How to Bench Press for NO Gains (90% Are Guilty)

[@AlexanderBromley]

BaseStrengthAI is more reliable than a coach, cheaper than an Excel template!👇👇👇 www.BaseStrength.com/the-app Bromley Merch from Barbell Apparel only available HERE! 👇👇👇 barbellapparel.com/Bromley

[@JEDIAL9]

So, *my chest has gotten massive* from doing _weighted dips!_ For me, the best chest activation is dips! I can also rep 315 lbs. and burn out from dropping down to 225 lbs for 24 reps! *But none of the various chest exercises that I've done throughout my 28 years of consistently lifting has ever given me that **_excruciating burn, hypertrophy blood pump like weighted dip!_* As long as you warm up and follow the correct angles for dips, you won't mess up the rotator cuffs or shoulders.

[@lewin6348]

32:41 minutes instead on going to the point? Dislike.

[@AlexanderBromley]

@@lewin6348 whats that??You want longer videos??! YOU GOT IT BROTHER!

[@trumpwon20204]

Jeff nippard lil nipper would look like me if he was 6ft

[@nemanjamarkovic2444]

2003 story lmao year where i was born

[@powerpaul1995]

I remember back in highschool when I pulled off my first 135 after 3months of training (Started with only 55). That meant the world to me.

[@12MRJERSEY]

Gotta start somewhere

[@ElronHumpperdink]

Progress is progress. That’s why we track it. Any increase is an achievement. This year I’m further along (30) and last year I said (29) no more here and there. Been dedicated. Went with friend to visit the gym (I workout home) and at time didn’t have enough weights to check, but I racked 165-170lbs and I was 165lbs or so… and was able to literally say “I can bench bodyweight for reps, I’ve never been able to literally/legally/firmly say that!” I feel ya. Keep going. 💪 Gave me a good wake up read, no lie.

[@wompastompa3692]

Damn, that took me like 2 and a half years. Good shit, bro.

[@deeznutz6880]

I started with 135

[@Jnnewsman]

​@@deeznutz6880Nice

[@Hajiroku]

I actually had this realization when it came to my calves. I squat 250kg and calf raised 100kg but I was always bothered with my calf size. Then I decided to do a bodybuilding block for my off season and it really emphasized doing a deep stretch over weights. After 2 blocks my calves exploded in size

[@joelkivisto]

what do you do for calves?

[@jeanvictorhajjar]

Lies

[@ImperialFool]

I tell my gym buddy this all the time with calves, don't bounce! All your doing is limit testing your tendons not building muscle

[@themondegod4014]

@@joelkivisto calves raises my man you can't do anything else for them

[@donsantiago1]

Posterior chain is about-dead lifts not squats.

[@SteezySteez2011]

You raise a really good point about being well rounded. I neglected putting my pecs through deep ROM, and I've had off and on pec strains, likely as a result. I think powerlifting's one of those things that's tough to enjoy when you're not at the top, and getting injured just trying to leave mediocrity has been demoralizing to say the least lol

[@BigUriel]

Everyone's mediocre compared to the elite, but in powerlifting it's just more obvious, there's a simple objective number you can put on how good you are. Some guy who fancies themselves a really good basketball player because he beats all the guys from his neighbourhood has never actually played in the NBA, he's never face any pros, he doesn't really know exactly how he compares to them, if he has half a brain he knows he's not as good but there's no way to quantify how big the gap is. In powerlifting you can squat 405 at 200lbs and you're pretty decent and you beat everyone in your neighbourhood too, but there's people out there who squat twice as much at the same body weight and you know that at the rate your squat is improving, no matter how hard you train, it would take you a century to reach that level. It's just that obvious how far out of your reach they are.

[@joeyshurland9840]

I often get demoralized when lifting and seeing smaller or less muscular guys lift more than me but at the end of the day it’s about bettering yourself for yourself, not so you can say your stronger than other people. The enjoyment comes from the accomplishment you feel when you know the work you are putting in is paying off.

[@Logan-dk8of]

its not mediocre if youre natty. a lot of these "elite" lifters are on gear, same with most of the Instagram and tiktok influencers. not to say they are weak naturally, but how strong are they naturally? we'll never know. the average guy who lifts will never bench 275, and that's for an average size guy. if you're a smaller guy or started lifting when you're older the bar to beat to be more than mediocre is lower than that. i also don't think its very helpful to compare yourself to people who are lifting completely different. when I was in college most of the football players my size would be "squatting" about 50 pounds more than me, but they were also doing half reps and I was going atg. maybe they had some reason that they don't go deep on squats, but either way its not really valid to compare the two lifts when the form is so different

[@whitemakesright2177]

Why are you doing something you don't enjoy? Sounds like you need to re-think why you're even pursuing powerlifting, and if you might be happier pursuing something else. For what it's worth, I feel like a lot of guys got sort of incepted into caring about powerlifting when all they really wanted was to get big, look good, and be athletic, fit, and strong in general.

[@blackknight9156]

@@whitemakesright2177 To be fair, I think it is also a trap a lot of guys fall into because of a pure desire for increased strength above all else. While there are a million and one ways one can "get strong", powerlifting is a very accessible and empirical way to measure strength for most.

[@nategameplays4071]

You know at the beginning I was worried that you were only going to show the extremes of both sides to benching, (arching and not), but you went in and explained the differences and even showed us what they should be used for. Coming from someone that needs adivce like this, thank you. You earned a sub.

[@chrisandrew8280]

check his podcast. lots of juicy tidbits there

[@EnigmaticAnamoly]

"Juicy" lol nice ;)

[@Lock484]

Saucy as well 😏 😂😂

[@BurlyBaboon]

As a long time viewer, this was some of the most simultaneously engaging and informative content I've seen in quite some time from both you and fitness youtube as a whole. Keep it up!

[@liamburns8554]

Alex’s content is always well considered. He has thought of a things through

[@tim-lewallen]

How much ya bench bro?

[@liamburns8554]

@@tim-lewallen hope that your comment gave you the joy you were looking for 👍

[@langleytrained6950]

I thought he had a bad case of verbal diarrhea

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

I believe that opinion is only valid if you have ADHD and took at least 3 breaks before finishing the video.

