BUILD A BETTER BENCH

For a better bench, the set-up is key: set up with your hands wide enough to leave your arms at a roughly 45° angle from your sides, with your forearms vertical as you press. “Get a hand-off from a spotter if you can,” says Dowey. “This’ll allow you to pull your shoulder blades together behind you before you take the bar, giving you a more stable base to press from.” And when you’re pressing up, drive the bar back toward your face as you push the bar off your chest instead of driving the bar straight up. This makes the lift more efficient because it keeps the bar directly over your shoulders – where pressing is easier – for more of the lift.