The simple truth is that the bench press horizontal bench is considered the optimal choice for pumping up the upper body. This detailed guide will show you the correct technique, a list of the muscles worked and variations of the press.
Many pioneers, when they come to the gym, are immediately faced with incorrect technique. Someone needs to point newbies in the right direction. A manual, a photo with instructions, or a demonstration video of this article can serve as an assistant.
The sooner we thoroughly study the basics, the better the muscles will begin to grow. It is required to thoroughly study the intricacies of the bench press.
What is a bench press?
The bench press is the most important compound exercise for gaining significant chest muscle and strength. Execution involve top part bodies. Pumping up your chest can increase your strength. The table below shows the muscles involved during the exercise.
Muscles involved
You should familiarize yourself with the options.
Classic press
Classic style is a popular position. Performed horizontally on a bench press. The athlete holds the iron bar under the measurements with outstretched arms. Lower it by touching the pectoral muscles. Then squeeze to the full amplitude of your arms. The duration of the pause is a second.
Bench press
It is possible to carry out work in a frame while protecting your training. An athlete who has problems with extensor mechanisms should only train here. It allows you to limit the amplitude of movement by selecting the desired angles. Painful sensations must disappear. It is not recommended to press with minimal pain.
Smith machine press
The legendary Smith machine has a multifunctional type of mount. The athlete lies down on a bench, having previously secured the bar horizontally. The advantage of the frame is that it can be performed without insurance. A special setting in case of loss of the barbell from your hands will preserve your health.
Rapid Incline Press
Another type of bench press. The athlete works at a different angle. Thanks to the additional trajectory, the upper part of the pectoral muscles is worked out. The higher you place your head on the bench, the more the load increases.
By changing your grip you can balance the angular load when in different forms grip The load will go where it needs to go. A wide grip is more aimed at pumping up the middle of the chest, while a narrow grip falls on the triceps and lower chest.
An incline bench will help remove stagnation in your bench press. You need to vary the training process, pumping up the top, bottom and middle of the chest.
One-touch or quick press
A fast style of touch pressing builds endurance.
Horizontal variation requires the following:
- You need to grasp the bar firmly with both palms.
- Slowly lower the bar with the weight.
- You can't press it.
- Survive with explosive force without exhaling until your elbows are fully straightened.
- Your feet should be firmly pressed to the floor, your chest should be out, your lower back bent forward.
- Retract your shoulder blades slightly.
Exclusiveness from classic squats - the ability to squeeze in a similar way heavy weights. A safe angle prevents the risk of injury. Achieved thanks to a small angle of movement trajectory.
Technique for performing the bench press in animation
Hand position
Grasp the iron bar with both hands. Squeeze the iron tightly with your palms. Distance 60 centimeters from hands. Use your thumb to cover the top of the round iron part of the fingerboard. It is not recommended to use five fingers together. A little secret - to increase the working weight you need to squeeze the barbell tightly with your palms.
Correct finger position
Bring your pectoral muscles forward upward. Position will help you adjust your breast exposure technique gluteal muscles. Press them tightly to the surface of the bench, bend your back and stand on the bridge. Twisting the body thus achieves a reduction in amplitude. The productivity of the exercise increases.
Stability is important for movement. Dangling of the body, arms, legs is unacceptable. You can increase stability by using the shoulder blades on your back. Bring them together and press them against the bench. The barbell can be handed to you or removed from the safety holders yourself. The elbows are straight, the legs are pressed to the floor, the chest is exposed and the projectile is in line with the eyes.
Position of feet on the floor
The position of the feet on the floor is the most problematic place for beginners and experienced athletes. Legs shouldn't run around like they're dancing. Place your feet under your knees, spreading your legs out to the sides as support pillars. You cannot tear it off while moving. If the weight is heavy and the hips of the legs move, then this is normal.
The tilt of the projectile must be performed at an angle. The bar below is forced to lightly touch the chest. Pressing is contraindicated. Breaking this rule can result in serious injury. Possible death.
