The BENCH PRESS
Welcome back to Improve Your Quality of LIFT: a Strength Series.
If you have missed ANY of the previous posts, you can check them out HERE.
Today, we are moving on from the lower body heavy workouts to some upper body work through the one and only BENCH PRESS.
The bench press is often used as a foundational movement by
a lot of trainers…..and these trainers are dead wrong, just saying Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The bench press is a slightly complex movement when it comes to set up and execution. If you have NEVER been under the bar I HIGHLY suggest starting with the dumbbell floor press, and then you can move on to dumbbell bench press, which will help you safely transition to the barbell.
As always, I have a video for those of you who are more VISUAL learners:
The Set Up:
The set up for the bench has some crucial elements if you are trying to avoid injury….which we all should be. Let’s quickly go joint by joint to make sure we are set up for success.
The Wrists:
You want your forearms to help support the weight you are pressing. If your wrists are bent at an angle, the joint itself is now supporting the weight on the bar. Even with a naked bar, this can feel taxing on the wrists. Grip the bar tight, aim your knuckles toward the ceiling, and “bend the bar” creating tension.
The Shoulders and Back:
The tension you have just created will enable you to easily retract the shoulder blades, allowing them to move with your press….similar to the way they move with a push up. This helps to keep the shoulders in their sockets and decreases wear and tear on the joints.
When setting up your back and shoulders, think about pulling the shoulder blades back and then pressing them down. This will keep your shoulders out of your ears and eliminate your neck from the movement.
BONUS: is the ARCH necessary?
You may have seen heavy lifters arch their back during the bench press. There is a lot involved in this (and yea, I do it) to keep the core active and the back in place. Once the shoulder blades are retracted and pressed down, you fire your core, press your butt onto the bench, and press your hips slightly forward. This will create the arch. Everybody has a different range of motion and spinal flexibility, thus creating differing arches.
So, is it necessary?
I honestly leave that up to the individual. You may find that the heavier the weight, the more you arch. Bigger picture: focus on the back, shoulders, and abs to create a stable base of support for your lift.
The Feet:
Weird to think about your feet during a bench press right?
Not so. The more you participate in strength training, the more you will find that no body part works independently of another. Your base of support in a bench press goes all the way down to your feet.
Your legs help to drive your press and foot position helps to set up that drive. Make sure feet are grounded into the floor, and for a bonus, hug the bench with your legs to really fire up your entire body.
EXECUTION:
Once you have your bench grip (I suggest a fist outside of shoulder width to START, then play around with it), and you have tension on your bar, you are ready to unrack.
UNRACKING TIP: Use your back to PULL the bar over your chest. It’s not a pressing motion to unrack the bar, but more of a pull as you sink your shoulder blades down. When in doubt, get a spotter to help Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Bar path. Your now ready to bench, and probably tired from the set up…..and it’s a great time to consider your bar path.
Your bar path should be an UP and BACK path. Think in terms of a straight line from above the shoulders to the nipple line, then following that line back up. In a moderate grip, your bar should hit right about the nipple line (get used to it, it’s biomechanics).
BONUS TIP: Feel unsure about your personal bar path? Film yourself from the side and watch to see what path your bar takes. IF it’s all over the place, lighten your weight and focus on the back/shoulder stability.
BREATHING.
Your breath is important in any lift. I like to think of a breath and brace technique, similar to the way I brace for squats.
Inhale deeply, as you exhale brace your core 360 degrees around. Take an upper lung inhale to ready yourself for the movement. I typically coach the exhale on the hardest part of the movement, which is when you are fighting gravity…..moving the bar UP.
PACING.
Within your own programming you can feel free to press how you like, BUT if it is strength you are looking to increase I suggest pausing for a brief second at the chest before pressing up. Avoid losing your core and back stability or bouncing reps off of the chest.
Now that you have the mechanics of the bench press, get under that bar (or dumbbell) and give it a shot! Pay attention to the mechanics of your body, and as always, reach out for help so you can feel more confident with the iron.
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What’s NEXT?
As always, if you’re looking for more personalized programming to help take your strength training and conditioning to the next level, CONTACT ME.
If you’re driven to succeed and just need a little extra planning, I have some programs available to help.
AND, be on the lookout early 2020 for the release of Faster Fat Loss.
Remember, having a plan in place helps to ensure your success.
Cheers to your strength!
Michelle
Be sure to return Friday for your FREE WORKOUT.
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