Allowing a lifter to rise on his/her toes allows more leeway for individuality, namely for lifters who like to set a very high arch but lack the dorsiflexion or have much longer legs to do so heels flat. Also, some find they get a better leg drive from this start. I benched this way for some time but now trade the high arch for the stability of flat feet, as being on your toes feels a little too wobbly to me.
Heels off the floor will help the lifter that uses a super arch , which is harder to get for some with the heels down . The heels down lifter usually relies on more leg drive and the lifter on their toes relies more on that super arch for leverage
On Toes Bench Press
As Phillippe and Rif state, benching off the toes, allows most individual to obtain a better arch. It is more of a Decline Bench. Most individual should be able to Decline Bench Press more than they Flat Bench.
Flat Foot Bench Press
There is more stability with the whole foot on the floor. As per Rif and Philippe, that probably allows you to produce more leg drive. That is what I noticed.
The head is lifted upon the bar touching the chest and is driven back hard into the bench and initiates a reflex
The Tonic Neck Reflex
Lifting the head and driving it back into the bench, elicits the Tonic Neck Reflex; something we have discussed before on this site. The Tonic Neck Reflex allows you produce more force.
Generally speaking, driving your head back in Pressing Movements and tuck your head down into your chest on Pulling Movements, like Lat Pulldown and Curls, elicit the Tonic Neck Reflex. Many individual do it without thinking about it or knowing what it is.
As far as lifting the head it seems that helps many( especially those that use bench shirts )get leverage in the bottom of the press by activating cervical flexors. One can also drive the head back into the bench at the start helping create momentum after the pause
Bench Shirt Stretch Reflex
As Rif essentially states, lifting the head and driving it back down into the bench in a Bench Press shirt utilize the stretch of the shirt, which produces momentum off the chest. You get a bit of a running or at least a moving start.
Effect of bench shirts on bench press performance
Elastic potential energy
The deformation of the whole shirt-arm (
i.e. , to lower the bar) (Fig. 5)
requires a gre589 lbsat deal of energy.
This elastic potential energy will be returned to allow the shirt to return to its original shape (
i.e. , to raise the bar) (Fig. 6). Of course, the shirt is not everything. But as the results of this study show, the difference between performance without and with shirt may be quite impressive.
The head is lifted upon the bar touching the chest and is driven back hard into the bench and initiates a reflex that “pops” the bar off the chest ... Also, since some people will say this method is heaving,
Sinking the Bar Into The Chest and Heaving It Off The Chest
In lifting the head the chest drops down a little.
In driving the head back into the bench, the chest will arc up.
As Rif said, "Helping create momentum after the pause."
A little bit of driving the bar off the chest in this manner with a Bench Shirt is allowed.
If it is excessive, the lift is turned down for "Heaving'.
Then there is the in between where it is questionable. As a referee, when in question, I defer to the rule in baseball; the tie goes to the runner or in this case the lifter.
I fricking hate gray area. That one of the reason we have three referees. You rely on the other to pick it up and come to their own conclusion of if it marginally passed or failed.
The same applies with the..
The Pause In The Bench
One of greatest Benchers of all time was Doug Young, 242 lb lifter.
At a meet, Young (benching in a T-Shirt) called for a third World Record attempt at 589 lb/267.5 kg.
Young anticipated the "Press Command", driving the bar up a split second before the signal. The lift was red lighted.
Young then took 611 lbs/277.5 kg. Young again anticipated the "Press Command" at the precise moment it was given, successfully driving with weight up for three white lights.
As per Young, his training sessions revolved around "Anticipating The Signal".
This method should be employed by all competitive lifters.
The Stretch Reflex
Research (Wllson, Supertraining, the book) found that up to 50% of the Stretch Reflex dissipates in one (1) second. After 4 seconds, the Stretch Reflex is complete gone.
Research also has determined that up to 18% more force is produces when the Stretch Reflex is triggered.
That means, in the Bench Press, metaphorically speaking, "The longer it sits, the heavier it gets."
Which Method Is Optimal For You
Each method works. Some experimentation is required over a period of time.
Personally, I prefer benching on my toes.
By doing so, it allows me to perform more of a Decline Bench Press: less stress is placed on the shoulders.