Turn your elbows 75 degrees. You cannot press your elbows to your body due to a lack of full amplitude. The wrists should be in one position without swinging. It is forbidden to spread your elbows to the sides due to the risk of injury. Watch your technique even during light weights.
The upper section should be held completely on straightened elbows. Pointing forward is extremely dangerous. It’s easy to get injured in the elbows, stomach, or head. Leaning backwards threatens the life of the athlete. Watch the fixation carefully. If you have problems with technique, then ask a specialized trainer for help. Hone your technique with light weights.
Bench pressing on your own is unacceptable. If you have a bench with safety restraints, then it is allowed. Safety stands will help the athlete protect himself from unforeseen situations.
Correct breathing
Correct breathing is achieved through the starting position. Grab the bar with your hands. Lower along the trajectory without exhaling. A good breath provides a more powerful stretch of the chest fibers and fixation of the body core.
You can't breathe out down there. When you have reached halfway, you can exhale. You will get a powerful reflex push. You cannot empty your lungs to avoid losing control.
Years of progress and honing of bench press skills contributed to the growth of the overall level. Therefore, it is worth highlighting the main tips for perfect work:
- The pause below is no more than one second. Inertia will make it possible to quickly squeeze out the weight. After stopping at the bottom, the person slows down the movement at the level of reflexes, and muscle fibers stop being fully involved in work. And if there are a lot of repetitions, then it is more difficult to squeeze the weight further. You will have to endure for the scales to move forward.
- Inhaling air into the lungs is necessary to stabilize the levers of the body. They will be safe thanks to the strong push. The muscles will start working better, and the joints will not get injured.
- When passing the “dead point” of the most difficult section, you need to exhale strongly.
- You need to hold your breath for up to 3 seconds.
- The legs serve as support pushers for holding and fixing the body.
Who should do it? The exercise is intended for an athlete of any level. It is better to do the base at the beginning of the workout. Then add, include the Svend press, machines and triceps. For strength, it is better to do 3-4 sets of 3-6 repetitions. Endurance 6-12.
Doesn't exist more effective than a simulator than the bench press. Perfectly solves the problem of increasing mass and strength indicators. The trajectory falls to the center, but surprisingly three chest points work. In case of missing areas, include additional simulators for completion.
The basic press strengthens the arms, makes the blow stronger, and increases the power of the throw.
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Large and embossed pectoral muscles have always been held in high esteem. But, in order to make them like this, you need to train hard using effective exercises.
The basic exercise for working the chest is the well-known bench press. Of course, it is one of the most popular ways to increase the muscle size of the pectorals.
This exercise also involves the shoulder girdle and arms. In this article we will take a detailed look at the bench press, the correct technique for performing it and common mistakes, as well as world records for strongmen.
The bench press is a multi-joint basic physical exercise using free weights (to free weights includes loose equipment such as barbells, weights, dumbbells).
Due to the fact that this exercise involves a significant part of the muscles of the upper body and allows you to achieve a comprehensive increase in their strength and mass, it is an indispensable element training process among athletes of various disciplines.
Also, the bench press exists as an independent sport and one of three disciplines in powerlifting - powerlifting.
Muscles involved
The main work in the bench press is performed by the pectoralis major and minor muscles, which are responsible for moving the arms in relation to the body and spreading the shoulder blades.
The assistants are the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and triceps. In different versions of the press, the load is distributed in a certain way, loading specific areas with targeted impact. muscle groups from those listed above.
The antagonist muscles in the bench press are latissimus muscle back and biceps.
Varieties
A complete classification of the entire variety of bench press variations is worthy of a separate book, but if we omit purely powerlifting practices and less popular unusual presses (for example, on the floor), then it is worth highlighting the following variations that are applicable in bodybuilding.
1. The grip width can be classic (medium), wide and narrow. In the classic grip, the palms are located slightly wider than the shoulders, which usually corresponds to a distance of 50-60 cm.
It balances the load on all muscles involved in the exercise, without creating a distortion. On the other hand, such versatility does not allow you to fully work out any muscle group.
