Tip: Squeeze the Bar Hard When Bench Pressing

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Tip: Squeeze the Bar Hard When Bench Pressing

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<h2 class="article-detail">Crushing the bar not only makes the lift safer, it'll help you lift more weight. Here's why.</h2>
<div class="article-detail-byline"><span class="byline">by <a href="https://www.t-nation.com/all-articles/authors/travis-pollen">Travis Pollen</a> |</span> <span class="timeStamp3">Yesterday</span></div>
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<div class="articleLeadImage"><img alt="Bench-press" src="https://www.t-nation.com/system/publishing/articles/10003111/original/Bench-Press.jpg?1445302415"/>;
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<p>Squeezing the crap out of the bar when benching works thanks to increased rotator cuff activation, better wrist positioning, and increased aggression.</p>
<ol><li>Squeezing the bar sends a signal to the rotator cuff – through a process called irradiation – to pack itself. <span>This provides more stability to the shoulder joint, which is never a bad thing when you're trying to hoist heavy loads off your chest.</span></li>
<li>Squeezing the bar can also help create a more beneficial wrist position. <span>A neutral wrist can squeeze a bar much more effectively than a hyper-extended one.</span></li>
<li>One additional benefit of squeezing may lie simply in decreasing fear and inhibition and increasing aggression. <span>Often the value of a cue is to shift your focus to something more important. For example, you might be nervous about trying a huge weight. Focusing on squeezing the bar shifts your attention away from that fear. It's a bit like squeezing a tennis ball if you have to go through some type of uncomfortable procedure without anesthesia.</span></li>
</ol><h4><a href="https://www.t-nation.com/training/strength-training-tricks-what-works">Related:  Strength Training Tricks: What Works?</a></h4>
<h4><a href="https://www.t-nation.com/training/secret-to-a-bigger-bench-press">Related:  The Secret to a Bigger Bench Press</a></h4>
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<aside class="authorBio col-xs-12" readability="2.5471698113208"><a href="https://www.t-nation.com/all-articles/authors/travis-pollen"><img alt="Travis-pollen" class="pull-left" src="https://www.t-nation.com/system/publishing/authors/94/medium/Travis-Pollen.jpg?1442459456"/></a>;
<p><nobr>Travis Pollen</nobr></p>
<p class="bio">Travis Pollen is a personal trainer and American record-holding Paralympic swimmer. He recently completed his Master’s degree in Biomechanics and Movement Science. </p>
<h4><a href="https://facebook.com/fitnesspollenator"; target="_blank">Follow Travis Pollen on Facebook</a></h4>
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https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-squeeze-the-bar-hard-when-bench-pressing