The simple truth is that the bench press is horizontal bench considered the optimal choice for pumping the upper body. This detailed guide will show you the correct technique, the list of working muscles and the types of bench presses.
Many pioneers, when they come to the gym, are instantly faced with the wrong technique. Someone needs to point newbies in the right direction. A guide, a photo with instructions or a demo video of this article can serve as an assistant.
The faster 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 bench press
The bench press is the most important basic exercise for getting significant pectoral muscles and strength. Execution Engage upper part body. Breast pumping can increase strength. The table below shows the muscles involved at work.
Muscles involved
You should check out the options.
Classic bench press
Classic style is a popular position. Perform horizontally lying on a bench press. The athlete holds the iron bar under measurements on outstretched arms. Lower, it is necessary to touch the pectoral muscles. Then squeeze to the full amplitude of the arms. The duration of the pause is one second.
Bench press
It is possible to carry out work in the frame, having secured your training. An athlete who has received problems with extensor mechanisms should only practice here. It allows you to limit the amplitude of movement by choosing the right angles for yourself. Pain should disappear. With minimal pain, it is not recommended to press.
Bench press in the Smith machine
The legendary Smith simulator has a multifunctional type of mounts. The athlete lies down on a bench, after fixing the bar horizontally. Plus frames - execution without insurance. A special setting in case of loss of the bar from the hands will save health.
Fast Incline Bench Press
Another kind of bench press. The athlete works at a different angle of inclination. Thanks to the additional trajectory, the upper part of the pectoral muscles is being worked out. The higher you put your head on the bench, the more the load increases.
By changing the grip, you can balance the angular load at different form grip. Where it is necessary there and the load will go. A wide grip is more aimed at pumping up the middle of the chest, and a narrow grip falls on the triceps and lower chest.
An incline bench will help remove stagnation in the bench press. You need to vibrate the training process, shaking the top, bottom and middle of the chest.
Press one touch or fast
A fast touch press style builds endurance.
Horizontal variation requires the following:
- Grip the bar firmly with both hands.
- Slowly lower the bar with weight.
- You can't push.
- Survive explosive power without exhaling until the elbows are fully extended.
- The feet should be firmly pressed to the floor, the chest should be put forward, bending the lower back forward.
- Slightly flatten your shoulder blades.
Exclusivity from classic squats the ability to similarly squeeze big weights. A safe angle prevents the risk of injury. Achieved due to the small angle of the trajectory.
Animated Bench Press Technique
Hand position
Grab the iron bar with both hands. Squeeze the iron firmly with your palms. Distance 60 centimeters from the hands. Use your thumb to cover the top of the round iron part of the fretboard. Five fingers are not advised to be taken together. A little secret - to increase the working weight, you need to strongly squeeze the barbell with your palms.
Correct finger position
Push your chest muscles forward. The position will help to adjust the technique of exposing the chest. gluteal muscles. Press them tightly to the surface of the bench, arch your back as you stand on the bridge. Twisting the body thus achieves a reduction in amplitude. Increased exercise performance.
For movement, stability is important. Dangling of the body, arms, legs is unacceptable. You can increase the stability due to the shoulder blades on the back. Bring them together and press them against the bench. The barbell can be given 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 shell is on the line of the eyes.
The position of the feet on the floor
The position of the feet on the floor is the most problematic place for beginners and experienced athletes. Legs should not run like dancing. Place the soles of your feet under your knees, spreading your legs apart as support pillars. You can't take it off while driving. If the weight is heavy, and the hips of the legs move, then this is normal.
The slope of the projectile must be performed at an angle. The neck at the bottom is forced to lightly touch the chest. Pressing is contraindicated. Violation of the rule is fraught with serious injury. Possible death.
Rotate your elbows 75 degrees. It is impossible to press the elbows to the body due to the lack of full amplitude. The wrists should have one position without hesitation. It is forbidden to spread the elbows to the sides due to the risk of injury. Watch your technique even during small scales.