Therefore, to target a specific muscle group, you need to use more specialized grips: wide and narrow.
A wide grip involves a greater distance between the palms than a classic grip and significantly engages the pectoral muscles and those areas that are inaccessible to work with a classic grip.
With a wide grip, many athletes are tempted to use their chest as a shock absorber, “bouncing” the barbell away from it as they lower. This is a gross violation of the technique of performing the exercise, since “beating” disrupts the breathing rhythm and increases the risk of injury chest.
My respect, dear readers! Today I am pleased to present to your attention another “delicious” article, which will be devoted to such an exercise as the bench press. I think that many beginners have problems with it, and therefore there is nothing easier than to tell you about the mistakes in its implementation, correct technique and, of course, how you can increase your bench press performance. We will talk about this and much more in our article.
So let's begin our story.
Theory and practice of bench press
What do you think is the most popular exercise in any gym? That's right, bench press. Almost anyone can do it, more or less. experienced athlete, and newcomers are simply delighted with it. I don’t know about you, but in our rocking chair you’re constantly boiling right next to the bench with the barbell. Everyone is literally vying with each other to do the coveted bench press. But these are still the beginnings; the fruits begin when you see that almost everyone has their own unique technique for performing it. Sometimes you look like this and think to yourself: “But men don’t know” :).
Indeed, mass appeal and popularity to some extent left their mark on this exercise. After all, it is thought that if it is massive, then everything is simple - just press and press, and you don’t need to know any special techniques, but this is far from the case.
Many people, when they initially come to the gym, immediately develop the wrong technique for performing the bench press, make mistakes, and drag this whole “baggage of knowledge” along with them until someone guides them on the right path. For many, this exercise is very difficult, i.e., for example, only the pectoral muscle should work, and everyone receives the load, but not it. Many have to consciously refuse this exercise and wait for “better times.” There can only be one way out here - initially (thoroughly) understand all the subtleties and nuances of performing the exercise and tell yourself that you are doing everything correctly. Well, let's go enlighten ourselves.
Anatomical atlas
We already briefly talked about the bench press, for example, in the article. However, our story was superficial and, so to speak, for show (damn, I got burned). Today we will catch up and learn everything possible and impossible about this most massive gym exercise of all time.
And we will start, as usual, with theory.
The bench press is a compound, compound, free-weight exercise that is best suited for developing strength and mass in the upper body muscle groups. The main load falls on the pectoralis major muscle, with additional work being done on the triceps and deltoids.
In bodybuilding, there are various variations of the bench press, for example:
- Classical;
It is done lying on your back on a horizontal bench. Starting position- the barbell is held strictly with outstretched arms. The lowering occurs until it touches the chest, and then the bar (after a short pause) again squeezes out onto outstretched arms.
- Touch press;
After the bar lightly touches the chest, it instantly moves powerfully upward.
- Rack press;
The athlete takes a position inside the power frame. The starting position of the bar is positioned on the limiters installed at chest levels. Typically, this option is used if the athlete has a certain injury that limits the range of motion of the apparatus, or when there is no belay partner nearby.
- Smith machine press;
Errors during execution
Of course, as in any exercise, quite a lot of mistakes are made in the bench press, therefore, knowing the “enemy in person”, you will no longer need to think about them. So, let's start in order, I have compiled the top 7 mistakes that were made by everyone who crossed the threshold of the gym and lay down on the bench for bench presses.
Mistake #1. Bad warm-up
Very often, many people neglect warming up, thinking that this is a useless activity that brings no benefit other than a waste of time and effort. So, if you neglect the warm-up, especially before serious multi-joint exercises, then you are guaranteed to have unpleasant consequences. Therefore, carefully heat the frying pan for the upper muscles shoulder girdle And lumbar region, because they will experience a serious load.
Mistake #2. Wrong grip
If you work with small “press weights”, then an “open” grip ( thumb join the rest) can be fully used. When increasing the weight of the projectile, it is necessary to use only a “closed” grip (the bar is in the ring between the fingers).
