I’ll second a lot of what people are saying. For setup I actually put my mouth under the bar so I don’t have to travel as far to get it unraveled and above my chest. Take some vids with half that weight and compare - I think you’ll see a difference!
My read from the video is that you're gripping the bar too narrow, so that's forcing you to use more of your triceps and keep your arms closed to your body. Echoing what other people have said you should get down to your chest. It's the deep portion of the press that will build your pecs.
This is why I prefer dumbbells for chest press, but if you really want to build your barbell press then put the guards lower, grip on the second knurling and flare your elbows out a little bit more.
Also put the j-hooks lower so you can get the bar off without your shoulders leaving the bench
That second knuling tip is a great reference point, thank you 🙏🙏 Been working on my dumbbell presses too but really wanna progress more on barbells too
Put an empty bar on your chest at the base of the movement and slide your hands so that your forearms are naturally perpendicular to the floor. Wherever that is, that's where you want to grip!
My feet are definitely pushing ahaha, been trying to focus on keeping my shoulders back but they always wanna take over. A common point seems to be that I need to drop the weight a bit so I'll def do that
Cor & Axel are spot on. I would add:
1. Grip the bar lower in your palm so your wrists don’t cock back so far on the eccentric.
2. Land the bar on or as close to your nips without going north of them as is comfortable.
3. Exhale all the way up, don't save exhalation for the end of the rep.
I am not a trainer but you might try setting up under the bar so that it's over your chin or throat before you unrack it. You're strongest when the bar is directly above your shoulders so you want to have it in that position after you unrack it and when you lock out a rep.
The way you're set up, the bar is above your face when you unrack it and you have to swing it until it's over your shoulders before you start the descent. That motion wastes energy and it's going to make it hard to keep your upper back tight.
2 big things:
1. Rack the bar 1 notch below so that you're not overextending yourself to get it off the rack
2. You're going to want to keep your arms more perpendicular to your body, you're moving them too far down your body. This results in the weight ending up at your belly instead of your chest
My schedule doesn't really allow for me to have one, my gym does have strict rules about using guard rails though. If you have recommendations for exercises that could replace a bench press without a spotter I'll happily take them
the safety catches are high enough to bench without a spotter - if anything they're too high and are preventing the full range of motion on the exercise!
It's hard to tell from this angle, but you may want to widen your grip slightly. Hands should be a little more than shoulder width apart, and when you lower the bar, it should land around ripple height. It looks like you may be landing more towards the bottom of your ribcage.
I think my hands are in the right place, you might be right about bringing it too low tho. Been trying to focus on finding a comfortable arc that doesn't activate my shoulders but I think I need to lower the weight
I hear ya! I'm hyper mobile in my shoulders and am constantly fighting for stability in them. Using lighter weights to focus on form has always been a good place to start for me.
Comments
Big inhales on the down motions with powerful exhales on the lifting up motions.
Play around with your grip for what ends up feeling comfortable. For me I tend to go ring finger over the notches on the bar for my grip.
Also put the j-hooks lower so you can get the bar off without your shoulders leaving the bench
Do some warm ups with the empty bar with REALLY good form to make sure you’re targeting it right!
I’d drop the weight and dial in your form. Good technique helps ya lift safely and smash them goals 💪
https://youtu.be/vcBig73ojpE?feature=shared
I can’t see your leg position, but fyi your feet should be flat on the ground and actively pushing, or else you have no assistance from your core.
1. Grip the bar lower in your palm so your wrists don’t cock back so far on the eccentric.
2. Land the bar on or as close to your nips without going north of them as is comfortable.
3. Exhale all the way up, don't save exhalation for the end of the rep.
1. Rack the bar 1 notch below so that you're not overextending yourself to get it off the rack
2. You're going to want to keep your arms more perpendicular to your body, you're moving them too far down your body. This results in the weight ending up at your belly instead of your chest
Ideally your first finger joints after your knuckles should point directly up. Takes pressure off the forearms.