Pin presses are the real deal but they must be done right for maximum progression and injury prevention. Starting with the form, you must pay attention to the setup otherwise an injury awaits. Examine the bench in relation to the barbell’s center knurling and see if the rack is twisted. Small misgrooves can result in a pec/shoulder strain, so it’s important to double check the bar placement. A trick is to unrack the weight from the uprights, then lower it to the pins which ensures flawless starting positions each time. This is similar to a dead bench especially if you wait some seconds which develops incredible bottom pressing strength. If you simply want to do regular repetitions, a brief pause is fine to eliminate bouncing from the pins.
Next recognize that you don’t have to go 100% for pin presses. I would say a safer bet is 90%, or the classic 3-5×1 setup. Or maybe capping it 95% tops, since you’ll get the absolute strength benefits without extra fatigue. Maximizing longevity is what we’re looking for. On that note, feel free to modify the variations and incorporate the slingshot which enables extra bottom protection. You may elevate the bench on small mats to mimic a decline, which can add 5-10lbs to the lift. The point is not to overload, but rather to minimize injury risk. Finally, I recommend adding in close grip presses while rotating the pin heights. These variations will overcome the law of accommodation and allow you to keep pin pressing for longer training blocks. With concurrent periodization, exercise rotation is easy to employ. Week 1 can be close grip low pin press, week 2 standard pin press, week 3 a pin height higher, week 4 with a slingshot. So enjoy the gains my friend, your pressing strength is about to explode!
