The arched bench press has become a staple technique in powerlifting. Even in the SFL and StrongFirst Barbell Fundamentals online course, this technique is taught, along with drills to increase the arch. And for good reason.

The arch decreases the distance the bar must travel and allows for a stable position for the entire shoulder complex. In theory and practice, this can result in a safer and stronger bench press.

But what about the flat-back version? Bodybuilders and physique athletes use different angles, such as decline, incline, and flat bench variation, to “target” different areas. But is there a performance benefit to the flat bench?

A recent study by Bartolomei et al. shows that the difference between the arched and flat bench press may not be as dramatic as previously thought.

“For example, the new arched-back BP allows greater load to be lifted, thus may be chosen when this is the main stimulus of the training cycle or session. By contrast, the flat-back BP favors higher barbell velocity to be reached, possibly aiming for improving explosive tasks.”

It is also interesting to note that the difference between the load lifted between the two styles was not great: “We found greater 1RM for the arched-back vs. flat-back BP, although the difference was small. (+4.2 Kg, 95% confidence intervals + 0.0/+8.4, effect size [ES]: 0.22)”

So, while the arched bench may lift a few more kilos, the greater velocity of the flat bench may benefit explosive tasks. As usual, the answer is “it depends,” depending on what adaptation you would like from the lift performed.

Let us know your thoughts on the StrongFirst Forum.

If you’d like to learn how to bench press (and how to do the less-known

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