Bench Press Setup Checklist
Setting up feet, hips, shoulder blades, head, and grip: nailing these five key setup points gives you the strongest and most stable base from which to press from.
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A collection of 16 posts
Save time in warm-ups by repurposing core training.
In most programs, warm-ups, core training, and joint function drills are either the most time-consuming, or the most neglected. What if we could collapse these aspects into deliberately programmed exercises?
Read moreExtracting maximum output from push day.
A good workout boils down to a finely-tuned collection of interdependent factors ranging across program structure, variable prescription, execution mechanics, and technical cues.
Read moreBuilding shoulder mobility using the adjustable bench.
Restricted shoulder rotation range is a frustratingly common cause of both plateaus and injuries. Shoulder warm-ups are helpful, but they only work temporarily. For lasting mobility changes, the shoulder needs graded exposure to the compromised ranges under meaningful load.
Read moreMechanical drop sets: an extremely potent stimulus intensifier.
But in practice, technical failure often gets in the way, forcing degraded execution and failure before the muscle reaches true exhaustion. Mechanical drop sets are an excellent tool to get around this problem.
Read moreHinge execution & glute training: what it is, and what it isn't.
Mechanical tension is the primary driver of muscle stimulus. Practically speaking, this means lengthening and contracting the muscle under load. In order to do this, we need to keep one side of the joint in a (relatively) fixed position.
Read moreGet more out of arm training.
When working in the neutral scapular plane, arm (and shoulder) musculature gain a natural mechanical advantage that allows them to do more work. All you need to do is to put your humerus in the right place.
Read moreFix your thoracic spine rotation.
Thoracic rotation is driven by distinct muscular action at the top and bottom of the ribcage: the obliques act on the lower ribs, while the serratus anterior and rhomboids act on the upper ribs.
Read moreArm path: unquestionably the most crucial part of back training.
Back training adheres to a hierarchy of training variables: arm path, loading modality, resistance profiles, scapular mechanics, strength curves, and more. Arm path sits at the top of this hierarchy.
Read moreYou don't need “glute activation”, you just need a stable pelvis.
Bad glute activation is never a consequence of the muscle not being neurologically “switched on”. The glutes are crazy strong, capable of producing huge amounts of force. The heart of the issue, however, is that this force needs a safe way to be transferred to the ground and to the load.
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