[@Colin1084]

I’ve watched probably over 50 bench press technique videos in the past, but this is probably the best I’ve seen. Discusses both angles of powerlifting and hypertrophy, which others just skim over.

[@Anduehan97]

wake up babe, new bromley video just dropped (the voices are getting louder)

[@FindSpencer]

Not only are the voices real, they’re accurate.

[@Felix-lf9ng]

Least insane schizo lifter moment (im not real)

[@Barackbomba]

Not a truer word has been spoken

[@ingaleerus56]

@Colin Thompson you sound du.. .

[@ingaleerus56]

"Babe?? Babe??!! Where are you? What's this note? " Dear Babe, you're boring me. I moved to Vegas and just entered a blow job contest that pays well...it's over. And I stopped taking testosterone. I didn't like the way it made me feel. Goodbye.

[@t3cchan]

I've been lifting almost daily for about 2 years now, and this video is my first real foray into weightlifting youtube. You are super articulate, and I've come away with a lot of stuff to think about even outside of my approach to benching. Thanks for making this, Alex

[@Lee-ic2yn]

I don't see any weightlifting in this video, or on this channel at all

[@Allsoy]

@@Lee-ic2ynare u blind

[@gavinc2733]

@@Allsoy They're being a pedant and talking about how this channel doesn't have any olympic weightlifting specifically

[@Allsoy]

@@gavinc2733 ahh I see

[@KobyMathews]

Bromley makes the best strength content on KZbin right now by far. Also has a philosophy I agree with. Strength training is to actually be strong. Not take shortcuts to make it look like you are

[@clarkyow1418]

“So you can brag to people who didn’t ask” 😂😂 Bromley, you sir are a talented man!

[@jasonwalker4193]

Not only is this One of the best videos you’ve made, it is also one of the best I’ve seen made on this topic EVER. You mediate between the two methodologies very well academically. Your personal anecdotes/stories ground you.

[@MailmanMuscle]

I’ve been with you since the days of your forum. Just chiming in to say that your videos have become really good - information, logic, production, and funny as all hell.

[@AlexanderBromley]

I remember! You were doing the PL training at Planet Fitness. I appreciate the feedback

[@jasonkaplan9928]

I bench often, I had a goal in mind to be able to bench 405lb at 160lb. I tried to copy ufpwrlifter lifting program, who is a verified lifter that is 152lb with a bench of 410lb and no exaggerated movement or arching. Following his bench schedule, I have moved my bench up over the course of 3 years to 315lb, starting from 225lb. I don't see anything more in sight for me, there is a large chasm between 315lb and 405lb. I bench every other day, and unfortunately, fatigue has gotten the better of me. I've developed a SLAP tear and have seen a significant reduction in my bench press numbers since August of last year. I still bench often, but now it's to get to where I was. Things that often seemed to be a warm-up for me are now a painful working set. I've learned a lot on my bench journey, I started when I was 24, I am now 36. The most important pearl I've learned from all these years of training is, the most important key to working out and lifting heavy is to avoid injury. Your progress may be slow, like a bell curve, but stay consistent and it will come. Do not ever risk injury for an exciting one session max. Be mindful of your form at ALL times while lifting, one slip up of not staying "tight" or in "closed-kinetic chain" can be a costly injury. Stay safe out there friends.

[@Subs1338]

>is to avoid injury Most people (me included) dont take this seriously until they have gotten injured (several times). When we're young we feel invincible but also think very short term. We need that PR yesterday. "Oh my shoulder is aching from benching 5x a week? Its ok Ill just be a little more careful". Nope. Warm up seriously. Do your prehab work seriously. Sleep well. Do your cardio.

[@bobjohnson1633]

Make sure to have a lot of vitamin c and collagen. Going on a smoked brisket only diet and supplementing vitamin c is a natural way to heal very fast and avoid injury.

[@afridgetoofar1818]

@@bobjohnson1633 Just eat steak for dinner every night, a fattier cut.

[@soonahero]

Have you considered not weighing 10 lbs less than the average woman?

[@jasonkaplan9928]

@@soonahero I don't know how you come up with that statement. I'm 5 8" 165lb, I'm almost considered overweight. Do you enjoy obese women? The average woman isn't 160lbs...lol.

[@ozziedood]

Giving yourself every disadvantage while training a specific movement just seems like a no-brainer thing, but it is very comforting to know just how much difference something like increased range of motion could contribute to the bench right after my coach incorporated some duffalo bar bench presses into my workout. Great video, as usual! 👍

[@BigFred458]

He is one eloquent man. Highly intelligent and great verbal abililties.

[@FreshPineapple1]

Wow, what an awesome video Alex. I don't even bench anymore (stopped after I gave up powerlifting and changed my training goals) but this was an easy half-hour listen - great knowledge and storytelling on your part. Would gladly watch again if you do more videos like this in the future

[@karlsmith9186]

I use a somewhat powerlifting style setup for my bench press, but because I have long arms, I still get a long range of motion and my elbows end up below my shoulder joints. I get a deep stretch of the pecs at the bottom and I pause reps at the chest to exaggerate that stretch. I have gained both muscle mass and strength over time, and I'm not a weak person overall. I have a good military press and I'm stronger than almost every person who has a similar bench to me, even being stronger than people with a bigger bench than me. I definitely think the powerlifting can be helpful and beneficial for some people and not for others, it all depends on your anatomy

[@satchmaus]

Yeah, my shoulders are a mess from baseball and volleyball when I was younger. Throw in somewhat long arms, my setup leans more to powerlifting because I'd be in pain otherwise.

[@jahimuddin2306]

I have long arms and a small torso, so arching has never eliminated a significant amount of ROM for me.

[@Ericboy114558]

100% agree, im the same way. If i arch, my elbows still come below the shoulder joints. If i don't, i have an insane range of motion. To balance out the strenght work i do higher rep paused Larsen presses, theyre awesome

[@Zax557]

Same. Flat back or wide elbows (bodybuilder style) has always caused me shoulder pain and actually made me dislike the lift. After hanging out in the powerlifting KZbin for a while, I adapted the more powerlifting, "squeeze shoulder blades, slight back arch, butt on the bench, feet flat pushing into the ground, elbows 45-60 degrees" style of bench and now it feels super stable with no discomfort whatsoever. Still get a ton of range of motion due to long arms and not doing the ridiculous competition back arch.

