Your Bench Arch Isn't Helping You - How To Leg Drive 

Imagine being able to arch so hard your chest touches the resting bar -- infinit benchpress PR unlocked!

This video was really helpful, i’ve been unsure about my leg drive lately

For me leg drive in the bench press has always been one of the universe's greatest mysteries. After watching this video I am now a lot closer to solving that mystery. Thanks Alan

Does this work in reverse? I prefer benching with my feet on the bar and using my arms for arm drive.

This is one of the most important videos on bench pressing that exist on youtube. Thanks Alan.

That’s a coincidence, just come from the gym and while bench pressing realised I didn’t understand leg drive, so thanks 👍

If Alan started teaching a yogo class, 10/10 would go.

Perfect timing, I've been questioning my arch and leg drive lately and today is chest day.

My GF used to work at Starbucks and that's how they're taught to make iced black coffee apparently. Love the way you explain things! Thorough and easy to understand

I've been lifting for 2 decades and this was useful info. Cheers

Great job explaining leg drive in the bench. I've seen other videos attempt to explain it - but your video does the best job explaining the how and the why. Thank you!

Thank you, I finally understand leg drive! Tried this today at the gym, and my previous PR suddenly felt light, and my shoulders a lot more stable and secure. Awesome!

I love the music at your gym. Can't recall the last time I heard Korn anywhere besides my headphones.

This is the first time i fully understood what legdrive is about and how to set it up. Thank u Sir!

Love this highly detailed technique videos. Correcting a few things today. Wonderful job as usual Alan!💪😉

Honestly this was the best explanation of legdrive i have seen so far. Good job mate. Helped me a lot

Your video topics always line up with what I need to work on. Shout out to you. Appreciate the vids.

Jacob “I’ve only bench pressed, like, once” Sandy

I am a barista myself and the iced coffee incident was a miscommunication with the Starbucks staff. Starbucks sells their iced coffee already sweetened, and it’s the barista’s job to make sure to punch in the order with no sweetener if the customer so desires. The issue was solved in a later video lol

This is freakin awesome. Finally leg drive explained simply and properly! Alan Thrall you are the best.

This is the best video about arch/leg drive I have ever seen and now I actually know what I'm doing when I bench

Fantastic breakdown. This is why when my buddies get interested in powerlifting, I always send them your way. You have the best tutorials out there, broski. Good shit.

This is honestly quite literally the best bench advice I have had gotten, thank you for this vid

This bloke I would say has the absolute best advice on the net regarding the real practical details of how to get your lifts up and progress properly. Brilliant thanks

BEST MOST THOROUGH EXPLANATION OF LEG DRIVE EVER.

Wow, this may be the most clear and helpful video about benching that I've ever seen. Alan, you're a great teacher.

Been looking for bench cues to help me with my training. This is perfect timing, awesome stuff man!

Finally an understandable explanation for leg drive. Kudos!! .

You forgot the most important rule: *DO NOT MOVE THE BARBELL*

U have the best digestible videos about lifting.U put very detailed videos so anyone can understand and put that to their workout.I watch them daily.Congrats!!!

Watched the video thinking I would learn something new, and it turns out I'm already doing it right. That actually feels pretty good

Knew everything about the bench press i do around 7-8 of 225 training for 1 year 6 months maybe 2 years but this was my issue never found a video explaining this understood perfectly sub earned💯💯

Consistently, youve been putting solid content out since the beginning, your a treasure in the online fitness community.thank you

I found this video a few weeks ago and I immediately felt a difference in stability by driving through my legs. Always appreciative of tips that help with getting the most of out every rep.

Are you supposed to arch on the incline bench? Thanks.

I heard leg drive explained like this, really liked it: "The weight wants to flatten out your arch; leg drive helps keep that from happening." I like the extra explanation here of how it stabilizes your arch.

Anyone that says “jabroni” gets a thumbs up

Since I starded arching for the bench, I’ve experiencing pain in My lower back. Gonna try this in hope to be free of this pain

Really good video. Feel like I could really benefit from this and imma try it today. Thanks, Alan.

This guy is awesome, he explains the information in such a way that you can tell he really understands this shit.

As some own who used to work at Starbucks, he should have asked if you wanted sweetener in it. But iced coffee does come standard with sweetener.

Best explanation for leg drive I’ve seen yet! It’s important to know why you’re supposed to be doing something so that you can focus on perfecting the outcome and not just mimicking the technique without knowing the true purpose of it. Thanks Alan!

