Bench Press Safeties: Types, Setup, and Safe Usage

How to Use Safeties on Bench?

Safeties on a bench press are crucial for injury prevention and building confidence, allowing you to push your limits without fear of catastrophic failure; their proper use involves setting them at a height that catches the bar if you fail a lift, without impeding your full range of motion.

Why Safeties Are Crucial for Bench Press

The bench press is a foundational exercise for upper body strength, but it carries inherent risks, particularly when lifting heavy or training to muscular failure. A failed repetition can lead to the barbell crushing the lifter's chest, neck, or face, resulting in severe injury or even death. Safeties, often called spotter arms or safety pins, act as a mechanical spotter, providing a physical barrier to prevent the barbell from descending beyond a predetermined point. This not only safeguards the lifter but also instills confidence, empowering them to push past perceived limits and maximize training intensity without the psychological burden of potential catastrophic failure.

Types of Bench Press Safeties

Modern power racks and squat stands are equipped with various types of safety mechanisms, each with its own characteristics:

• Pin-and-Pipe Safeties: These are traditional, robust safeties consisting of a solid metal pin that slides through a hole in the rack's upright, with a hollow pipe then slid over the pin. They are extremely strong and durable, commonly found in older or more budget-friendly racks.
• Strap Safeties: Increasingly popular in high-end power racks, strap safeties utilize heavy-duty nylon or synthetic straps that connect to the rack's uprights. They are quieter, can be gentler on the barbell's knurling and finish if the bar is dropped, and often offer more precise height adjustments due to their flexibility.
• Spotter Arms/Safety Bars: These are solid metal bars that extend horizontally from the rack's uprights. They are generally very strong and secure, often featuring a protective lining to prevent damage to the barbell.

Regardless of the type, the fundamental principle of their use remains consistent: they must be set at the correct height to be effective.

Proper Setup: Determining the Correct Height

Setting the safeties to the appropriate height is the most critical step in ensuring safety and maintaining proper biomechanics during the bench press. The goal is for the safeties to catch the barbell only if you fail a lift, not to interfere with your natural, full range of motion (ROM).

The Recommended Method: Empty Barbell Test

This method is the most reliable way to ensure optimal safety placement for your individual anatomy and lifting style:

1. Position Yourself: Lie on the bench in your typical bench press setup (feet flat on the floor, shoulders retracted, slight arch in the lower back).
2. Unrack the Empty Barbell: Unrack an empty barbell as if you were starting a set. This allows you to feel the bar's path and your natural ROM.
3. Lower to Full Depth: Slowly lower the empty barbell through your complete, controlled range of motion until it lightly touches your chest (or your typical deepest point of the lift).
4. Adjust Safeties: While holding the bar at this bottom position (or having a spotter hold it there), adjust the safeties so they are just below the barbell. There should be a small gap (e.g., 1-2 inches) between the bar and the safeties at the very bottom of your natural, full ROM.
5. Test the ROM: Re-rack the bar, then perform a few repetitions with the empty bar, ensuring that the bar does not make contact with the safeties during any part of your normal, successful reps. If it does, the safeties are too high, and you are either limiting your ROM or relying on the safeties prematurely. Adjust them slightly lower until your full ROM is unimpeded.

Considerations for Different Lifts and Anatomy:

• Bench Press (Flat): Safeties should be positioned just below the level of your chest at the bottom of the movement.
• Incline/Decline Bench Press: The angle of the bench will change the effective "bottom" point relative to the rack. Always re-test with an empty bar for these variations.
• Individual Anatomy: Arm length, chest thickness, and shoulder mobility all influence your unique range of motion. The empty barbell test accounts for these individual differences.

Execution with Safeties

Once the safeties are properly set, you can lift with confidence.

• Trust the System: Understand that if you fail a rep, the safeties will catch the bar. This mental assurance allows you to push harder.
• Controlled Failure: If you find yourself unable to complete a rep, do not panic. Instead of struggling excessively or trying to dump the bar, gently and controllably lower the barbell onto the safeties.
• Escape Safely: Once the bar is resting securely on the safeties, carefully slide out from under the bar. Do not attempt to re-rack a failed lift from the safeties unless it's a very light weight and you can do so safely.

Advanced Considerations & Nuances

Safeties are more than just a last resort; they are a fundamental training tool.

• When to Use Safeties:
  • All Heavy Sets: Any set where you're lifting close to your maximum capacity.
  • Training to Failure: Essential for techniques like AMRAP (as many reps as possible) sets, drop sets, or when intentionally pushing to muscular exhaustion.
  • Solo Training: Absolutely critical when you do not have a human spotter.
• Spotter vs. Safeties: While a human spotter can offer assistance with forced reps, provide technique cues, and help re-rack, safeties provide an infallible mechanical failsafe. For maximal or near-maximal lifts, using both a competent human spotter and properly set safeties offers the highest level of security.
• Psychological Benefits: The presence of safeties significantly reduces the fear of getting pinned, allowing lifters to commit fully to each rep, experiment with heavier loads, and push through sticking points with greater resolve. This can lead to increased strength gains over time.
• Maintenance and Inspection: Regularly inspect your rack and safeties for any signs of damage, bending, or wear. Ensure they are securely locked into place before every training session.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with safeties, improper use can negate their benefits or create new hazards.

• Setting Safeties Too High: This is a common error. If the safeties are too high, they will interfere with your full range of motion, potentially limiting your strength development by shortening the eccentric phase of the lift. It also means you're relying on them during normal reps, which is not their purpose.
• Setting Safeties Too Low: If the safeties are too low, they may not engage until the bar has already trapped you or rolled dangerously onto your neck or face. The goal is to prevent the bar from reaching your body in a dangerous way.
• Ignoring Them: Some lifters, especially those accustomed to always having a spotter, may neglect to set up safeties. This is a critical oversight when training alone or with an inexperienced spotter.
• Assuming All Racks Are Equal: Power rack dimensions and hole spacing can vary significantly between brands and models. Always re-evaluate and re-set the safeties whenever you use a different rack.

Conclusion

The proper use of safeties on the bench press is a non-negotiable aspect of safe and effective strength training. By understanding the types of safeties available, meticulously setting their height, and integrating them into your training protocol, you empower yourself to train with greater intensity, build more strength, and minimize the risk of serious injury. Safeties are not just a safety net; they are a tool that enables you to unlock your full potential under the bar.