Begin by lying flat on the bench, with your body in a natural and relaxed position. Make sure that you are not holding your shoulders in an awkward position. Be sure to have a natural spinal curve. You do not want to have your lower back completely flat on the bench, but you do not want to force it to curve too much either. Instead, opt for a comfortable and natural position. You should have your feet flat on the ground and your shoulders touching the bench. Do not lift on a "cushiony bench" if you are a heavy lifter. When the bar and plates weigh more than 200 pounds plus the weight of your upper body, your shoulders will disappear into the bench and cause neck strain. Most lifters do not lift heavy, so the benches are soft, however when covered with a furniture cover, these benches make nice seats to sit on between sets. Choose a proper bench that fits your shoulder width. A narrow bench is unstable and a wide bench prevents the upper arm from bending back. Put your arms straight out to either side of you, and then bend your elbows, bringing your hands up to touch the bar. This is where you should position your hands. You can make your grip sightly wider to increase the amount of pectoral muscles involved in this exercise, and you can bring your grip in slightly to increase your triceps involvement. For a standard bench press, opt for the normal grip. Begin with just the bar weight. Lift the bar off the rack and position it directly above the middle of your chest. Inhale as you lower it down, gently touching your chest with the bar. Do not bounce the bar off your chest, as this can cause serious injury. Begin to exhale as you push the bar up and away from your body. Extend your arms to just under full extension. Repeat this for eight repetitions as your first set. Lift with a bar that has a little flex but is not "whippy". A stiff bar can be uncomfortable to lift with. All bars are made of metal and stiff, but a bar with some flex feel better on the joints. The salesperson at the store will give you the right bar for your bodyweight, based on the formula for bodyweight and bench press. Generally, a beginning or intermediate lifter is not going to lift over his bodyweight plus 50%. Examine your goals when choosing a bar. For setting a personal record or a state record and above, use a bar with a standard diameter of 1 1/16 inches. If not concerned with records, a thicker bar does not dig into the palms and is more comfortable. A thicker bar increases the distance of the lift and decreases the amount that can be lifted. A 1/8 (or 1/16) inch increase in bar diameter has a noticeable difference in feel and stability. Now add weight to the bar. The bar by itself weighs 45 pounds. You will want to increase by five to ten pounds at a time until you find a comfortable weight. Practice extra caution if tall. Tall lifters with wide grips should use care not to crush their hands when racking the bar. Weight benches were made for someone somewhat tall (6 feet tall and not for a lifter 6 feet 8 inches tall). Tall lifters should not use an extra wide grip. An extra wide grip also strains the wrist with excessive radial flexion. Close and wide grips can make the wrist more prone to injury. Avoid using the thumbless grip. If the bar slips off your hands, it would be disastrous. When being spotted by spotters and by a spotting device the thumbless grip is not as dangerous, but the spotting device has to be very, very solid. The thumbless grips is easier on the wrist and conducts power to the bar more directly (you can lift more). Use chalk with both grips. There are lifters who will use the thumbless grips despite the possible danger. Be sure to have a spotter to help you whenever you lift a heavy weight. You never want to drop the bar on yourself. Drink plenty of water, and take at least two minute breaks in between each set. You should ideally perform one light set of eight repetitions, followed by three heavy sets of increasing weight, with six, four, and then finally two repetitions. Tips Keep in mind that this is only one of many body toning exercises and that it is essential that along with the bench press you work abs, back, arms, and legs to gain optimal health. Try to line the bar to the bottom of your breast bone when going down, just below your pectoral muscles. Along with breathing, be sure to stretch your pectoral muscles by grabbing a stationary object with your hand, and slowly turning your body away from the object while still holding. Also stretch your back muscles, they are very important in this workout as well. By raising the bench to an incline angle, you will work out your upper pectorals. Keep hydrated. Drink water or Gatorade, not soda. Try increasing the weight between sets, moving an average of 10-20 lbs per set, this will encourage muscle growth. Keep track of your progress and try to increase the weight every two weeks if you feel comfortable with it. Breathing is very important in bench pressing properly, be sure to inhale while going down, exhale while pushing the weight up. If it helps you, think that your breathing out is your "push force." A grip that is wider than usual targets the outside portion of your pectoralis major For more effective chest building, try an inclined bench, this puts you at a 45 degree angle on a bench, and it will isolate your upper chest better. This exercise will show results faster than using a traditional bench. Try a lower weight than you normally bench when you try this workout. Placing your hands too far apart on the bar will work your back, not your chest. Alternately, placing your hands closer together will work your inner pectorals more.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:30:35 +0000
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