All about the classic bench press - muscle work, technique, secrets

In short:

Lie down on the bench so that the barbell is exactly at eye level.
Arch your back - stick your chest up, squeeze your shoulder blades back. You must lie on your shoulder blades. Don't lift your butt off the bench. The back should be curved in the form of an arch - an open palm should freely pass under the lower back. Place your feet on the floor shoulder-width apart under your hips. The feet are on the floor with the entire surface of the foot. Fix your shoulder blades, butt, feet, they should not move anymore. Grasp the barbell without lifting your shoulder blades off the bench. Wrap your fingers around it in a ring - the thumb should be opposed to the rest. Do not arch your hands - the fist and forearm are located in one straight line.

Remove the barbell by taking a deep breath, hold your breath and straighten your arms - the barbell will rise above the rack holders at eye level. The shoulder blades should not move from under you, they are brought together as before, and you lie on them. Now, with straight arms, slowly move it forward above you. It should be above the level of the shoulder joints. Your arms should be vertical when viewed from the side. From this position the barbell will lower to your chest.

Lower the barbell to your chest, approximately to its middle. Do not lower the bar vertically, it should move down and slightly forward. At the lowest point, the elbows are moved away from the body at an angle of 75°. Do not spread them apart at right angles - this will injure the ligaments of the shoulder joint. At the lowest point, the forearms should be vertical.

Press the barbell up from your chest until your arms are straight. Fully extend your elbows. At the top point, the bar should be above your shoulder level. Exhale. Take a deep breath, repeat the previous point.

Now let's look at the bench press in detail, in all its nuances.

Bench press, execution technique

Racks, barbell and bench

Use high-quality racks and a bench that prevent the bar from falling and tipping over when doing the bench press.

The bar should lie on the racks at a comfortable height for pressing, so that you can easily remove it and just as easily return it to the racks.

The bench should be neither too wide nor too narrow. You should be comfortable lying on it. Place a large towel on the bench to prevent slipping while doing the press.

Body and leg position

Lie down on the bench so that the bar of the barbell is approximately above your eyes. This way you will be able to fully control the position of the bar and see the racks when you need to return the bar to its place.

Lie down comfortably. Place your entire feet on the floor. Place them at least 60-70 cm wide to stabilize your body position. Control your body position with your legs.

Tighten your lower back and buttocks.

The head rests freely on the bench.

Many trainers advise bringing your shoulder blades together in the starting position. However, I do not recommend doing this, since you will exclude a number of necessary muscles from the exercise. Just lie naturally.

Grip

Grasp the barbell firmly, symmetrically, and with a fairly wide grip. Pay attention to the risks of the bar. They will ensure an even and symmetrical grip.

If you are sweating, it makes sense to treat your hands with chalk or magnesium. Thanks to this, the bar will not slip out of your hands at the most crucial moment. And your hands will not move apart under load.

Rod trajectory

Remove the barbell from the racks and hold it above your chest. Gently bend your arms, trying to lower the bar approximately in the nipple area. Don't lower the bar too high, too close to your neck. This is fraught with injury to the shoulder joints. Don't lower the bar too low, closer to your stomach. This way you won’t be able to overcome a large enough weight.

Accustom yourself to this basic trajectory. This is the most important part of your future bench press record - the exercise technique.

Performing a Bench Press

Lower the barbell to your chest and hold it as soon as the bar touches your body. But don’t relax, don’t let the barbell “flatten” you! A short delay and immediately an energetic press. Extend your arms. The bar should be at arm's length.

Work out the entire approach clearly and rhythmically, like clockwork, and place the barbell on the racks.

The bench press is described in more detail here.

Head

Position yourself on the bench so that the barbell is at eye level. In this case, your shoulders will be at the optimal distance from the mounts on which the barbell rests: not too close to them, so that the rack does not interfere with lifting the barbell upward, and not too far away, so that the barbell does not have to be moved over your head for a long distance.

During the bench press, do not rest your head on the bench, this can lead to neck pain. Instead, tense your neck and lift your head slightly off the bench until your hair barely touches it.

Keep your head in a neutral position, don't throw it back or lift it to watch the bar go down. You should feel the bar touching your chest as it comes down.

Shoulders

Shoulders, like shoulder blades, should not come off the bench. Do not raise your shoulders at the top of the press - this will increase the distance of the barbell and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. The shoulders, together with the shoulder blades, form a stable, stable base for performing the press. If you cannot remove the barbell from the rack without lifting your shoulders off the bench, then you should position it lower or ask a spotter to help you remove the barbell.

The shoulders should not move at all, they are glued to the bench. If you lift your shoulders off the bench, you relieve tension from the pectoral muscles. By doing this, you reduce the effectiveness of the bench press and it loses its meaning. Moreover, the mobility of the shoulders during the press will sooner or later inevitably lead to injury and shoulder pain.

Why is exercise dangerous?

You should know that the bench press can be a very traumatic exercise. This is due to large scales.

Situations are especially dangerous when an athlete tries to conquer new weights without using the help of a partner in removing the barbell from the racks and bringing it to the starting position. For experienced athletes this is not critical. But beginners often put their muscles at serious risk, moving with giant strides towards the coveted hundred.

Another common problem is a frivolous approach to warming up before the bench press. Some athletes immediately increase their working weight. While they are young, these guys are lucky. Their muscles are elastic and still strong. Over the years, this harsh technique can lead to lifelong shoulder injury. Some become “lucky” owners of injuries after the first training sessions.

To avoid becoming a victim of a shoulder strain or a torn pectoral muscle, remember a few simple rules:

• Warm up your muscles and joints well before performing the bench press.
• Before pressing, do 15-20 intense repetitions with an empty bar (20 kg).
• Move gradually towards the working weight. If your working weight is, for example, 100 kg, first hang 50 kg, then 80 kg. With each intermediate weight, do at least 5-6 repetitions. Ideally - 10.

Don't do the maximum bench press more than once a month. Also, don't work yourself to failure more than twice a week. It all depends on the speed of recovery of your muscles. For some, one hard workout in 7 days is enough, for others, they can work to failure twice in the same period. Everything is individual.

shoulder blades

Correct fixation of the shoulder blades is 50% of success in the bench press. The shoulder blades should be forcefully drawn together and pushed down. You have to lie on them. When removing the barbell, you press your shoulder blades and shoulders tightly into the bench and they should not move anywhere. They are pressed against the bench by a barbell. This is very important; without bringing together and fixing the shoulder blades, a correct press with an emphasis on the pectoral muscles will not work. Insufficient fixation of the shoulder blades also leads to elevation of the shoulders above the bench

Throughout the bench press, your shoulder blades should be firmly drawn together. Imagine trying to squeeze a pencil between them. Don't lie on a bench like a sofa. The shoulder blades, like the entire back, should be in constant tension.

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Poor scapular support is one of the two main causes of shoulder pain after bench pressing. The second is raising the elbows to the sides, which we will discuss below.

Breast

Lying on a bench, lift your chest up towards the ceiling. You should kind of stick it out, make your chest a “wheel”. This will shorten the vertical path of the barbell - by bringing the chest (bottom point) closer to the top point of the exercise. This will also shorten the horizontal path of the barbell - by bringing the chest closer to the shoulder joints. The chest lift activates the maximum muscle fibers of the pectoral muscles, because... they begin to be positioned more vertically.

The flat chest bench press increases the distance the barbell travels. This reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. This can also lead to injury to the shoulder joints due to an increase in the horizontal stroke of the barbell.

Lifting your chest and arching your back is not cheating, but don't lift your butt off the bench.

Technique for performing dumbbell presses lying on a horizontal bench

Sit on a bench, carefully take the dumbbells and place them on your thighs, closer to your knees. Helping with your knees, throw the dumbbells to your shoulders and at the same time lie down on the bench.

Press your head, upper back and buttocks tightly against the bench, and place your feet flat on the floor. Bring your shoulder blades together, keep a slight arch in your lower back, the dumbbells are in line with your chest in bent arms, while your elbows are not pressed against the body, but spread to the sides. This is the starting position.

As you exhale, including your chest muscles, press the dumbbells up and bring them together a little. As you inhale, lower the dumbbells smoothly and under control to the starting position.

Basic mistakes

• Taking dumbbells from a lying position . In this case, there is a huge chance of injuring the rotator cuff, which will take you out of the training process for a long time. Even if the weight of the dumbbells is minimal, immediately accustom yourself to the correct technique. Before lying down on the bench, carefully place the dumbbells on your hips and only after you have tuned in to the exercise, helping yourself with your hips, throw the dumbbells and lie down in the starting position. If the weights are huge, then don’t be shy and ask your gym mates to hand you dumbbells;
• Eating dumbbells . If you have rubberized floors, then at the end of the exercise you can carefully throw off the dumbbells, but to be honest, many people around you in the gym do not like this method. If there are such people in the hall, then let them help you at the end of the exercise. But under no circumstances try to place dumbbells on the floor from a lying position. Just like when you lift dumbbells while lying down, in this case you are seriously risking your shoulders. Place the dumbbells on your chest, swing your legs and, using inertia and abdominal muscles, sit down and place the dumbbells on your hips;
• Walking dumbbells . There are beginners who simply confuse the exercises dumbbell press with dumbbell flyes and, while performing the press, hold the dumbbells with a parallel grip, while the dumbbells walk in different directions. Regarding the grip, at the bottom point it should be the same as when performing a bench press, the forearms are perpendicular to the floor, and the dumbbells are strictly above the elbow joint. If your dumbbells are moving, that is, you cannot perform movements with both hands simultaneously, then perhaps it’s all about the large weights. Don’t force things, gradually increase the weights without disturbing the execution technique;
• Lifting your head and back off the bench . Under no circumstances, when squeezing dumbbells, do not lift your head and upper back from the bench. This can lead to injury to the cervical spine. The head should always be pressed against the bench.

