Should you train pause reps or touch-and-go? Here’s a simple rule of thumb:
Pause the first rep of every set, no matter the phase of training.
Hypertrophy (higher reps) → Pause rep 1, then touch-and-go the rest.
Strength & Peaking (low reps) → Pause rep 1 of each set (or the whole set if doing singles).
Why?
Competition benching requires a pause—you need to practice how you’ll perform.
If your pause bench is significantly weaker than your touch-and-go, add more paused reps per set.
After a few months, your paused bench will feel automatic and ready for meet day.
Bottom Line: Train pause reps regularly to maximize meet-day performance!
