Bench Press Accessory Work That Fixes Common Faults
A stronger bench press rarely comes from benching more and hoping for the best. It usually comes from spotting where the lift breaks down, then picking accessory work that solves that exact problem.
That was the big theme in this OPEX Fitness conversation with coaches Brandon Gallagher and Daniel Persson. They framed bench faults as useful feedback, not bad news, and showed how better exercise selection can turn a sticking point into a clear plan.
Why bench press faults are useful, not frustrating
A missed rep tells you something. So does a shaky rep, a slow rep, or a rep that flies off the chest and then stalls near lockout. In this coaching discussion, that idea came up early and often. Faults are a positive assessment, because they show where the work needs to go next.
That matters for coaches and lifters alike. A one-rep max test, or even a heavy set, is not only about the number on the bar. It's also about finding the sticking point. If the bar slows off the chest, that points toward one type of solution. If the lift dies late, near the top, that points somewhere else.
"That's what you want to find because that's going to guide you."
That mindset changes the tone of assessment. Instead of treating breakdown as failure, you treat it like a map. The weak spot gives direction to program design, exercise choice, tempo, volume, and session order.
Gallagher and Persson also tied this back to real coaching practice. Persson mentioned finding a weak point in his own deadlift during a max test. That kind of moment matters because it reminds coaches that blind spots are normal. The point is not to avoid them. The point is to identify them and build around them.
This is where good bench programming gets more interesting. The main lift often stays simple. You bench, you progress the load, reps, sets, or tempo, and you track performance. The bigger coaching decisions often happen around that main lift, especially in the accessory work. That is where a program starts to look personal instead of generic.
The most common bench press fault is weakness off the chest
When Gallagher and Persson talked through bench press errors, they quickly landed on the most common one: getting stuck off the chest.
That first part of the press, right as the bar changes direction, gives a lot of people trouble. It is also one of the best places to use smart accessory work, because the issue is often clear and easy to target.
What causes a weak start off the chest
The problem often shows up in the last half-inch of the lowering phase and the first part of the press upward. That transition from eccentric to concentric is where control matters most. If a lifter loses position there, the bar usually tells the story fast.
Gallagher pointed to two common causes. First, the lifter may not have enough control in that bottom range. Second, they may get too bouncy and lose the position they need to press well. In other words, they either cannot own the bottom, or they rush through it and let momentum do the work.
That is where the coach has to decide what kind of issue they are looking at. Is it mainly technical, meaning it can improve with a cue and cleaner execution? Or is it more of a strength issue, meaning the lifter needs more time and more force production in that exact position?
That distinction matters. A technical fix might come from slowing the rep down and tightening up the setup. A strength fix might need more time under tension, deeper ranges, or direct chest work. In practice, many lifters need some of both.
Another useful point from the conversation was that the solution does not have to be fancy. Often, the best fix is to spend more time in the hard part of the lift. The longer the athlete has to control that weak range, the faster the coach learns whether the issue is position, strength, or both.
The best accessories for building strength off the chest
Persson's first go-to was simple and effective: pauses. If the bar is weak in the bottom, spend more time there. Gallagher expanded that idea with tempo work, deficit pressing patterns, and chest-focused isolation.
Three accessories stood out.
Tempo or pause bench press
This was the first option for a reason. A tempo such as 4 seconds down, 1 second pause on the chest, up fast, 1 second pause at the top forces control where many lifters lose it. It removes the easy rebound and makes the lifter own the transition.For an intermediate lifter, the discussion pointed toward starting around 70 to 75 percent of the relevant effort level, often for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps. The important part is not chasing load. The important part is lowering the weight enough to make the tempo honest.
That detail matters because bench press ego gets in the way fast. A lifter who can move 225 in a normal rep may feel humbled by 135 with a long tempo. That is not a step backward. It is the point of the drill.
Chest flies, dumbbell or cable
Flies came up as a way to target the pecs more directly and build strength in the stretched position. The coaches preferred higher reps here, usually 12 to 15, with a controlled eccentric and no need to turn it into a max-effort set.The execution details were specific. Keep the elbows high, allow a slight bend, maintain tension through the chest, and avoid letting the elbow drop. As the shoulder moves into extension, the chest has to stay loaded. That helps build strength where the bottom of the bench feels hardest.
