Page 51 - Muscle & Fitness (December 2019)
P. 51
By Andrew Gutman
PUT YOUR BEST LOCK AND LOAD with weight over your
1 FOOT FORWARD 2 Once your feet are in chest, it’s important to
A big bench, according to position, the next step is not let it jerk out of place.
Maddox, starts with foot to situate your torso onto This can lead to shoulder
placement. “A lot of people the bench in the correct impingements or, worse,
I see are bouncing on their spot. Maddox grabs either dropping it on your face.
toes as they bench,” he the bar or the sides of Maddox likes to press
says. “They’re not stable.” the bench and arches his the bar in what he refers
The first step to setting up back. He then places his to as an “exaggerated J”
correctly, according to the back onto the middle of motion.
world-record holder, is to the bench, with his feet With the bar starting
place your toes firmly on still planted firmly on over his eyes, Maddox
the ground behind your the ground and behind lowers the bar to right be-
knees. “You’ll get leverage, his knees. He slides his neath his chest, pauses for
you’ll get leg drive, and torso toward the bar until a beat, then drives the bar
you’ll be more stable,” his eyes are underneath up and back so it’s back
Maddox says. it. “I call this locking in,” over his eyes. This down-
While pressing, it’s Maddox says. Once you and-in-and-up-and-back
also important to drive are in place, stay in place. motion creates a J and,
through your heels, even according to Maddox,
if they don’t touch the GET HANDSY is a comfortable way to
floor. “That’s going to help 3 At this point, your bench-press weight.
generate leg drive.” feet are on the ground
behind your knees, your FOCUS ON YOUR
lower back is arched, 5 ELBOWS While
and your eyes are under- pressing, you should
neath the bar. “From think of your elbows as
there, you find your hand corkscrews, says Maddox.
placement,” Maddox “They should stay tucked
says. “Personally, I like to in at 45 degrees and flare
go shoulder-width apart, out a little bit as you lock
where my pinkie is on the out,” he says. “Think of
ring of the knurling, but football players when
everyone is different.” they fire off—they’re
To find what’s comfort- pushing with their hands
able for you, Maddox while their elbows are
suggests starting with tucked. That’s how they
your hands at shoulder generate more power.”
1 width and then moving
them an inch in or out
until it feels right. Though
it’s mostly a feel thing,
Maddox says that you’ll
know you’ve hit your grip
sweet spot when “the
weight feels evenly dis-
tributed, and it feels like
you’re utilizing all your
muscle groups.”
If you prefer to keep
your feet flat, ensure
the heels are at the STAY ON THE FOR MORE
knees or behind and 4 RIGHT PATH Well,
drive through them as Follow Maddox on Insta-
you press the bar. bar path, that is. When gram @irregular_strength.
pressing a bar loaded
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 4 9
