHW, WPO Arnold Classic, Multi Ply

- March 2004, 280kg, SHW, WPO, Multi Ply Bench Shirt

3. Bench Pressing Raw

4. Benching Equipped (for Powerlifters)

Band Pull-aparts: Start Position

Band Pull-aparts: Mid Way Position

Glute Bridge: Start Position

Glute Bridge: Mid-way Position

Flat Footed: Start Position

Balls of Feet: Start Position

Before we get into the advantages and disadvantages of each

6. Un-racking The Bar

- This should be the same every time (For instance: 3, 2, 1)

Flat Footed: Start Position

Balls of Feet: Start Position

Straight Arm Pull-Downs: Start Position

Straight Arm Pull-Downs: Mid-Way

To check your touching point is consistent, try this simple drill.

Balls of Feet: Mid Way Position

Balls of Feet: Mid Way Position

If you require one further piece of information to stop you

Flat Footed: Mid Way Position

Flat Footed: Mid Way Position

Benching. (It becomes much more pronounced when a lifter has a

9. Racking the Bar

10. A Word On Technique

because the athletes are not competing in Powerlifting there is no

12. About The Authors

Andy Bolton is one of the greatest Powerlifters of all time. A multiple

Elliot Newman is a competitive Powerlifter who has competed in the

For more information on how YOU can develop herculean strength,

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