What advice would you have for someone who has had ACL reconstriction surgeries with use of hamstring (all same leg). When i try to do this i feel pain in my knee and pressure on the acl. Also, if i try to get exactly 90 degrees or move my legs back, my right hamstring cramps. (been strengthening right hamstring and stretching a lot since 2013) My right leg can only hamstring curl 20 lbs for 1 rep. And doing more than 10 lbs makes my hamstring cramp. Even just standing and curling my leg back cramps from just the weight of my leg.

This might be the most informational fitness video on RU-vid

Very informative video. Thanks for sharing

Tomorrow is bench day and I've been struggling, I'm glad I found this today!

My reaction after seeing this was "cool, I'll give this a try tonight"... My reaction after bench pressing using improved leg drive learned from this video: "Holy shit, it REALLY works!!!!" The pushing against the hands on shoulders explanation illustrated to me missing link I needed to really use leg drive properly. I just couldn't grasp the concept before that visual. I've always been proud of my bench, but I see some bigger better lifts in my future. Sincerely, thank you .

Dude where has your fuckin channel been? This is the ONLY explanation of leg drive that has made sense to me, in the past 5 years i've poured into the gym. I've been a habitual "ass off the bench" presser for years (I bench 405 raw and nasty, but I have never been able to keep my ass TOTALLY down....only degrees of height off the bench) Next bench day, im gonna try this shit.... and im gonna fucking crush a new PR without my ass coming up. That days of ass up bench pressing are finally behind me....im completely....en-THRALLED.

This is actually so helpful. Been dealing with shoulder issues for a while now and this looks promising in helping maintain stability in the movement.

I'm surprised that I've never actually learned leg drive like you teach it and I've had multiple friends help me with bench form. Thank you for making this video.

If you're having getting grip on your bench pad, i have been using flat, long, latex, rectangle resistance bands by laying them on the bench. It works very well provided you can find such bands

This is a really good video. A lot of people confuse "leg drive" with just extending the hips and knees forcefully.

this leg drive helps create tension in the lats to create a stable base (and also to assist with the brace)

After all these years Alan is still making great relavent videos. He's not phoning it in to get views

Can’t believe no one said it yet, so: “Leg dhraave.”

This would have to be one of the best and easy to understand videos on the bench press I’ve seen. Thanks man 💪🏼💪🏼

I mean the coffee is still black in color even if sugar is added. Starbucks workers are taught to put sugar in the iced coffee unless you specify not to, unfortunately. They should have asked if you wanted sweetener. I worked there for years.

You’ve just re-enacted every one of my mornings for the last 5 years including facial expressions ...

Awesome transition at the ~1 minute mark. That was slick as heck.

I just wear a tank top and trust in my sweaty flesh to stick to the bench ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thank you so much for this video. This is literally the only video that actually taught me how to properly let drive. I tried pushing up toward the head of my seat and I was actually able to bench better now since I learned how to use leg drive

When i leg drive i get a bastard cramp in my left hamstring, puts me right off.🤬

So freaking mad when I didn't hit a pr so it was technique check time. Great video and well explained!

Star bucks is wayyyyyy more expensive than a pre-workout shake...

I was wondering why I never saw this video before and then I realized it was in 2019. Real nice video. Arch is the point in bench press that I need the most practice and this helped alot

Dude Instagram is about to explode 😂 so many dudes over emphasizing the arch with absolutely no ROM

The best leg drive explanation I've seen thus far. Thanks!

I couldnt wash my hair after my bench and upper body work out today

Ive been powerlifting for almost 2 years and leg drive has been a struggle. This clears it up so well. Can't wait to try and implement these. For benching at my school gym (once a week there and worst benches NA), I have an A7 Bar Grip shirt (which I use on the slippery barbells for squat as well). That tends to help a lot. Self unrack is what has been tricky because they use those crappy Hammer Strength benches where the hooks are set and unadjustable so I tend to have to overreach to unrack.

this guys just tought me leg drive love him

Thank you Alan! I've never been able to get any leg drive going with the bench. I think this is going to help. I can't wait to get to the gym and try thinking about the things you talked about.

This video was really helpful, I now know to never go to Starcucks

Your videos are super thorough and entertaining! You've answered so many of mine and my client's questions about a lot of the main lifts. So glad I found your channel!!

MIND BLOWN! THIS EXPLANATION IS PURE GOLD!

