How to do bench press correctly
Correct bench press
First of all, let us note that there are 3 conditional variations of the bench press:
Bench press on a horizontal bench - chest, front deltoids, triceps , forearms , latissimus dorsi , abs, anterior serratus;
Incline Bench Press – Chest , Deltoids , Triceps, Forearms, Abs , Rotators;
Incline bench press (upside down) – chest, back muscles , deltoids, triceps, forearms.
The technique of execution in the first two versions of the bench press is almost identical. The negative incline of the bench and the corresponding press is a special auxiliary exercise for powerlifting, and the movement is not suitable for building muscular pectoral muscles. One of the reasons is the increased risk of chest and pectoral ligament injuries.
How to do bench press correctly
As an example, let's look at the classic bench press on a horizontal bench. Lie down on the bench with your back. The correct starting position implies: shoulder blades not brought together, full contact of the upper back with the bench, neutral position of the spine, and support in the form of the gluteal muscles.
Do not stand on your toes. The entire surface of the foot should lie on the floor and serve as a solid support. The angle in the knee joint should be made straight. If your anthropometric data does not allow this, put some weights under the barbell.
Grasp the barbell on the racks with a grip that makes the elbow angle almost straight at the bottom of the range of motion, as shown in the illustration.
Please note that the forearms are directed strictly perpendicular to the bench.
Negative phase
In most exercises, the movement begins with the concentric phase - with lifting the weight. In the bench press, thanks to the power rack or stand, the take-off is carried out immediately to the top point, as a result of which the eccentric phase, better known as the "negative", comes first.
Slowly and in a controlled manner, lower the barbell to the middle or lower edge of your chest muscles.
Key nuances:
Don't drop the barbell down;
Don't relax at the bottom;
Don't look at the bar;
Don't do the rebound press;
Don't bring your shoulder blades together.
Positive phase
After lightly touching the barbell to your chest, mentally contract your pectoral muscles. This will throw the barbell up a couple of centimeters. Press the barbell down without pauses. Train the sum of the movements: chest activation – barbell toss – press down .
At the top point, after holding for a second, begin a new negative phase and a new repetition.
Important technical details
The correct bench press is only possible when the projectile moves in one plane. To do this, you need to fix the position of your elbows. The required angle is 90°. In the picture, it is shown with red lines. We are talking about the angle between your latissimus dorsi and shoulder (arm). A classic methodological error is taking into account the right angle between the torso and arms. This approach does not take into account the anatomical features of a person and his individual attachments of muscles, joints and ligaments.
The correct bench press is a bench press with right angles at the elbows, between the shoulder and the latissimus dorsi, at the wrists, etc.
Common mistakes
Concentration on the chest
A common mistake is to press the barbell with your hands . The triceps and shoulders play an important role, but they should not dominate in the context of the fitness press. Do not forget about the main function of the pectoral muscles - adduction of the arms in the frontal plane.
During the positive phase of the movement, mentally bring your fists together. The barbell will not allow you to do this, but such a psychological attitude increases the neuromuscular innervation of the chest and contributes to the correct biomechanics of the exercise.
Focus on bringing your hands together. A bench press in fitness is not just moving the weight up. You need to set the correct movement pattern for subsequent muscle stimulation for growth.
Forget about moving the bar up. Think about bringing your shoulders toward your torso. You'll be surprised at how much better your pecs respond to this kind of work.
Shoulder movement
Another mistake is bringing the shoulder blades together at the bottom . This technique has migrated from powerlifting and weightlifting, where the bench press was a specific exercise with a certain incline. Bringing the shoulder blades together engages the back muscles and reduces the innervation of the chest muscles.
If you watch videos of professional bodybuilders training, you will notice a movement similar to bringing the shoulder blades together. In practice, this is a deltoid movement.
At the bottom point, the shoulders are deliberately pulled lower than the torso to stretch the pectoral muscles along the chest. The higher the stretch, the higher the strength potential, since the reduction in the length of the fibers will be significant. Therefore, professionals pull their shoulders down when touching the bar, and as they press, they return them to the starting position.
Leave the scapular adduction for powerlifting and other strength sports. In fitness, neuromuscular innervation is important.
How to learn proper bench press technique?
Beginners are advised to start with gradually mastering all the above nuances. Doing this with a barbell is problematic. Try the Smith machine with a fixed bar trajectory. Here you will be able to monitor the abduction of the shoulders, adduction of the arms and smooth control over the movement.
Then you should move on to the lever trainers of the Hammer format. Despite the fixed trajectory, here you can prepare for performing a barbell press with a barbell or dumbbells.
Barbells or dumbbells
The barbell promotes maximum strength potential . The working weight will be large, since the muscular system does not spend resources on holding the projectile. With dumbbells, the weight is lower, because the stabilizer muscles are included in the work, and the central nervous system, in addition to the bench press, needs to pay attention to holding the projectiles.
However, when working with a barbell, athletes find it difficult to concentrate on bringing their hands together, but with dumbbells, the problem is easily solved. The pressing movement is complemented by a final bringing of the hands together, which creates a strong stimulus for muscle growth.
That's why some beginners think they "feel" their chest better when doing dumbbell presses. In practice, this is a sign of incorrect barbell press technique. You should innervate your chest muscles equally well in any press variation.
There are no key differences. If the barbell does not provide the necessary stimulus for growth, use dumbbells, but at the same time learn the correct technique.
