The barbell bench press from pins isn’t just an exercise—it’s a reckoning. Imagine your chest, shoulders, and triceps screaming under a load that forces you to confront weakness, refine technique, and forge strength where momentum dies. To perform it: Set safety pins just above your chest, unrack the bar, lower until it rests on the pins (2-3 seconds), pause completely, then drive upward explosively. This “dead-start” method annihilates sticking points, builds tendon resilience, and teaches your body to generate force from stillness—like revving a cold engine in midwinter.
But why this lift? Why now?
The Brutal Elegance of the Pin Press: Why Your Bench Needs a Reset
The pin press is the unsentimental teacher every lifter avoids until they can’t. It strips away the elastic energy of the traditional bench press, leaving you alone with the iron and your limitations.
“Most guys bounce the bar like it’s a trampoline,” says Eugene Thong, CSCS. “The pin press? It’s a truth serum. No stretch reflex, no momentum—just pure grit.”
The Science of Sticking Points
When you lower the bar to the pins and pause, you eliminate the stretch-shortening cycle—the muscle’s ability to store energy during elongation (like a rubber band). Without it, your muscles must contract from rest, targeting fast-twitch fibers often neglected in traditional lifts. This builds explosive power critical for breaking plateaus.
Key Benefits:
- Eradicates “chest bounce” cheating
- Strengthens tendons and ligaments (critical for lifters over 35)
- Improves lockout power
- Teaches tighter setup (no wiggle room on pins)
Setting Up: The Art of Controlled Chaos
Step 1: Pin Height – The Goldilocks Zone
Set safety pins 1-2 inches above your chest. Too high, and you’ll miss the strength-building crucible of the bottom position. Too low, and you risk crushing your sternum. Test with an empty bar: lower slowly until the bar taps your chest, then note the pin setting.
Step 2: The Grip – Not Too Savior, Not Too Sinner
- Width: 1.5x shoulder width (index fingers on ring markings) for balanced pec/shoulder activation.
- False grip (thumbless): Risky for newbies but allows smoother bar path. “Only use it if you’ve mastered shoulder-blade retraction,” warns Thong.
Step 3: The Setup – Become a Human Tripod
- Feet: Drive heels into the floor like you’re stomping cockroaches.
- Arches: Lift your hips slightly, then plant upper back into the bench.
- Lats: Squeeze a tennis ball between your shoulder blades.
Pro Tip: Imagine the bench is a catapult, and your body is the tension cord.
Execution: From Static to Savage
The Descent (3 Seconds)
Lower the bar with control, elbows at 45 degrees. Touch the pins like they’re made of glass.
The Pause (2 Seconds)
Total stillness. No hovering. Let the bar settle fully. This is where mental fortitude outmuscles biology.
The Ascent (Explode Like a V-12)
Push through the midfoot, drive shoulders into the bench, and roar the bar upward. “The first inch is everything,” says Thong. “If you can move it there, the rest is physics.”
Programming the Pin Press: Less Is More
Frequency: 1-2x weekly (after main bench work)
Rep Ranges:
- Strength: 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps (85-90% 1RM)
- Hypertrophy: 4-6 sets of 6-8 reps (70-80% 1RM)
| Goal | Weight (%1RM) | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Strength | 85-90% | 3-5 | 3-4 minutes |
| Muscle Mass | 70-80% | 6-8 | 2 minutes |
| Endurance | 60-70% | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
“Pair pin presses with explosive lifts like plyo push-ups,” advises Thong. “Contrast training primes the nervous system for growth.”
The Emotional Toehold: Why This Lift Mirrors Life
The pin press is a merciless metaphor. It’s the job interview after a layoff, the fifth mile of a sprint, the moment before a risky investment. No momentum. No shortcuts. Just raw effort.
Charles Damiano, B.S. Clinical Nutrition, puts it bluntly: “You can’t out-supplement a weak mind. The pin press forces you to confront the story you tell yourself about your limits.”
Advanced Tactics: Level Up or Burn Out
- Cluster Sets: 5×3 with 20-second rests between reps. Replenishes ATP for maximal force.
- Eccentric Overload: Lower 110% of your 1RM to pins (with spotters!), then reduce weight for the ascent.
- Isometric Holds: Pause for 5 seconds at the pin. “Time under tension meets mental warfare,” says Thong.
The Nutrition Edge: Fueling the Grind
Damiano’s rules for pin press recovery:
- Pre-Workout: 25g whey + 50g carbs (oats, banana) 90 minutes prior.
- Post-Workout: 40g casein + 1g/kg carbs within 45 minutes.
- Hydration: 500ml water with a pinch of Himalayan salt. “Dehydration turns your joints into rusty hinges.”
Common Mistakes: Don’t Be That Guy
- Rushing the Pause: “If the bar doesn’t clang, you’re cheating.” – Thong
- Elbows Flared: 90 degrees = shoulder shredder. Keep elbows at 45.
- Feet Floating: “Your legs aren’t decoration. Drive them like you’re leg-pressing the planet.”
YOUR NEXT STEPS:
The barbell bench press from pins isn’t just about moving weight—it’s about rewriting your relationship with resistance. It’s the lift that asks, “How badly do you want it?” and refuses platitudes. Forge your technique. Embrace the pause. And when the bar settles on those pins, remember: Strength isn’t found in the explosion. It’s forged in the silence before it.