Keeping your head slightly lifted in the BP

[rgcone]

Mr R,

A fellow SS acolyte and I were having a polite debate on the Facebook page regarding keeping your head slightly off the bench during BPs. I know it's in the book, but beyond the intent of not forcing your neck muscles to press your head into the bench forcefully (bad), does it impact the kinetic chain in the BP? I ask here because my experience with being SS coached (Focus NYC, Ryan and Brent) and the seminar (Brooklyn 2015) never included this as part of the setup. For the novices I've coached it seems unnecessary, but the fellow acolyte has me reconsidering, as he considers it v helpful in his setup. Your, and other interested parties, thoughts please?

Best

RC

ps. did you sell the BMW you were posting in '15? I moved the 72 Chevelle you saw in Brooklyn back to Cali. It's much happier here.....

[Mark Rippetoe]

The head and the neck should not be in the kinetic chain of the bench press. This is the purpose of the instruction.

Sold the M6 in Dec of 15.