Recommendations

• Before you start training, do a general and basic warm-up;
• On the day of training the pectoral muscles, put this basic exercise first;
• To maximally involve the pectoral muscles in the work and at the same time not give part of the load to the triceps, do not fully straighten your arms at the top point;
• Follow the trajectory of movement of the dumbbells, they should be uniform and synchronous;
• Make sure that when you press dumbbells, your chest remains arched forward and does not collapse. To do this, make sure that your shoulder blades remain retracted throughout the exercise;
• When performing a bench press, press your feet into the floor and keep your abs tense, this way you can lift more weight without breaking your technique;
• Be in complete control of all movements and if you are working without a partner and feel that you cannot complete the next press, then you better complete it, otherwise there is a risk of injury.

Conclusion

the dumbbell bench press exercise , pay attention to the main mistakes and recommendations . Incorporate this great core exercise into your workout routine to build chest muscle and strength. Be less nervous, eat right, train regularly and fruitfully, and rest, because these are the main components of success!

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Back

Lying on a bench, arch your back in an arch, a bridge. Lean on the bench with your shoulder blades and gluteal muscles. Don't get off your butt! The lower back is raised above the bench so that you can place your palm under it on the bench. When bench pressing, the spine does not experience a vertical axial load, as during squats or deadlifts, during which it is strictly forbidden to change the physiological curves of the spine, so arching the back during the bench press is completely safe.

The pictures in this article and most of the text are taken from the bench press manual from stronglifts.com

At the same time, there is no need to overextend. This can cause lower back pain; those who are especially diligent can even dislodge the intervertebral disc. Your task is to lift your chest up and press your shoulder blades into the bench, arch your back just enough to achieve this, but no more.

Legs

The bench press is performed with your feet on the floor. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, placing your full foot on the floor. Don't lift your heel. The entire foot should be on the floor. The heel is located under the knee or slightly behind the knee. The shins should be vertical, perpendicular to the floor.

With your feet in place, place them on the floor as if you were trying to move the bench back. The weight of the bar pressing your shoulder blades and shoulders into the bench will prevent you from moving backward. During the bench press, your legs don’t just stand on the floor, you actively rest on them, they are constantly tense. Once your feet are in place, don't move them any more, don't move them during the press.

Grip

You need to wrap all your fingers around the barbell in a ring. That is, the thumb must be opposed to the rest. When bench pressing, it is strictly forbidden to use a monkey grip (when the thumb is on the same side of the bar with the rest). With a monkey grip, nothing prevents the barbell from sliding down; no one is safe from this.

The bench press is the only barbell exercise that can kill you on the spot if safety precautions are not followed. Every year in the United States, several deaths are reported as a result of using a monkey grip when bench pressing (you can Google “Bench Press accident”). People are really dying. Straight to death, no joke. Dozens of others remain deeply disabled. Imagine what happens to a person when a barbell with a working weight falls on his neck or nose. Not a single belayer will have time to react. By the time the ambulance arrives, the body will already have cooled down. Never use a monkey grip on the bench press.

The opposing thumb effectively prevents the bar from slipping. Grasp the barbell tightly in the ring with all your fingers, and it will not move anywhere.

In order for the bench press to be effective, you need to squeeze the barbell very tightly, with all your strength. Imagine that you want to leave a clear imprint of every millimeter of the skin of your hands and fingers. Squeeze the barbell as you would a dynamometer.

When bench pressing, it is recommended to use a “bulldog grip”. It is so called because of the oblique position of the hands, similar to the clubfoot position of the front paws of a bulldog. With this grip, the barbell is located low in the palm, at its base. The bar crosses the palm not perpendicularly, but at an angle. See the picture.

The bulldog grip on the bench press has several benefits. The low position of the bar in the palm ensures that the hand does not bend back under the weight of the barbell. The axial load falls directly on the bones of the forearm, this relieves tension from the hand and prevents its hyperextension. The bulldog grip “straightens” the hands, placing them in line with the forearm. At the bottom of the exercise, this grip allows you to keep your forearms vertical without experiencing discomfort.

Most cases of hand and wrist pain when bench pressing go away when using the bulldog grip.

Other press options

Let's look at several variations of the classic exercise.

Smith machine

You can bench press a barbell in a Smith machine. The Smith press is well suited for those who have not yet tried working with a free barbell. On the one hand, it’s better not to start with this, but on the other hand, why not strengthen the muscles with the help of such an isolated exercise.

