In this week’s technique tip, Heidi goes through the basics of the bench press. Check out the video below, and then read on for some troubleshooting!

A few last points to consider:

• If your feet don’t plant comfortably on the ground, or if that amount of arch in your back causes pain, you can place weight plates or steps beneath your feet to raise them up. This allows you to still have a solid base of support, but at a height that works for you!
• Don’t underestimate the importance of using the lower body with that knee drive – creating tension throughout your whole body will help your core brace and to feel more stable and strong.
• Any pain in the shoulder? Check to make sure you are setting your shoulder blades properly – you’ll see in the video, when I pin my shoulders back and down, it almost looks as if I lift my chest. This places your shoulders in a safer position, and combined with your lats actively pulling the bar down, gives you a stronger platform to press off of.

Try these out next time you’re bench pressing, and let us know if you have any other questions!