Bench Press: Biomechanics, Technique, and Training to Push Through Sticking Points

How Do You Push Through Bench Press?

Pushing through the bench press, especially past a sticking point, requires a synergistic combination of precise biomechanics, optimized setup, targeted strength training, and strategic programming that leverages whole-body power and addresses specific muscular weaknesses.

Understanding the Bench Press Biomechanics

The bench press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii. A successful lift involves a coordinated effort across several muscle groups and distinct phases.

• Muscles Involved:
  • Primary Movers: Pectoralis Major (chest), Anterior Deltoid (front of shoulder), Triceps Brachii (back of upper arm).
  • Synergists & Stabilizers: Latissimus Dorsi (lats, for stability and bar path), Rotator Cuff muscles (shoulder stability), Scapular retractors (rhomboids, trapezius for a stable base), Forearm flexors/extensors (grip), and core musculature (for spinal rigidity).
• Phases of the Lift:
  • Eccentric (Lowering): Controlled descent of the bar to the chest, stretching the primary movers.
  • Amortization (Transition): The brief pause or reversal between the eccentric and concentric phases. Maintaining tension here is crucial.
  • Concentric (Pushing): The upward drive of the bar from the chest to lockout. This is the "pushing through" phase.
• The Sticking Point: This is the point in the concentric phase where the lifter struggles most, often around mid-range or just above the chest. It typically occurs where the leverage is poorest for the primary movers, or where one muscle group (e.g., triceps or deltoids) becomes the limiting factor.

Optimizing Your Setup for a Powerful Push

A strong push begins long before the bar leaves the rack. Your setup dictates leverage, stability, and the ability to generate maximal force.

• Foot Drive: Plant your feet firmly on the floor, ideally slightly behind your knees. Drive your heels down and slightly back, as if trying to push yourself off the bench. This engages the glutes and legs, transferring force up the kinetic chain.
• Leg Drive: This is the extension of foot drive. Once your feet are set, actively "push" the floor away from you throughout the lift. This creates a powerful, full-body drive that assists the chest and arms.
• Arch/Retraction: Create a slight, controlled arch in your lower back (thoracic extension) while retracting and depressing your shoulder blades (scapular retraction). This provides a stable, strong base for pressing, shortens the range of motion, and protects the shoulders. Think of "tucking your shoulder blades into your back pockets."
• Grip Width and Elbow Path: A grip slightly wider than shoulder-width is common, allowing for optimal triceps and pec involvement. As you lower the bar, tuck your elbows slightly (around 45-60 degrees relative to your torso) to protect your shoulders and maintain power. Avoid excessive flaring.
• Breathing and Bracing: Take a deep breath into your belly (not chest) before unracking or initiating the descent. Perform a Valsalva maneuver (holding your breath and bracing your core as if preparing for a punch) to create intra-abdominal pressure. This stabilizes the spine and allows for greater force transfer. Exhale forcefully as you pass the sticking point or reach lockout.

Technical Cues for a Strong Concentric Phase

Mental cues can significantly improve execution and help you push through challenging reps.

• "Push Yourself Away from the Bar": Instead of thinking about pushing the bar up, imagine pushing your body down into the bench and away from the bar. This helps activate the full kinetic chain, especially leg drive.
• "Drive Your Feet Into the Floor": Continuously reinforce leg drive throughout the concentric phase. This ensures the legs remain an active part of the lift, contributing significant force.
• "Lead with Your Chest": As you push, think about driving your chest up towards the bar. This helps maintain a proper arch, keeps the shoulders retracted, and ensures the chest remains the primary mover.
• "Elbows In/Out (Optimal Angle)": While you tuck your elbows on the descent, during the push, allow a natural slight flare as the bar ascends, especially as you approach lockout, to engage the triceps effectively. The exact angle is individual but generally between 45-60 degrees relative to the torso.
• "Accelerate Through the Lift": Even if the weight is heavy, approach every rep with the intent to move the bar as fast as possible. This neurological drive recruits more high-threshold motor units, leading to greater power output and helping you blast through sticking points.