The upper segment should be held completely on straightened elbows. Heading forward is extremely dangerous. Getting an injury to the elbows, abdomen, head is easy. The tilt back threatens the life of the athlete. Watch your fixation carefully. If you have problems with technique, then ask for help from a specialized trainer. Hone your technique with light weights.
It is unacceptable to press lying down on your own. If you have a bench with safety restraints, then it is allowed. Safety stances will help the athlete protect himself from unforeseen situations.
Proper breathing
Proper breathing is achieved through the starting position. Take the bar in your hands. Lower along the path without exhaling. A good breath provides a more powerful stretching of the chest fibers and fixation of the body.
You can't breathe downstairs. When you have reached half way, you can exhale. You get a powerful reflex push. You can’t empty your lungs so as not to lose control.
Many years of progress and honing of skills in the press contributed to the growth of the overall level. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the advantageous tips for perfect work:
- The pause at the bottom is no more than one second. Inertia will make it possible to quickly squeeze the weight. After stopping at the bottom, a person at the level of reflexes slows down the movement, and muscle fibers cease to fully engage 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.
- Inhalation of air into the lungs is necessary to stabilize the levers of the body. They will be safe thanks to the strongest push. The muscles will start working better, and the joints will not get injured.
- Passing the "dead point" of the most difficult section, you need to exhale strongly.
- Hold your breath for up to 3 seconds.
- The legs serve as supporting shocks for holding and fixing the torso.
Who should do? The exercise is intended for an athlete of any level. The base is best done at the beginning of the workout. Then add, turn on the Svend press, machines and triceps. For strength, do 3-4 sets of 3-6 reps. Endurance 6-12.
Does not exist more efficient than a simulator than the bench press. Perfectly solves the problem of weight growth and strength indicators. The trajectory falls on the center, but surprisingly, three chest points work. In case of missing sections, turn on additional simulators for refinement.
Basic bench press, strengthens the arms, makes the blow stronger, increases the power of the throw.
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Large and embossed pectoral muscles have always been respected. But, in order to make them so, you need to train hard, using effective exercises.
The basic exercise for working out the chest is the well-known bench press. Of course, it is one of the most popular ways to increase the muscle volume of the chest.
Also, this exercise involves the shoulder girdle and arms. In this article, we will take a closer look at the bench press, the correct technique for its implementation and common mistakes, as well as world records of strongmen.
The bench press is a multi-joint basic physical exercise using free weights (to free weights include loose equipment such as barbells, kettlebells, 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 complex increase in their strength and mass, it is an indispensable element training process athletes of various disciplines.
Also, the bench press exists as an independent sport and one of the three disciplines in powerlifting - powerlifting.
Muscles involved
The main work in the bench press is performed by the large and small pectoral muscles, which are responsible for the movement of the arms in relation to the body and the spread of the shoulder blades.
The assistants are the anterior deltas, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, and triceps. In different versions of the bench, the load is distributed in a certain way, loading specific muscle groups from those listed above.
Antagonist muscles in the bench press are latissimus dorsi back and biceps.
Varieties
A complete classification of the whole variety of bench press options is worthy of a separate book, but if we omit purely powerlifting practices and unpopular unusual bench presses (for example, on the floor), then it is worth highlighting the following variations applicable in bodybuilding.
1. Grip width can be classic (medium), wide and narrow. In the classic grip, the palms are slightly wider than the shoulders, which usually corresponds to a distance of 50-60 cm.
It balancedly distributes the load on all the muscles involved in the exercise, without creating its distortion. On the other hand, such versatility does not allow you to fully work out any muscle group.
Therefore, for point loading of a specific muscle group, you need to use more specialized grips: wide and narrow.
A wide grip suggests a greater distance between the palms than a classic grip and significantly engages the pectoral muscles and those areas that are inaccessible to working out with a classic grip.
With a wide grip, many athletes are tempted to use the chest as a shock absorber, “beating off” the barbell from it when lowering. This is a gross violation of the technique of performing the exercise, since the “beating off” knocks down the rhythm of breathing and increases the risk of injury. chest.
