BENCH PRESS
you need. For example, perhaps
A four-post power rack and its “accesso-
ries”: two adjustable bar saddles (on the
rear uprights), four pins, four small lock-
ing pins (on the base), and two lengths of
hose.
When doing rack bench press-
es that start from the bottom po-
sition at your chest, use a slightly
different setup to that used for
you need to raise the bar’s height
by an inch, but your rack only has
pin holes every couple of inches.
What you can do then is raise the
bar a couple of inches in the rack
and raise the height of the bench
by an inch. Do this by placing
rubber matting or thin boards un-
der the bench. Then you will end
up with a net increase of one inch
in the height of the bar relative to
your chest.
If the setting at your chest
causes you shoulder discomfort,
move the bar position up a couple
of inches. Then, shoulders per-
mitting, gradually move to the full
range of motion over a couple of
months.
Position yourself on the bench
so that you do not hit the uprights
of the rack or stands during the
ascent.
If you bench press in the regu-
lar from-the-top style, have the
bar saddles correctly positioned.
Have them neither too high nor
too low. Have a spotter or training
partner give you a handoff at the
start of each set. And get a helping
touch-and-go bench pressing.
hand to guide you to put the bar
Set your pins at the exact height
back in the weight saddles at the
so that the bar just grazes your
end of a set.
inflated chest when the bar rests
Because of the horizontal
across the pins.
movement involved in the ascent
The spacing between the pin
of the bench press, the bar can
settings of the rack you use may
hit the uprights which hold the
not give you the precise height
saddles. If, however, you are posi-
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