Form Check – Bench Press

[lortega]

Hello all and thank you for reading my post. This is my first post on the forum. About me, I’m at the beginner level, I’ve been training for 6-8 weeks post covid, pre-covid, I was weight training 3 times a week for about 5 months until my gym completely closed in March. Much of my newbie strength gains I made pre-covid were lost, but after 6-8 weeks, I am back to where I was.
I will post my squat and deadlift in the future. I wanted to post my bench first since I’ve been most focused on improving my form/technique and finding my grove.
Off the bat, I need to work on the following.

• Add a pause at the bottom, my tempo is very touch & go, this is something I didn’t realize until I filmed myself.
• My butt/hips lift off the bench, most prominent on my final rep to help cheat the weight up
• My legs/feet aren’t firmly planted to the ground, the squirm a bit throughout the set like they are unsure where to be and are searching for the most optimal position.

Video 1 Set 3 with 185 lbs * 4 Reps (RPE of 10), I failed on the 5th rep attempt on set 2.
> Shared album - Leland Ortega - Google Photos

Video 2 Set 2 with 185 lbs *4 (failed on 5th rep attempt). I thought it might be beneficial to show you a failed rep.
> Shared album - Leland Ortega - Google Photos

Image of my bar path, trying to develop the J curve.
> Shared album - Leland Ortega - Google Photos

Looking forward to your feedback, let me know if you have any questions.

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Leland.
Not sure why you need a pause on the chest unless you're training to compete.
Yeah, your ass off the bench and feet are a mess. If your legs are too short, then bolster them with something solid.
Your grip width is fine and the bar path is pretty decent.

Let's talk about your sets. Your first set was NO WHERE near a max effort. Not even close. Your second set was also not a failure. It slowed down a bit and you just racked it. But that too was nowhere near a max effort. You don't have the experience to train by feel. It's not going to be productive for you.
Here's a decent example of a circa max rep. BENCH MAX OUT! - YouTube
I'd suggest you do 185x5x3 and put yourself on a linear progression until it's time to change to something more intermediate.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You didn't fail the 5th rep, because you didn't do the 5th rep. You have to try the rep and fail to complete it to say you failed the rep. I hope this is clear. Keep your ass on the bench. Read the book. RPE is for pussies.

[lortega]

Hi Pete and Mark,

Thank you so much for viewing my lifts and providing valuable feedback. I will take a deep dive and carefully read my SS book this weekend.

I’ve added a rug to the flooring to add traction so much needed traction on the floor, this appears to help, at least my feet are staying firmly in place. My hips/butt still keep lifting off the bench.

Yesterday I performed 185x5x3. While I may be able to go up 2.5-5 more pounds next session because this was not a grind or very difficult. I think I should stay at 185 and work on keeping my butt on the bench.

Here is a link to yesterday's session on my 3rd set, 185x5x3. > Shared album - Leland Ortega - Google Photos

[Pete Troupos]

If your legs are too short to get your feet flat without pinching the low back when you arch then put a couple plates down on the floor and put your feet on those. Just make sure they don't slide. Otherwise, get your heels on the ground and think about trying to shove your toes toward the front of your shoes. Or think about using your feet to push your ass toward your shoulders.