Programming Strategies to Enhance Your Push

Beyond technique, targeted strength development and smart programming are vital for improving your bench press.

• Accessory Exercises for Triceps: Strong triceps are crucial for lockout and pushing through the mid-range.
  • Close-Grip Bench Press: Reduces pec involvement, places more stress on triceps and anterior deltoids.
  • JM Press: A hybrid between a close-grip bench and a skullcrusher, excellent for triceps strength at the top range.
  • Skullcrushers/French Press: Isolates the triceps, improving lockout strength.
  • Dips (Weighted): Excellent compound movement for triceps and lower chest.
• Accessory Exercises for Shoulders: Strong anterior deltoids assist the initial drive off the chest.
  • Overhead Press (Barbell/Dumbbell): Builds overall shoulder strength and stability.
  • Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Allows for a greater range of motion and unilateral work.
  • Front Raises: Directly targets the anterior deltoid.
• Accessory Exercises for Chest: While the bench press itself is king, other chest exercises can build supportive strength.
  • Dumbbell Press (Flat/Incline): Allows for greater stretch and individual arm strength.
  • Pec Flyes (Cable/Dumbbell): Isolates the chest, improving mind-muscle connection.
• Addressing Weaknesses: Identify your specific sticking point.
  • If you struggle off the chest: Focus on pec and anterior deltoid strength, and improving leg drive.
  • If you struggle mid-range or at lockout: Prioritize triceps and shoulder strength.
• Periodization and Progressive Overload: Consistently increasing load, volume, or reducing rest over time is fundamental for strength gains. Incorporate cycles of heavier weights, higher reps, and deload weeks to manage fatigue and promote adaptation.
• Tempo Training: Focus on the concentric phase. For example, a 1-0-X-0 tempo means 1 second eccentric, 0 second pause, "X" (explosive) concentric, 0 second lockout.
• Partial Range of Motion (ROM) Training:
  • Pin Presses: Setting pins in a power rack to press from a specific sticking point (e.g., 2-4 inches off the chest). This helps build strength in that weak range.
  • Board Presses: Using 1, 2, or 3-board presses to shorten the ROM, allowing you to overload the top portion of the lift and build triceps strength.

Common Mistakes Hindering Your Push

Awareness of common errors can help you self-correct and improve performance.

• Lack of Leg Drive: Failing to actively push your feet into the floor robs you of significant power.
• Poor Bar Path: The bar should typically travel in a slight J-curve, touching slightly below the nipple line and finishing over the shoulders. A straight up-and-down path can be less efficient.
• Flared Elbows (Too Early/Too Much): While some flare is natural at lockout, excessive or early flaring can put undue stress on the shoulder joint and reduce triceps leverage.
• Loss of Tension: Allowing the bar to "sink" or losing core and scapular tension at the bottom of the lift dissipates stored elastic energy, making the push much harder.
• Insufficient Triceps/Shoulder Strength: If your chest is strong but your triceps or deltoids are lagging, you'll hit a wall at the mid-range or lockout.

Recovery and Long-Term Progress

Sustainable strength gains are built on consistent training, but equally important are recovery and overall well-being.

• Nutrition: Adequately fuel your body with sufficient protein for muscle repair, carbohydrates for energy, and healthy fats for hormonal balance.
• Sleep: Prioritize 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. This is when the majority of muscle repair and growth occurs, and your central nervous system recovers.
• Mobility and Warm-up: Incorporate dynamic warm-ups to prepare your joints and muscles for the lift. Address any mobility restrictions in the shoulders, thoracic spine, and hips that might limit your bench press performance.
• Listening to Your Body: Avoid overtraining. Rest days, deload weeks, and varying intensity are crucial to prevent burnout, injury, and plateaus.

By meticulously refining your technique, strategically programming your training, and prioritizing recovery, you will significantly enhance your ability to push through the bench press, breaking through plateaus and achieving new levels of strength.