Mistake #3. Self-removal of the barbell from the racks
Many people very often (especially in the last heavy approaches) try to independently remove the barbell from the racks and bring it to the chest. It is highly undesirable to do this, because... For muscles, lifting under weight is an extremely unnatural and traumatic movement.
Mistake #4. I'm a bridge worker
Most novice athletes, when performing a bench press, stand in the so-called “bridge” lotus position (lifting the pelvis off the bench and arching the lower back upward). This technique reduces the amplitude of movement of the projectile and simplifies the exercise, but if you have weak muscles back, this could lead to injury.
Mistake #5. “Lone wolf”
Not everyone in the room has a belay partner. However, when working even with moderate weights, it is extremely necessary. Your partner will always help you in difficult times and take a heavy burden off your shoulders.
Mistake #6. Partner incompetence
It happens very often that there is a partner, but his qualifications leave much to be desired. By performing the belay incorrectly or by...mmmm...facing the moment of rendering assistance, your partner can only harm you. Therefore, either the “insurer” is experienced, or the chest is resting today.
Mistake #7. Spring
Very often, many beginners use the trampoline or spring technique. It consists in the fact that when lowering the bar, they slightly spring up the “pressure” with the chest. So, doing this is not only wrong, but also dangerous, because you can secretly get microcracks in the ribs.
Actually, these are the main errors that occur when executing bench press.
Execution technique
At first glance, it may seem that the barbell press is probably the simplest movement in bodybuilding. And really, what’s so complicated about it, I lay down more comfortably and “pressed” harder. However, in reality everything is much more complicated, because in order to correctly perform this multi-joint exercise, you need to know physiological basis muscle work. We’ll talk about them later, but first…
I would like to say that the bench press is an exercise that attracts the most spectators in the gym; when someone does it and takes a more or less decent weight, the whole room freezes in anticipation with thoughts - will he take it or not? And if the declared weight is achieved, this seriously increases your rating in the eyes of your fellow iron workers and adds a countless number of karma points to your piggy bank.
So, let's move on to theoretical practice.
Doing any exercise (even isolated) At least two muscles are always involved in the work. In turn, they are all divided into: synergists and antagonists. The muscles that flex the limb are antagonists to the extensor muscles. Synergists are those muscles that work in one direction.
Note:
Antagonist muscles: biceps-triceps, latissimus dorsi-pectoralis.
When performing any movement, muscles work not only in their usual physiological modes, but also in a specific mode - they develop static force. Those. they help to perform the exercise technically correctly, stabilizing the position different parts bodies.
Muscles participate in work in different ways and take on the load - some more, some less, in other words, muscles, according to the nature of the work performed, can be divided into:
- basic driving units (LP/VP);
- technical units (C) .
The first include the muscles that make the greatest contribution to the developed force of the exercise; these are the so-called primary/immediate movers (ND). Also included in the first group are auxiliary movers (AM) - synergistic muscles that work in the same direction as the main muscles and help move the limb.
The second category includes stabilizers (C) - they help to perform the movement technically correctly, fixing the posture and position of various parts of the body during powerful efforts.
Once you understand which muscles form the foundation of the exercises, it will be easier for you to perform them. In addition, you can choose best exercises to develop the muscle groups you need. Because our task for today is to learn how to technically correctly and correctly perform the bench press, so the following image (clickable),demonstrating muscles and exercises, the role of which is especially important when performing the bench press, it will come in handy.
By performing the above exercises, you will powerfully develop the anatomical atlas of the muscles involved in the bench press, which will ultimately allow you to increase your muscle size and strength.
Well, now let's move on directly to the technical part.
I'll tell you a secret secret. In the bench press, I always felt the pectoral muscles rather weakly, i.e. no, my triceps or shoulders didn’t get tired, I just felt like my pecs were numb. Of course, the first thing I did was to once again pay attention to the technique and make some adjustments, and my second step was to work on the main and auxiliary moving muscles.
So, as for the correct technique for performing a classic bench press with free weight, it looks like this.
In motion so...
