What exactly is a bench press
A compound movement which involves various joints (the shoulders, elbows and wrists). Being the versatile exercise it is, the bench press can be a great option to include for a powerlifter, bodybuilder and even for someone looking for maintaining general fitness.
What do we need to perform a bench press
To perform a bench press, one needs to have access to a sturdy bench and a barbell along with a few weight plates as per the strength levels of the trainee. The bench press can be performed using a pair of dumbbells as well, but for this article, we will stick to the barbell version of the exercise.
How to set up the exercise
Start from the feet. Make sure your feet are firmly placed on the ground. Sturdy feet placement ensures a strong base and helps one generate sufficient leg drive. The ideal feet position may vary for everyone based on the limb length and body type, but ideally, one should try to keep their feet as far behind towards the butt as possible, while keeping it flat on the ground.
The next step in the process of setting up the exercise is to position oneself under the bar. The bar should be directly above the eyes, and not too far or too close so it is difficult to unrack and begin the movement. The unracking is a crucial part of the lift and care should be taken to perform it without wasting energy as an improper unracking technique may lead to faulty execution later on.
Arching the back is the next step. We do not want an excessive curve in the lower back, but just enough so that one’s hand can slip through between the lower back and the bench.
The upper back should be held nice and tight, with the shoulders pulled back and retracted.
Holding the bar comes next. The bar should be held with a shoulder or slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Individuals with longer limbs or those looking to compete in competitive powerlifting may want to have a wider grip on the exercise, whereas others can do well on a shoulder width apart grip.
It's important to not only hold the bar with an optimum grip but also to hold the bar tightly as if trying to bend it. Ensuring that the wrists are not bending excessively due to the load is critical to avoid any chance of developing an injury.
It is suggested that the grip used is ‘pronated grip’. This means that the back of the hands face you and your hand is over the bar.
Word of caution: It's not uncommon to see a lot of lifters trying to perform the bench press exercise with a thumbless grip (Also called as a suicide grip). This should be avoided at all costs as the bar may slip during the exercise and hurt the lifter.
Bench Press Execution
Once the setup is complete, the lifter can now start the movement by taking a big deep breath and unracking the barbell. The lifter should again exhale and then take another deep breath, filing the stomach with air. This creates intra-abdominal pressure and helps perform the movement with ease. Now, the intention should be to lower the bar towards the chest while holding the breath. The elbows will make a 45 degree angle with the torso. One should take care to not allow the elbows to flare too much, as it puts excessive strain on the shoulders and can lead to injuries.
Touching the chest on each rep is very important as it helps to standardize each rep and maintain a uniformity across the sets.
Once the bar touches the chest, the movement should be initiated by contracting the glutes (while ensuring that the glutes are in contact with the bench) and driving the legs into the ground. At this point, a useful cue can be imagining breaking the ceiling as we push the bar upwards. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions to finish the set.
Common Bench Press Mistakes
- Not touching the bar to chest with each rep
- Flaring of elbows to the sides
- Rolling the shoulders forward at the top of each rep
Conclusion
The Bench Press is a great exercise when it comes to developing upper body strength and hypertrophy (increase in the muscle mass) of the chest, shoulder and tricep muscles.
