Bench Press Form Check

[Blurmpf]

I posted another Bench form check video a few days ago that was unusable. This one should work.

Yes, I am wearing a mask. It is not my idea, nor do I have a choice in the matter if I want to be allowed to train.

Age: 37 years
Height: 182cm / 5'11''
Weight: Somewhere between 105kg and 110kg

This is my current Bench PR, 109kg x 5 x 3. I filmed the 3rd and final set.

I have an idiosyncratic way of breathing to get through my sets. I do Reps 1 and 2 on one breath, then Reps 3 and 4 on another breath, then breathe once more before the 5th and final rep. Is this a "cheat" of any kind? Or do you recommend not doing it for any reason?

[Jovan Dragisic]

is there a reason you are not driving with your legs?

[AndrewLewis]

These look fine. Get the bar back a little earlier. You're almost benching straight up on the way up and finishing inferior to your shoulder joint. Keep your feet pressed into the ground.

I have an idiosyncratic way of breathing to get through my sets. I do Reps 1 and 2 on one breath, then Reps 3 and 4 on another breath, then breathe once more before the 5th and final rep. Is this a "cheat" of any kind? Or do you recommend not doing it for any reason?

I hold my breath for all five reps. Most people do 2, 2, 1 or 3, 2, something to that effect. It's not cheating. It allows you to stay tight and get the set done quickly. As long as you're not getting light headed, it's fine.

[Blurmpf]

I don’t know exactly what “leg drive” is supposed to look or feel like, but the heavier my bench gets the more I have begun using my legs.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If only there was a book about things like this.

[Jovan Dragisic]

If only there was a book about things like this.

You try to tell a guy to do what it says in the book, he gives you scare quotes.

[Blurmpf]

You try to tell a guy to do what it says in the book, he gives you scare quotes.

Rip is the one who referenced the book. All you've done is heckle me with smug rhetorical questions and then jump on his dick.

If your comments were intended as training feedback, you could have assumed that if I am not driving with my legs, and you can see that I am not driving with my legs, then I am probably not intending not to, and therefore probably don't know the reason. At that point, you might have referred to the book yourself, and/or identified what I was doing wrong, and then offered a tip on how to do it right. But then that's not what you're here for, is it?

Believe it or not I have read the book, and have tried to follow all that it says. Shoulders adducted, chest up, back arched, butt on the bench. Shins vertical, feet flat on the floor. In the video my feet are flat against the floor. (For the left foot you have to take my word for it.)

However, you can see I am shifting my feet to a somewhat wider angle while unracking the bar; this is reflexively to get more secure "bite" on the floor as I respond to the weight and try to get more tension in my lower body, which I can feel is helping me balance, helping me arch, and overall helps to get the bar up. This is when I really feel that my legs are getting involved in the lift. I don't know whether to call it driving, I don't know whether they are driving enough, but they are definitely helping me do the fucking reps.

During the 2nd rep, and between the 4th and 5th reps, you can see my right foot shifting again. This was reflexive, responding to the weight and movement of the bar, trying to get better balance and more tension. I am hoping/guessing that as I continue to train, I will not feel the need to shift my feet during the set but will have them secure in the same spot throughout.

[Jovan Dragisic]

Jesus man, you are very sensitive. I asked whether you had a specific reason not to use the legs as part of your bench press, since this is clearly described in the book. Maybe you missed the chapter. Try this for instance: Leg Drive During the Bench | Brent Carter
You can also use the search function on the website, type in leg drive bench press or similar and you will get a bunch of results.

[Jason Donaldson]

If your comments were intended as training feedback, you could have assumed that if I am not driving with my legs, and you can see that I am not driving with my legs, then I am probably not intending not to, and therefore probably don't know the reason. At that point, you might have referred to the book yourself, and/or identified what I was doing wrong, and then offered a tip on how to do it right. But then that's not what you're here for, is it?

Believe it or not I have read the book, and have tried to follow all that it says. Shoulders adducted, chest up, back arched, butt on the bench. Shins vertical, feet flat on the floor. In the video my feet are flat against the floor. (For the left foot you have to take my word for it.)

I'm seeing some miscommunication here. It's pretty reasonable for Jovan to ask first if you're intentionally not using leg drive, instead of assuming anything. There are reasons people choose not to, so checking first makes sense.

Also, you've mentioned before that you're in a different country than the US...not sure which. Perhaps you didn't intend what the quotation marks around "leg drive" might connote in other contexts, viz. that you were dismissive of the very concept. If I'm reading correctly, your frustration is in not understanding the term as it's being used, is that correct?

In my copy of the blue book, pp 168-170 address not only the placement of the feet, but the intended drive that results. The verbatim term "leg drive" is not prominent, which may be some of the confusion here. Also, this video addresses it at about the 4:00 mark: Learning to Bench Press | The Starting Strength Method - YouTube

Terminology aside, it does sound like you're getting the feel of the technique:

However, you can see I am shifting my feet to a somewhat wider angle while unracking the bar; this is reflexively to get more secure "bite" on the floor as I respond to the weight and try to get more tension in my lower body, which I can feel is helping me balance, helping me arch, and overall helps to get the bar up. This is when I really feel that my legs are getting involved in the lift. I don't know whether to call it driving, I don't know whether they are driving enough, but they are definitely helping me do the fucking reps.

During the 2nd rep, and between the 4th and 5th reps, you can see my right foot shifting again. This was reflexive, responding to the weight and movement of the bar, trying to get better balance and more tension. I am hoping/guessing that as I continue to train, I will not feel the need to shift my feet during the set but will have them secure in the same spot throughout.

If things need to shift when it gets hard, then try starting there from the beginning. Kind of like the deadlift setup, where the hips get high to move a heavy lift because they have to, and so the method calls for starting there in the first place. What you can get away with when the weight is light says little about good form. The hard part is the part that teaches.

Once you get the hang of consistent, effective foot placement, that should allow you to keep the feet glued to the floor, and thereby get fuller benefit from the legs. The "drive" here is essentially static, and it helps stabilize to move more weight.

Does that help?

[Blurmpf]

Yes, Jovan interpreted my quotes as scare quotes, while I saw his question about leg drive as vague and rhetorical.

Yes, it helps.

Jovan, what specifically is it in the video that makes you see that I was not using my legs? That would help me understand what leg drive looks like.