The big advantage of bench presses in the simulator is that you do not need to be secured. At any time you can lock the barbell and stop the exercise.

The barbell in the simulator is fixed in such a way that it moves only in a vertical plane. This is convenient because you do not need to make any effort to keep the weight from oscillating in the horizontal plane.

To press in Smith, place a bench under the bar. When you lie down, the bar should be above your eyes.

Warm up with an empty bar (it usually weighs 20-25 kg in the machine). Then smoothly move on to working weights. The number of repetitions and approaches here is similar to the classic version.

Incline bench

A separate article on our website is devoted to how to correctly do the bench press on an incline bench. Here we just note that this option is needed for pumping the upper chest and the front deltoids.

The weights in this exercise will be less than in the horizontal press. This bench press can also be done in a Smith machine.

This position can injure your shoulders while pressing. This often happens due to incorrect weight selection. The shoulder simply turns out, especially when pressing at a 45-degree angle. Don't forget this.

Grip width

Grip width will vary from person to person. It should be such that at the bottom of the exercise, when the bar touches the chest, the forearms are vertical when viewed from behind.

In order to determine the optimal grip width for you, take an empty bar (or any straight stick, PVC plastic pipe, mop, body bar). Lie down on the bench and lower the bar to your chest. Now look to the right and left, at the position of your forearms. Adjust your grip width so that your forearms are vertical at the bottom of the exercise (perpendicular to the floor). Always use this grip width when bench pressing.

With such a grip width, when viewed from behind, at the top point of the exercise, the straightened arms will seem to diverge to the sides at an angle from the shoulders. This is normal, this is how it should be. To prevent this position of your forearms from “breaking out” your hands, use a bulldog grip.

Elbows

As you lower the barbell from the top position onto your chest, bring your elbows toward your body. At the lowest point they should not stick out to the sides at an angle of 90°. This perpendicular position of the elbows leads to damage to the ligaments of the shoulder joint. This poor technique is a common cause of shoulder pain after bench pressing. If a person complains of shoulder pain after bench pressing, I'm willing to bet that he flared his elbows too far out to the sides.

At the bottom of the bench press, the elbows should be moved away from the body so that an angle of approximately 75° is formed between the humerus and the body. This position of the hands is ideal for distributing the force of the pectoral muscles and completely eliminates injury to the shoulder joint.

At the same time, do not press your arms too close to your body, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

To determine the angle of your elbows that is ideal for you, focus on the position of your forearms. At the bottom of the exercise, your forearms should be vertical (plumb/perpendicular to the floor) both when viewed from behind and from the side. Record yourself on video from behind and from the side, watch, draw conclusions, correct mistakes.

The barbell is lifted from the chest until the arms are fully extended at the elbows. Otherwise, the repetition does not count.

Forearms

At the lowest point of the exercise, the forearms are positioned vertically (perpendicular to the floor) when viewed from behind (from the head of the bench). Forearms tucked toward the head indicate a narrow grip and a redistribution of the load from the pectoral muscles to the triceps. Forearms that slope to the sides indicate an overly wide grip, which can hurt your shoulders and be painful on your hands.

If you look from the side, then at the bottom point of the press the forearms should be relaxed in the same way - perpendicular to the floor, vertically. Moreover, the brush should be on the same line with them, be their continuation. This takes the load off the hands and prevents them from hyperextending backwards.

Removing the bar from the rack

Take the correct position on the bench, arch your back, squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together, grab the barbell, take a deep breath, hold your breath - and you are ready to remove the barbell.

Straighten your elbows. The bar will rise above the rack holders. Now slowly, with straight arms, move it a little forward so that it is exactly above your shoulders. You will feel the desired position - in this position it is very easy to hold the barbell, because your arms are straightened, and the weight is not held by static (isometric) muscle contraction, but simply lies passively on your bones, installed vertically in a column (forearm bones and humerus).

This position of the barbell—exactly above your shoulder joints—is the starting and ending point of the barbell's trajectory. Find some landmark on the ceiling that corresponds to this position of the rod. From here the barbell begins to move downwards and here it returns at the end of the lift. This position of the bar will allow you to take short breaks between repetitions to exhale and inhale.

When removing the barbell, the shoulder blades should not diverge, and the shoulders should not come off the bench. If you cannot reach the bar without lifting your shoulder blades, set it lower.

When you grab the barbell before removing it, your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. If your arms are straight even before you remove the bar, then it is located high, set it lower.

Preparation

Your body position under the bar has a huge impact on your bench press technique and your personal best. Don't take this issue lightly. My recommendations will help you lift maximum weight without unnecessary risk!

Foot position

While foot placement isn't as important in the bench press as it is in the deadlift or squat, you shouldn't forget about your legs. Your feet are the beginning of a strong frame and the place where force generation begins.

