How to Bench Press the right way.

[Krueg]

Hey DJ's, I been noticing some guys at my gym not benching the correct way. You may think; "Well, how much is there to benching other than pressing the bar up off your chest?" The answer may be more than you thought... The Bench Press is really a full body movement, if done correctly it also uses your legs and lats besides your chest, triceps and front deltoids. So, what are some ways to bench properly?

(Not particularly in order)

1. Pinch your shoulder blades back - This keeps your shoulders from rolling forward and puts less stress on your deltoids. Also creates a better foundation for support.

2. Raise your chest up and create a small arch.

3. Keep your a$$ on the bench.

4. Keep your feet flat on the floor - Keeping your feet flat on the floor will improve your stability and help with leg drive. Keep your feet in a neutral position, not too far infront or too far under you. You may have to play with foot positioning to find what works best for you.

5. Lower the bar just below your nipples.

6. Squeeze your lats as your lowering the bar.

7. Keep your arms at a 45 degree angle, don't let your arms flare out.

8. Breathe into your stomache, not the chest.

9. Keep wrists in-line with your forearms.

I know this isn't a very descriptive list or well put together post, but I wanted to point the main "techniques" you should be doing. For a more in-depth look I'd recommend looking up Mark Ripptoes bench tutorial on YouTube or searching under Google Videos. Its like a 30min. video but pretty informative.

Safety Tips:

Never use a thumbless grip, always wrap your thumb around the bar. I saw a power lifter try to bench 400lbs when his grip slipped, the bar smashed his chest. He died later that day of a heart concussion.

Benching by yourself - If your benching alone and going heavy, do it in a power rack and put in the safety pins. So, if you get stuck, theres no worries. Or bench without the bar clamps so you can dump the weights if something goes wrong.

 

[switch]

Thanks man appreciate the tips!

 

[marmel75]

according to Ben Pakulski, designer of MI40, bodybuilder, personal trainer and kinesiologist, here is the proper way to bench:

1) Retract and depress shoulders(back and down)
2) slightly flex spine(crunch abs so lower back is flush with pad)--DO NOT arch
3) Wide foot position helps with safety and stability
4) Let elbows drop, following shoulders downward
5) Keep forearms at a 90 degree angle to the floor(perpendicular to the floor)
6) Use a continuous motion with no pause at either the top or bottom of the rep for maximum muscle recruitment

 

[marmel75]

Also putting a 10lb plate on your chest helps to not overextended the shoulders backward. This is coming from several other heavy lifters I know who have had shoulder issues that sent them to sports therapists for treatment. They told them to use this method as going lower than this has little effect on the pectoral muscle but puts great strain on your shoulders especially at heavy weights.

Have been trying this the last few times and I really like how it feels...

 

[sageproduct]

I saw a power lifter try to bench 400lbs when his grip slipped, the bar smashed his chest. He died later that day of a heart concussion.

Fwck!!! That's always been one of my greatest fears.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Do you vary the width of your grip to work different muscle groups, or is there one correct width for a bench-press grip?

 

[Quiksilver]

In post 3 of 'The Vault' sticky, there is a video link titled: Dave Tate's Six-Week Bench Press Cure.

In my opinion, that is roughly correct form. I use different foot position than he does, but same basic mechanics.

 

[Krueg]

Do you vary the width of your grip to work different muscle groups, or is there one correct width for a bench-press grip?

Good Question. The closer your grip is the more you use your triceps. The wider your grip is, the more emphasis it will put on your chest. I think the best grip position is a Thumbs grip away from the smoothe part of the bar Or maybe your index finger just outside the the first ring of the barbell. You don't need to go super wide with the bench unless your in a bench shirt.

 

[Krueg]

Also putting a 10lb plate on your chest helps to not overextended the shoulders backward. This is coming from several other heavy lifters I know who have had shoulder issues that sent them to sports therapists for treatment. They told them to use this method as going lower than this has little effect on the pectoral muscle but puts great strain on your shoulders especially at heavy weights.

Have been trying this the last few times and I really like how it feels...

Havent heard of over-extending the shoulders back before... I know Powerlifters will have 1-3 boards on their chest when benching but, there is a purpose for that. Such as helping with their lockout strength.

 

[foreverAFC]

i havent done a single barbell bench press for many years now, i completely cut it out of my workouts and never looked back. im not doing any exercise that have a possibility of a weighted steel bar dropping across my throat or face. you can build you chest just fine with dumbells, pushups, cables, dips, flys, machines etc....

look at this clip of benchpress fails, even with a spotter the exercise is not safe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUZYeTbyzzQ

powerlifter crushes himself with bench press, supposedly dies later

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgYDfporX00