Starting Strength

utilized back, hip, and leg positions actually represent an important connection to the ground. In the same way the arms are a necessary connection to the bar in the squat, even though they’re not an actual part of the kinetic chain, the legs do more than stabilize the lower body as the bar is moved through its path, although that is a major part of their function. Used correctly, the legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally along the bench through the hips into the arched back to reinforce the arch and keep the chest in its high position, established when the shoulders were pulled back. The legs and hips thus function as a brace for the chest and shoulders, giving the upper body a connection to the floor and allowing the lower body to contribute to the movement.

    Figure 5-24. Force applied by the legs from the floor acts as a stabilizing force during the bench press and contributes to proper exercise posture.

    Before you have a chance to misinterpret, this is not the same thing as bridging or heaving the bar. That happens when the butt actually comes off the bench. Correct use of the legs and hips involves only the maintenance of chest and back position, with the force directed horizontally along the bench and not vertically up off of the bench. The descent of the bar tends to drive the elevated chest back down, taking arch out of the back if it is inadequately supported. The legs drive from the feet against the floor, back up along the bench, using a controlled isometric knee extension, with a slight hip extension produced by isometric contraction of the glutes and hamstrings. They actively counter the loss of arch in the back and chest height by reinforcing the arch from the floor.

    Figure 5-25. Not the same thing as described in the previous figure. This is bridging, and it is a bad habit to acquire.

    But a common problem usually follows the realization that the legs are useful in the bench press. Bridging – the intentional heaving of the hips clear of contact with the bench in order to meet the bar earlier – occurs as the lifter attempts to increase the chest height by using his lower body to steepen the angle of his upper back on the bench. Bridging takes work away from the target muscles by making the range of motion shorter. (The popular gym exercise known as the decline bench press takes advantage of this position of increased mechanical efficiency. Most people can decline more than they bench, thus the popularity.) Some purists believe that we are cheating when we arch the back at all, but this program seeks to use all reasonable means to increase strength on the bench press. Bridging is a good place to draw the line. Lifting the butt off the bench has got to be learned as verboten in the same way that use of the hands is in soccer. The temptation is always there, but if the correct habits are learned early, it will not usually be a problem.
    The back arch is easy to learn. Assume your position on the bench, and imagine someone shoving a hand under your low back as you keep your butt in contact with the bench. Then imagine a clenched fist doing the same thing. Keep your lats in mind when you assume this position. Figure 5-26 provides a reference. Remember that you cannot raise your butt up off of the bench, so it’s much better to learn to arch without cheating from the beginning. Make yourself do it correctly, and resist the temptation to bridge your butt up.
     

    Figure 5-26. Learning to arch the lower back.

    Feet
     
    Your feet are your connection to the ground. If your foot slips during a heavy bench, the position supported by the lower body – your back arch and your chest-up position, everything you’re using to push the bar – collapses. The feet must be in the correct position on the floor, and they must be positioned against the floor correctly.

    Figure 5-27. The main parameters for foot placement in the bench are up/down (A) and in/out (B).

    Foot placement on the floor has two variables: width and placement relative to the hips. The feet need to be far enough apart to provide lateral stability for the hips and, through the tightness in the trunk muscles, the torso as it is planted on the bench. An excessively wide stance is seldom a problem, as it is uncomfortable and hard to maintain. A narrow stance does not guarantee disaster, and many competitive lifters prefer this position. In fact, for a competitive lifter, any stance that facilitates a legal bench