Friday, 12 August 2011

The Bench Press

The Bench Press is the most popular lift in the gym. It is the upper-body exercise that lets you lift the most weight.
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.
Benefits of The Bench Press. Why should you Bench Press? Here are two reasons to do the exercise.
  • 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.
Bench Press & Shoulders Pain. Shoulder pain from doing the Bench Press is common. Switching to dumbbells or quiting the Bench Press avoids pain, but doesn't solve your shoulder problem. What you should do:
  • 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.
Remember to keep the tight position during the Bench Press from start to finish. Squeeze the bar, keep your upper-back tight & your chest up. Unrack the weight with straight arms. 
  • 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.
Good luck..








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