- Foot position ( 1 )
The strength success of the entire exercise depends on how the athlete lies down and what position his feet take. It is necessary to place your feet quite wide (shoulder width apart) and firmly fix them on the floor. They shouldn't squirm when you press the weight. Throughout the exercise, press them firmly into the floor. The muscles of the thighs and buttocks are tense, they should slightly lift you from the bench, but the pelvis should not lift off. You need to bend well at the lower back. Lock yourself in this tense position.
- Grip ( 2 )
Grasp the bar with a wide (closed) grip. Often there are special notches on the bar to more accurately determine the position of the grip width, but you should understand that they are not universal and are only suitable for “standard” guys. In general, the width depends on your height, the structure of the shoulder joints, the length of your arms, etc. When gripping, it is best to focus on the verticality of the forearms at the lowest point of the trajectory. Keep the bar as close to the base of your palm as possible, do not let it fall towards the base of your fingers. Squeeze the barbell itself with sufficient force. Keep your elbows strictly under the bar. The pressing movement occurs in one plane.
- Rod position ( 3 )
The reference point for lowering the bar may not be any specific part of the sternum. (most often, the middle), but an imaginary line connecting your elbows. The wider the elbows are, the closer the bar is to the face. You need to lower the bar more slowly than you press it. At the bottom point of the trajectory, it is necessary to take a distinct second pause. The barbell is pressed while exhaling (while inhaling - lowering) with a powerful effort of all muscles.
- Look and head ( 4 )
Do not turn your head or lift the back of your head from the bench - this can cause rounding of the entire spinal column and a weakening of the bench press as a whole. Before removing the barbell from the racks: squeeze your shoulder blades together, lower your shoulders and tense your neck muscles, moving your head back. Direct your gaze strictly to the center of the neck, and not to the one passing by.
Note:
The absolute world “press” record (in equipment) belongs to the American Tiny Meeker, it is recorded at 488,5 kg in 2013 year. Russian falcon Vladimir Kravtsov pressed (without equipment) a barbell weighing 303, 5 kg and thereby established (in 2011 year) an absolute record in Russia and Europe in the bench press.
Now that you have a general understanding of the exercise technique, it's time to get acquainted with the different variations of the bench press.
Variations
By changing your grip and using different bench angles, you can work different muscle groups. For example, the following options for performing the bench press are possible.
Option #1. Close grip press
When pressing with a narrow grip ( 1 ) the emphasis shifts to working the triceps. The palms are located at a distance of about 10 cm apart. When pressing with a narrow grip, you can lower your elbows down (i.e., so that they slide along the body), or you can spread them to the sides.
Option #2. Press reverse grip
By taking the barbell with your palms facing you, the emphasis shifts to the upper chest and the pectoral muscles are more effective (on 25% ) are included in the work.
Option #3. Reverse Bench Press
The upside down press works more on the lower chest and, thanks to the shortened amplitude, allows you to use more solid muscles. (compared to classics) working weights.
Phew, it seems like we’ve mastered most of it, but that’s not all, because for dessert I prepared something else delicious.
How to increase your bench press performance?
What gym goer doesn't want to increase his bench press numbers? At least, I have never seen anything like this in my life. If an athlete manages to curb a large enough weight, then a muscular torso is simply his death sentence. However, no matter how hard they try, many cannot add even a few tens of grams to the barbell, not to mention more intelligible weights.
The whole point here is that most often the athlete relies on intuition and the Russian maybe, like: “Well, I’ll try, maybe I’ll be able to take more.” Such an approach in such a responsible matter is completely unacceptable. To accomplish this task, first, you need to understand that even if you do not naturally have massive pectoral muscles, you can still push heavy weights. To do this, you just need to make a competent effort and use not only the main, but also all the auxiliary muscles. As soon as the “starting fulcrum” is created, you will immediately notice an increase in working weights.
Start of the exercise
To push the projectile from the chest powerfully and effectively, you need to train your legs. At first glance this may seem completely absurd, but only at first glance. The whole point here is that at the lowest point your body is like a spring, the potential energy of which is in the legs. If you have weak legs, then this spring will “barely” unclench, and you can simply forget about large working weights in the bench press and a powerful push from the chest. Therefore, strengthen your lower legs (legs) by doing and, as well as your core muscles.
