Set Up Phase RSS

I commonly see lifters do an excellent job at shoulder retraction, but it goes by the wayside after the first rep. Which is often why lifters feel like they lose back tightness and their shoulder pinch as they rep out.The issue isn't how you started, it's how you've been finishing! Most problems are a result of relaxing as you lock out the weight. Whether it's with leg drive, or shoulder retraction as seen here.This video illustrates how huge shoulder retraction can be towards shortening range of motion, but more importantly, how to maintain it as you rep out!If you have...

  One of the very best cues I can give you for learning how to set up properly to bench press is to never let your hips hit the pad!I know, sounds ridiculous right? If your hips are up that's a big red light and a no lift! Correction, you want your hips to be in contact with the pad at all times, but you absolutely DO NOT want to bear weight through them!I demonstrate this to athletes by setting up at the foot of the bench. I dig my shoulders into the very bottom of the bench and show...

The reason I love shirted benching so much is the technical practice that comes along with it! Unlike raw benching, there's a lot more factors thrown into the mix that will determine your success. The strongest person will not always be the best lifterOne of the big questions I am asked is what to do when setting up in a shirt. Many cannot get in as great a position with the shirt on. A couple things I have found to make a big impact on my set up have been pulling the belt earlier and crawling my shoulders back down into...

  These common bench faults can be detrimental to your success. If you're frustrated with lack of progress on the bench, this might be where you're going wrong.Touching too high is one I see quite often! When you touch too high you usually see elbows flared out too much and the athlete will feel more of a stretch in their chest / shoulders. You want to aim for a lower sternum touch point to really load the lats and get more activity from the triceps. Think of a position you might row something heavyButt coming off the bench is one...

  The following drills are 3 of my favorite exercises to perform to get into a better set up on the bench press and increase arch, decrease range of motion!Starts with some T Spine mobility, and I like a simple extension rotation drill. The key here is to focus on movement strictly at the upper back. If you're swinging your body all around you're completely missing the ball. When we set up to bench we want that arch to occur primarily at the T Spine. This drill will help unlock some additional ROM and it all matters!The frog stretch is...