Build strength, power, muscular endurance, hypertrophy or movement skill. Use The Launch Pad to establish the torso support and usable movement range that suit the exercise, then prescribe the load, speed, effort and rest that serve your goal.
From one exercise to a coordinated training environment.On this pageGoals⌄
Turn better execution into purposeful training.
Torso support helps you maintain alignment as the working joints move. In pressing, the contoured sides give the shoulders and upper arms room to travel under load. In supported isolation work, limiting body swing helps keep effort on the intended muscle. For strength and power, focus on producing force through the complete press. For hypertrophy work, direct attention to the target muscle initiating and controlling the chosen joint action.
Programming by goal
Choose the adaptation. Coach the work.
Strength
Build force in the press you want to improve. The four-week and eight-week trials reported greater bench-press strength gains with The Launch Pad in their tested programs. Plant the feet, establish torso and lumbar support, and coordinate your grip and arm path. After a controlled lowering phase, drive the bar with forceful intent. Progress the load while maintaining the lift’s range and execution standard, and include conventional-bench practice when competition performance is the task.
Power
Develop the ability to express force quickly. The acute study recorded faster bar speeds with The Launch Pad, and the eight-week trial reported greater gains in seated medicine-ball throw distance, an explosive-performance measure. For pressing power work, lower under control and press with maximal acceleration intent while keeping foot and torso contact. Use short sets and a load that meets your speed target, with enough rest to preserve output. Adjust or stop the set when speed falls beyond the session target.
Muscular endurance
Sustain useful muscular work as fatigue builds. The eight-week trial reported greater improvement in repetitions to fatigue on the NFL-225 bench test with The Launch Pad. For your own endurance work, define the load, range and repetition standard before starting. Maintain torso contact and the pressing path as the set becomes demanding. Progress the repetitions or duration you can complete at that standard, ending the set at the planned effort or technique limit.
Hypertrophy
Make the intended muscle carry demanding work through the movement. Set the body position and establish muscular tension before starting the repetition. In a supported chest fly, control the stretch and focus on the pectorals drawing the upper arms inward. In a supported curl or raise, keep body swing from helping the weight through the hard part. Select a load that fits the planned repetitions and tempo, then progress the work while preserving the target action.
Movement skill
Learn how your body position, joint path and resistance fit together. Rehearse the movement without load to establish the range you can actively use, then add manageable resistance. In a press, keep the torso connected while the shoulders and upper arms move through the lowering and pressing phases. Use feedback on the bar or handle path to improve consistency before adding more load, speed or fatigue.
02 · Build the prescription
Write a prescription you can coach and progress.
01
Equipment & pad position
Record the bench or machine, angle, pad and lumbar position, attachment and body contact that establish the exercise.
02
Movement standard
Define the working joint action, grip or stance, arm path, loaded range and any pause or tempo. Identify the muscle or performance task you want that effort to serve.
03
Loading & effort
Set load and effort for the goal. Power work needs a speed standard; hypertrophy and endurance work need a clear effort and technique endpoint. Record bands or assistance alongside the external load.
04
Sets, reps & weekly plan
Plan sets, repetitions, rest and frequency around the goal, total weekly work and recovery. Place speed-dependent work where fatigue will not compromise its purpose.
05
When to stop the set
Stop at the planned repetitions, effort target, speed loss or change in execution. Choose the stopping rule before the set so fatigue does not redefine the task.
06
What to check next time
Progress the variable that represents the goal: load for strength, output for power, sustained work for endurance, demanding muscular work for hypertrophy, or execution quality for skill.
03 · Session architecture
Fit applications into a whole session.
Give each exercise a job within the session. Place the priority performance task first, then use supported accessory work to train the muscles and movements that serve it.
Upper-body session
Priority press or explosive pressing task → supported pull → targeted shoulder or arm work. Use chest support in a row to reduce torso heave and let the back produce the pull; use the accessory slots for focused muscular work.
Lower-body session
Priority lower-body lift → compatible machine work → targeted hip extension. In each station, check that the pad placement preserves the joint action and lets the intended leg or glute muscles carry the work.
Compact floor session
Floor-supported press → controlled trunk work. Establish the actual pressing range and torso contact for each exercise, then match the resistance and effort to that task.
04 · Evaluate the change
Run a useful comparison.
01
Familiarize
Learn the new setup before judging it from a single unfamiliar attempt.
02
Hold key details
Keep a chosen exercise and execution standard long enough to judge progress. Progress one variable at a time while keeping the task recognizable from session to session.
03
Record the response
Log load and repetitions, bar speed when relevant, the working range and changes in technique. When execution breaks down, review the setup, movement path and fatigue before choosing an accessory to address the cause.
04
Decide
Keep, refine or remove the application according to the original goal.
When comparing setups, keep the grip, load, exercise and effort standard consistent, and record any change in range. Use the comparison to decide whether the added support or movement space helps you perform the intended work.
05 · For facilities & teams
Make the setup transferable.
Standardize stations
Document the compatible bench or machine, strap routing, pad position and required settings. Keep the reference near the station.
Teach the handoff
Make setup checks part of the transition between athletes. A quick diagram or reference photo can prevent repeated guesswork.
Track the application
Use a consistent exercise name in the training log. Include the support position when it changes the task athletes are being asked to repeat.
06 · Take it into the weight room
A concise application record.
Copy into your training log
Goal → setup → observation → decision
Athlete / session __________________Training objective __________________Exercise / equipment __________________Pad position / contacts __________________Grip / stance / range __________________Load / effort / set rule __________________Work completed __________________What to keep or change __________________
42 intermediate-trained men · 12 supervised sessions
Standard flat bench+11.1 kg
The Launch Pad®+18.4 kg
0 kg25 kg · mean gain
Both groups completed the same four-week eccentric-overload protocol. The tested difference was the bench interface. Between-group difference: 7.3 kg; p < .001; Hedges’ g = 3.85.Read the numbers & source
Bars show reported mean changes from zero on the same 0–25 kg scale. Standard deviations are reported here, not drawn as error bars: flat bench 11.1 ± 2.4 kg; Launch Pad 18.4 ± 4.3 kg.
The groups completed matched eight-week off-season programs with different bench interfaces. Between-group comparison: p < .001; Hedges’ g = 3.99.Read the numbers & source
Bars show reported mean changes from zero on the same 0–25 kg scale. Standard deviations are reported here, not drawn as error bars: flat bench 9.7 ± 3.4 kg; Launch Pad 19.4 ± 4.3 kg.
The four-week trial used CARE eccentric overload at 150% of concentric load in both groups and reported greater strength gains with The Launch Pad. The eight-week trial reported greater gains in bench strength, repetitions to fatigue and seated medicine-ball throw distance within an off-season program. The acute trial measured greater bar travel, pectoral activation and bar velocity; its power difference was not statistically significant. Use the study pages for the full protocols, then apply the relevant goal to your own exercise selection and execution.
Advanced Muscle Mechanics®
Put the training goal into every repetition.
Choose the exercise, establish the support and joint path, and progress the muscular or performance task you set out to train.