Try to move your feet as close to your buttocks as possible, but so that their entire surface is on the floor. Depending on your height and build, this will look a little different for everyone. The key is to keep your feet firmly planted on the floor so you can generate force from your legs and through your entire body.

Back position

Just like foot position, back position will be unique for everyone depending on their body type and biomechanics. It is necessary, however, to sit high enough on the bench to make it easier to remove the bar from the racks, but not so high that you cling to the stops during the press. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to support your core and protect your shoulders. Imagine you want to crush a grape between your shoulder blades and press your upper back into the bench.

Back arch

Quite a controversial point, especially among bodybuilders. Many of them think that backbending is a powerlifting technique, but in fact, backbending will help you keep your spine in a neutral position and protect it during the bench press.

Unless you're a powerlifter, your back arch shouldn't be too noticeable. However, always maintain a slight arch in your lower back. Well, if you are a powerlifter, arch your back as much as possible to shorten the trajectory of the barbell.

Always maintain a slight arch in your lower back

Grip

Grab the barbell firmly and confidently! The main weight should fall on the lower palm. If you hold the barbell high, or even with your fingers, your wrist bends back, while only a straight hand produces maximum force.

The width of your grip depends on your body type. People with long arms need a wider grip, athletes with relatively short arms need a narrower one. In any case, there is no need to go to extremes. I also do not recommend using a one-sided or open grip. Be sure to wrap your thumbs around the barbell.

Grip width depends on body type

Breath

Take a deep breath, remove the bar from the racks and then exhale. Take another deep breath before lowering the projectile. Hold your breath and tighten your abdominal muscles. Do not exhale until you have passed the dead point of the concentric phase of the press, and then exhale forcefully.

Removing the bar from the racks

Don't waste your energy removing the barbell from the racks, especially if you're lifting a decent amount of weight. If you don't have a partner to help you, press your back against the bench as hard as you can and simply lift the barbell.

Moving Down

Start the downward movement by bending your elbows. As you lower the barbell to your chest, bring your elbows toward your body. Do not spread them apart at right angles, but do not touch your body with your elbows.

At the bottom of the exercise, the elbows should be moved away from the body to the sides at an angle of approximately 75°.

The barbell should go through the full range of motion - from the top point with straight arms to touching the chest. If at the bottom of the bench press the bar does not touch the chest, the repetition does not count. Reducing the amplitude reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and turns off most of the fibers from work. If you cannot perform the full range of motion, take less weight.

Low point of the exercise

For most people, the lowest point of range of motion on the bench press will be around the middle of the chest (sternum). This will depend on your build, grip, etc.

To determine the place on the chest where the barbell should fall specifically in your case, use your forearms as a guide. At the bottom of the exercise, when the elbows are abducted to 75°, the forearms should be vertical both when viewed from behind and from the side. Take a video of yourself from behind and from the side, determine the desired position of your forearms. The place where the barbell is located on the chest when the forearms are vertical is the optimal position of the barbell at the lowest point. This is the point where the barbell should be lowered on every rep.

There is no need to pause at the bottom point, try to use the muscle stretch reflex (which we talked about in the article about squats). Touch the barbell to your chest and immediately push it up.

At the same time, make sure that the bar does not bounce off your chest. If it hits your chest and bounces up due to shock absorption from the chest, then you are lowering it too quickly. This is dangerous and ineffective.

Basic mistakes

And again, the vast majority of mistakes in the bench press are made by beginners, although sometimes experienced athletes also make mistakes.

Lifting the pelvis off the bench

When you do a classic bench press, the 3 points of support for your body are your shoulder blades, pelvis and heels. A stool stands more stable on three legs than on two. But this is not the only point.

When you lift your pelvis off the bench, lifting it up, your lower back receives a very strong load - this can cause your back to break. The weight of the barbell is redistributed between the shoulder blades and legs.

Thus, by lifting your pelvis off the bench while performing a bench press, you not only risk losing your balance, but also breaking your back. It is easiest to get injured from this position.

Sharp lowering of the barbell to the chest

One of the most terrible mistakes, leading to fractured ribs and stretched intercostal muscles. As you all have noticed, the chest is quite elastic. When you lower yourself onto a light barbell, your chest acts as a shock absorber. From this position, the bar seems to bounce back, returning back to its original position.

You can't make your job easier this way. The muscles of the chest, triceps and shoulders should work, not the elastic resistance of the chest.

Let's consider this shock-absorbing effect from an anatomical point of view. What happens at this moment? And the following happens: the internal pressure in the chest increases sharply, the lungs experience shock, the joints and ligaments also experience shock.

It happens that one such time is enough to get a serious injury and wake up at night from pain every time you turn from side to side.

Therefore, do not allow the barbell to bounce off your chest. You need to perform the classic bench press smoothly!

