Tip: Squeeze the Bar Hard When Bench Pressing

Squeezing the crap out of the bar when benching works thanks to increased rotator cuff activation, better wrist positioning, and increased aggression.

1. Squeezing the bar sends a signal to the rotator cuff – through a process called irradiation – to pack itself. 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.
2. Squeezing the bar can also help create a more beneficial wrist position. A neutral wrist can squeeze a bar much more effectively than a hyper-extended one.
3. One additional benefit of squeezing may lie simply in decreasing fear and inhibition and increasing aggression. 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.