7 BEST ACCESSORIES TO BREAK PAST STICKING POINTS ON BENCH
(PLUS THE UNIQUE ADVANTAGES OF EACH)
Is your bench PR refusing to budge? Learn 7 proven accessory movements to break past sticking points off the chest, mid way, and at lockout — so you can start adding impressive numbers to your bench.
By PWRBLD Coaching
If you want to achieve a bench PR worth bragging about, you need to know how to quickly & efficiently break past sticking points.
It's not as easy as just adding more weight to the bar or strengthening your push muscles. You need to choose the right accessories & bench variations then carefully design them into your program.
Here are 7 of the best movements for breaking past sticking points on bench, plus the key differences that'll help you decide which are best for you:
1) Close-Grip Bench Press
Primarily Targets: Triceps (especially medial head), Chest, Shoulders
Best For: Strengthening the lockout & hitting your triceps hard
Key Benefits:
Overloads Triceps for a Stronger Lockout: The narrow grip hammers your triceps under a heavy load, which builds a powerful lockout.
Direct Carryover to Main Bench: It closely mimics the regular bench press motion which easily transfers to lockout strength.
Reduced Shoulder Strain: Close-grip reduces shoulder rotation which minimizes stress on the joint.
2) Floor Press
Primarily Targets: Triceps, Chest, Front Delts
Best For: Breaking past mid way sticking point & lockout
Key Benefits:
Explosive Power: Starting each rep from the floor eliminates momentum and forces you to produce explosive power from a dead stop.
Joint-Friendly: By shortening the range of motion you reduce stress on your shoulders.
Confidence Under Heavier Loads: Handling heavier partial reps (from elbow-to-floor range) can boost mental readiness for heavier sets in your standard bench press.
3) Long-Pause Bench Press
Primarily Targets: Chest, triceps, front delts
Best For: Strengthening off the chest power and improving bottom-end stability
Key Benefits:
How It Works: Lower the bar, pause for a solid 3–5 count on your chest (maintaining tension the entire time), then drive up explosively.
Why It Works: Removing the stretch reflex (bounce) for an extended pause develops raw power from a dead-stop off the chest.
Bonus Benefit: You get better at maintaining tightness under load which helps you avoid form breakdown when you go heavy.
Scientific/Practical Insight: Research shows that pausing the bar on your chest increases chest and tricep activation by eliminating momentum. The longer pause also sharpens your technique and cuts down on the common mistake of bouncing off the chest.
4) Spoto Press
Primarily Targets: Chest, triceps, front delts
Best For: Building raw power off the chest and improving mid-range strength
Key Benefits:
How It Works: You’ll lower the bar until it hovers 1–2 inches above your chest—then fire it back up explosively.
Why It Works: This eliminates any bouncing or “cheating” from chest contact, forcing you to stay tight in the bottom portion.
Bonus Benefit: Maintaining tension right before the bar touches your chest trains your pecs, shoulders, and triceps to fire explosively out of the hole.
Scientific/Practical Insight: Spoto presses create more time under tension in the most difficult portion of the bench press, which makes them a great tool for boosting strength off the chest and at mid way.
5) Weighted Dips
Primarily Targets: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
Best For: Building chest & tricep strength to drive up your bench
Key Benefits:
Huge Chest & Tricep Activation: The dip angle hits these muscles in a way regular presses don’t, which is great for building muscle mass & pressing power.
Stronger Lockout: Building tricep strength directly carries over to a more forceful lockout on your bench.
Core & Stability Gains: Weighted dips also engage your core and stabilizing muscles which improves overall pressing stability.
6) Pin Press
Primarily Targets: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
Best For: Targeting a specific sticking point, usually mid-range or slightly above the chest
Key Benefits:
How It Works: Set the safety pins in a power rack at (or just below) your sticking point. Start from a dead stop on the pins, press the weight to lockout, then return it to the pins.
Why It Works: Much like the floor press, you’re eliminating any stored elastic energy by starting each rep from a complete stop. This trains you to produce maximal force right at your weakest point.
Improved Technique Under Load: With the safety of the pins, you can focus on maintaining proper bar path and elbow positioning without worrying about failing a rep.
7) Skull Crushers
Primarily Targets: Triceps (mainly long head)
Best For: Direct tricep hypertrophy and lockout strength
Key Benefits:
Enhanced Lockout: Scullcrushers target your triceps and build stronger elbow flexion, which directly results in a more powerful lockout.
Adaptable Overload Methods: You can easily apply high intensity techniques like drop sets or cluster sets to enhance muscle growth.
Versatile Equipment Options: Perform with EZ-bars, dumbbells, or cables to find a setup that’s friendlier on your elbows.
If you're serious about optimizing your training for maximum results, you should probably consider speaking with an expert.
If you want to get personalized advice from one of our coaches (100% free), simply click here & fill out the assessment form. Shortly after we’ll reach out to set up a time for phone/zoom call—or if you're local, a free in person coaching session.
Of course, you'll have the option to sign up for 1-on-1 coaching if you'd like.
When you partner with a PWRBLD Coach, they'll start by learning about your training, lifestyle, and goals to pinpoint exactly what's holding you back and what needs to happen for you to succeed. From there, they'll create an individualized training program designed to maximize your results so you can progress as fast as possible.
You'll also get:
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Weekly training analysis & feedback
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Weekly program optimizations based on your progress
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24/7 text or email communication with your coach
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Video technique analysis & feedback
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Individualized calorie & macro advice
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Personalized supplement advice
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Meet day protocol
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And much more (this is just our baseline package)
If you're ready to bust plateaus, shatter PRs, and start progressing toward your goals as fast as possible—click here to see how 1-on-1 PWRBLD coaching can take you there.