My respect, dear readers! Today I am glad to present to your attention another “tasty” article, which will be devoted to such an exercise as bench press. I think that many beginners have trouble with it, and therefore there is nothing easier than telling you about the mistakes in its implementation, correct technique and, of course, how you can increase your “bench” performance. We will talk about this and much more in our article.
So let's start 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. It is made by almost anyone more or less experienced athlete, and beginners are simply delighted with it. I don’t know about you, but in our rocking chair you constantly boil right next to the bench with a barbell. Everyone is literally vying with each other to line up in order to make the coveted bench press. But these are still flowers, but berries 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, the mass character and popularity to some extent left their mark on this exercise. After all, it seems that if it is massive, then everything is simple - press yourself and press, and you don’t need to know any special technique, but this is far from the case.
Many initially coming to the gym, immediately lay the wrong technique for performing the bench press, make mistakes and drag all this “baggage of knowledge” with them until someone directs them on the right path. For many, this exercise is very difficult, i.e., for example, only the pectoral muscle should work, and everyone gets the load, but not her. Many have to consciously abandon this exercise and wait for "better times." There can be only one way out - initially (thoroughly) to understand all the subtleties and nuances of the exercise and tell yourself that you are doing everything right. Well, let's go get enlightened.
Anatomical atlas
We already somehow casually talked about the bench press, for example, in the article. However, our story was superficial and, so to speak, for show (damn, burned). Today we will catch up and learn everything possible and impossible about this most massive gym exercise, of all times and peoples.
And we will start, as usual, with theory.
The bench press is a basic multi-joint 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, the triceps and deltoids receive additional.
In bodybuilding, there are various bench press options, for example:
- Classical;
It is done lying on your back on a horizontal bench. Initial position- the barbell is held strictly on outstretched arms. Lowering occurs until it touches the chest, and then the neck (after a short pause) again squeezed out on outstretched arms.
- Press "in touch";
After the barbell touches the chest lightly, it instantly moves up powerfully.
- Bench press in the frame;
The athlete takes a position inside the power rack. The initial position of the bar is the location on the limiters installed at chest levels. Usually this option is used if the athlete has a certain injury that limits the amplitude of the movement of the projectile, or when there is no safety partner nearby.
- Bench press in Smith's simulator;
Runtime errors
Of course, as in any exercise, quite a lot of mistakes are made in the bench press, therefore, knowing the “enemy in the face”, you will no longer need to think about them. So, let's start in order, I made the top 7 mistakes made by everyone who crossed the threshold of the gym and lay down on the bench for bench presses.
Mistake #1. Bad workout
Very often, many people neglect the warm-up, thinking that this is a useless exercise that does not bring any benefit, except for wasting time and effort. So, if you "score" on a warm-up, especially before serious multi-joint exercises, then unpleasant consequences are guaranteed for you. Therefore, thoroughly heat the frying pan of the muscle of the upper shoulder girdle And lumbar because they are going to be under a lot of stress.
Mistake #2. Wrong grip
If you work with small “press weights”, then an “open” grip ( thumb adjoin the rest) can be fully used. When increasing the weight of the projectile, it is necessary to use only a “closed” grip (the neck is in the ring between the fingers).
Mistake #3. Independent removal of the rod from the racks
Many 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 so, because. for muscles, eat under weight - an extremely unnatural and traumatic movement.
Mistake #4. I am a bridge
Most beginner athletes, when doing the bench press, become in the so-called “bridge” lotus position (tearing the pelvis off the bench and arching the lower back up). This technique reduces the amplitude of the movement of the projectile and simplifies the exercise, however, if you have weak muscles back, it may cause injury.
Mistake #5. "Lone wolf"
Not everyone in the gym has a safety partner. However, when working even with moderate weights, it is extremely necessary. A partner will always help in difficult times and lift a heavy burden from you.
Mistake #6. Partner's incompetence
It happens very often that there is a partner, but his qualifications leave much to be desired. Incorrectly performing insurance or clicking ... mmm ... with the face of the moment of assistance, the 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 the “pressure” with the chest. So, doing this is not only wrong, but also dangerous, because you can get microcracks in the ribs latently.