[@oomenacka]

For me, really maturing at the gym and building a body I can say I'm proud of required dropping the bench press. I only really benched socially to compete with my friends and to build an initial strong frame of muscle. But after 2+ years at the gym and 6 months of PT for shoulder impingement, I no longer bench at all, and my body can't thank me enough. I use chest press machines, cables, flys, and push ups for my chest now and I'm stronger and healthier than ever. As a general rule of thumb, listen to your body and swallow your pride. Bench works for some people but not for all.

[@YouTubeChillZone]

After 7 years I eliminated BP completely, but for another reason - lack of good quality benches in commercial gyms that have adequate security features. It is much easier to find a machine or work safely on dumbbells than a good set up for a flat press. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the benches are always occupied

[@atlaspowershrugged]

Thanks for the shout out! Some powerlifting competition benches look absolutely ridiculous and are clearly an example of metric gaming. That being said, there are a bunch of people who absolutely refuse to bench any kind of heavy weight because they think doing anything whatsoever to increase the weight they lift will kill their gains. I don't think it necessarily makes sense to try to emphasize "full rom" on barbell bench press at the expense of everything else because it's just not ever going to be a true full range of motion exercise. If the stretch is what you want, use dumbells, rings, dips. Just like barbell curls or conventional deadlifts won't ever actually take the muscles involved through "full range of motion" and it is necessary to use other exercises to actually stretch them. So why not treat these exercises as worthy demonstrations of strength and care about our full stretch dumbell incline or zercher deadlift as much as our barbell bench and conventional/sumo deadlift as a way to combat gaming? I actually got a lot out of decline bench, which is sacrilege because it's "not full rom" but neither is flat, and I found it super grindy and progressable. So I don't think you have to emphasize rom to get something out of it, especially if you're training in a bodybuilding rep range, not just 1rms. But then again I have ridiculously long arms. Btw I'm still working on a response to your last video, maybe 70% done btw, sucks being a filthy casual.

[@dranthonybui]

Man I’m just like you, I’ve started doing decline bench too for the first time in many many years since I’ve gotten trapped into powerlifting and I must say it’s a very good stimulus for me as another long armed lifter.

[@shoulung6203]

I have a lot of shoulder pain issues and I actually came to the arched back somewhat recently as a way to keep my shoulders in the more protected movement pattern it provides. Having said that, I just focus on trying to bring my lats in toward each other. I also mainly do dumbell presses and perform a limited ROM, following the advice of James Grage's recent videos about how to protect your shoulders when you're already dealing with pain, specifically related to bicep tendonitis from going into a deep stretch on pressing movements.

[@Alepizzaa]

I had the same problem with shoulders until I started doing 3 of these 5 excercises daily when warming up before excercising, check it out it worked for me after about 4-5 days doing it kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXq4oKpjrax3l7c

[@shoulung6203]

@@davesmith3023 I’ve determined that my shoulder pain is from biceps tendinitis; arching my back to correct the shoulder angle and shortening the RoM to where my arms only come down to parallel with my chest have resolved the issue. Rotators cuff exercises only axacerbated the issue.

[@dranthonybui]

This has to be one of the best videos I’ve seen recently from you in regards to entertainment. Quality always high and I loved the comparison from Eugene and Jeff’s opposite stances. I am “lucky” enough that my long arms give me enough strength that my chest was able to be grow from barbell bench, but just this offseason from powerlifting I’ve stepped away from competition style lifts and have been having my most productive bulk so far.

[@NuwandaLunaDragon]

So cool! By far Jeff and Eugene are my number 1 and 2 favorite fitness content creators, so seeing this sort of "review" on their advices for bench press is really interesting

[@novclo]

it's funny that a year later, stretch focused lifting is a topic of intense political debate resulting in violence

[@bwappo]

Yet again, you answered longtime questions I kept in the back of my head, gave me an even-keeled view of which techniques are appropriate for which contexts, and why. Thank you for your clarity, your humor, and your thoroughness!

[@beefyboytech]

My max was 135 when I was 17. My strength coach told me about trying to lower the weight and find a weight I can easily do 5 reps. I went in 1 year from 135 to 225. I would start with the lower weight and rep 5 times than add 10 to 5 lbs until I couldn't do 5 reps and then dropped weight by 5 or 10 lbs until I could not do the bar lol. It killed but had major growth.

[@timlamb1156]

Sounds like German volume training

[@solidshrek]

did you train chest one day per week?

[@TheHalfmanofOz]

Dr Mike finally has some true competition in the fitness space. Excellent presentation, humour and insight.

[@stevenuseda6317]

I'm only a few minutes into the video but I'm not sold yet. This is cool but Dr. Mike is on another level

[@alexd7977]

Are you out of your mind? Do you realize the level of science Dr Mike is on?

[@pinkyandorbrain]

I've never really felt like there's competition here because Dr Mike is usually talking about bodybuilding for intermediates whereas Bromley is usually talking about programming for athletes.

[@danieltemelkovski9828]

@@alexd7977 He's talking about competition in the "insight + humor" category. Bromley has put together a good package here.

[@michelrood2966]

​@@alexd7977 " science " lol

[@MrCharly780]

This is why I dropped flat bench entirely, now I just do incline press, no way to cheat, more rom, more upper peck which is more aesthetic. I'm at 225x5 and it's going great.

[@ShmurkyDurky]

Or you could just do both and correctly

[@MrCharly780]

@@ShmurkyDurky I'm after aesthetics, no need for flat.

[@tomd4748]

@@ShmurkyDurkyno point doing both in the same workout. Doesn’t do anything. Just alternate one with the other in a A/B plan.

[@Dmoriarty1993]

@@MrCharly780 Missing out on the biggest overload though.

[@johannesschmitz6370]

@@tomd4748 How can you say that so confidently? If it doesnt matter, then it doesnt harm.

[@d_t847]

I am certainly guilty of ego lifting with „powerlifting technique“ on bench press. Recently hit 225 after 6 months of training. Later I tried again but couldn’t repeat it. This was when I noticed that the only reason I got it was not because I was strong enough, but because my technique took away many inches on my range of motion. This video is what I needed when I started benching. It’s great advice!