Improper breathing

In the bench press, improper breathing is very dangerous. When you lower the barbell to your chest and hold it there with muscle strength, the internal pressure in your chest rises sharply. If you exhale, your lungs will be empty at the bottom. There is no air in them, and therefore they cannot support the volume of the chest. And the chest, in turn, cannot fully absorb shock if you accidentally suddenly lower the barbell onto your chest.

This is the first. Next, to lift the weight, you need to exhale. And you will inhale. What will come of it is better not to try. Believe me - nothing good.

Breathe correctly while doing the bench press, gentlemen athletes!

Speed

You understand that quickly pressing a barbell weighing over one hundred kg is very unsafe. You will need to dampen the inertia when the barbell lowers to your chest - this is an additional risk of tearing your shoulder.

The same thing applies to the clean and jerk - an excessive jerk can lead to exactly the same consequences.

Work slowly, pump up your muscles. Movements should be strong but smooth. No jerking. Even in bench press competitions, athletes don't do this.

The bridge and what it is eaten with

If you are into bodybuilding, you don't need a bridge. By the way, who doesn’t know - a bridge during a bench press is a body position when the athlete arches his lower back as much as possible in order to reduce the distance from the barbell to the chest in its original upper position. This is a kind of officially sanctioned cheating.

It's all about lifting more weight. But not about better muscle pumping. Experienced athletes say that in order to effectively work the chest and shoulders, the barbell must be pressed with a slight (physiologically correct) deflection in the lower back.

We conclude that if you are not chasing scales, the bridge is not for you. Work your muscles. Of course, for those involved in powerlifting, the bridge is a standard element of the program. And you only do the bench press with it. This is a special technique.

Be sure to learn how to get into this position correctly, otherwise you won’t be able to bench press heavy weights. Sometimes you can see how beginners make a bridge by lifting the pelvis high up. In the case of a bridge, the buttocks touch the bench, and the main weight falls on the legs and shoulder blades.

Rod movement trajectory

An important point that many people don't understand, which leads to most bench press problems.

Unlike the deadlift or squat, where the barbell must move strictly vertically, in the bench press the barbell does NOT move vertically, but at an angle to the floor.

The top point, as we have already decided, is above the shoulders. Lower - approximately the middle of the sternum. If we look from the side and connect these points, we get a slanted straight line, this is the correct trajectory of the barbell during the bench press.

From a mechanical point of view, the bar should be moved strictly vertically over the shoulder joints, because such a trajectory would be strictly opposite to the vertical gravity vector. But to do this, you will have to spread your elbows to the sides at a right angle, and this damages the ligaments of the shoulder. So, from the point of view of the anatomy and physiology of the shoulder joint, the inclined trajectory is the only possible one when bench pressing. Therefore, we have to bring our elbows closer to the body, which shifts the low point of the barbell trajectory forward, onto the chest, and makes the barbell move inclined.

We try to compensate to some extent for the loss of efficiency from a mechanical point of view by arching the back, lifting the chest towards the bar, changing the angle of the pectoral muscle fibers. By doing this, we move the bottom point of the trajectory up and forward, trying to place it under the top point in order to eliminate, as far as possible, the horizontal component of the trajectory and give it a more vertical shape. But it will still be somewhat inclined.

Be sure to watch the video:

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So, the inclined trajectory of the barbell is the safest and most effective from the point of view of anatomy and physiology. Therefore, you cannot do the bench press on a Smith machine. The rigidly fixed vertical stroke of the bar forces the shoulder joint to work in a pathological, unnatural manner for it, and, moreover, under load. This leads to constant trauma to the ligaments of the shoulder joint, chronic inflammation, pain in the shoulder, and sharply increases the risk of shoulder injuries when performing other exercises. Never bench press on a Smith machine. Just like any other bench press or deadlift.

Useful tips

Increasing the results in this exercise will not only allow you to evenly develop the upper body and give it an aesthetic appearance, but will also increase your performance when working on other muscle groups.

Therefore, to achieve maximum rapid progress, you need to use all available opportunities. Kirill provides recommendations on how to make the training more professional.

The first thing to do, no matter what muscle group the efforts are directed at, or what results the athlete expects, is to keep a training diary.

It contains all the necessary information regarding the lesson plan. This will allow you to analyze your progress in the future and make useful changes.

In order to recover faster and improve the nervous connection between the muscles and the brain, it is advisable to train three times a week at the same time.

Thanks to this, the body will be able to adapt to the athlete’s schedule and release more hormones and glucose during exercise.

When performing a push, the back should arch into an arc, which is supported by the feet and shoulder blades of the athlete. This allows you to engage a large number of muscle groups and lift maximum weight.

Therefore, if a person has never trained seriously before performing the bench press, training the bridge without weight can improve the technique.

Don't forget about other basic exercises. They allow you to make your entire body stronger, which helps increase your bench press results.

If the goal of training is to increase working weight, then it is strength training. Therefore, there is no need to rush before performing the next repetition.