Warp
From the outside it may seem that all the “rough” work in the bench press is done only by the pectoral muscles and arms. This is not entirely true. Once you train your lower body and begin to use it in an exercise, your back muscles will immediately come into play. They will accelerate the upward movement of the bar and contribute to a more powerful push.
Therefore, develop your back muscles by doing various rows on block machines and with free weights (T-bar). Study the article and also include this exercise in your back muscle training arsenal.
Stability and shoulders
Develop your own pace and rhythm of barbell movement and stick to it. Perform all movements clearly and under control, do not rush anywhere. Developed shoulders are your lifesaver when working with serious weights. After all, they help to stably hold a large tonnage and protect other muscles from injury.
The best way to strengthen your shoulders is military press standing.
Completing the movement
In essence, a bench press is nothing more than lowering down and lifting/pressing the apparatus to the top point. If your triceps are weak (specifically its long head), then exactly “pushing” the barbell to the top will become a problematic task for you. So train your long head French press and a narrow grip, do various extensions on blocks, all this will allow you to “pull” heavy weights.
Remember, if the bench press doesn’t work, then go over all these points again, maybe you missed something. In addition to the basic rules, take note of the following:
- strong grip;
Squeeze the bar tightly and imagine that you want to leave your imprints on it.
- Make the most of your strong muscle groups and reduce the involvement of weak ones;
Most often the bar stops at the point where the action strong muscles ends and weak muscles are included in the work. By changing the width of your grip, you can easily find the optimal point of application of force.
- lowering and raising the bar;
After removing the barbell from the racks, do not “hang” with it, but immediately perform the exercise. Guide the bar in a straight line, because this is the shortest distance between 2 points.
- optimal number of approaches and repetitions;
Don't do too few sets or too many reps. 6-10 repetitions in 3-4 approaches - to gain weight and 2-5 repetitions in 6-8 strength approaches.
- chest workout once every 5 days, no more 2 days in a row;
Don’t “pound” your chest any more 2 once a week, because in addition to the specific restoration of a muscle group, there should also be a systemic one - rest of the whole body and central nervous system from training.
- work on technique;
Hone the movement technique and do not weaken the form of the exercise. If you begin to notice that in the last repetitions there is a complete lack of technique, this is a reason to unload the bar. Work with moderate weights, but with “strict” technique.
- brain power;
The psychological attitude towards weight is also important. Concentrate and imagine in your mind how you perform a bench press. Creative visualization is imagining the final positive result and scrolling through the picture in your head. First imagine the picture, and then transfer it to reality. Let your brain squeeze out a lot of weight first, and your body will soon follow suit.
So, we have looked at the main tricks that will help you squeeze well. However, that's not all.
If your goal is to improve as much as possible in the bench press, then the following training plan It will come in handy for you.
First of all, you need to determine your “extreme” in the bench press, i.e. the weight that you can do strictly at 1 once. The following formula may well be suitable for this.
Herself training program, which should prepare you to perform a steep press, will look like this () .
Actually, that’s probably all, otherwise I can already see how you’re nodding off :).
Afterword
So our next titanic work called the bench press has come to its logical conclusion. I think you have learned a lot today, and you can’t wait to try it all out in practice, i.e. in the gym. Well, I don’t dare detain you, my dears, see you in the rocking chair!
PS. If you have any questions or something doesn’t work out in the bench press, write them in the comments, we’ll be happy to sort it out!
The bench press is very important exercise, which allows you to develop the chest muscles, as well as triceps, muscles of the back of the arms and front deltoid muscle shoulder and is very useful for both women and men. But all this is only possible if you know how to do the bench press correctly A and do this exercise. This question includes consideration of grip width, arm placement, back and body, as well as other points. Read on to know all the details.
