Best Bench Press Accessories: What Actually Helps You Press More
Posted by Yannick Ring on
Bench press is the lift with the most accessories and the least honest advice about them. Most do nothing. A few change your pressing immediately. We make two of the items below, the bench mat and liquid chalk, and we have tried to be straight about what they do and do not do. The rest are generic recommendations; buy them from whoever you like.
1. A bench mat (setup)
What it does: stops your upper back sliding on the pad so your leg drive pushes the bar instead of pushing you up the bench, and keeps the shoulder position you set. Who feels it: anyone on slick commercial benches, arched benchers, lifters who sweat through their shirt. What it does not do: fix bar path, a weak lockout or a missing arch. One of our 4-star reviews says it plainly: with little leg drive, the difference is small. Learn the setup first.
The Odyssey Bench Mat lies flat on any bench, uses an Advanced Grip Polymer surface, is tested by 700 lb+ benchers and rated 4.98 out of 5 by 208 reviewers. Not legal on a competition platform; a training tool. Compared with strap-on covers in this guide.
2. Chalk (grip)
What it does: stops the bar rotating in a sweaty hand, which otherwise changes your wrist angle under load. Which kind: liquid in a commercial gym, because it makes no cloud and leaves the bar clean for the next lifter; block where the gym allows it. Odyssey Liquid Chalk is a four-ingredient lifting formula; Immortal Grip is our chunked block chalk. For sliding on the bench itself, chalk on the pad is the old fix and the mat is the better one; see bench mat vs towel vs chalk.
3. Wrist wraps (support)
What they do: keep the wrist stacked over the forearm on heavy sets, which most lifters feel immediately on top sets above 85%. What to buy: a standard 60 cm or 24 inch wrap in medium stiffness is the safe first pair from any reputable brand. Stiffer wraps for max singles. If you compete, check your federation's approved list.
4. Slingshot-style bands and boards (overload)
What they do: let you handle more weight through part of the range, which builds confidence with heavy loads and trains the lockout. When: after your setup is consistent. Overloading an unstable setup teaches you to press from a moving base. Any brand's version works; the mechanics are the same.
5. Shoes with a flat, hard sole (leg drive)
Running shoes compress and wobble under leg drive. A flat, hard sole, whether a dedicated lifting shoe or a canvas flat, gives your feet something solid to push against. If you bench with a heel, a squat shoe does the job. Generic recommendation; buy what fits.
6. A notebook or app (consistency)
The least glamorous accessory and the one most correlated with progress. Write down the setup that worked: foot position, grip width, where your upper back sat. The mat helps here too, because the surface under your back is the same in every gym.
What to skip
- Gloves. They thicken the bar, reduce feel, and a sweaty glove slides as much as a sweaty palm. Chalk does the job.
- Cushioned bench pads. Padding is not grip. A thick soft pad lets your upper back sink and shift.
- Grip-changing attachments that move the bar out of the position you compete in.
The order to buy
- Chalk, if you do not use it.
- A bench mat, if you slide. Film a heavy set from the side to check.
- Wrist wraps, once your top sets get heavy.
- Overload tools, once your setup is the same every session.
The two we make, the Odyssey Bench Mat and Odyssey Liquid Chalk, ship from our US warehouse to the US, Canada and worldwide and carry a 90-day money-back guarantee. Together they are the core of what Odyssey makes.
Questions lifters ask
What accessories help the bench press most?
Setup tools first: a bench mat so your upper back stays planted and leg drive reaches the bar, chalk so the bar does not move in your hands, and wrist wraps for heavy pressing. Overload tools like slingshot-style bands and boards come after your setup is consistent.
Do I need chalk for bench press?
For a heavy bench, yes. A bar that rotates in a sweaty hand changes your wrist angle mid-rep. Liquid chalk keeps the bar clean for the next lifter, which matters on a shared bench.
Are bench mats legal in competition?
No. They are training tools. The IPF rules forbid foreign substances on the equipment, and nothing goes on the platform bench. Use the mat in training to build a consistent setup.
What bench press accessories are a waste of money?
Anything that replaces learning the setup: fancy grips that change bar position, and most 'bench press pads' that cushion rather than grip. Gloves also tend to thicken the bar and reduce feel.
