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How to do Bench Press

The barbell bench press is a traditional exercise that provides a great workout for the pectorals (chest), anterior (front) deltoids, and triceps. It’s a ‘meat and potatoes’ exercise that has been in the workout of almost every lifter at one time or another.

Most lifters lie down on the bench, unrack the bar, and just start pressing without giving much thought to what they are doing. But there should be a method to your madness. Like most exercises, you can just do it, or you can do it in a way that maximizes the benefit of the exercise. When benching, there are several things to consider.

Gripping the Bar

There are two ways to place you hands when gripping the bar – thumbs out and thumbs in (like you would grasp a bat for example). Which one you use it totally up to you. Be aware though that the thumbs out grip can offer more risk of the bar slipping off your hand.

Hand Width

How far apart should your hands be? This too is up to your personal preference. Grip too wide or r too narrow and you’ll be outside the range of you body’s ability to generate maximum. Too wide put undo stress on your shoulders. Too narrow and you take the focus off the chest and move it to the triceps. As a general rule, you amount of space between your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders.

Proper Form

Back flat or back arched, the most important things to remember are to keep your buttocks firmly on the bench and to lower the bar all the way to the chest. In lifting competitions, you are required to lower the bar until it touches your chest, then wait until a judge gives you a go, at which time to press it back up. That’s the same way you should do your reps.

What Weight to Use

Most lifters, especially beginning lifters, get stuck on how much weight they are using, with the goal of doing as much as they can. By so doing, you open yourself up to injury and might not be getting the best workout you can get. Too much weight often exacerbates bad form. Too little and you don’t get the results you want. When deciding how much weight to use, consider the number of reps you want to versus how many you can do while using proper form. Whatever weight you go with, makes sure you do it correctly.

The Bench Itself

This isn’t something most lifters think about, but the bench itself is an important consideration. Too high or too low and you won’t be in the optimum position for leg placement. Look for professional grade bench presses, like those made by CAP Fitness Equipment. A professional bench will confirm to competition standards and be sturdy enough to support whatever weight you use.

Good luck and good benching!

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