Strength Training · Powerlifting
Spoto Press
The Spoto Press is a bench press with a brief pause just above your chest. It trains pressing strength and control while keeping tension through the bottom of the lift.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 2 min
How to do it
- Lie on the bench with your eyes beneath the bar and your feet flat on the floor.
- Draw your shoulder blades together against the bench.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with your thumbs wrapped around it.
- Unrack the bar to a position above your shoulders with straight arms.
- Lower the bar under control to about 1 inch above your lower chest.
- Hold the bar motionless there for 1–2 seconds without touching your chest.
- Press the bar upward and slightly back to straight arms above your shoulders.
- Return the bar securely to the hooks after your final repetition.
Form cues
- Keep your butt on the bench.
- Brace before each descent.
- Drive through your planted feet.
Common mistakes
- Elbows flared straight outKeep your upper arms roughly 45–70 degrees from your torso rather than level with your shoulders.
- Wrists bent far backwardSet the bar over the heel of your palm so your wrists stay stacked above your forearms.
- Inconsistent hover heightReduce the weight until every pause stays at the same distance from your chest.
Safety
A failed repetition can trap the bar on your chest or neck. Excessive load or loss of shoulder position during the unsupported pause can strain your shoulders.
- Use a spotter for the lift-off and any repetition you cannot finish.
- Set rack safeties just below the hover position but high enough to catch the bar before it compresses your chest; test with an empty bar.
- Secure the plates with collars before lifting.
- End the set before fatigue prevents a controlled descent or stable pause.
If bench pressing causes shoulder, elbow, or wrist pain, use a pain-free alternative and seek advice from a physiotherapist before loading this variation.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar
- Lifting Belt (optional)
- Olympic Flat Bench
- Powerlifting Barbell
- Weight Plate
- Wrist Wraps (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 5–8 reps
- Rest
- 2 min
Start lighter than your usual bench press because the unsupported pause makes each repetition more demanding.