Actually, these are the main errors that occur when executing bench press.
Execution technique
At first glance, it might seem that the bar press is probably the simplest movement in bodybuilding. And it’s true, what’s so complicated about it, I lay down more comfortably and “jiggled” 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 will talk about them later, but first ...
I would like to say that the bench press is an exercise that gathers the most spectators in a rocking chair, when someone does it and takes more or less decent weight, the whole room freezes in anticipation with thoughts - will they take it or not? And if the declared weight is subdued, it seriously increases your rating in the eyes of fellow iron and adds a myriad 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 flexor muscles are antagonistic 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, the muscles work not only in their usual physiological modes, but also in a specific mode - they develop a static force. Those. they help to perform the exercise technically correctly, stabilizing the position of different parts of the body.
Muscles take part in the work in different ways and take on the load - some more, some less, in other words, muscles can be divided into:
- main driving units (ND/VD) ;
- engineering units (C) .
The first include the muscles that make the greatest contribution to the developed power effort of the exercise, these are the so-called main / direct movers (ND). Also, the former include auxiliary propulsors (AD) - synergistic muscles that work in the same direction with the main muscles and help move the limb.
The second includes stabilizers (C) - they help to perform the movement technically correctly, fixing the posture and position of various parts of the body with powerful efforts.
Understanding which muscles form the basis 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 the muscles and exercises, the role of which is especially great when doing the press, will be most welcome.
By doing the above exercises, you will powerfully develop the anatomical atlas of the muscles involved in the bench press, which, ultimately, will allow you to increase your muscle volume and strength.
Well, now let's move on, directly, to the technical part.
I will tell you a secret secret. In the bench press, I always had a rather weak feeling of the pectoral muscles, i.e. no, my triceps or shoulders didn’t get tired, I just felt that the pectoral “filony”. Of course, the first thing I did was once again pay attention to the technique and made some adjustments, and my second step was to work out the main and auxiliary muscles-motors.
So, as for the correct technique for performing the classic barbell bench press with free weight, it looks like this.
On the move so...
- Stop position ( 1 )
The power success of the entire exercise depends on how the athlete lies down and what position his feet take. It is necessary to spread the feet fairly wide (shoulder width apart) and firmly fix them on the floor. They should not “slide” when you press the weight. Press firmly into the floor throughout the exercise. The muscles of the thighs and buttocks are tense, they should lift you slightly from the bench, but the pelvis should not tear off. It is necessary to bend well in the lower back. Fix yourself in such a tense position.
- grip ( 2 )
Grab the bar with a wide (closed) grip. Often there are special notches on the neck to more accurately determine the position of the grip width, but it should be understood 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 the arms, and so on. In the grip, 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 the palm as possible, do not allow it to fall to the base of the fingers. Squeeze the bar with sufficient force. Keep your elbows strictly under the bar. The pressing movement occurs in one plane.
- Bar position ( 3 )
The reference point for lowering the bar may not be any particular section of the sternum (most often middle), but an imaginary line connecting your elbows. The barbell is closer to the face, the wider the elbows are. Lowering the bar should be slower than squeezing it out. At the bottom of the trajectory, you need to make a distinct second pause. The bar is squeezed out on exhalation (on inspiration - lowering) powerful force of the entire musculature.
- Look and head 4 )
Do not turn your head and do not tear off the back of your head from the bench - this can provoke a rounding of the entire spinal column and a weakening of the bench as a whole. Before removing the barbell from the racks: pull the shoulder blades together, lower the shoulders and tighten the muscles of the neck, moving the head back. Direct your gaze strictly to the center of the neck, and not to the passing by.
Note:
The absolute world “bench” record (in equipment) belongs to the American Tiny Meeker, it is fixed at the mark 488,5 kg in 2013 year. Russian falcon Vladimir Kravtsov squeezed (without equipment) a barbell with a weight 303, 5 kg and thus established (in 2011 year) the absolute record of Russia and Europe in the bench press.
Now that you have a general understanding of the technique for performing the exercise, it's time to get acquainted with the different variations of the bench press.
