CUES FOR A BIG ASS BENCH
Sit on the edge of the bench so that when you lie down, you don’t bump your head on the barbell.
Lie down on the bench and slide back so your head falls off the bench.
From this position, grab the bar with your preferred grip. Maximum legal grip for powerlifters is with the index finger on the outer ring of the powerlifting barbell, and even if someone isn’t a powerlifter, I don’t ever coach anyone to go wider than this. Closer is fine though.
Position feet in desired position, the balls of your feet should be on the floor with heels off the floor.
Push the heels down towards the ground to create extension through the hips. This will create an arch and engage the strong muscles around your hips. When you do this the heels shouldn’t touch the ground, and if they do then your feet aren’t back far enough. Generally a 45 degree angle to the ground is ideal, when the feet are pushing down as hard as you can.
Continue to push your heels down throughout the rest of the setup and during the entire set
Using the barbell, slide your body into position so your eye level is slightly behind the barbell.
From this position there should be a symmetrical arch from the sacrum through to the cervical spine, with the shoulder blades retracted and depressed as firmly as possible. Imagine pulling each shoulder blade back and down towards the opposite hip.
Your head, upper back and glutes should be on the bench and the soles of the feet at a 45 degree angle to the floor, ensuring that you maintain constant downwards pressure through the heels the entire time.
Take a big breath in, hold that breath, and unrack the bar (preferably with assistance from a spotter). Be mindful of not taking the shoulder blades out of their retracted position. Rack height is important, if you lift out from a rack height that is too high it can pull the shoulder blades out of position.
In the unracked position the barbell should now be directly over the shoulder joint, and since your back is arched and shoulder blades are depressed, this should be roughly in line with the lower portion of the sternum.
Lower the weight with a controlled tempo to the chest, while imagining that you’re pulling the barbell apart with your hands. Keep pushing the heels down so the chest remains high as you perform the movement.
When the bar touches the chest, the shoulder blades should still be retracted and depressed, the heels should be pressed down, and the chest held high.
From here, press the weight back up to the start position. Keep the shoulder blades pulled back and down and chest held high as you lock out to avoid overextending and losing positioning through the shoulders and upper back.
Repeat the movement.