If you're like most of us, you've probably tried your hand at the bench press. And if you're also like me, then you might have struggled with how to make the lift work for your body. But if there's one thing I've learned from my experiences with the bench press, it's that there are some foundational principles that can help anyone achieve a stronger lift. So without further ado—and without bragging about how much weight I can lift on a good day—here are my tips for perfecting those movements:
Bench Pressing With A Straight Back
When it comes to bench pressing with proper form, there are several key points to keep in mind. First, it is important to maintain a straight back throughout the exercise. Avoid arching your back and focus on keeping it in a neutral position. Secondly, be mindful of your head position. Keep your head up and your gaze straight ahead. This will not only help with proper breathing and form but also keep your focus on the exercise itself.
Correct breathing technique is crucial during bench pressing. Remember to exhale as you push the weight up and inhale as you lower it down. This controlled breathing pattern should be repeated for each set. Another important aspect is to include a pause in your reps. Take a moment to pause at the bottom of each rep. This will help build strength, improve form, and reduce momentum in your lifts.
Using a spotter is highly recommended to ensure safety and assistance during bench pressing. A spotter should be knowledgeable about proper form, strong enough to provide assistance, and capable of adjusting their help as needed. They will help you lift and lower the bar safely, assist with positioning, and prevent injuries.
Lastly, it is advised to avoid locking out your arms. Instead of fully extending your arms and locking at the top of each rep, come to a complete stop for a second or two. This allows your muscles to recover slightly and encourages the ability to lift heavier weights. Additionally, avoid bouncing the weight off your chest as this can compromise proper form.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure proper bench press technique and make the most out of your workouts.
Set Up Properly
To set up properly for bench press, use a flat bench and position your feet flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and push your chest out while pulling your shoulders back. Moreover, your head should be aligned with the spine. It is important to breathe into your stomach as you lower the bar. This breathing technique stabilizes and strengthens the core muscles and reduces stress on other parts of your body, such as the knees and elbows.
Tuck Those Elbows In
After each rep, make sure that you tuck those elbows in towards your body. Take a deep breath into your diaphragm before tucking the elbows in, so they're pointing straight ahead instead of outward at any angle greater than 90 degrees relative to when gripping the handles. This technique will help with control over where exactly each lift begins throughout its range-of-motion trajectory until completion. Ensure that your arms are locked out overhead after completing every single repetition within this set/rep scheme.
The Pause For Strength Building
The pause in the bench press is a great tool for building strength. It not only helps you get the most out of your reps but also focuses on the movement, avoiding injury, and getting used to heavier weights. Additionally, the pause reduces momentum in your lifts which may cause instability or control problems in the lift itself, depending on how much weight is being used. It forces more time under tension, which is great for building strength. Therefore, besides doing concentric-only movements like bench presses without pausing at any point during them, it's crucial not to be afraid of a good pause to build strength.
Mind Your Form on the Lower Reps
- Elbows should be tucked to the sides, with your forearms perpendicular to your upper arms.
- Shoulders should be packed and over the bar.
- Chest up, with your upper body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Arms straight and locked out at the bottom of each rep, with no bending at all in any joints (elbows, wrists or shoulders).
It's not that hard to perfect your bench press.
The bench press is a great exercise. It's not only one of the best ways to build upper body strength and muscle, but it also works many muscles in your body. In fact, when you perform the bench press properly, it engages all four major groups of muscles: chest (pectoralis major), triceps (long head), front deltoids and back deltoids.
There are three things that will help you perfect your bench press: proper form; good breathing technique; and focusing on pushing through the floor with each rep by engaging your core muscles.
The pause, also called an eccentric-only movement, is a weightlifting exercise where you lower the weight under control but don’t lift it back up. The pause helps you build strength and muscle mass because it forces more time under tension than just using concentric-only movements like bench presses without pausing at any point during them.
Conclusion
We hope we've helped you perfect your bench press. It's a great exercise, but it can be tricky if you don't know what you're doing. Now that you do, go out there and lift some weights!
As soon as you come off lockout after each rep--which should be accompanied by a deep breath into those diaphragms once again--tuck those elbows into position so they're pointing straight ahead rather than outward at any angle greater than 90 degrees relative to where they were when gripping onto those handles just before beginning each rep; this will allow better control over where exactly each lift begins from start point all throughout its range-of-motion trajectory until completion...which should always occur when arms are locked out overhead again after completing every single repetition within this particular set/rep scheme.