Higher reps also make this safer. If you ask someone to load the deep stretch of a fly heavily for 4 to 6 reps, the risk goes up fast. More reps and less load let the athlete challenge the position without turning the movement into a joint test. 3. Deficit push-ups
This was one of the most practical choices in the whole discussion. A deficit push-up lets the athlete move past the range they would reach on a barbell bench, which means more shoulder extension and a bigger stretch in the chest.
The coaches suggested using a setup such as a 45-pound bumper plate under each hand, which gives roughly 3 inches of extra depth. A tempo like 31x1 works well here, usually for controlled reps rather than burnout.
The cueing was also useful. At the bottom, think about squeezing the shoulder blades together. At the top, finish in the tall position of a scap push-up. That gives the athlete a simple way to feel the full range, without burying them in technical terms.
Start small if the athlete is new to deficit work. Kettlebells, dumbbells, or parallettes can all work, and a pull exercise can pair well here if you want to give the pressing muscles more rest between sets.
Lockout problems usually point to the triceps
Some lifters fly off the chest and then slow down hard near the top. When that happens, the weak point often shifts from chest-dominant strength to tricep-dominant strength.
Why the lockout phase fails
The coaches described lockout issues as showing up around the last quarter of the lift. That is the phase where the elbow has to keep extending and the bar has to finish with authority.
In simple terms, the triceps need to do their job. If they cannot, the press stalls late. That does not mean the chest is irrelevant. Bench press is still a full upper-body lift. It does mean the program needs more work that trains the triceps through a strong, complete lockout.
This is also a good place to remember that the accessory should match the problem. If the bar always dies near the top, the next movement after benching should probably address that. The fix should look close enough to the lift to matter, but simple enough to repeat and load well.
The best accessories for bench press lockout strength
Gallagher brought up several favorites here, and the best ones all share a common theme. They train elbow extension with intent, without asking the athlete to grind useless fatigue.
Pin press
This was one of the clearest examples. Set the pins at the exact height where the lifter tends to miss, then press from there. Because the range is shorter, many lifters can handle more load than they could in a full bench. That makes the pin press a direct way to attack the weak range.
Board press
This works in a similar way. Instead of pressing from pins, the bar comes down to a board placed on the chest. Change the board height and you change the range. This gives the coach a controlled way to target the top half or final third of the bench. 3. J&M press
Gallagher singled this one out as a favorite. It blends a press and a tricep-dominant pattern, with deep elbow flexion and a strong finish through extension. It also looks more like the bench than many standard tricep exercises, which makes it a solid bridge between general and specific work.
Cable tricep extensions
These are lower-skill and easy to place later in a session. The detail Gallagher stressed was the finish. A complete tricep lockout includes the fist turning slightly out as the elbow extends. You would not bench like that, but training that end range can still help build a stronger tricep.
Close-grip bench press
Persson mentioned this as a good fit on a second pressing day, not necessarily in the same session as heavy benching. The narrower grip shifts more work toward the triceps while keeping the movement pattern familiar.
Skull crushers, overhead extensions, and dips
These give you ways to train the triceps in longer muscle lengths. Overhead work can be especially useful if the athlete has the shoulder range to do it well. Dips also came up, although both coaches noted that dips demand more skill and shoulder access than deficit push-ups.
One theme stayed consistent through this section. Accessories are not the place to fail reps for sport. The coaches preferred full, controlled reps, solid ranges, and enough rest to repeat the work well.
Avoid failure on accessories.
Use lower loads and higher reps when the movement challenges an end range.
How to build a bench session around the sticking point
Exercise choice matters, but order matters too. Gallagher and Persson spent a good amount of time talking about how to lay a session out so the main lift stays the main lift.
The basic rule was clear. Put the highest-skill, highest-output work first. That means the main bench press, or even speed work before it if the session includes explosive throws, banded work, or other velocity-based drills. Speed has to happen while the athlete is fresh.
After that, place the most specific accessory next. If the athlete is weak off the chest, the second movement should probably target that. If the issue is lockout, the next movement should train lockout. Then, as the session goes on, the skill demand drops and the movements become simpler.
This sample layout shows what an off-the-chest session might look like.
