J-Curves, Jacked Arms Bench Press Master Class

by: Josh Bryant

Josh Bryant–Bench Press Tips

The bench press has always been more than a lift—it’s been a timeless measuring stick for manhood. On the yard, a big enough bench was your get-out-of-laundry-pass and ticket into slinging pig iron with the heavy hitters on the yard. In high school, it earned your place in the pecking order. At the YMCA, repping big weights got you gleeful glances from the fitness class queens and a permanent invite to the universal bench on Monday nights.

Fast forward—it’s now a contested event in powerlifting, it’s the main event at your local meathead gathering, and it’s repped out under bright lights at the NFL Combine. The bench press ain’t going anywhere.

I was the youngest to raw bench 600. My student Peter Edgette topped that in 2017. I’ve coached over twenty lifters past 600 raw, six past 661 (this all raw), and wrote the best-selling book on the subject. The bench press isn’t a hobby—it’s the holy sacrament of strength, and I’m your greasy-fingered preacher.

Let’s skip the fluff and get right to the meat. Here are four bench press trade secrets that’ll move your lift from JV to pro-level punisher.

Trade Secret #1: Bar Path.

Back when everyone was stuffing themselves into denim-strength bench shirts, folks stopped caring about building muscle or true strength. They just wanted to master the gear.

A shirted bench press is a different beast—it touches low on the body and moves in a straight line. That might work when you’re wrapped tighter than a gas station burrito, but it’s as useless as tits on a bullfrog for raw pressing.

Raw benching has an ascending strength curve—it’s hardest at the bottom. And you can’t cheat gravity.

What works? A tight J-curve bar path. Lower the bar just below the nipple line, then drive it back and up. This gets the bar centered over the working muscles—chest, shoulders, triceps—instead of forcing the triceps and wrists to play hero in a losing battle.

Even lab coats with PhDs back this up. Dr. Tom McLaughlin’s research showed Kazmaier’s massive 605-pound bench had way more horizontal movement than a novice pressing 245. Big benches follow this path. Period.

Trade Secret #2: Wider Isn’t Always Wiser.

Al Davis once had the best bench in the world using a grip so wide you’d think he was trying to touch both state lines. That worked for him. But a majority of the liftersI’ve coached to over 661? All used moderate or even narrow grips.

Why? Safer on the shoulders. Better drive off the chest.

Unless you’re chasing records and a max grip works for you, bring it in closer—somewhere around shoulder width. It’s a smarter play in the risk-to-reward game.

Trade Secret #3: Arms Ain’t Just for Vanity.

Big arms ain’t just to fill out a medium polo and scare off beta males at brunch. Biceps stabilize the bar, triceps finish the job.

If your upper arms look like a wet spaghetti noodle, don’t expect to press heavy with confidence. Strong arms mean stable reps and horsepower at lockout.

So yes—do your curls. Hit those triceps hard.. Arms matter!

Trade Secret #4: Bottoms Up!

Sticking points don’t exist if you launch through them like a cannon.

The hardest part of a raw bench is the bottom. That’s where your focus needs to be. If you’re just grinding lockouts and board presses, you’re missing the meat of the movement.

Build explosive drive off the chest with movements like Spoto presses, dumbbell pause presses, wide-grip pause benches (if the shoulders are game), and dead benches.

Blast off the chest, and momentum carries you through the sticking point like a drunk uncle through a buffet line—fast and full of purpose.

Final Thoughts

These aren’t just tips—they’re truths forged under the bar and tested in the trenches. Master the bar path. Use a grip that serves you. Build those arms. And make the bottom your strong point.

Get your bench outta the outhouse and into the penthouse.

Now load the bar and go earn it.

Want to Train with Purpose, Not Gimmicks?

The Texas-Sized Strength Arsenal is six elite-level programs forged for lifters who want real results—bigger totals, serious muscle, and strength that shows up when it counts.

No fluff. No filler. Just hard-hitting programming for lifters, athletes, and tactical operators ready to dominate.

👉 Grab it here and join the mission.