Vasa Samataua Shares His 3 Bench Press Secrets for Lifting Over 600 Pounds – Muscle & Fitness

Australian powerlifter Vasa Samataua has a personal best bench press of over 600 pounds and recently shared his top three steps for heavier lifting.

“There are three things you need to remember,” says Samataua, who has a bench press PR of 611.7 pounds (277.5 kilograms) and is a regular top 5 competitor on the powerlifting circuit. Like Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Samataua trains under Sebastian Oreb and recently took it all to Instagram, so if you’re ready to boost your bench press, give these tips a try.

Step 1: Your feet

Knowing where exactly to place your feet during the bench press is often a cause for confusion, and a heels-up approach may not work for everyone, but if you have good mobility and want to try something different, this could mean success for you. “Slide your feet back as far as you can,” the powerlifter explained. By moving his feet back so that they are practically below his hips, the heels come off the floor.

During the demonstration, Samataua pushed on the balls of his feet instead of his heels. The 45 degree angle his feet were at kept his heels from making contact with the floor. Pushing down with the balls of the feet creates better leg drive and stability and puts the feet in a flexed position that generates more power.

Step 2: Your shoulders

“The position I want you to be in is the same position you would reach for a lat pulldown,” explained Samataua, who showed that by mimicking a lat pulldown movement while lying on the bench, your shoulders will be square instead of round, and your hands will grip the barbell in the correct position, wider than shoulder-width apart.

Step 3: Your breathing

Lifters are often told to inhale on the negative part and exhale on the positive part of an exercise, but holding your breath during short sets can be a good way to center yourself during heavy movements.

“Hold your breath from start to finish for as long as possible,” explains Samataua, who uses the stillness of his torso to maintain stability while supporting his core as he performs the bench press movements. This tip attracted the most attention when users mastered the idea of ​​holding their breath, but the same approach is also often used for maximum effect during deadlifts and squats. “If you feel like you’re going to pass out, tag me,” Samataua joked. Of course, keep in mind that safety comes first and these are advanced steps for competitive powerlifters, so try going lighter on the weight as you practice your form. “Free benching tips make the strongest bencher I know,” praised Australian coach Sebastian Oreb. What’s not to like about it?

To follow Vasa Samataua Instagram, click here.