Neck during the bench press

[Pekker_head]

So this isn’t a “video review,” but something I came across.

While reading the blue book that someone named “Mark” strongly recommended I do, I came across something that I personally have not seen discussed (maybe it has and I just haven’t seen it). And that is the neck during the bench press.

As I understood it, the book says to basically only let the hair of the back of the head to touch the bench and not the full head. This is the first time I have heard of this. I rewatched the “how to videos” that SS has posted, and I don’t see this little tidbit mentioned in them.

I always just laid my head down and focused on driving the rear part of my shoulders into the bench. I never pushed my head into the bench “to assist”. I actually threatened my friend at one point I was going to sit on his face to keep him from lifting his head up during the bench. He claimed he has to “watch the weight.”

What I am ultimately asking, have I been missing a benefit from the bench press by not lifting my head slightly during it? E.g strengthening neck muscles. Should I slowly incorporate this change into my bench press (do it for warmups, and slowly add it in the main sets).

Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

That advice is there to keep you from injuring your neck. And you watch the ceiling, not the weight.

[Pekker_head]

Thank you! I built a home gym and purposely put a mark on the ceiling for all my bench presses now just for that reason.

At my old gym, they had those open bulb gym style lights directly over the bench setups about 12 feet up, so unless you wore a welders helmet, it was near impossible to “find a spot on the ceiling.”