How to Safely Perform Bench Press Without a Spotter
Lifting weights is often associated with the problem: can I really lift that much ? Or I’ve already done eight reps, but can I do the ninth? Therefore, you need to prepare for what happens if you fail.
If you are doing our bench press challenge , you probably want to try pushing beyond your limits, but safely.
In the bench press, if you fail, the weight can crush your chest, neck, or face. This is why people often do this exercise with a supervisor, a friend, who can help you lift the weight again if your arms start to bend. But what if you have no friends or are just not sure if you trust anyone with this life-saving job?
You can avoid the situation entirely by pressing the dumbbells instead, as we discussed last week , or using an exercise machine that simulates the movement of the bench press (such as a Smith machine or chest press). But if you want to do a real bench press without human assistance, all you need is a power cage with adjustable stops.
How to set up a bench press cage
The first time I tried it, it seemed impossible. You want to push the bar down to touch your chest when you bench press, but if you place the rests over the chest, how is that possible?
The trick is to bench press with your back arched. Powerlifters can take this to the extreme by doing what looks like a cobra yoga pose rotated 90 degrees. But for a safe bench press, you only need a few inches of arch.
Remember that the bar should touch your sternum (just below your chest if you have a chest) on each rep, not your upper chest or shoulders.
This way, you set the rests on level ground with the surface of your chest when your back is straight, and then arch your back so that your chest is just above the rests.
- First, drag the bench to the rack. (This is not always easy, but look for a stand with wheels at one end. Take the other end and it will pivot and pivot well when you hold it nearly vertical.)
- Then set the stops at chest-width above the bench and a rack to hold the bar a few notches higher.
- Lie on a bench to check the position with an empty bar. You should be able to easily grab the bar with your bent elbows, push it down to keep your arms straight, and lower it down to touch your swollen chest.
- Try to get out from under the bar: let it rest against the stops, bend your back and try to slip out from under it. You can slide or roll the barbell towards your hips for a comfortable sitting position.
Once you’ve set everything up correctly, write down which labels you used so you can quickly set up next time. Some racks have numbered settings, but in others you will have to write, say, “fourth from the bottom and then six steps higher.” Do what works.
If you want visuals,this video breaks it down beautifully. (Fair warning: at the beginning of the video, the narrator dropped 315 pounds on his chest without a rack, but he doesn’t die. Skip to 0:42 if you don’t want to see that.)
So how do you feel about the bench press? Ready to try it with a barbell, or ready to throw your spotter onto a few metal rods that are less likely to be distracted when you are at the right time?