[@ci6516]

I’ve gone the opposite way . I can pause bench 225 an inch above the chest , that’s my one rep max at 160lb . But on incline dumbbells , I can grab 90s off the ground , and throw them back myself safely and press 4-5 slow and control reps with deep stretch and twitch at the top . There’s guys who bench 315 for 2-3 and struggle with the 90s on incline , need help to get them up without injury . And here I am pretty small manhandling this weight . Is it the heaviest ? no. But I can control it and get the absolute most with the least risk . Everyone in my gym has given me amazing compliments . I’ve gone from 125lb to 160 in 3 years . And it’s basically all muscle . If you can imagine what that has done to a frame . Many assume I’m actually an aspiring body builder who will be getting on stage . But for the longest time , this meant I was pressing 60lb when my friends were pushing 75-80. Meant I was only barbell pushing 165lb . The beginning and middle stages sucked . It looked sad . But at the end , I look like such a unit . Able to not just lift a moderate weight , but completely manhandle it .

[@ci6516]

Could I maybe ego lift 245-255 with a bounce ? Maybe . But then I’d also be like my friends who complain about injuries all the time . 3 years in thank god not one injury or setback outside of regular life .

[@ci6516]

And to top it off , I’m able to sit up with those 90s and walk them back to the rack in one go. It’s just an incredible feeling to make it seem like you’re playing with a weight

[@cheese4758]

@@ci6516did u seriously attempt to humble brag benching 225 for one rep after 3 years of training. That’s nothing I weigh 147lbs my one rep max is 210 after almost 3 months of training go brag ab ur shit strength genetics somewhere else

[@griffMcTall]

When I first started learning I did what I guess is called a "guillotine press" for a long time. Bringing the bar down around my neck and collar bone. I always felt like it was a good workout and my chest would get really sore. But the chest really started to fill out better when I learned to bring the bar down around the ribs.

[@leinekenugelvondoofenfocke1002]

This is brilliant. It's informative, and entertaining. Not just that, it's something people need to hear. This is the epitome of keeping it real. The most valuable information you have for newer lifters than yourself is your experience, because they already have to learn a lot from experience, so if you can shorten that learning curve as much as possible with experience that is transferrable to them you will be more valuable than somebody who did science with the internet, and likes to talk. This stuff that seems small, and normal to you is huge, and often a missing piece to alot of us. Sometimes it's shit that we know, but we need to hear it a certain way before we can gauge it's importance. If KZbin wasn't defiled you would have the highest subscriber count among the fitness influencers.

[@johntrains1317]

Awesome vid. I had a similar situation where I benched 295 w a goofy ass powerlifting setup. I switched to a flat back, slight incline, paused bodybuilding style that I'd be lucky to hit 275 with but my chest, shoulders and arms look great and are growing consistently, and, I'm using anywhere between 195/145 for sets of 8/20. It's definitely a better trade-off for my overall development since my arms are super long and over pressing leads to some shoulder pain.

[@jjswigger8591]

cause u have most likely osteo arthritis for benching like a mongrol muppet

[@fitnytech]

Of all the people on the planet, you talk to yourself more than anyone… make sure you’re saying the right things.

[@themydisplayname]

I haven't seen any of your videos before - but I will definitely binge-watch them now. This is simply FANTASTIC! Thank you for your effort creating this content!

[@guardian2598]

Flat Eric!

[@DanturtyHemachandra]

Great video. The one thing that saved me from a poverty bench more than anything was switching away from 1x a week to 2x (or more) per week. Back in high school (90's for me) I got my first programs out of magazines that all preached training each body part 1x per week, which I blindly followed. Going to 2x a week was a game changer.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

There isnt really a gold standard for how often you should train except for the one rule: wait until you have recovered and your muscles are no longer sore. All you accomplish by overtraining with sore muscles is that you break down the muscle fiber your body is trying to build up, and of course if you dont train enough after recovery you are leaving gains on the table. Recovery depends on the intensity of the exercises you do, but also on sleep, nutrition, and stretching/massage before and after training, depending on the person. If recovery takes more than 2-3 days you probably need to make some changes in your life or reduce the intensity of your workout.

[@EnigmaticAnamoly]

​@@TheSuperappelflap random af lol.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@EnigmaticAnamoly not really, your training frquency will be quite consistent if you do this

[@Gesundheiterkeit]

The way this video is written and structured! It was so entertaining I didn't want it to end.

[@ryanschultz9037]

Beautiful explanations. I've been to snap city with 175 lb bench. Now I've mastered dumbbells and all is good. Also I have a 65 gram gaming mouse, because a man has got to optimize something.

[@JohnSmith-zk3kd]

Do you have a superlight? Also get mouse feet they make a massive difference

[@ryanschultz9037]

@@JohnSmith-zk3kd yes. Glass feet? Must be Artisan mousepad compatible!

[@jarredjenkins8054]

Bodybuilding: Small arch or None 8-12 reps Chest focus only Powerlifting: As big arch as possible 1-5 reps Chest, delts, triceps, abs, quads, Recruit as many other muscles as possible !

[@omary702]

Both builds muscle

[@Siberius-]

There's always a tonne of extra shit that can be said with these things. Bodybuilding it's ideal to have less arch or no arch yea, and you can retract and protract the shoulders, too. Bodybuilding will build muscle just the same if you do 8 reps, or if you do 30+ reps, as long as you go to nigh failure, it's all good. Same goes for powerlifting in low rep-ranges, as long as there's enough fatigue on the muscles. If you go super-low, and stuck with that, then the technique and mind muscle connection and all that would make it difficult to grow as much as you could, especially factoring in the recovery you would always need, so it wouldn't end up being much overall volume over the week, which is important, rather that just looking at the rep-ranges, which are not very important. Bodybuilding is typically about 8-15 or whatever reps, because it's just a practical sense-making amount of reps, otherwise it's too heavy to really connect with, also with added injury risk, and a shitload more reps to nigh-failure (far lighter weight) is just gruelling. Oh, and powerlifters don't only stick to low rep ranges. Sometimes they also do very high reps, or typical bodybuilding rep-ranges of8-12 or whatever, to grow bigger muscles, and then there's more potential to then work on gaining greater strength with that now increased size.

[@kopusetic]

One of the best videos ever made in the history of making videos…of any kind.

