Jeff Nippard is a huge advocate for results-backed, science-based bodybuilding, but still believes in mastering the basics for greater gains. Case in point is a recent social media post, where the Canadian coach lists the top 3 most common bench-pressing mistakes that he’s observed. And, while these may seem like tips for newbies, even more advanced lifters are likely guilty of at least one. Check them out to see if you have a brilliant bench press, or need to revisit the fundamentals.
“You have the worst bench press on the planet, if you do these three things,” explained Nippard via his Instagram video on August 15, 2024.
“First, you don’t bring the bar all the way down to your chest,” says the PT. “Come on, that’s where most of the growth is.” Nippard points out that for the vast majority of people, mobility issues should not prevent an individual from lowering the bar all the way to their chest. “If you can’t get the bar to your chest, the weight is too heavy,” he asserts. “Go as light as you need to, to actually do a full rep.” Just don’t be tempted to bounce the bar off of your chest, or M&F may need to add a fourth mistake!
2. Allowing your spotter to take the load
While the addition of a trusty spotter is a great idea when undertaking challenging loads, Nippard is not impressed when he see’s a spotter doing half the reps for you. “If your spotter’s bicep pump is bigger than your chest pump, the weight is too heavy for you,” he explains. “Your spotter should only ever touch the bar, under any circumstances, once it’s started to move back down. And, it’s your responsibility to tell them that.” Now, if you find that the weight is far too heavy and you need your spotter to bail you out fast, then that’s another mistake entirely!
3. Pressing the bar out forward
“This one is the most common,” according to the powerlifter. “You press the bar out in front of you.” Another bad habit often picked up by going too heavy. “If you’re training for max strength, you should press the bar up, and slightly back. If that feels awkward or you hit the rack, you can press it straight up and down. But there’s never a scenario where you should press the bar forward.”
With Nippard’ s 1.8 million Instagram followers quick to weigh-in with their own bad bench habits, it seems that arching the back is another hot contender for worst mistake. “How many did you tick? Be honest,” asks the popular trainer.
