Important things to remember when training the Bench Press....

Bench Press Set Up (technique) is crucial if you want to bench big weights. Use good form all the time so you don't get into any bad habits. Once you get set up on the bench, start squeezing the bar. This seems to tighten up the whole body. I like to squeeze my glutes also and drive my heals thru the floor. The Bottom Line...thru the floor thu the bench thru the bar....

Work your RAW Bench; don't always rely on your bench shirt. If you increase your raw strength your shirt bench will go up too. I personally like doing barbell pause reps, they have helped me ALOT.

Rotator Cuff Exercises; If you have ever had a rotator cuff problem you know it's very hard to bench, even very light weight. These exercises are crucial if you wanna bench big weights. I do theses exercises before I bench (2 x week) with only a 5-10 pound weight, 3-4 sets x 10-15 reps with a short peroids between sets. Doing them before benching warms up your shoulders so there's less chance of any injury.

Don't Overtrain, try to make your workouts last no more than an hour. Two exercises per body part 1-2 days per week. I have always said "Less is better than more". Train smart not hard and you'll have long career in benching.

Bench Press Article by....Ricky Dale Crain

The Bench Press:
 Most people's concept of bench pressing is to just let the bar come to the chest stop and/or bounce it and just press it up.  I assume this style is okay if you have no plans of ever improving a whole lot or ever competing.  Bench pressing is divided into four main areas of technique:
 -The set-up (which is you the person)
-The lift-off
-The descent of bar
-The ascent of the bar
 All areas are important to achieve the maximum amount weight lifted not only in the contest but also in training for the contest.
 
As in squatting, tight is the key word, and working on the shortest distance the bar travels is what we are looking and striving for.
 
The set-up:
 This is a very critical component of the bench press.  Most lifters who fail in a big bench or raise the bar or level for injury do so because of a poor set-up.  As you lay down on the bench we already assume you are stretched and as limber as you can be.  Your feet should be in a position on the floor where they can get sufficient footing and traction.  I realize that most meet promoters, it is sad to say, fail more in this aspect of bench press platform preparation than any other area.  Slick floors, dirt on good floors make feet slip, and slick floors that allow the bench itself to slide when pushing with the feet can negatively affect your set-up.  Work with the judges and meet promoters before the meet to correct this situation.  You have experimented and found the best foot position to allow you to push hard with the feet/legs and not have your rear end come off the bench.  For shorter people this is almost anywhere.  The taller you are the more your feet must be way out in front, way out to the side or way back underneath ”your choice.  Wear a shoe with a heel of some type.  This type of shoe gives you an angle to push against and increases your leverage to push.
 
As you lay down on the bench push yourself into an arch.  The bigger the arch, the higher the chest, the less distance the bar travels...bigger numbers.  You can work on flexibility exercises to increase your arch.  This arch is a biggee and very important, work on it.  I push with my hands against the uprights, as they are right there by my shoulders.  My feet are under me, and my heels tilted out as far as they can.  That feet set-up will lock you into position better.  You should have those shoulders and neck pushing down into the padding of the bench.  Your thighs and hams should be wrapped around the bench and your chin should be tucked into the chest.
 The way you grip the bar is optional in all federations except the IPF and its affiliates, where you must use the thumb around.  If you desire other methods do so in other federations.  A few (very few) use the reverse grip, but a vast majority uses the power grip or thumbless grip.  This grip is much preferred if allowed.  It takes most all the stress off of the shoulders, elbows and wrists.  Thus, the grip alleviates a large percentage of lifters of tendonitis or similar problems.  You should, however, use whatever your federations rules dictate or allow.
 The width of your hands on the bar is crucial.  We want the best leverage without compromising our strong points or build.  The wider the better is usually true.  With the advent of bench press shirts, narrower grips are becoming more common as the shirt helps more with the bottom part of the bench than the top.  I really feel, however, that too narrow of a grip is a bad choice for most lifters.  It leaves out the chance of injury to weakened muscle groups, i.e. the chest and leaves out the largest muscle groups that could be involved in the bench press.  More is better in this case.  If they would continue with the wide grip, until injury or age dictate a closer one, I think they would be much more successful.  This grip brings more of the three muscle groups responsible for benching into play than any other grip.  Chest, shoulders and triceps should be put to the test, and the maximum gain from each used to get the maximum results.
 Squeeze the bar, and pull the elbows in as much as possible.  Squeeze the shoulder blades together (or rotate the shoulders down), whichever way you understand it better.  The result is the same it shortens the distance the bar travels to the chest.  We are on our way to emulating a decline as much as possible (since we all know one can decline more than you can bench).
 

The lift-off:
 Next, the spotter/loader lifts off to you, gingerly and gently, letting go at over the top ab or so.  This position should be about the highest part, i.e. shortest distance for the bar to travel.  Take a deep breath as the bar is lifted out.  I mean a big, deep breath get that chest in the air.  So when you let the bar down, it is the shortest distance for the bar to travel.  Did I mention this is the shortest distance for the bar to travel?  On some it may be a bit further down the ab (for those of you with only one ab, heh heh heh) /abs.
 As the bar is being handed out, emphasize even further the pushing together of the shoulder blades.  You should still be squeezing the bar.  Push hard against the floor with your feet as you take the bar from the spotter/loader.
 
The descent:
 Dr. Tom McLaughlin, PhD....in his book, Bench Press More Now: Breakthrough in Biomechanics and Training Methods, he showed that beginners, and advanced bench pressers had different rates of descent on the norm.  Beginning lifters usually let the bar down to fast, out of control hitting a different spot on the chest each time.  Also, they usually have difficulty in max weights of stopping the weight for a pause and having success in pushing it back up.  The more advanced lifter had twice the time period in the descent and thus the even heavier weight was in control, more easily stopped and paused.  Thus, the ascent was more easily achieved.
 As the bar is slowly let down, remember to pull the arms, flexing the lats.  Do so as to get the triceps to come on to the lat area.  This action will act as a shelf on which to sit.  As you start the upward movement the lats will be flexed and act as a launching pad.  It should take about 2.5 to 3 seconds till it reaches the chest.  It will sit on the highest part of the chest/abs, stopping for a split second pause, then exploding up as you push with everything (as in the squat).  Your feet should be driving against the floor, with shoulders and back against the bench, and with your arms against the bar.  The bar should go straight up, the shortest distance.  Sometimes in the proper position, it will seem as if you are actually pushing toward the feet.  The bar is actually going straight up, not back toward the head, as we taught and were taught for 50 years.  Think decline.
 
You need to make sure in the descent and the ascent the wrists are in a straight position.  Do not let them curl or bend back.  This action will let the bar go in that direction.  It also is hard on the wrists.  A good set of wrist wraps will help some in this for support.

Training Articles...by Critical Bench

50 Keys to a Bigger Bench

http://www.creatinemonohydrate.net/50-Steps-Bigger-Bench.pdf

How to Instantly Increase your Strength on the Bench Press....

http://www.criticalbench.com/bench-press-strength.htm

Do bench shirt make your raw bench weaker?

http://www.criticalbench.com/raw-bench-weaker-shirt-bench.htm 

12 Intelligent Ways to Improve Your Next Workout 

http://www.criticalbench.com/pdf/12ways.pdf 

Bench Shirt Technique...

http://www.criticalbench.com/raw-bench-weaker-shirt-bench.htm