The ‘Dead-Stop’ Bench Press The key to the dead bench is to channel as much instantaneous power as possible without the assistance of the stretch reflex. You do this by tightening your body using your bench press technique, and press up with everything you have got. As the weight gets heavy and you tire it is common that the bar may not budge initially. Keep pressing up for at least 3-5 seconds to overcome inertia before giving up on the attempt. A great addition to your training to strengthen u