The bench press can be performed either with dumbbells or a barbell, or in special simulator known as the Smith machine, which limits the movement of the barbell in the horizontal plane, so the exercises lose a little in effectiveness, although they become safer. Other variations include bench press incline bench in both directions to emphasize the upper and lower parts of the chest, respectively.
Technique and body position
- Lie down on a bench under a rack that holds the barbell. Your eyes should be approximately level with the A-pillar.
- The buttocks, shoulders and head should be tightly pressed and in the same plane with a slight (neutral) curve of the spine. Your legs should be flat on the floor with your entire feet, and spaced relatively wide apart.
- Do a few warm-up presses to get your muscles working.
- When you're ready, add your main weight to the barbell. Just do it gradually to understand what weight is optimal for you.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width, as shown in the photo.
The type of grip determines which muscle groups will be involved first. With a narrow grip, the load shifts to the triceps and the middle of the pectoral muscles. With a wide chest. At average it is distributed evenly.
- Remove the bar from the rack and lock your elbows before lowering the bar to your chest at nipple level. The bar should be lowered strictly in a vertical plane, and not in an arc, as most beginners do. This may cause injury!
- Take a deep breath and slowly lower the bar to chest level, but do not lower the bar onto it! Control the movement.
- Press the barbell up and exhale when finished. Repeat.
To get used to doing the bench press and for greater safety and correctness of execution, be sure to use a partner for insurance and “guiding” the exercises.
What are the possible implementation options?
Arching your back, focus the load on the lower pectoral muscles. This way you can press more weight.
If you lift your legs off the floor and keep them suspended or on a bench, you can completely remove tension from the lower back and concentrate on working your chest.
Also, to learn how to do the bench press correctly, be sure to watch the video above. Good luck!
The bench press from the chest is an exercise aimed at working the entire chest. In this exercise, all three zones of the pectoral muscles (top, middle and bottom) are included in the slave. In addition, many auxiliary groups are also involved in the work. This movement is the most amazing thing basic exercise in bodybuilding for chest muscles.
This guide will help you learn how to do the bench press with a barbell correctly and achieve high results in gaining mass and strength. Lower your feet from the bench to the floor, sit back, squeeze your shoulder blades together and grab the bar with a closed grip.
The most famous exercise of the three that weightlifters perform to develop strength and gain mass in the pectoral muscles is the bench press. It's easy to do, isn't it? All you have to do is lie down on the bench, take the barbell off the rack and not think about anything... until you hurt yourself.
Attention: in order to lift heavy weights, it must be lifted correctly.
Below are 5 points, by paying attention to which, you can develop the muscles of the chest, arms and even back and, therefore, become much stronger. However, think carefully: if you do not want your upper body to be more developed in relation to your whole body, it is better to do fitness.
Lie down on a bench so that your eyes are level with the barbell. Press your buttocks and lower back into the bench and do not lift them throughout the entire exercise. Place your feet on the floor.
Take the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width and remove it from the rack. Begin to lower the barbell under control to the level of your lower chest.
Lower the bar until you touch your chest, then press the weight upward with force.
Keep your arms at approximately a 45-degree angle to your body. Do not press your elbows to your body or spread them too far to the sides. Horizontal press Barbells are an exercise that should not be rushed or done at speed, otherwise you may get injured.
Also watch your breathing, as you inhale, lower the projectile down, as you exhale, squeeze it out.
- The bench press is an exercise in which an extra safety net doesn’t hurt. Therefore, if you are training with a partner, always ask him to back you up. If you are alone, then ask someone from the audience. Don't be shy.
- Sometimes your hands get sweaty and start to move apart, which throws you off your concentration. To avoid this, you can smear your hands with chalk.
1. Watch your grip
First of all, let's figure out how to properly grip the barbell when bench pressing, despite the fact that the width of your grip is mostly a matter of personal preference, a clearly adjusted distance will distribute the load on the shoulders and muscles of the chest and arms correctly. Too much wide grip will put unnecessary tension on the shoulders; too much narrow grip can be bad for your elbows.
