In the case of a better bench. Some guys put their feet on the bench to force themselves to keep good form. If you don’t have this problem, it’s not necessary. I find when I start arching my back on my lifts, its more weight lifting than bodybuilding. Sure the weight is going up, but it takes a lot of the isolation off of you chest muscles, and distributes it more throughout the rest of your body (triceps, shoulder, back, legs). Each has its benefits though, so don’t limit yourself to one or the other. Also, make sure that your ass stays planted. I mean, a little cheating here and there is OK, but when you look over and some guy looks like he’s pressing with an invisible decline bench underneath him, there is something wrong. If its that heavy, lower the weight! As for the grip, definitely thumbless for me. I find that it enables me to push more weight. Also great for rowing of any sort, it really allows you to isolate the back and keep your forearms and biceps out of it! :/: