Touching the bar lightly on the chest can help improve the efficiency of your bench press. The light bar touch reduces the range of motion the bar has to travel relative to sinking the bar into your chest. Sinking into the chest can cause the issue of the bar deviating forward relative to the shoulders, which can make the lift harder than it needs to be.

What is the light bar touch?

Sinking into the chest can cause the issue of the bar deviating forward relative to the shoulders, which can make the lift harder than it needs to be.

In this video, I explain/demo the light bar touch, why it’s good, issues it can cause when sinking the bar + techniques you can utilise to help increase the ability to bar touch lightly.

Paul Attard

Paul is the founder and head coach of SPC Performance Lab. Paul has been coaching since 2014 and has worked with all different types of people. From first timers learning the basics, all the way up to the experienced competitors.

He tailors his approach depending on the needs, goals and experience of the individual. Paul has extensive theoretical and practical coaching experience.

- Masters of Sports & Exercise Science (Strength & Conditioning)
- Bachelor’s degree in Exercise & Sports Science with First Class Honours
- Competed and won multiple natural body-building shows & power-lifting competitions.
- Held an Australian power-lifting record.

Get in Contact

SPC Performance Lab is a non-commercial strength training gym located in Taren Point, Sydney. It’s built for people who want to get stronger, improve their physique, boost their confidence, and ultimately become better versions of themselves, without the hassles of busy commercial gyms. If you’re tired of waiting for equipment, navigating crowded spaces, and dealing with the “Instagram” type of environment, SPC offers an alternative to the large gym chains.

SPC also provides both in-person and online coaching for people who want to get strong, look good, feel good, and learn proper technique on exercises like the squat, bench press, and deadlift. All our coaches at SPC are university-qualified, combining evidence-based exercise science knowledge with practical experience to deliver a high-quality coaching service.

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What is the light bar touch?

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