A few weeks ago, we had the 2018 IPF World Champion Taylor Atwood in office to walk us through the bench press’s form. If there’s one thing that Atwood knows for certain, it’s moving big weight, so we were pumped to have him take us through the bench press form and provide us with context into the finite details of the press for both powerlifters and general population.
For many, the two bench press forms appear synonymous with one another, but there are a couple differences worth noting. In the video, Atwood talks about how every powerlifter’s goals is always the same: Move the most weight possible. In doing so, there are things that will be slightly different in a powerlifter’s bench press form compared to the recreational lifter’s.
First, grip width may vary slightly. A powerlifter will want to limit their range of motion, so at times, their grip width may be a bit wider. Atwood explains that it’s important to find what’s most comfortable and suitable for your body that also allows you to move the most weight possible.
Second, tempo is a big factor to consider for the powerlifter. Powerlifting competition bench presses require commands and careful attention to form to avoid being red lighted. It’s important to practice things like competition tempo, pauses, and practice “commands” in training.
Besides those two, much of the form differences between a powerlifter and recreational lifter will look very similar, and Atwood discusses that in the video. He also gives a couple pointers for the bench press beginner or recreational athlete who simply wants to improve and start pressing moree.
We’ve written a ton of content about the bench press and if you’re hungry more, then check out some of the articles listed below!