Should you use leg drive when benching?

If your goal is to promote maximal strength in the bench press then leg drive should always be used. This is because the more you practice leg drive, the more proficient you will become with the technique.

What does benching with legs up do?

The bench press with legs up is done with the legs off the ground. When benching with your legs up, you will recruit major upper body muscle groups, such as the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, and anterior deltoid.

Does leg strength increase bench press?

Strong leg drive catalyzes tightness in the bench press and helps you start driving the barbell up off your chest from the bottom position. Engaging your legs helps move the barbell the first couple inches off your chest. Once the bar is past that point, it will travel over the strongest pressing muscles.

Where should legs be on bench?

We recommend ordering legs that will remain an inch or two inside the edge of the bench, so measure the length of your bench surface front to back, subtract two (or four) inches, and that will be your length.

Why you should not arch your back while benching?

Your Spine Is Not Axially Loaded If you arch your back aggressively, those vertebrae are no longer stacked directly on top of each other, increasing shear stress and your risk of injury. However, the bench press arch removes most of these factors, because your spine isn’t directly loaded by the bar.

How should feet be benching?

2 – Choose the Best Foot Position Nearly all benches are 18 inches high, but if your femurs are 20 inches long, good luck getting your feet tucked behind you without shredding a hip flexor! Be aware, however, that there is such a thing as having your feet too far back. Aim to get your heels under your hips.

Is it OK to put feet on bench during bench press?

The short answer to this is yes, but only in very specific situations. Basically, the only time you should be benching with your feet on the bench is if you experience pain when arching your lower back. That’s it.