Top 10 World Record Bench Tips
By Brian Schwab
My enjoyment of the bench press began in 1988 when I was 14 years old
and a freshman in high school. The low ceilings, dampness, stench of
body odor, and void of windows were intimidating to most, but I felt at
home in the school gym. Upon my first visit to the cramped musty space
I was able to bench 135. You may laugh and think that is nothing but
when you are only 5 foot 3 and 98 lbs it was everything. From my
strength I gained respect and knew that I had found my place.
The next few years I focused on wrestling, lifting only in the off
season while the football team was on the field. I competed on the high
school weightlifting team, but lacked the strength I needed to be
successful after dropping significant bodyweight for wrestling; dropping
from 120 all the way to 103, even into my senior year. I never stopped
lifting but it wasn't until years later that I returned to my love for
competition with the iron. While attending the University of Florida I
began competing in local bench press, and eventually full meets, which
led me to the AAU. In June of 1998 I competed at the Disney Wide World
of Sports in my hometown of Orlando Florida and was successful in
breaking the AAU Junior American record with a bench of 362 @ 165.
Soon after I heard of Kieran Kidder's plans to create a Professional
Powerlifting Organization beginning with the first meet in nearby
Daytona Beach. I happened to be in the right place at the right time.
The first WPO meet only had the super open classes but the following
year had it broken down into 10, including 148. After my wrestling days
I vowed to never cut weight again but realized that since my normal
weight stayed around 160, it would be difficult for me to excel in the
165 lb. class, but dropping to 148 would be a different story.
A few of my bench press records are as follows:
- 1st Bench America 148 lb. Champion 445 @ 148 on 7/3/03
- 3 Consecutive 148 lb. WPO Bench World Records:
· 501.5 on 3/5/04
· 503.8 on 10/8/04
· 507 on 10/29/05
- APA Florida State Record of 475 @ 165 on 5/28/05
- APF Florida State Record of 473.7 @ 165 on 6/18/05
- APF American Record of 512.5 @ 165 on 8/5/05
Here are my top 10 bench tips to help you set a new P.R.
- Perform a gradual cardio, shoulder and triceps warm up
It seems that as I age my body takes longer and longer to warm up.
By increasing body temperature with a minimum of a 5 to 10 minute cardio
warm up, the nervous system becomes more prepared for the task ahead.
By performing more isolated warm-ups with shoulder rotation, which I
will detail next, as well as mini-band pushdowns the joints are more
prepared to help prevent injury during bench training.
- Strengthen your rotator cuffs to prevent injury
Like most powerlifters, I often have at least one nagging pain
somewhere. My right shoulder has bothered me for years. I know that
the pain is coming from my rotator cuff, specifically my infraspinatus.
In order to prevent further damage I perform internal and external
shoulder rotation either with elastic tubing or dumbbells for 2 sets of
12-15 reps during every bench workout. I usually do these between my
bench warm up sets.
- Work on proper technique every time you bench
The process I follow every time I lie on the bench is to:
- Grab the bar with an underhand grip.
- Pull your eyes to the bar and force your shoulders back towards
your feet as you lie down. I stay on my toes.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and grab the bar to legal
competition width.
- I choose to take a breath when the bar is lifted off and again
before I lower it.
- Fill your belly with air and tuck your elbows all the way into
your sides.
- Lift your head and watch the bar as you take it to the natural
angle that your arms follow with your elbows tucked.
- After touching, focus on pressing the bar straight up.
- Flare your elbows about halfway up and push at a slight angle
towards your head.
4. Focus on speed and lockout strength on DE day
I follow the basic Westside template on speed day but opt to only
perform 6 sets and only add accommodating resistance on the last 3. I
have also chosen to only use chains, since the bands seemed to place too
much stress on my shoulder joint.
- Never perform a un-shirted bench max through a full range of
motion
In 1996, when I first began powerlifting, I was performing a heavy
full ROM set with around 300 lbs. On the eccentric portion of my third
rep I heard and felt an indescribable sensation of ripping and
discomfort on my left side. It was my pec tearing. Luckily it was only
a partial tear which took about 6 months to recover from. I still have
a chunk of scar tissue there. I have no desire to put myself in the
position for this to happen again. So, who are you kidding? If you
compete with a shirt, then you need to train with it. Prove yourself in
a meet, not to your buddies in the gym. I don't know how much I max raw
and I don't care. Those aren't the conditions under which I compete.
6. Train through the entire bench range of motion on ME day
I realize this doesn’t follow the traditional Westside template and
I’m not recommending for you to bench heavy all the way to your chest in
any workout. That would go against my last tip. What I recommend is
performing an exercise for the mid-range, lock-out, and lower portion of
the bench during every max workout. I opt for board presses as the
primary, followed by lock-outs/pin-presses, and either decline or floor
presses last, in that order. I alternate between dumbbells and the bar
on floor press to maintain balance between each side.
- Perform at least 1 raw set on your primary exercise on ME day
Although I perform 1 to 2 sets of shirted board work each week the
vast majority of bench training is done without the use of one. In
order to bench more, you need to become stronger, not just rely on your
shirt. The first max effort board set is without a shirt, followed by 2
shirted, the rest of the work is done raw.
- Only perform 1 board and full reps right before a meet
The only time I go through a full ROM in my bench shirt is 3 weeks
before a meet. I know how much it takes to touch in each shirt
depending on how much I weigh and the position of the collar. After
this is realized it is unnecessary to touch in your shirt on a regular
basis. Three weeks before a meet I perform singles through a full ROM,
followed by 1 board, then 2. Two weeks out I perform singles onto 1, 2,
and then 3 boards. This way I can work with my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
attempts and feel more confident with the weight.
- Strengthen your upper posterior chain
Having a strong upper back and triceps is essential for stronger
benching. Your back and triceps are the muscles involved in supporting
the weight throughout the entire motion. Although the function of the
latissimus dorsi is primarily to adduct (bring in) the arms at the
shoulder joint, they are also necessary for supporting the triceps. I
recommend at least 2 exercises for 2 to 3 heavy sets of 5-8 reps per
week to strengthen your lats. I prefer a variation of a pulldown or
pull-up and a rowing motion performed on DE squat day. The lock-out
strength of the triceps is trained on DE bench day through 4 board
presses, reverse band presses, DB and cable extensions as well as on ME
day through board presses and lock-outs.
- Train with your shirt weekly
It literally took me an entire year to get used to the groove of a
denim shirt. Each shirt you use will have a different groove which will
vary depending on how low you adjust the collar. Myself and the Orlando
Barbell team train with our shirts for at least 2 sets onto boards each
week. We start with 4 board and reduce by one board each week down to 2
until 3 weeks out from the meet, as previously mentioned. By training
with the shirt each week you will not only be able to handle heavier
weights, you will also learn the groove of your shirt.
I hope my tips will help to take your bench to new levels. Check my
training logs for more insight on my training methods. Good luck and
never give up!
Brian Schwab, BS, CSCS
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