[@StrengthHacksCoaching]

4:01 hey that’s me in the middle! Had to do a double take. I usually wrap bands around that bench, but had to opt for a mat that day cause I forgot my bands. The benches at that Y are so thin and slippery, benching without bands on them is like squatting on ice

[@mr-boo]

First video I have seen, very impressed. You epitomize the fact that muscular guys aren’t meatheads. You show wisdom, integrity and a healthy dosis of self-deprecating humor. Educational and entertaining indeed. Although I have started my lifting without the handicap of ego, that is only because those lessons came to me from other prior sports where I made similar errors for the same reasons. And I still find value in the lesson to sufficiently plan for everything you do. Pushing ourselves to our maximum cannot be do done with both carelessness and longevity/consistency. Thanks for this quality video advice!

[@Balachiang]

Bodybuilder here. Appreciate this video a lot. U made 30 mins feel like 5 mins , subbed.

[@ouroboros6125]

I never actually thought about it... but it's so true lol. I'm nearing my 40s and since me and my group of friends started lifting as teenagers. Whether we fall off or go back in there. Whenever there is gym talk, or small talk or banter at parties or wherever. It's ALWAYS "how much do you bench?", "What's your bench at bro?", it's never - not once - been "how much do you squat, deadlift" etc. xD Even when I started again a few months ago I'm like "I bench X now that's where I'm at". I never gave this a second thought until I watched this. But this is 100% true for me and my friends through life when it comes to lifting. It's always benchpress used as the golden standard for everything.

[@mediumx3241]

And benchpress is not even a good indicator for your overall performance at the gym. There's guys who got 30+ pounds of bodyweight on me who bench a bit more but can't even get up the weights on dumbbell shoulder press which I do for reps. I do flat bench 2 times a week but I don't necessarily enjoy it that much tbh. I much prefer incline smith machine to really get a chest pump.

[@themanwiththeplan5919]

So much value! I feel like I just got a professors course on benching. Your delivery was awesome too man thank you for putting in the work to make this vid happen 💪🏻

[@prodigalsonresurrection]

I like the honest no bs approach to your teaching. This is definitely something a lot of people need to hear

[@ninie120]

Thank you so much for such an excellent video, Alex. I guess a pro of being female is that I don't care a whole lot about having a big bench. I do what feels most natural and comfortable and it's been working just fine for my goals. That said I often get criticized for having a somewhat narrow grip and for not arching much. Anyhow, your video makes me feel pretty good about my technique 😊

[@myanime101]

this is a eye opening video my bench is always my worst lift but I have a great chest everytime I tried to do a power lifter bench and set up I would feel stronger off the bat but would slowly decline over time and sure enough he explained it perfectly I thought I was getting caught up in the technique I was alienating my main goal building size now I'm just going to drive my shoulders into the bench with as little arch as possible and just do what feels best for me

[@0713mas]

This is quickly becoming my new favorite channel! I love the old-school, almost silver-era mentality before the lines between bodybuilding and strength training got drawn so sharply.

[@knubs]

Pleasantly surprised the direction this video went after seeing the thumbnail. What I got out of it is do what works best for you based on goals. As a novice lifter I was taught wide grip, and I had no arch, flared elbows, wasn’t the best on the shoulders. After playing around with stuff, I’ve found that a more powerlifting style works best for me, I use a slight arch, pull in the shoulder blades, tuck the elbows on the way down and press through my feet. All good tips in this video

[@benjiboy1991]

This video is amazing. Just started seeing all these powerlifting techniques and assumed that it was the newly accepted standard for bench, that science had proven it was safest and best. Tried to find a history of the bench press to discover when things changed. Months later, stumbled across this video and it has quite possibly saved my body from unnecessary abuse. I’m gonna focus on good technique and consistency

[@lukebbuff]

Glad to see you are back posting! Been hitting a wall on my bench lately. Specifically finding my attempt to adopt a powerlifting style setup has actually messed up my technique in a way that sucks for my shoulders. I don’t compete but had seen so much about how scapular retraction was a must for safety I’d been fixated on it to my detriment.

[@rustyclark6306]

Same here... and I do compete. I force myself to be a little looser in the shoulders when I'm doing normal training, and a few weeks before a meet I switch to a more rigid setup.

[@Isaiah-ft5nx]

Same

[@poorlilpinchy4026]

The best advice was definitely channeling Vegeta before a big lift.

[@YouTubeChillZone]

Bad idea Vegeta lost all the fights in the series

[@poorlilpinchy4026]

@@KZbinChillZone but he could lift. Don't channel Vegeta before a fight.

[@thepillar4473]

Great video! Entertaining and informative… I’ve been a fan of pressing since 19. I trained with guys that were in Power House magazine. Unfortunately I can relate to the squaty short armed types that put up amazing numbers. Being 6’2” was gifted with arms of a 6’6” basketball player. I was still able to put up a 405 and reverse dunk a basketball. God makes us in various ways.

[@thrusteavis]

the takeaway I get from a lot of your vids is stop overthinking shit and just go work out hard. its reassuring

[@apollocrest]

Love this. Subscribed. Engaging stories, awesome dissemination of info, and entertaining and informative! Thank you.

[@goldpeen2661]

It's pretty crazy how I came to rely on flys to round out my chest after years of powerlifting style benching thinking I was just build weird, so much so that I needed specific accessory lifts to grow my pecs. Thanks for the video. This info really filled in a gap in my knowledge and helped me see the bigger picture.

[@ProphetFear]

Small arch, guillotine press, close grip. People ask me why I bench to build my chest, mind blowing 😂

[@braydenbledsoe3252]

Initially thought your narrating style was redundant but then found it kept me engaged and interested. I'm subscribing.

[@popodood]

Thanks, I love my serratus anterior from pushups and I am dipping my toe into weights. I was locking my shoulder blades back because videos were saying it will prevent injury. It does feel nice and stable but I am going to do lower weights and get my serratus to spiderman levels. It will be my only muscle 💪

[@kevinmurphy5878]

I am not 100% sure that this is where i got it but I think the ab wheel made my serratus get a lot bigger

[@jebstewart7295]

This video got recommended in my side bar - the thumbnail and title really intrigued me. After watching your video, i love your analogies and delivery, and subscribed immediately. Cant wait to check out more of your content. Thanks for sharing!