This was very helpful I never really understood leg drive but now I do thanks mate

Literally benched a weight that I couldn't manage last week for a set of five because of this video. Thank you for this.

Good video. Giving money to starbucks is shit tier behavior though...

This was the most helpful guide for legdriving thank you no one explains it like you

3:50 typical "I've only done [insert exercise] once" and reps out

9:47-9:53 is the most important takeaway for me: this takes the slack out of your body and prevents you from being bullied by the bar. nice tip Alan! thank you so much!

Holy shit that transition at 1:00 was so smooth... I did not expect that, awesome

that Jake guy is very strong! he did 135x3 on that demo without any warm up!! insane!!!!!

I’m gonna try this tomorrow, never realized what I was supposed to do

The best let drive explanation I have ever seen. Thanks Alan!

Man, thank you so much. My shoulders tended to flatten out during my reps. With this, I was able to keep it strong. Thank you

This video helps a lot, every time I benched prior to watching this I was finding that my feet were always idle despite me understanding the importance of leg drive. Turns out my feet were placed incorrectly

Thanks AT, your advice/coaching really helped me get better at both leg drive and holding my back arch during the bench.

Wow, for the first time leg drive actually makes sense to me. From a structural engineering perspective, let the bench be defined as the x-axis, with the head pointing in the positive x direction . We know that the force of static friction is a reactionary force which develops to oppose motion. Application of leg drive tries to push the body in the positive x direction, but is impeded by the force of static friction developed at the upper thoracic region which pushes back with an equal and opposite force. These two opposing forces create bending moments at each vertebral junction through the mediolateral axis of each respective bone-disk-bone articulation. In a simplified view, imagine a triangle with the bench as the base with the hips at one end, the shoulders at the other, and the bottom of the rib cage as the apex (top) of the triangle. By pushing the two ends of the base towards each other, you are pushing the apex higher into the air. This can also be thought of as a bending force at the apex where that angle is being forced to become smaller. This is known as a bending moment. This positive bending moment creates the arch, assisting in extension of the spinal column and reducing energy demands on spinal extensor muscle groups. When the bar descends and contacts the sternum, the deformation-inducing (arch-flattening) force is opposed not only by the spinal extensors, but by the horizontal forces of friction and leg drive. Furthermore, A component of the horizontal force is transmitted into the bar, much like a truss system with two fixed ends. This both reduces dynamic load on the back musculature and aids in vertical force production to accelerate the load upwards. In summary, you have convinced me to purchase one of those sticky pad things. Thank you.

This comes in perfectly handy right now. I just got a gym membership, and my bench at home is home made. It has carpet on it instead of a pad. Never had to worry about sliding. My foot slipped out the other day when I got tired also because I have carpet over my “mats” at home so I’ve always used the balls of my feet. I’ll have to try this.

Great stuff Allen. you've made it clear to me that I've been training at gyms that have crappy bench pads. Seems like I've always had a problem sliding around to get into position.

Best bench tutorial I watched

damn, first there was curling in the squat rack, now leg sets on the bench... this is going to be an interesting year at the gym

Very good explanation I never could understand this but now I do

This video was extremely necessary thank you. @ 9:00 is where I learned the most. Ty sir.

Great video! Leg drive is the #1 issue with my bench and I know it. Will definitely be implementing these drills to help **drive** the technique into my brain and body. Thanks again Alan 🤙

wow i’m new to bench press, and this video solves all my questions i’ve had. thanks!!

I bought the 3" wide bands at Walmart...works great for traction...easy to pack for when I am in hotel gyms for work.

The point of the arch, leg drive, and retracting the shoulders is to reduce front delt involvement. As somebody who is struggling with chest activation and a history of shoulder injury, I can attest that it helps.

A couple of points here. First off the guy doing deads at the start of the video is only doing half reps. Picking the weight up is only one half of the movement but he then just lets the bar drop without any control on the negative part of the lift. What is his aim, hypertrophy and subsequently strength gains? I recommend training the muscle both in the positive and negative parts of the lift. Secondly, leg drive in conjunction with arching of the small of the back is basically putting the pectorals in the strongest natural position through posture which is a decline position. The pectoral muscles main purpose is to bring the humerus down in front and across the body. Decline bench press is a far more naturally superior bio-mechanical exercise. A fantastic mass and strength builder which removes stress from the shoulder tendon insertion of the humerus.

Totally makes sense. Thanks man keep it up! I have been trying to drive my feet down, didn't do shit. That's what I thought leg drive was.