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Paused Bench Press

Removing the bounce makes every rep start from a dead stop, which is where a bench press is genuinely weakest.

StrengthBarbellControlledAll barbell exercisesAll chest exercises

What it works

Chest

How to do it

  1. 1Bench as normal, but stop with the bar resting motionless on the chest for a full second before pressing.
  2. 2Stay tight through the pause — the temptation is to relax, and that's exactly what you're training out.
  3. 3It removes the bounce entirely, so expect to use less weight than your touch-and-go bench.

Cues that matter

Train the same thing

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