You have several ways to Bench Press by varying grip, grip width, bench angle, etc. Some Bench Press variations are:
- Close Grip Bench Press. Shoulder width grip. Emphasis triceps.
- Reverse Grip Bench Press. Palms facing you. Also emphasis triceps.
- Incline Bench Press. From an incline bench. Emphasis shoulders.
- Decline Bench Press. From a decline bench. Allows more weight.
- Floor Press. Bench Press while lying on the floor. More triceps.
- Builds Muscle. Bench Press if you want a big chest, as popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 70s. Front Shoulders & triceps work too.
- Builds Strength. The Bench Press is the strength training exercise that lets you lift the most weight using your upper-body muscles.
- Improve Technique. If you don't Bench Press with proper technique you'll injure yourself sooner or later. Read on.
- Fix Posture. You can't Bench Press with proper technique if you have slouching shoulders. Focus on bringing your chest forward & squeezing your shoulder-blades.
- Avoid Muscle Imbalances. The Bench Press works your front shoulders more than the back ones. If you don't strengthen these by doing the Barbell Row & Overhead Press, you'll get a muscle imbalance. Causing bad posture & thus bad Bench Press technique.
- Bar to Chest. Touch your chest where your forearms are perpendicular to the floor when looking from the side.
- Press in a Straight Line. Don't look at the bar. Fix a point at the ceiling. Press the bar in a straight line above your chest, not towards your face. Keep the bar above your elbows during the whole lift.
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