Worst Bench Press Form Mistakes

We've all seen it in the gym; benchers bouncing the bar off their chests, lifting their butts a foot off the bench and other foolishness. Which is the most foolish of these gym benching mistakes asks an Elite Fitness poll. The poll choices:

NOT lowering the bar to the chest. Bouncing the bar out of the midpoint. "Bucking" the hips/ arching like an exotic dancer. Benching to the neck/ abs. Having a spotter who does all the work.

Some poster's experiences:

I once had to spot a guy who did just about all of those things - butt in the air, feet on the bench, stopping about 4 inches from the chest. Started with 225 and I had to help him get his 3rd or 4th rep IIRC. Then he bumped it up to 275 and I was like OMG and I had to help him a lot on all 3. I then went off to dead or something, and I saw him scouring the gym for me. I guess he liked my spotting. So anyway he's got 315 on it and I was pretty scared since it's kind of an awkward angle to be pulling up on the bar that much. 3 of the hardest reps of my life. There used to be another guy with this huge lifting belt who did the butt in the air thing - his flat looked like a decline and his incline looked like a flat, it was that pronounced. And then there's the guys who squirm around a lot on the bench, we call it 'the hooked marlin'.

I voted for "having a spotter who does all the work" b/c of something I saw about a year ago. Some average sized dude (like 160-ish) struggles mightily w/ 225 for a few reps, spotted heavily on all of 'em. So what does he do next? He throws on another plate for 315. I couldn't believe it. I actually made sure to be ready to run over and help pull the bar off if the spotter couldn't help enough, but they managed the rep and racked it up. Of course dude gets up all proud of himself. I'm sure he goes around braggin' that he can put up 3 plates

I see guys who raise their backside well into the air but the one that annoys me is seeing people get nowhere close to locking out. I guess any exhibition of general thrashing about is worth a chuckle.

I once had to spot a guy who did just about all of those things - butt in the air, feet on the bench, stopping about 4 inches from the chest. Started with 225 and I had to help him get his 3rd or 4th rep IIRC. Then he bumped it up to 275 and I was like OMG and I had to help him a lot on all 3. I then went off to dead or something, and I saw him scouring the gym for me. I guess he liked my spotting. So anyway he's got 315 on it and I was pretty scared since it's kind of an awkward angle to be pulling up on the bar that much. 3 of the hardest reps of my life. There used to be another guy with this huge lifting belt who did the butt in the air thing - his flat looked like a decline and his incline looked like a flat, it was that pronounced. And then there's the guys who squirm around a lot on the bench, we call it 'the hooked marlin'.

I voted for the "having spotter" because I can't stand it when schmucks see me and think "oh, he can spot me". I avoid them. You can see them, scanning the area, looking for a "fellow strongman" that can relate to them and their struggles. then they need assistance starting from rep 2, and I end up doing upright rows with far more weight than my elbow tendonitis can tolerate. and then the stupid motherfuckers get up and put more weight on. That's when I go into dickhead mode and state simply "you are at least a year away from using that weight. If you ask me for a spot, I'll let you swim underneath the bar for at least 60 seconds before I even consider helping you." Bastards. Fuck you. I am not going to power clean the weight off your chicken chest. I'm not doing power cleans today.

But what I think irritates me most is what I see the most at my gym, and that's all these clowns doing only the top half of the rep. It seemed like just a year ago, only one guy would do that; but now, anytime someone does flat or incline, I'm actually surprised when he lowers the bar to his chest.