Best Foot Position for Better Leg Drive in the Bench Press

[@KellyR1]

This is the best analysis on this subject that I’ve seen in the last 16 years. Thanks David.

[@StephColbertsonStrength]

Im 6’3” currently sitting around 240. I used to bench with my feet under my but that was early on and competing in a fed that allowed for heels to be up. When I switch to the USAPL it took a good while for me to figure out how to progress my bench without doing that and, for me, basically trying to mimic Sean Noriega has worked the best (feet forward/soft touch/etc). Although I’m always second guessing myself because I know I’m not a small/lightweight lifter. Definitely got me thinking about it more with this haha

[@littlemoo52]

same here. i feel taller lifters are at a disadvantage. even at 6'2 i feel if the bench was 2-3 inches taller then i would get a much better arch/base and a heavier bench

[@mrstl3000]

​@littlemoo52 wrong unless your 300 pounds u have plenty space under the bench press

[@StephColbertsonStrength]

@@mrstl3000 leg length and ankle/hip mobility play a pretty big role in how far underneath you can get your feet. In fact, I’d say it makes up the entirety of it lol. Shorter legs, in the absolute sense not relative, will make for different angles than long ones. And depending on how much hip extension and/or arch you have it will vary the amount of ankle dorsiflexion required to bench with your heels still on the ground.

[@Боря97]

After watching this video i can’t keep calm and do my rest. I want to go to the gym and try all your advices !

[@khailephd]

Idk if I am a smaller lifter - I am 5”10 @90kg (walking around at 94ish) with deadlift proportions (long arms and long femurs). As a soft touch bencher, I have experimented while I was in the 83kg weight class and found that I get better and consistent leg drive with my feet in front of me. There are drawbacks - I am more likely to slip, I can only bench with hyper v shoes, and I am sorta screwed if there isn’t carpet. But for me, it’s worth it.

[@wayentruoc]

5”6 is smaller lifter

[@nickchaump7658]

Awesome video! One piece of advice I have for lifters trying to leverage lumbar extension to create the arch like mentioned in this video: if you have discomfort in your lower back from this, try wearing a belt while benching. It hurts my back getting in that position, but when I use my belt I can use it as a "backboard" or "fallstop" to brace against. Has helped me tremendously, and it puts a physical limiter to how far you can crank your back/leg drive without getting bent.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I have a video on belt on bench and while I agree that some people have expressed that it helps with some discomfort, I do think that it probably isn’t ideal for creating the biggest arch we can. It definitely limits my position as you alluded to in your comment. So sure, if discomfort is a limiting factor it might be worth a try. But I am literally trying to bend as far as I can.

[@nickchaump7658]

@@BrazosValleyStrength yeah that is a good point! For sure agree with you there. My comment was more anecdotal; I never really have hurt my back powerlifting, except from bench press ironically! thanks for the response.

[@joemargonzalez2494]

Absolutely love these videos. Thank you for this content David.

[@bacon435]

Thank you for this. I’m 6’1 in the 242 weight class and I missed my 474 3rd attempt on bench because all prep I was benching with my feet infront of me. I strayed away from having my feet under me because of that uncomfortable position. The meet that I just did that I missed the 474, there was no carpet and my feet slid when I had them flat on the ground, so I had no choice but to bench with my toes planted in the ground. Had to completely change up my foot positioning. Going to put a lot of time into working with my feet wider and under me (I have long femurs as well). I know that this change is what I need in order to take my bench to the next level.

[@MrEverisforever]

Just a side note, if your feet are slipping maybe it's your shoes? I use the Nike squat shoes and find them to be pretty good. These would only be good for feds where you have to have your whole foot planted though.

[@wilsonman8661]

Huh. I definitely get lower back cramps occasionally from benching and am fully on board with the arch coming from the low back and anterior pelvic tilt (especially after introducing larsen pressing lol). However, I had not considered that all of this might be easier by paying attention to the angle of knee to hips. Definitely something new to play with as I find my arch to be inconsistent, even when I focus on pushing hard with my feet back toward my shoulders. Appreciate the video, David.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

Yep. I guess the shortest version of the video could have been "we want a lot of tension, but we want that tension to hold a big arch in the first place when possible."

[@wilsonman8661]

@@BrazosValleyStrength Get it right first, _then_ apply effort. 😬

[@geopwr5077]

Great stuff. Thanks David

[@alvinsuc]

any advice regarding the foot angle? how do i decide if pointing straight or more toe-ed out/externally rotated would be better?

[@Metalmachine18]

Very very curious, especially 15:30-17:00. So many people like Steve DeNovi/Joe Stanek (obviously incredible coaches) say that unequivocally flat is superior. I’m not tall (5ft 9”) but have long femurs and compete in a fed that allows heels up, and we bench on a 42cm bench. I’ve seen so many strong points made for flat foot so have been giving it a go but just can’t find a position that is as comfortable

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

My point in the video was that I would still find a position that I can push very hard with most of my foot but I wouldn’t worry about it being actually flat on the ground. I only wear heels to make the foot flat visually. And that some people may get sooooo much from the arch being on the toes (like the people pictured) that they have net gain there. But for 99.9% of people being able to drive hard through the foot is a big deal, but the foot doesn’t have to be perfectly flat to accomplish that.

[@Metalmachine18]

@@BrazosValleyStrength Thank you King 👑

[@AngryPrimate]

I have extension intolerant back pain by excessively arching during the bench press. I find my leg drive is lacking as well. I think using more leg drive and keeping my feet flat on the ground and a lot wider could help?