Variations
By changing the grip and using different angles of the bench, you can work out different muscle groups. For example, the following options for performing a bench press are possible.
Option number 1. Close Grip Press
When pressing with a narrow grip ( 1 ) the emphasis shifts to working out the triceps. The palms are located at a distance of about 10 see 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 apart.
Option number 2. bench press reverse grip
Taking the barbell with palms facing you, the emphasis shifts to the top of the chest and the pectoral muscles more effectively (by 25% ) are included in the work.
Option number 3. Bench Press
The upside-down press works more on the lower chest and, due to the shortened amplitude, allows you to use more solid (compared to classic) working weights.
Phew, it seems that we mastered most of the becoming, but that's not all, because for dessert I cooked something else delicious.
How to improve your bench press performance?
What inhabitant of the gym does not want to increase his “bench” performance. At least I haven't seen them in my lifetime. If an athlete manages to curb a sufficiently large weight, then a muscular torso is just his sentence. However, many, no matter how hard they try, 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 an athlete relies on intuition and Russian maybe, like: “what if I try, it will suddenly turn out 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 a massive pectoral muscle, you can still push big weights. To do this, you just need to competently make an effort and involve in the work not only the main, but also all the auxiliary muscles. As soon as the “starting point of support” is created, you will immediately notice an increase in working weights.
Starting the exercise
In order to powerfully and effectively push the projectile from the chest, it is necessary to train the legs. At first glance, this may seem like complete nonsense, but only at first glance. The whole point here is that at the bottom point your body looks like a spring, the potential energy of which is in the legs. If you have weak legs, then this spring will “barely” decompress, and you can simply forget about large working weights in the bench press and a powerful push from the chest. Therefore, strengthen the bottom (legs) by doing and, as well as the muscles of the core.
The basis
From the outside, it may seem that all the “rough” work in the bench press is performed only by the pectoral muscles and arms. This is not entirely true. As soon as you train your lower body and begin to use it in the exercise, the back muscles will immediately join the work. They will accelerate the upward movement of the neck and contribute to a more powerful push.
Therefore, develop your back muscles by doing various tractions on block simulators and with free weight (T-bar). Read the article and also include this exercise in your back workout arsenal.
stability and shoulders
Work out your pace and rhythm of the movement of the bar 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, it is they who help to stably hold a large tonnage and protect other muscles from injury.
Best for strengthening shoulders army press standing.
Completion of the movement
In fact, the bench press is nothing more than lowering down and lifting / pressing the projectile to the top point. If your triceps are weak (particularly its long head), then evenly “pushing” the bar to the top will become a problematic task for you. So train your long head french press and narrow grip, do various extensions on the blocks, all this will allow you to “pull” large weights.
Remember, if the bench does not go, then go over all these points again, maybe you missed something. In addition to the basic rules, take note of the following:
- strong grip;
Grip the bar firmly, imagine you want to leave your prints on it.
- make the most of your strong muscle groups and reduce the involvement of the weak in the work;
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 the grip, you can easily find the optimal point of application of force.
- lowering and raising the neck;
Having removed the barbell from the racks, do not “hang” with it, but immediately perform the exercise. Lead the bar in a straight line, because this is the shortest distance between 2 points.
- the optimal number of approaches and repetitions;
Do not do too few or, conversely, too many sets and repetitions. 6-10 repetitions in 3-4 approaches - for weight gain and 2-5 repetitions in 6-8 strength approaches.
- once a chest workout 5 days, no more 2 consecutive days;
Do not “pound” the chest more 2 once a week, because in addition to the specific recovery of the muscle group, there should also be a systemic one - the rest of the whole body and the central nervous system from training.
- work on technique;
Hone the technique of movement and do not weaken the form of the exercise. If you began to notice behind yourself that in the last repetitions there is no technique at all, this is an occasion to unload the bar. Work with moderate weights, but in a "strict" technique.
- brain power;
The mental attitude to weight is also important. Concentrate and imagine in your mind how you perform the bench press. Creative visualization is imagining the end result and playing 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 analyzed the main chips that will help you to “press” well. However, that's not all.