[@donsantiago1]

The tuck of the shoulders is needed to activate the pecs, as in proper push up. The shoulder protocols are the same for push and, or, pull exercises. The retraction of the scapula must be there in order to activate the pecs and protect the articulations. Powerlifters exaggerate to shorten range of motion If one as back problems, like myself, try decline bench press, as a pec exercise, still with regular scapula retraction, but with a flatter back, in order to activate the pecs. Flat bench press without scapular retraction, like the sexy long haired dude advocates, probably with flared elbows, isn’t a pec exercise. Triceps, front delts and your health are the major targets. That style was in fashion in the 80, popularized by the magazines, full of errors and miss conceptions, leaving young dudes, like myself, that believed that our heroes and role models at the Mr. Olimpia line up were all naturals, with little too show but a lot of over training, money spent on whatever they were pushing back then and self esteem issues. Thanks for the report.

[@BentusiProgenitors]

I'm glad you mentioned 31:00 though I wish you did this earlier for the people who don't watch till the end. As you mentioned, it's still critical for stability and safety in the heavy sets (yes, done with proper form, not the goofball stuff) If I don't lock my blades in and plant my feet. (Not arch to high heaven. Slight arch resultant from the blade tuck) My shoulders will feel terribly suseptible.

[@kitanoken5987]

I’m 6’4, 238lbs and have been going to the gym for 8 months. My bench started at 110lbs for 1 rep. It’s now up to 175 for 2 reps. That said, I started going mainly for weight loss, I’ve gone from 315lbs to 238lbs. My bench has gone up 65lbs though. Body recomposition is energy draining, (almost all my calorie intake is protein) but it’s been effective.

[@BIGMANLOGJAM]

A load of great info all in one place with no frills is uncommon on KZbin these days. I don’t stretch enough and it shows. Thanks for the reminder.

[@richardschenck6476]

The Bench Press is a path to many abilities some consider to be unnatural

[@BuJammy]

The only thing I am afraid of is... losing my power...

[@richardschenck6476]

@@BuJammy I think it depends on your build, I usually bench with a powerlifting style and still feel like I hit the pecs due to my wingspan and slightly narrower grip which gives me a greater ROM

[@BuJammy]

@@richardschenck6476 Thanks for the input, but I was quoting from the film too :D

[@richardschenck6476]

@@BuJammy Damn I can’t believe I didn’t see that before

[@shortycareface9678]

I bench powerlifting style, but I got so long arms and such a poor arch (bad hip mobility), that it hardly affects my range of motion. I find that the tension I'm able to create is what helps me the most.

[@derek96720]

Same. I'm a newbie lifter with long arms and not a lot of mass. Giving that slight arch helps lock my core in place so I don't wobble as much.

[@coughhy]

Gone for a week and then you come back with this banger of a video, which has it all. Great info with tons of humor and relatability. Great job!

[@johnnykiehn1872]

I side with Nippard here, first of all, all his videos are based on research not just personal experience. Engaging lats is critical to creating proper alignment, stability and bar path. Overarching is counter-intuitive for hypertrophy, but if the counter-argument is your shoulders should move naturally, you can achieve that with exercises that are less likely to injure your shoulders than a heavy, unstable bench.

[@Snailz5]

Counter argument is that most sports medicine and training research is pretty poor quality. Sample sizes are small, effect sizes are often small and do not meet statistical significance, and different studies often have contradictory results. It’s not the fault of the researchers. It is hard when subjects have different physiologies, diet, experience, motivations, and life stressors. Plus there isn’t a great deal of money in that field. Looking to the research like Jeff does is useful, but he often does a lot of cherry picking to fit a narrative.

[@Spreadlove5683]

​​​​@@Snailz5it seems to me the science based people pretty much agree on most things. Idk about bench press form specifically. But you typically hear the same things from Nippard, Israetel, Henselmens, Helms, Schoenfeld, Wolf, etc etc. Honestly I think we have pretty good research on a lot of topics. I can't say that we have any on powerlifting form vs not for building muscle though. With the caveat that we haven't looked. I don't know much about this topic. What we know for sure is that a deep stretch during your reps is good, perhaps even to the point where lengthened partials are ideal over full range of motion for hypertrophy, but that's not clear. Also total volume over going to failure. These are averages and individuals may vary.

[@azeton128]

Amazing content, how did you just have an intro on youtube without being annoying? Also, your vids are packed with info, zero babbeling. Subbed!

[@Alex1710931]

Thanks a lot for this video, my bench is by far my weakest lift (65 kg at 65 kg bw), and I see a lot of people in my gym putting numbers way higher than that. But after checking their form, I realized that it is difficult to compare to another person since the technique used is usually different. I hope I can keep improving on my bench while using the technique I am used to (basically one that I enjoy and does not put any pressure on my shoulders). Your video was eye opening for me!

[@TorBoy9]

I appreciate your honesty. Men's egos have a tendency to get us hurt. I see it in my gym almost every day. Thanks

[@stephenburial]

I got the big wing span (6’2” tall) so even with the fully optimized bench my ROM is still providing decent chest development. Ironically, I didn’t get much chest growth early on because I was over tucking my elbows out of an irrational fear for my shoulders. My particular limb lengths allows for more weight and more chest stimulus by internally rotating as I set my grip. While I still think about tucking as I descend I’m starting from a way more flared position. And since I still have a good amount of ROM more weight does equal more growth for me.

[@stephenburial]

That said I still do flies and guillotine presses to isolate the pecs not only for growth but to keep from becoming so bound up I can’t grab my seatbelt without contorting torso.

[@yqafree]

This was one of the most in-depth benching videos I have ever seen. Great job, saving friends all around the earth.

[@sickmak90]

When I hit 315 at 175lbs bodyweight I remember walking around like I just won WSM. The lift was so bad but I didn’t even care. I quit lifting for a decade and recently decided I want to get 315 again but clean and before my 40th birthday.

[@someone-ji2zb]

Hey man, you can rest easy knowing that the majority of men on this planet can't even bench 115 lol Anyone who can hit 225~ lbs and beyond is in the upper 99.9% of this planet. It is nuts how the community of weightlifting disregards this, but hey, I guess that is life in general for anything lol

[@sickmak90]

@@someone-ji2zb well I was up to 225 for 8 until a few weeks ago. Got a pinched nerve that killed the strength in my right arm almost immediately. It’s been about three weeks and it’s getting better but my strength is still down.