[@purifier1579]

Great video. I do sinking bench with narrower grip. When I place feet way in front I feel stronger of my chest with aggressive leg drive. So I see this could be another srgument for it. However I prefer to be on my toes with feet under my butt. Trading some off the chest strength for higher arch and much more stable position work for me better tho.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I actually think I talked about this a little bit in my sink vs soft touch video but that is another aspect of all of this as well. I think broadly, people who sink will do better with their feet more under them. It is much much easier to get flattened out when the feet are in front and you release some of that total drive during the sink.

[@djbello8157]

Wondering if more extreme toe angles are ok? I bench with a very similar style to you but struggle to get my feet all that far back without pointing my toes out to a little under 45 degrees. Should I fight to keep the toes pointed more forewards? Think this is probably because of my week ankle mobility.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I don’t see any reason not to. I’ve heard some people say that it doesn’t work as well because you want your toes pointed forward so that you can get more out of your quads, but I disagree with that concept. I don’t think quad strength is ever going to be a limitation for anyone here.

[@thealmightyoragutan612]

Have you done a video on setting up your head position on bench? Example: I got super tight on bench and was too far up the bench so when I pressed, I pressed into the bottom of the rack, tried to press through the rack and then move it around, but ultimately failed.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

You are looking for my self unrack video

[@thesebastions-official9007]

Love your videos especially on benching! Do you have any recommendations for someone who is 6ft 220 ish but has much shorter legs and long torso? I found that after having my feet out in front for a while it just stopped working and I’m having trouble with slippage trying to get my feet farther back and to the side.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

Besides trial and error with those things, I would really have to see it. And even then, I would still say trial and error. Even if you have short legs relative to other people your height, they are still probably pretty long relative to other people. I'd say my simple suggestions is make sure you are "trying your hardest" with the arch during your set up like I said later in the video. Make sure you are challenging you comfort there as likely the best position for you probably won't be that easy to get in to. And beyond that, accept that you are tall and that your arch may not be that huge overall anyway and choosing things that feel strong and stable might outweigh trying to match a much shorter person's bench style.

[@thesebastions-official9007]

@@BrazosValleyStrength thank you for always thoughtfully responding!

[@3etrnal]

Hey David ! I tend to be super stiff in the lower back because of my deadlift tightening that area so much. Is it unsafe to aim for loosening this area? I feel like the stiffer my muscles are in the lumbar area, the stronger I will be on the deadlift. So can I pursue both arch and deadlift profficiency?

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

Honestly sounds like you need to re examine how you are approaching your deadlift.

[@3etrnal]

@@BrazosValleyStrength well, I wonder why. The low back is a prime mover due to my hip height and the fact that I’m pulling conventional, training it biased in flexion ultimately makes me less comfortable in extension in that area

[@darkvader8155]

Can you wear a back brace when benching legally? (Powerlifting)Not a belt, but like a brace you’d wear if you worked in a warehouse l.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

You can check the specs but likely not. I think USAPL is the only fed that allows Velcro and the main issue would be the size being wider than 4inches

[@sndr2977]

Idea: if you are a tall lifter and don't compete, you could benefit from a higher weight bench. IPF rule is 45cm max. As an experiment I put 5cm of mats under my flat bench to raise it to 50cm, and with this setup I have good leg drive with my feet in front as a 183cm / 6' tall lifter. On a 43-45cm competition bench I have my feet tucked under, because with feet in front I can't get tight and butt lifts off the bench more easily.

[@v0idness]

Totally. There's no reason not to find a comfortable setup if one is not competing. I'm on the taller side for a woman and find that I am more comfortable on a 45cm bench than on a 42cm (upper and lower end of the IPF defined range, respectively). I've gotten more resilient over time but used to get cramping issues when encountering a lower bench in competition.

[@wolfbiepire]

Opinions on benching with feet behind knees but with toes only on floor?

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I would suggest watching the video!

[@wolfbiepire]

Oh yes just seen! Thank you!

[@TomasJrMuniz]

You think people with weaker triceps could benefit more of feet in front setup for bench?

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I really doubt there is a correlation there.

[@5peedy]

Get stronger triceps

[@farbeyonddriven8001]

People with weaker triceps could benefit more from doing more tricep accessories

[@hanskazan7403]

i agreed iam 6´6 and feet infront of me i get zero stability

[@Veg-Power]

Somehow I can't apply any pressure with feet inside. ^^ my leg muscles are just to stretched in that position. Maybe I am to immobile. I have very long legs though.

[@catedoge3206]

real.

[@zachbird2465]

My wife just caught me standing in the kitchen trying to move my thoracic spine and then try to move my lumbar spine lol I’m sure I looked like an idiot

[@alvar8t]

12:00

[@kachoncheung8410]

🔥

[@samuelortizguevara1741]

🔥👏🙌

[@aborigine777]

I bench with feet on bench. No leg drive

[@halfunder9712]

I find it funny that people say feet under is inferior when the strongest raw bench ever was done that way and julius maddox swears by it ...

[@Ivann500]

But is this really a good way to build muscle or your ego? I think it's the second one.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I cited a lot of evidence and still you are that dense?

[@spartakos3178]

Leg drive good. Super arch stupid.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

ok

[@Jeneric81]

How fitting that you express yourself like a caveman.