Vinny Talluto is a trainer at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning with degrees in Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Psychology. He has been working with The Decathlon’s Boston athletes in preparation for competition.

Everyone loves the bench press, but what most people don’t realize is how crucial proper set up is. Here are my go-to tips for improving performance in the bench press;

Tip 1: Set your feet firmly
You want to screw your feet into the ground to allow yourself to push and drive your body back into the bench. The more leg drive used the more this exercise becomes an entire body movement.

Tip 2: Dig your shoulder blades into your back pockets
This is probably the most crucial tip I share with my athletes. To do this you should lift yourself off the bench slightly and try to pinch your shoulder blades together and press them down. It’s okay to arch your lower back. Powerlifters use this same setup, because it helps shorten the distance the bar has to travel. As long as your head, upper back, and butt remain on the bench you will not be disqualified. It may take some practice getting used to this setup, but it pays of big time during competition.

Tip 3: Get a hand-off.
Getting a “hand-off” is different than a “spot” especially when it comes to a max repetition set. Remember I mentioned how important setting your shoulders was when it came to the bench press? Well if you don’t use a hand-off you’re basically setting yourself up for failure. Think about what you have to do to unrack the bar from the pins. You need to “press the bar up and out” which loses all of the upper back tightness you created initially. When you get a proper hand-off you can keep your upper back compact and tight.

Tip 4: Use “soft lock-outs”
You want to do as many reps as fast as possible without taking a rest at the bottom or top. The judging of the event is entirely subjective and the key is to learn to walk the line. Keep your reps fast with just a hint of a bounce, extending the arms almost to a fully locked-out position, but never resting.

Give these four techniques a shot throughout your training to get comfortable with them before game-day and you will dominant on the bench.

Bring it,
Vinny