At 5:52 of Alan thrall's explanation of how to bench press, he says to unrack the bar by dragging it horizontally. I can't seem to pull this off. However, in certain other videos, an explanation is given involving lifting the but up to lift the barbell and then keeping the butt back down when it's in air.
How was Alan able to unrack in his method of instruction without losing tightness? `
There is no “correct” way to unrack the barbell when doing the bench press. When trying any particular method, you should stick with it because it works for you, not because it works for someone else. My unrack looks nothing like Alan’s. I set my hips down and leg drive back before unracking, then press up and back (while maintaining upper back tightness), before pulling the bar forward with my lats after I’ve fully locked out against the uprights. You just have to try different methods until you find one that works for you. The most important bit to take away from that portion of Alan’s video is do not lose tightness in your upper back.