If your goal is to make the most progress in the bench press, then the next training plan will be most welcome for you.
You need, first of all, to determine your “extreme” in the bench press, i.e. the weight that you can do strictly on 1 once. The following formula may well be suitable for this.
Herself training program, which should prepare you for doing a hard press, will look like this () .
Actually, this is probably all, otherwise I already see how you “peck” with your nose :).
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 are already eager to try it all out in practice, i.e. in the gym. Well, I don’t dare to detain you, my dears, see you in the rocking chair!
PS. If you have any questions or something does not work out in the bench press, write them in the comments, we will be happy to sort everything out!
The bench press is a very important exercise that allows you to develop the muscles of the chest, as well as the triceps, the muscles of the back of the arms and the front deltoid muscle shoulder and very useful for both women and men. But all this is possible only if you know how to do the bench press correctly. A and do this exercise. This question includes consideration of grip width, hand placement, back and body, as well as other points. Read on to know all the details.
The bench press can be done with dumbbells or a barbell, or special simulator known as the Smith machine, which limits the movement of the bar in a horizontal plane, so the exercise loses a little in efficiency, although it becomes safer. Other variations include the bench press incline bench in both directions to emphasize the upper and lower chest, respectively.
Technique and body position
- Lie down on a bench under the rack that holds the barbell. Your eyes should be about level with the A-pillar.
- Buttocks, shoulders and head should be tightly pressed and in line with a slight (neutral) curve of the spine. The legs should be flat on the floor with the entire foot, and spaced relatively wide.
- Do a few warm-up presses to get your muscles into action.
- When you're ready, add the 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 depends on which muscle groups will be involved in the first place. With a narrow grip, the load is shifted to the triceps and the middle of the pectoral muscles. With a wide chest. With an 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 descend strictly in a vertical plane, and not in an arc, as most beginners do. This could result in injury!
- Take a deep breath and slowly lower the bar to chest level, but don't lower the bar onto it! Control the movement.
- Squeeze the bar up and exhale at the end. Repeat.
To get used to doing the bench press and for greater safety and correctness, be sure to use a partner for insurance and “guidance” of the exercises.
What are the implementation options?
Arching your back, emphasize the load on the lower sections of the pectoral muscles. This way you can push more weight.
If you lift your legs off the floor and keep them on weight or on a bench, you can completely relieve tension from your lower back and concentrate on working out your chest.
Also, to learn how to properly bench press, be sure to watch the video above. Good luck!
Bench press from the chest lying - an exercise aimed at working out 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 still included in the work. This movement is the most that neither eat basic exercise in bodybuilding for chest muscles.
This guide will help you learn how to properly bench press with a barbell and achieve high results in gaining mass and strength. Lower your legs off the bench to the floor, sit back, pull your shoulder blades together, and grab the barbell with an overhand grip.
The most famous exercise of the three that weightlifters perform in order to develop strength and gain mass in the pectoral muscles is the bench press. Its easy to do, right? All you have to do is lie down on the bench, take the barbell off the rack, and think about nothing...until you hurt yourself.
Attention: in order to lift a large weight, it must be lifted correctly.
Below are 5 points, 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 torso to be more developed in relation to your whole body, do better fitness.
Lie down on a bench so that your eyes are at the level of the bar. Press the buttocks and lower back to the bench and do not tear them off throughout the exercise. Rest your feet on the floor.
Take the barbell with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders and remove from the racks. Begin lowering the bar in a controlled manner down to the level of your lower chest.
Lower the bar until it touches your chest, then push the weight up with force.
Hold your arms at about a 45 degree angle to your body. Do not press your elbows to the body and do not spread them too far to the sides. Horizontal press barbells - an exercise in which you can not rush and do it at speed, otherwise you can get injured.
Also watch your breath, while inhaling - lower the projectile down, while exhaling - squeeze it out.
- The bench press is an exercise in which an extra safety net does not hurt. Therefore, if you are engaged with a partner, then always ask him to insure. If one, then ask someone from the audience. Do not be shy.