Muscles and nerves need a break to store energy.

Professional powerlifters spend 3 hours in the gym training one bench press. This is due to the fact that they are gathering their thoughts before the next difficult approach. Give yourself time to catch your breath for 2-3 minutes.

Secrets of an effective bench press

Many people have problems with the growth of their pectoral muscles, they complain that the muscles do not respond to training. In order for the muscle to be maximally involved in the work, you need to not just try to push the barbell up, but do it with the pectoral muscles. There are several tricks for this.

Think of yourself as pushing yourself into the bench, not the barbell up. Imagine that you need to move a cabinet that is next to the wall. You lean your back against the closet and push yourself away from the wall with your hands. Do the same thing during the bench press. This will help keep your shoulder blades retracted and your shoulders from lifting off the bench.

There is a very old and very effective trick for activating the pectoral muscles. When you push a barbell, imagine that you are trying to bend it into an arc , as if to make an arch out of it, like strongmen in the circus bending rods. Squeeze the bar as hard as you can and try to sort of turn your fists with the bones facing outwards, imagine that you are bending the barbell. It is clear that the bar will not bend, but this action will immediately involve the entire volume of the pectoral muscles in the work.

At the same time, try to bring your arms together above your chest. Naturally, your hands should not move a millimeter on the barbell, but you should transfer this force to your fists when holding the barbell. To understand what I'm talking about, raise your hands, bring your open palms together in front of you and try to squeeze them with all your might. Can you feel your pectoral muscles working?

When you push the barbell up, spread your elbows , they should remain under the barbell. If you don't flare your elbows out to the sides during the upward movement, they will be in front of the bar, which will shift the emphasis to the triceps. The triceps cannot effectively press the working weight designed for the pectoral muscles.

Types of bench press

The standard barbell bench press is a staple exercise in many strength training programs, but it is usually accompanied by several variations.

Let's look at the most common options.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Although this exercise is not a direct replacement for the bench press, the dumbbell press is still an exercise that deserves attention.

One of the main problems that athletes face when performing this exercise is maintaining heavy dumbbells in the correct position.

This is what it looks like:

In terms of training routine, I usually alternate dumbbell presses with barbell presses for my shoulder workouts.

For example, I do 3-4 sets of incline dumbbell presses, 3-4 sets of flat bench presses, 3-4 sets of weighted dips for 8 weeks. Then for 8 weeks I will do 3-4 sets of flat bench press, 3-4 sets of incline bench press and 3-4 sets of flat dumbbell press.

Close grip bench press

The narrower the grip, the more load is placed on the triceps.

This grip is not desirable if you are focusing on training the chest, but it is one of my favorite ways to train the triceps. And by the way, strong triceps guarantee good results in the standard bench press.

A close grip means that you should grip the bar slightly narrower than shoulder width.

You may see some lifters holding the bar with their arms just a few inches apart. This is a bad idea because this grip puts the wrists and shoulders in a very weak and risky position.

All other recommendations regarding the technique of performing the exercise remain the same: shoulder blades pressed firmly to the bench, a slight arch in the lower back, feet on the floor, the bar describes a small arc as it lowers, touches the lower chest, and then rises back.

If you feel discomfort in your wrists or shoulders at the bottom of the exercise, simply widen your grip by about a finger's width and continue the exercise.

If you still feel discomfort, increase your grip width again by a finger's width and repeat until you find a position that is comfortable for you.

Here's a good instructional video:

Incline Bench Press

The upper chest debate is one of the “controversial” aspects of bodybuilding.

Do I need to do chest exercises to work the upper part of the chest? Or do all the chest exercises to pump up every possible muscle fiber? And even more than that – is there such a thing as “upper chest”?

I'll try to explain briefly.

There is a part of the pectoral muscle that is what we call the “top of the chest.” It is located in the collarbone area and looks like this:

Although these muscles are part of the pectoralis major muscle, their fibers are quite different. Thus, some exercises can focus on the main muscles of the chest, while others on the clavicular part.

Notice that I said emphasis rather than isolation, because exercises that work the first or second part of the muscle will affect both parts to a certain extent.

However, proper development of the chest muscles requires working out the muscles of the upper part for two simple reasons:

1. working out these small, stubborn muscles takes longer;

1. The best exercises for these muscles are also great for developing the pectoralis major muscles.

The best way to ensure that the upper chest does not lag behind the rest of the pectoral muscles is to perform incline bench presses frequently.

The reverse grip press will also help you with this, and we'll talk about that soon.

That's why the incline press is such a big part of my Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and Leaner, Leaner, Stronger programs, and why I'll be recommending the same thing here.

When performing a bench press on an inclined bench, the angle of the bench should be 30-45°.

I prefer an angle of 30°, others like an angle of about 45°. I recommend that you try different angles in this range and find the one that works best for you.