[@jfried6754]

Content like this is the reason I sub. Gives a straightforward, easy to understand answer that is often missed. Plus some dry humor and admitting that, like all of us, there are parts of our lifting history that are fucking embarrassing.

[@johnterpack3940]

First off, congratulations. I first got into lifting at the age of twelve, I'm now 53. In all that time you are the first guy I've heard talk actual sense and logic. Seriously, I stay on the very fringe of the hobby because I can't stand being around the people involved. I have no problem admitting my flaws, I can't bench. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Four decades of reading articles, watching videos... I just can't move the weight. Now, for background, I'm "country strong". Meaning if I don't know how heavy something is, I can pick it up. I used to walk across construction sites with two bags of cement on each shoulder, I could drag a railroad tie off a trailer and carry it across the yard on my shoulder, and I would routinely do 400# barbell shrugs for reps. So my shoulders and arms are quite capable of handling a fair bit of weight. But I've never benched more than 260 or so.

[@darrelgreene]

The equipment, the bench itself from gym to gym makes a difference. Weighted push-ups and pullups has been the key to my success to getting a better PR on bench.

[@XiangYu94]

Thanks for making this man. I’ve been only lifting for 4 months but have been gunning it almost 5-6 days per week. I’ve noticed noob gains but am starting to focus more on form. Tbh I haven’t moved past dumbbell chest press because I’m a bit intimidated by the barbell. Looking forward to trying out barbells once the gym gets less busy.

[@deltalima6703]

Dont bother, dumbells are better.

[@seanhdka]

@@deltalima6703 barbell bench is a good work out in addition to db bench.

[@2020-q1p]

I'm blown away by the combination of great voice and story telling ability.

[@Turnheadcough]

I was 6’4” about 230lbs naturally I benched 410lbs as my max I think I could have a bit more but unfortunately I had a car accident lost both legs broke my back in 3 places broke my neck in 3 places lost a few internal organs I shit and piss in plastic bags so let’s just say my power lifting days are over and it sucks I tried to do 150lbs on a bow flex and couldn’t do I’m paralyzed from the rib cage down so all I can use is arms and partial chest so let’s just say when woke up from cone I went from 255lbs down to 104lbs in 5 months in a coma now I drink to cope and my fat dunk ass is now 195lbs my face is fat I do t look fat in my stomach cus I lost part of my stomach my colon and most of my intestines so when I eat I’ll shit it out in about 45 minutes and it looks the same as when I ate it so I don’t oddest food anymore I pretty much waste it but hey drinking 24-30 beers a day thanks disability for allowing me to afford to drink does help you gain weight, my life is over it sucks my wife left after I had a second spinal cord Injury by moving from my wheelchair to a sofa my spine broke and collapsed in 3 places lucky number 3 so I was stuck on a couch for 8 months healing but I would non stop shit and kiss all over mysejf cuz I shit water so I ruined the sofa she got mad we had a 18 month old and newborn son so she said it was too much washing me up and changing me since I couldn’t mice so she left me now my doctors said the government is threatening dr licensed if they prescribe pain meds or anxiety meds and sleep meds so I list all those meds now I’m suffering and a mess in and out of hospitals all the time so I tried medical weed but way too expensive in Pennsylvania so now I drink Johnny bootlegger malt liquor I list my taste for beer plus it made me hungover after a 30 pack a day so I drink 18 bootleggers there 6.8fluid ounce bottles at 12% alcohol and there $1.88 a bottle so disability covers that thank you tax payers fir allowing me to drink alcohol all day everyday so I don’t shoot up a Walmart or kill myself from being sick and tired of feeling like shot all day everyday and doctors no longer willing to help cus the us government decided they now better how to treat patients then that patients own doctor they had fur 15 years so fuck the government yes I’ll keep sitting at home on my ass using my tax payer funded disability to get drunk everyday so I feel better I used to feel bad about it now I don’t sorry I don’t anymore the government both sides Democrat and republicans are nothing but pieces of pure shit and I no longer feel bad anymore cus people still support both sides at election time knowing both sides don’t care about you yet your stupid enough to vote fir them so I don’t feel bad taking everyone’s money and spending it on alcohol so I can not suffer the alternative is not good for the general public but with 3 simple prescriptions all my problems will be solved but noooo Mr government knows better then my doctor I’ve had for over 15 years so fuck it all I collect my disability sit on my add at home and drink my pain and anxiety away and I’ll actually finally sleep at night so thank all of yous I appreciate it like thousands of others who are exactly like me appreciate it

[@anathemafps5323]

Youre lucky to be alive still, try making the most out of what you have left

[@oduneyeman]

Man I am sorry to hear how bad it's been for you.

[@angmori172]

I did powerlifting style bench for a couple of years and busted my right shoulder to the point where I stopped and had to rehab. After 2 years of not touching a barbell for bench, I managed to rehab my shoulder by starting over with low weight dumbbells and focusing on maximum ROM and slow tempo to find exactly what my shoulder will and will not permit. The other week I decided to test the barbell again, this time using the sort of super wide grip and overall form that Arnold did. No shoulder issues, best chest pump of my life, and my chest has been sore like never before. This is despite doing so many things I thought would cause more shoulder issues, not less. Also super wide grip behind the neck presses are way kinder to my shoulders than regular ohp. Incline benching is still a bit finniky, but there is a sweet spot where I get no issues, I just need to get it properly programmed into my marrow

[@TheLouisianan]

Another reason to bench: to get your OHP up

[@joshdawson5850]

I found the opposite Treating Overhead press as a priority blew my bench up, especially for high Rep stuff

[@kirby7475]

@@joshdawson5850 The opposite can definitely be true. I’m no expert, but I think it might depend on how you typically bench. In my experience, benching with a normal grip doesn’t really do much for my OHP. But a couple years back I did a lot of close-grip bench, and that did help my OHP quite a bit. Maybe whether or not you’re torso or limb dominant might affect this as well. But yeah, I can’t think of any reason why a close-grip bench wouldn’t affect your OHP positively.