Unfortunately, the grip that is ideal for you may not be ideal for someone else. Experiment until you find the optimal width for you. If you feel pain in your shoulders or elbows, your grip is either too wide or too narrow.
Next: To make your grip more comfortable, you can hold the barbell with your thumb on top, or use an “open grip,” also called a “suicide grip.” Here again, the choice is yours, but with an “open grip,” as I have seen from my own experience, it creates a strong load on the wrists. I still recommend gripping the bar, covering it with your thumb on top so that you can hold the barbell as firmly as possible.
2. Arch your back
To get the most benefit from the bench press, you need to arch your back during the exercise. Thus, the load will move to the upper back and trapezius muscle. You will feel the need to squeeze your shoulder blades, as if touching one shoulder blade to the other. This is of great importance for raising heavy weight and safety during training.
If you lie on a bench with a flat back, without arching it or squeezing your shoulder blades, most of the work will be done by your arms and shoulders, while the pectoral muscles will practically not participate in the movement. Your shoulders won't thank you for this. This method will produce a weak bench press and you will end up with underdeveloped pecs.
3. No need to place your elbows too far to the sides
Now that your grip is correct, your back is arched, and your shoulder blades are retracted, it’s time to remove the barbell from the supports and lower it. It is quite natural at this moment to either put your elbows out to the sides or press them closer to your body. If they are too spaced, the load will be on the shoulders. If you keep them a little closer, the muscles of the back and chest will be involved in the movement and, accordingly, will become stronger.
With your elbows slightly closer to your body, the movement will be more productive and safer. It seems to me a good comparison of this position of the arms with the position of the legs when a person squats, if the center of gravity is transferred to the hips instead of the knees. When we do complex exercises, we always want the result to be strong ligaments and strong muscles, and to be able to calmly lift heavy weights.
4. Target – midline of the chest
Now let's talk about where the bar should be when you lower it to your chest. You want to make sure that at the lowest point of the movement you don't push it too close to the neck or push it too far away. Many old school bodybuilders bring the bar close to their throat, which forces them to push their elbows out to the sides. For most of us, this often feels unnatural: it reduces the amount of weight you can lift and increases the risk of shoulder injury.
On the other hand, if you lower the bar too far towards the middle of your torso, you risk losing control of the bar. To achieve best result, the bar should drop directly to the nipple line. This will help you keep your elbows in the right position, distribute tension correctly during the downward movement, and help you push upward.
Always lower the bar until it touches your chest. There's no point in stopping downstairs. Full muscle development depends on proper movements.
5. Don't stop at the top
Now that you know the basic mechanics of the barbell press movement, the only thing left to talk about is how to press it up. Keep your chest high and elbows in correct position, shoulder blades are compressed. Use your back and chest muscles to push the barbell toward the ceiling.
If you are lifting weights to develop muscle, or you are a bodybuilder, I advise you not to stop at the top of the movement. By eliminating even a short stop, we ensure constant tension in the chest muscles and minimize stress on the elbows.
If you are a powerlifter, follow the requirements of your sport. If you just want to be strong and look cool, take note of the above and spend next workout with more benefit!
Errors in the exercise
- Lumbar arch or “bridge”. It is usually used by powerlifters to achieve great results in strength, because in this position, you begin to press with your whole body, and not just with your chest muscles. But if your goal is to gain muscle mass, then do not allow the lower back to bend and work only with the chest muscles.
- Arms are strongly spread to the sides. This situation creates additional load on shoulder joints, whatever is good.
- Lowering the barbell closer to the throat. In this version, the upper chest, triceps and shoulders begin to work more.
- Execution at incomplete amplitude. With this performance, you do not stretch the muscle enough, thereby reducing the effect of the exercise.
Execution options:
- Narrow grip
- Head down
This exercise is a fundamental difference in technique for powerlifters and bodybuilders. These two videos tell you how to correctly do the bench press with a barbell in different styles for different purposes and how one technique differs from another.
Powerlifting technique - video
Nuances of technique in bodybuilding
Important! To prevent injury, follow proper barbell press technique.
Video about the correct barbell press technique