All other recommendations regarding equipment and technique for performing the exercise remain the same as for performing a regular bench press, with a few exceptions:

• The bar should go past the chin and touch the body just below the collarbone. This will ensure the bar moves vertically.

Here is a video showing the correct execution of a barbell bench press on an incline bench:

And also with dumbbells:

Upside Down Incline Bench Press

The overhead bench press is a popular exercise among some athletes, but I am not one of them. Due to the reduced range of motion, this exercise is less effective than a regular or incline press.

The main argument given for this exercise is that it develops the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle, but I prefer to do dips for this exercise.

The bottom line is that you will never get great chest size if you only do bent over presses.

Reverse grip bench press

The reverse grip press has its advantages, which are often overlooked.

You should wrap your palms around the bar, which will not only reduce the stress on your shoulders, but will also work your upper chest more effectively.

Here's how to do it:

Calculator for calculating one repetition with maximum weight (1RM) in the bench press

The only 100% accurate way to know how much weight you can bench press for a certain number of reps is to simply do the exercise. But there are several formulas that can predict results with a fair amount of subtlety.

The most commonly used formulas are Brzycki, Bachley and dos Remedios.

Use the calculator to predict your 1RM.

Weight lifted: _____ ○ lbs. ○ kilograms.

Number of repetitions: ____

If you're wondering how to measure your performance, here's a handy guide.

The following figures are indicators that can reasonably be expected from people with various levels of training.

The “no preparation” column shows the expectation for those who have not bench pressed before.

The "average" column shows the standard strength level for those with several years of bench press experience.

The “professional” column contains indicators for competitive athletes (1% of athletes).

Installing the rod on the rack

Do not rush. At the end of the last repetition, fully straighten your elbows. Pause while holding the barbell above your shoulders.

After making sure that you hold the barbell firmly and confidently above your shoulders with straight arms, slowly move it horizontally back until it rests against the rack. The bar rests against the rack, it is located directly above the rack holders. Now bend your elbows and lower the barbell onto the mounts.

Some people try to rack the barbell at the end of the last rep, immediately moving it back in an arc. This is a gross violation of safety regulations. At the end of the set, your arms are tired and cannot support the weight of the barbell if your elbows are bent. Straighten your arms completely - this will take the load off the arm muscles, the weight will rest on the bones placed in a column, and you can easily and safely move it back to the rack. As soon as you feel that the bar has rested against the rack, bend your elbows and lower the barbell onto the mounts.

Boom stroke misalignment

One of the flaws in the bench press technique is the skew of the barbell stroke. This type of technical error can be quite common among beginners, due to the lack of tone of the main working muscle groups, as well as the lack of a formulated motor stereotype. In this case, it is recommended to work with minimal weight and carefully control the force applied to the projectile, avoiding uneven impact. Work in this mode must be carried out until the athlete develops a motor skill that allows him to carry out movement without significant technical errors.

In higher-level athletes, the distortion of the projectile usually manifests itself at submaximal weights and is a consequence of the lag of certain muscle groups. Considering that working with submaximal weights in a properly structured training complex is, as a rule, quite rare and if the majority of working approaches are not associated with barbell misalignment, then one may not perceive a single case of misalignment as a significant problem. The situation is completely different when, even on scales that cannot be called heavy (60-85%), an athlete performs a bench press with a bias. In this case, it is necessary to carefully analyze the causes and begin to eliminate them.

In general, distortions during the bench press occur for many reasons - it could simply be the athlete’s lack of training, weakness of the back (the back moves across the bench), or the shoulder blades may have separated. But the most common reason is that one hand is weaker than the other.

Sometimes in such cases it is recommended to do auxiliary exercises (they are also called “auxiliary exercises”) for the biceps, triceps (French press), do a bench press with one (weak) arm, or do pull-ups with a weight on your belt to strengthen the lats. But most often this has no effect.

The distortion of the barbell during the bench press can only be eliminated by working on the technique, and in the case of a weak hand, by moving the strong hand closer to the center of the barbell by one or two fingers, and the weak hand closer to the plate.

Breath

Take a deep breath at the top of the exercise with the barbell held straight above your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together, arch your back, press your butt, hold your breath. Lower the bar. Do not exhale on the way down, as well as at the bottom of the press, otherwise the chest will “deflate”, the chest will drop down, and the effectiveness of the exercise will decrease.

As you lift the barbell back to the starting position above your shoulders, exhale and inhale again. You can do this several times before the next repetition if necessary. Try to breathe as if halfway, so that the air does not come out completely, and the rigidity of the structure does not decrease.

Over time, when you start doing bench presses with heavier weights, you will find it more convenient to do several repetitions on one inhalation, without exhaling during a pause. Experienced athletes often use this technique, doing the first 2-3 repetitions in one breath. But while you are just starting to train with a barbell, learn the correct and safe technique - breathe between repetitions.

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