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How to do a Bench Press properly
At the gym you always see people bench pressing incorrectly. A bad bench press can cause you some bad injuries so check out this ‘how to’ guide on bench pressing properly.
What muscles does the bench press target?
It is very important to know exactly what muscles the bench press targets as knowing this will help you identify whether you are doing it correctly or not. For example, if you are doing a abs crunch and your biceps are hurting then you know something is wrong.
The two main muscles that the bench press targets are the pectorals (chest) and triceps. At the end of a bench press session these are the two muscles that should be sore. Check out the diagrams of the exact location of the pectoral and triceps muscles from Wikipedia.
As I have said many times here at RealWomensFitness.com, shoulder injuries are some of the easiest to do and hardest to fix. If there is any sign of pain in your shoulder during your workout then stop and go home.
Correct Bench Press means faster progress
As you know, technique is the number one factor that determines whether one is going to succeed or fail with their weight training. Make sure your benching technique is perfect before you start proressing onto heavier weights or you can do yourself some damage.
How do I know if I’m doing it right?
If you go to a gym then there are plenty of people around who know how to do a good bench press. The gym instructors SHOULD be trained in bench press technique and you should ask them to watch you for a few sets and listen to any tips they’ve got.
Another trick I use sometimes is to find the guy with the biggest pectoral muscles in the room and ask him to spot me for a set or two. No doubt they know how to do it.
Tip for the perfect bench press
To make sure your bench press is going to be as successful as possible you should:
- use an incline bench as this takes a lot of the weight off of your shoulders and places it on your chest;
- use a pair of dumb bells instead of a bar bell as there is more freedom of movement to really stretch out your chest. If you have problems with your wrists during chest workouts this might also be helpful;
- keep your feet on the ground and your back flat on the bench throughout the whole motion;
- exhale on the press and inhale on the decline;
- go as slowly as possible with a light weight so that you learn what it feels like to target the chest and triceps;
- make sure the bar is around about the height of your nipples (not to high not to low).
Conclusion
The bench press can bring you some amazing muscle gains if you really do it well. If not, it could become your worst enemy.
Has anyone had any problems with the bench press? We can help by answering any questions you have. Come and ask us on our Women's Fitness Forum.
Comments on this article:
| Hannah B said: | Boy do i get shoulder pain! I'm stopping now. Thanks RT |
| RT said: | YES! STOP! |
| Cat said: | what about where to lie on the bench? Should your eyes be directly under the bar? Everyone has a different rule. What do you think? |
| RT said: | Cat - good question. I have read many differing opinions but I don't think it matters as long as you can get it off the rack and press it with correct technique. This is much easier if you have a spotter. RT |
| David said: | Man I just honestly don't know what Im doing wrong. Working out my chest is the most difficult to do. I lay flat on the bench,breath right,and bring it down properly, but i still get nothing out of it. |
| RT said: | David, try these - - reduce the weight and focus on the pec muscles mentally - do it with dumbbells to get a deeper stretch - try a wider grip - do it on an incline bench Good luck. RT |
| Cathy said: | I have pain like i would if i had tennis elbow. I've been working out with weights for almost a year now and the pain never goes away, but it isn't bad enough to stop either. Not sure if it's a particular exercise or form, or too heavy of a weight. Any ideas? |
| Al said: | Hi, if you feel pain from lifting weights you should stop working with weights for a while with the exception of light weight dumb bells. Replace weights with resistance bands to workout. The resistance bands are very effective and get you in shape much quicker then lifting weights. Weights make you bulky while resistance bands stretch your muscles and elongates them giving you a nice toned up body. I dropped 30 lbs within 3 months just by using resistance bands of various resistance strengths. I started out with 10 lbs of resistance and as I got stronger I moved up to 20 lbs and now 30 lbs. Although it's not the same as real weights it works better then real weights because there is no need to concern yourself with spotters or lifting too much or too little. You do what you can and when you max out you simply stop. More resistance, less reps = more muscles Less resistance, more reps = more rips Find a balance. Decide if you want to get ripped up first then build upon that foundation or if you want to get muscular and then get toned up. I started with less resistance and more reps and I'm getting all cut up but I just ordered my weight bench so I can get stronger and really bring out my muscle definition. As far as pain, you need to do yoga. Especially for your lower back. Poor Lumbar support promotes pain all over your upper body. You need to do the cat back and forward stretch, superman stretch, canon ball stretch, banana stretch. I was reading what you typed and you said you lay flat on the bench. That is wrong! :-) You are suppose to arch your back a bit and not allow your waist to touch the bench board. You must also focus on your chest and make sure you are squeezing your chest and not just lifting the weights with your arms. If you are not squeezing your chest as you lift the weights all you are doing is transferring your strength from one arm to another and gain nothing but pain from bad form. Hope that helps. Take care |
| defensive takle said: | @ cathy could be tendonitis look into dat |
| Cherry said: | Hi, would like to ask what is the benefit of doing bench press for woman? and what is the different if i lie down flat or incline? i have just started bench press for 2weeks now but so afraid i will end up with bulky chest like my hubby. all i want is to firm my chest. that is all. any idea? also, please advice what is the best tips to shape up my arms and back aside from the typical biceps, triceps and rowing? thanks |