[@juliawilliams1355]

When my bench was 95 my OHP was 95, when my bench was 175 my OHP was 130, now my bench is 265 and my OHP is only 150. I don't think bench helps OHP much.

[@johnkyle2205]

​@@juliawilliams1355 man you're strong. I've found the opposite because I only do close grip bench to help my strict press. They both go hand in hand imo. My close grip bench is also at 265lbs and my strict press is at 187lbs. Back when my bench was at 225lbs, I struggled with pressing 140lbs, but when I switched to a very close grip, my strict press immediately shot up.

[@juliawilliams1355]

@johnkyle2205 Thanks, you are too. In all honesty I'm pretty genetically advantaged for pressing. Yeah close grip probably has more carry over. I wish I could train close grip more but the last prep I did that on it really messed up my shoulder. I do close grip incline a bit, we will see what it's done in the off-season. I think for a fair amount of people not having back support is a strong limiting factor which is why the carryover may be slightly less.

[@EthanNoble]

This is the PERFECT video I needed to see as I’ve watch both videos and debated both processes mentally

[@edd943]

My advice as someone who is gym rat for 15 years is to always do the full range of motion. This is how you strengthen your ligaments, and you prevent injuries. As we are discussing bench there are few things you can do to increase your strength in bench press or any pec exercise. 1. Do weighted dips. The weighted dips so you can do around 6-10 reps. and this exercise should be after your few main pec exercises. Also do a full motion, which means stretch, drop as low as possible and slowly controlled. 2. increase grip strength by haggling one handed. If you don't have the streetlight to hand with one hand for at least 3sec start with 2 hands and slowly shift the weight in one hand and vice versa. Your goal is to be able to hang with one hand as much as possible preferably at least 10-15sec, and do it as reps in the end when you are done with every exercise. This will dramatically improve your strength in Bench, deadlift, etc. This is the 2 things that helped me be more strong and put more muscle mass. I prefer more of a dumbbell press but unfortunately the biggest dumbbell in almost every gym around me is only 110lb /50kg which is not enough for me. Extra advice, never do a 1rep PR this is how you get hurt. Lat time I did 1 rep PR was 10 years ago.

[@Dmoriarty1993]

I've been struggling with this 10 * 10 with 90kg lately. I found it impossible to do and ended up employing a lot of bad form and moving into a regular bench style as opposed to my usual close grip press. I appreciate this video and its info as I'm on a journey to get better at pressing.

[@PlasmaFuzer]

Agreed, there are no "bad" movements. I think Eugene over emphasized the potential cost to you joints when discussing arching. Programming can always come to the rescue. Maybe in the limited case of a person that only ever does a max arched bench press as their only upper body development tool, he might have a point. However most people, powerlifters included, don't train this way. By using assistance movements, changing angles, implements, grip widths, frequency, intensity, and of course volume; you can easily incorporate an arched heavy bench press in with little to no actual cost (other than more fatigue of course). If anything it gives you exposure to heavier weights than you would otherwise touch without the benefit of this technique which, in that way alone, provides a different, perhaps novel, tool to complement your overall training.

[@jeffrichard5740]

This video is a PhD thesis. Essays on Bench Technique History and Development and Modern Standards in Powerlifting and Bodybuilding. Congrats Dr Bromley.

[@christianfahey3661]

Loving the format! Very entertaining and still highly educational. Keep 'em coming!

[@naturelife418]

Man thank you, i just started arching and all that.... now i will fokus like arnold, on stretch. im 43 and i enjoy my workouts, i want to grow old , strong.

[@daedaluslv2032]

I don't do bench press at all.

[@benjaf1058]

Then why are you here?

[@reeltwig2929]

I’m in the gym to build strength not show it off. I’ve found a narrow grip, thumbs an inch from the smooth, bringing the bar below the nipple and then pause for a 1 count has given me a consistent repeatable bench. Before I brought my grip in I was always dealing with shoulder tweaks, now I’m able to bench 2-3 times a week. Consistency is king.

[@finallychangedthis]

3 minutes into the video and I’m liking the nihilistic/cynical takes on lifting, especially movements we really do assign arbitrary importance to haha. I’m sure the rest of the vid is gonna be a banger but I love the reality check about lifting you’ve been providing lately

[@alondite215]

Thank you for speaking sense. I have Bachelor's degrees in both biomechanics and exercise physiology, but the amount of misinformation drove me right out of the field altogether. Constantly getting questioned by clients because "so-and-so on the internet said" or whatever, or them just not following my directions because some muscly guy they talked to gave them different advice and he "must know what he's talking about because he's muscly." I got sick of it and said to hell with it all.

[@drew4790]

Articulate and well-spoken. Loved the story-telling. Great vid!

[@ІлляВолошин-о2н]

One of the most high-quality and informative video about benchpressing. Love it

[@JOSHFRANCES]

I love benching and trying to work my numbers up. I don’t have a crazy arch and literally just retract my shoulder blades to create one (no setting up with my feet on the bench or juicing my belt at a crazy angle mid stomach) however even with no arch whatsoever and my shoulders not retracted using any sort of leg drive triggers a sharp pain in my lower back. How am I supposed to juice my numbers up when I can’t confidently safely bench

[@hipdrive]

You just solved your problem in this comment, use a better set up

[@jaredstearns6013]

Just found this channel randomly but this guy is my new favorite

[@buttisholy8571]

I bench to push violently

[@henderjkirk]

Excellent video, Bromley. This is top notch.

[@KayButtonJay]

I’m 6’8” with matching wingspan. I struggle to bench 200 lbs. But because of the insane ROM (and subsequent difficulty) my chest looks good. Bodies are weird

[@chuno7609]

Try 6ft3 with 6ft8 wingspan. Could barely do the bar when i started

[@halfunder9712]

Damn it's probably a good tricep builder too because you probably have pretty long arms as well so even the lockout is longer then usual

[@neilmazumdar4285]

@@chuno7609 Your deadlift is probably loving the wingspan though

[@utgardkraft1412]

6'3" with 6'4" wingspan. Its a chore, but got my bench to 225 for a single.... No significant growth though. Despite mostly training for reps in the 8-12 range.

[@utgardkraft1412]

6'3" with 6'4" wingspan. Its a chore, but got my bench to 225 for a single.... No significant growth though. Despite mostly training for reps in the 8-12 range.