- Sometimes your hands get sweaty and start to move around, which throws you off your focus. To avoid this, you can smear your hands with chalk.
1. Watch the grip
First of all, let's figure out how to properly take the barbell with the bench press, despite the fact that the width of your grip is mostly a matter of personal preference, a clearly calibrated distance will distribute the load on the shoulders and muscles of the chest and arms correctly. Too much wide grip puts extra stress on your shoulders. too much narrow grip can be bad for your elbows.
Unfortunately, the grip that is perfect for you may not work for someone else. Experiment until you find the optimal width for you. If you feel pain in your shoulders or elbows, then the grip is either too wide or too narrow.
Next: To make the grip more comfortable, you can hold the bar with your thumb on top of it, or take it with 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, a strong load is created on the wrists. I still recommend wrapping around the bar with your thumb on top so that the bar can be held as firmly as possible.
2. Arch your back
In order to get the most out of 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 the shoulder blades, as if to touch one shoulder blade to the other. It is of great importance for the rise heavy weight and safety while exercising.
If you lie on a bench with a flat back, without bending it or squeezing your shoulder blades, the main work falls on your arms and shoulders, while the pectoral muscles will practically not participate in the movement. Your shoulders won't thank you for it. This method will provide a weak bench press, and, in the end, you will be left with underdeveloped pectoral muscles.
3. No need to place your elbows strongly to the sides
Now that your grip is correct, your back is arched, and your shoulder blades are pulled together, it's time to take the bar off the stops and lower it. It is quite natural at this moment to either put the elbows out to the sides, or press them closer to the body. If they are too spaced, the load will be on the shoulders. If you keep them moved a little closer, the muscles of the back and chest will be involved in the movement and, accordingly, will become stronger.
With the elbows a little closer to the body, the movement will be more productive and safer. It seems to me a good comparison of this position of the hands with the position of the legs when a person squats, if you transfer the center of gravity 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 a lot of weight.
4. Target - the middle line of the chest
Now let's talk about where the bar should be when you lower it to your chest. You need to make sure that at the lowest point of the movement you do not bring it too close to the neck or move it too far. Many old-school bodybuilders bring the bar close to their throat, which forces them to flare their elbows out to the sides. For most of us, this often feels unnatural: less weight to lift and more risk of shoulder injury.
On the other hand, if you lower the bar too far towards the middle of your body, you risk losing control of the bar. For achievement best result, the barbell should land directly on the line of the nipples. This will allow you to keep your elbows in the right position, properly distribute the tension during the downward movement, and help you make a jerk up.
Always lower the bar until it touches your chest. There is no point in stopping at the bottom. The full development of muscles depends on the correct 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, elbows in correct position, the shoulder blades are compressed. Move with the muscles of the back and chest, push the barbell to the ceiling.
If you are doing a barbell to build muscle, or you are a bodybuilder, I advise you not to stop at the top of the movement. Eliminating even a short stop, we provide a constant tension of the muscles of the chest and minimize the load 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 the above into account and spend next workout with more benefit!
Mistakes in exercise
- Deflection in the lower back or "bridge". It is commonly used by powerlifters to achieve great results in strength, because in this position, you begin to press the whole body, and not just the muscles of the chest. But if your goal is to score muscle mass, then do not allow a deflection in the lower back and work only with the muscles of the chest.
- Strongly spread arms to the sides. This situation creates additional load on shoulder joints, which is good.
- Lowering the bar closer to the throat. In this version, the upper chest, triceps and shoulders begin to work more.
- Execution on incomplete amplitude. With this performance, you do not stretch the muscle enough, thereby reducing the effect of the exercise.
Implementation options:
- Narrow grip
- Head down
In this exercise, there is a fundamental difference in technique for powerlifters and bodybuilders. These two videos show how to properly bench press with a barbell in different styles for different purposes and how one technique differs from another.
Powerlifting technique - video
Nuances of execution technique in bodybuilding
Important! To prevent injury, use proper barbell press technique.
Video about the correct technique of the bench press
