Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Performing the Bench Press Test

You can have an opinion on the bench press, but it has its purpose. People will keep doing it in the gym, which is an important measure of performance in sports, especially American football. When it comes to physical performance tests, there are some mistakes that people make time and time again. In this article, we’ll outline three common mistakes people make when performing bench press tests as part of an employee physical test.

I have a guest article from Chandler Marchman on common mistakes people make when performing the bench press test.

Enjoy.

~ Rick

Every self-respecting man knows about the 1 Rep Max Bench Test.

You go to the gym, warm up (if you’re one of the smart ones), pick a weight that will challenge every ounce of your grit and pride, and then push it to lockout. It’s the simplest and most popular test of strength that every blue-collar lifter puts himself through regularly.

It’s not the ONLY bench press test out there, though. It might be an accurate maximal strength test, but does it test one’s ability to see how long one can produce force through a prolonged state?

No.

There is a test that does, though.

A variation of it has been made popular by the NFL for a good reason.

It doesn’t just gauge one’s ability to produce force. And it also measures the ability to do so over time.

I’m talking about the Bodyweight Bench Test.

This is the best way to simultaneously measure one’s muscular endurance and strength. And as with any test, if you’re going to do it, it’s worth doing right!

So let’s examine some common mistakes and simple solutions that will allow you to master this test.

Mistake 1: Lack of Maximal Strength:

It’s really simple if you lack the maximal strength even to do one rep on this test, the weak link has been automatically identified.

You’re weak!

Mastering the Bodyweight Rep Test has many different requirements, but this one requirement is the most important. Even if you can do a couple of reps, just by increasing your maximal strength, you’d be able to push out a few more than you did before.

Why?

Conservation of energy.

Those that are stronger have a relatively easier time lifting a specific weight than those that are weaker. My solution focus on building a foundation of maximal strength.

Mistake 2: Poor Form:

Success in the gym, as in life, is all about movement efficiency. The person that gets more done with greater speed and less effort will win every time.

This is especially true with the bench press. If your form is off, then you’re lifting inefficiently. And an inefficient lifter not only performs below their talent level and risks injury that will put him further behind the competition. My advice is to put your ego aside, use less weight on the bar, and master the form on your bench before progressing to anything else.

Mistake 3: No Plan of Action:

The Bodyweight Bench Test is a specific test that requires a specific program to address its many intricacies.

• Form
• Periodization
• Warm-Up
• Test Taking Skills/Tricks
• Weak Point Training

If you don’t address all of these, you absolutely cannot and will not be able to perform this test successfully.

All these glaring problems I’ve discussed above have been the Achilles heel to many NFL Combine athletes and average meatheads alike. And if left unaddressed, the risk of injury or lost potential is not only a risk but as close to a certainty as you can. That’s why there are programs like this.