The bench press is probably one of the most popular exercises in the gym. As some of you may already have realised the first question asked between lifters is normally something along the lines of “How much do you bench?”.
There is no doubt that bench pressing one of the most effective exercises, but for most beginners it becomes a reason to try and gain bragging rights. This mentality is usually a one way ticket to an injury. SwoleAndStacked are going to teach you how to not only bench press effectively but safely as well.
Lets start with the basics.
WHAT IS THE BENCH PRESS?
The bench press is an exercise designed to target the upper body. The bench press focuses primarily on the pectoral major and minor muscles. It also stimulates the near by supporting muscles such as the triceps, anterior deltoids, serratus anterior and scapulae fixers.
HOW TO PERFORM THE BENCH PRESS?
A person barbell bench pressing will be lying on there back with the weight racked above them. You should pinch your shoulder blades together, plant your feet firmly and keep your backside on the bench. So many people seem to feel the need to lift there body off the bench. This is likely to cause injury and an arched back should only really be used by a powerlifter as they need to shorten the range of motion (ROM) in order to push heavier weights. The difference in grip can can put more or less emphasis on the different muscles. A narrow grip will provide more stimulation to the triceps and increase the ROM. A wider grip will stimulate the pectorals and shoulder but provide a shorter ROM.
BENCH PRESS SETUP
If you are aiming to use the bench press to stimulate the pectoral muscles the grip you use shouldn’t be to narrow. Go for a grip that allows your forearms to be perpendicular to the floor. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your chest up high. By keeping your chest up this will help you to keep your back tight and minimize the risk of injury. Plant your feet firmly on the floor in a wide stance, this will prevent exaggerated arching of the back. Squeeze the bar hard and un rack the weight with straight rigid arms. Slowly lower the weight keeping your forearms perpendicular to the floor when looking from the side. To complete the lift press the weight back up in a straight line and avoid jerky movements.
Video Demonstration
BENEFITS OF THE BENCH PRESS?
- Great compound movement that will add muscle to your chest, triceps and shoulders. An exercise that the great Arnold Schwarzenegger made his very own in the 70′s and 80′s.
- Bench pressing is a great way to build overall upper body strength. It is 1 of the 3 strongman lifts.
SAFETY FIRST
Most injuries occur from the bench press. This may be down to it being the most used exercise but if done with correct form you should have no problems. Sometimes even with correct form there can be a reason as to why a person may injure themselves. If you follow these 3 rules and use correct form you cannot go wrong.
- Start with a light weight and gradually increase it as you become more confortable with bench pressing. It gives you a chance to get the bench press technique perfect.
- Do not use thumbless grips. You may see people who bench press without gripping it with their thumbs. Do not do this, it does not help in anyway and will only increase the chances of the bar slipping out of your hands.
- Use a spotter when lifting heavy weight. The spotter can always help you push that last rep or even save you if the bar gets stuck on your chest.
COMMON ERRORS WHEN BENCH PRESSING
- Un racking the weight with bent arms – By doing this you automatically put yourself at risk of dropping the weight straight on your face.
- Bending of the wrists – You will cause damage to your wrists if you do this. Simply put the bar in the palm of your hand, grip it tightly and then squeeze so the bar doesn’t move.
- Backside off the bench – This will only cause unnecessary tension on your back. It will also make the press easier, if you think that by making it easier is a good thing then give up now. Leave your ego behind nobody likes a person trying to lift weight that is clearly to heavy for them. Not only that but you increase the chance of injury massively.
- Rolling Shoulders – Do not let your shoulders roll forward, it not only creates bad posture but it will increase shoulder injury and will also mean you aren’t keeping your back tight and shoulder blades back.