ExerciseSets x RepsTempo or NotesBench press3 to 4 x 8 to 10Around 70 to 75%, focus on 5 points of contactTempo bench press3 x 6 to 84011 tempoDeficit push-up3 x 4 to 631x1 tempo, 45-pound plates or similar deficitChest fly3 x 12 to 15Controlled eccentric, full chest tension
That order follows the logic of the conversation. Bench first, then the most direct correction, then lower-skill work that builds the muscles and positions behind the lift.
A lockout-focused day would look different.
ExerciseSets x RepsTempo or NotesBench press3 to 4 working setsMain strength movementPin press3 to 5 setsPins set at sticking pointJ&M press3 x 8 to 12Controlled lowering, strong finishCable tricep extension3 x 12 to 15Full lockout, finish the rep cleanly
Another strong point from the discussion was that these movements do not all have to live in one workout. If the athlete trains multiple days per week, you can spread the work across the week. One day might feature full bench press priority. Another might bring in close-grip bench or pin press. A lighter day later in the week might lean on cable work and other lower-skill accessories.
The coaches also made an important note about skill level. Percentages are not equal across lifters. A trained intermediate moves 75 percent with much more real output than a newer lifter does. Beginners often need more reps or more total volume because they are not yet recruiting muscle fibers as well. In other words, the bar weight may say one thing, but the training effect may say another.
Good coaching language makes better programming work
A smart program can still fall flat if the athlete does not understand the intent. That part of the conversation was one of the most useful sections for online coaches.
Persson asked a sharp question during the push-up example: how do you explain scapular movement to someone who has never heard the term? That turned the conversation away from anatomy words and toward clear coaching.
Instead of saying "scapular retraction and protraction," the cue became more practical. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the bottom. Finish in the tall position of a scap push-up at the top. That is easier to picture, easier to repeat, and easier to write into a program comment.
Gallagher also made a point that many coaches need to hear early. Using technical language does not make the experience better if the client has no idea what it means. Good communication is not about sounding advanced. It is about making the client feel the right thing and do the right thing.
Speak in a way they understand. That's the premium experience.
That becomes even more important in remote coaching. On the floor, you can step in, demo, or correct. Online, the written note may be all the athlete gets in the moment. Because of that, naming and framing matter. Gallagher mentioned that even calling a movement "Tempo Bench" can help separate it from the lifter's normal emotional relationship with the bench press. The name itself can reduce the urge to load it like a max-effort set.
The coaches also stressed using the client's own references. Persson shared an example from coaching a strong swimmer. To create explosive intent in the gym, he used the image of the moment just before a race start. That cue worked because it matched her background. Another athlete might need a different image entirely.
The design rules behind better bench accessories
By the end of the discussion, a few design rules stood out.
First, accessory work needs to be tied to the fault. If the athlete misses off the chest, the accessory should build the bottom. If the issue is lockout, train the lockout. That sounds obvious, but many programs drift into random volume instead of directed work.
Second, time under tension matters. Tempo work, pauses, flies, and controlled push-ups all force the athlete to stay in the hard part of the rep. That is often where the useful change happens.
Third, less is usually better. Gallagher pushed back on the idea of stuffing five, six, or eight accessories into a session. Two or three smart pieces are enough when they match the problem and the athlete gives them full intent.
Finally, evaluation matters. Persson summed that up in three words: intention, progression, evaluation. Know what each exercise is trying to do. Know how you plan to progress it. Then have the nerve to judge whether it is working. If the bench is going up, the design is probably helping.
This episode also sat inside a bigger coaching context. It is part of OPEX's live program design series, which focuses on how coaches think through assessments and write training with intent. For coaches who want the systems behind that process, the conversation pointed people toward the OPEX Method Mentorship and the CoachRx free trial. Those resources came up alongside other community updates, but they fit the main message of the episode too: better design comes from better systems.
A stronger bench starts with better questions
Bench press progress gets clearer when you stop asking only, "How much can they lift?" and start asking, "Where does the lift break down, and why?" That shift turns faults into direction.
The main takeaway here is simple: match the accessory to the sticking point, place it well in the session, and keep the coaching language easy to act on. Specific work beats random volume almost every time.
If the rep tells the truth, the program gets better.
Connect with the coaches
Brandon Gallagher:Brandon’s Instagram (@bgperform_)
Daniel Persson:Daniel’s Instagram (@danielcapersson)
Join us live on Tuesdays mornings 11:30am EST on the OPEX YouTube Channel
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