Board Bench Press: Purpose, Benefits, and How-To

What is the point of a board bench press?

The board bench press is a specialized strength training exercise designed to reduce the range of motion of a standard bench press, primarily to overload the top portion of the lift, strengthen the triceps, and help lifters overcome sticking points in their pressing strength.

Understanding the Board Bench Press

The board bench press is a variation of the traditional barbell bench press where one or more wooden boards are placed on the lifter's chest. The barbell is lowered until it makes contact with these boards, effectively shortening the range of motion (ROM) of the lift. This modification allows for the use of heavier loads than a lifter might be able to handle through a full ROM, or to focus on specific segments of the lift.

Key Purposes and Benefits

The primary "point" of incorporating the board bench press into a training regimen revolves around several strategic advantages for strength development and injury management:

• Overcoming Sticking Points: Many lifters experience a "sticking point" – a specific range of motion where the lift stalls. For the bench press, this often occurs in the mid-to-upper range, close to lockout. By limiting the ROM, the board press allows lifters to train specifically through this weak phase with heavy loads, building strength and confidence to blast through it in a full bench press.
• Enhanced Triceps Development: As the bar approaches lockout, the triceps brachii muscles become the primary movers. By cutting the ROM short, the board press places a greater emphasis and overload on the triceps, leading to significant strength gains in these crucial pushing muscles. This is particularly beneficial for those whose triceps are a limiting factor in their bench press.
• Supra-Maximal Overload: The board press enables lifters to handle weights that are heavier than their one-repetition maximum (1RM) for a full bench press. This supra-maximal loading can stimulate greater neurological adaptations, improving the nervous system's ability to recruit high-threshold motor units and ultimately increasing overall pressing strength.
• Improved Lockout Strength: The ability to powerfully "lock out" a heavy bench press is critical for maximal lifts. The board press directly targets and strengthens this final phase, ensuring the lifter can complete the lift even when fatigued.
• Shoulder Health and Rehabilitation: For individuals with shoulder pain or those recovering from certain shoulder injuries, the deep stretch at the bottom of a full bench press can be aggravating. The board press reduces this stretch, allowing them to continue training their pressing muscles with less stress on the shoulder joint, anterior deltoid, and pectoral insertions.
• Technical Refinement: By removing the most challenging bottom portion of the lift, lifters can focus on maintaining optimal bar path, bracing, and upper back tightness in the mid-to-upper range, reinforcing proper technique.

Biomechanical Considerations

The altered mechanics of the board bench press directly influence muscle activation:

• Reduced Pectoral Involvement: The deeper stretch of the pectoralis major muscles that occurs at the bottom of a full bench press is minimized. This reduces the contribution of the pecs in the initial phase of the press.
• Increased Triceps Engagement: With the emphasis shifted to the upper range of motion, the triceps take on a more dominant role as the primary elbow extensors responsible for pushing the weight to lockout.
• Altered Joint Angles: Each board height changes the specific joint angles at which the lift begins, allowing for targeted training of different muscle lengths and leverage points. A higher board (e.g., 3-board or 4-board) will emphasize the very top of the lockout and triceps even more, while a lower board (e.g., 1-board or 2-board) will still involve more of the chest and shoulders compared to higher variations.

How to Perform a Board Bench Press

Performing a board bench press requires either specialized boards that can be strapped to the chest or a spotter who can reliably hold the boards in place.

1. Setup: Lie on a flat bench as you would for a standard bench press. Ensure your feet are firmly planted, back arched slightly, and shoulder blades retracted.
2. Board Placement: Have a spotter place the desired number of boards (typically 1-4 boards, each around 1.5-2 inches thick) directly on your chest, centered beneath the barbell's path. Ensure they are stable.
3. Grip and Descent: Unrack the barbell with your usual bench press grip. Lower the bar in a controlled manner until it makes contact with the boards.
4. Pause and Press: Briefly pause the bar on the boards (a "dead stop" is often preferred for maximal benefit), then explosively press the weight back up to the starting position.

Who Can Benefit?

The board bench press is a valuable tool for:

• Powerlifters: To improve competition bench press strength, especially for overcoming sticking points and strengthening lockout.
• Strength Athletes: Athletes in sports requiring upper body pushing power (e.g., football, strongman) can use it to build specific strength.
• Bodybuilders: To target and overload the triceps for hypertrophy, or to train around shoulder discomfort while still building pressing strength.
• Individuals with Shoulder Issues: As a temporary modification to continue pressing movements without aggravating the shoulder joint.
• Experienced Lifters: As an advanced variation to break plateaus in their bench press.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

While beneficial, the board bench press is a specialized movement and not a replacement for a full-range bench press.

• Incomplete Range of Motion: It does not train the strength and stability required in the deepest stretch of the bench press, which is crucial for full-body strength and hypertrophy.
• Equipment/Spotter Dependence: It often requires specialized boards or a reliable spotter to hold them, which may not always be available.
• Risk of Ego Lifting: The ability to lift heavier weights can sometimes lead to poor form if lifters prioritize load over technique, potentially increasing injury risk.
• Carryover to Full ROM: While it helps, the strength gained in a board press doesn't always translate perfectly to a full ROM bench press if the lifter neglects the full movement.

Variations

The board bench press can be varied by the number of boards used:

• 1-Board Press: Shortens the ROM minimally, still engaging the chest significantly but reducing the deepest stretch.
• 2-Board Press: A common variation that targets the mid-range and early lockout, emphasizing triceps and upper chest.
• 3-Board Press: Focuses heavily on triceps and lockout strength, with very limited chest involvement.
• 4-Board Press: An extremely short ROM, almost exclusively targeting the triceps and the very top of the lockout.

Conclusion

The board bench press is a highly effective, evidence-based exercise for enhancing specific aspects of pressing strength. Its primary "point" lies in its ability to overload the triceps, strengthen the lockout, and help lifters overcome sticking points by strategically reducing the range of motion. While not a substitute for a full-range bench press, when used appropriately and integrated thoughtfully into a comprehensive training program, it serves as an invaluable tool for strength development, injury management, and breaking through plateaus.