Board Press

Also called 2 board press, board bench and partial bench press.

Works

Triceps, plus chest, forearms, lats and shoulders

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Intermediate

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Begin by lying on the bench, getting your head beyond the bar if possible. One to five boards, made out of 2x6's, can be screwed together and held in place by a training partner, bands, or just tucked under your shirt.

1. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement.
2. You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
3. Lower the bar to the boards, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.

Cues

• Boards on the chest, held by a partner.
• Tight arch, blades pinned.
• Touch the board, pause.
• Press hard to lockout.

Common mistakes

• Bouncing off the boards.
• Flaring the elbows.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a sore shoulder. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Easier

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