Bench Presses

The Bench Press

Starting Position: Lie down on the bench and firmly position your feet on the floor

shoulder width apart. Your butt, shoulder blades, and head should always remain in

contact with the bench. An arch in your lower back will help you move heavy weight

because the bar has less distance to travel. Never lift your butt of the bench to press the

weight. Have a spotter give you a lift up to control the weight then lock your arms out,

holding the bar over the center of your pecs. Your grip should be about shoulder width

apart. If your grip is closer you will be using more triceps and anterior deltoids. One

way to determine your grip is to assume a natural push up position and use this same

spacing for the bar.

The Exercise:

Lower the weight slowly to a point just below your nipple. Then use all of

your force to push the bar back up to the locked position for a brief moment and repeat.

Some people prefer to follow an S-shaped motion. Begin by pushing the weight straight,

off your chest and then after a couple of inches roll it back slightly. Pay special attention

to the positioning of your elbows. If your elbows flare out to the sides you will be

putting a lot of stress on your shoulders and rotator cuffs. Many lifters prefer to keep

their elbows tucked closer to their sides. Your grip will remain the same but you will

decrease the pressure on your shoulders. Ultimately you’ll need to experiment and find

the position that works best for you.

Breathing: Inhale with a deep breath as you are lowering the weight. Exhale or breathe

out, as you push the weight upwards. Don’t hold your breath and let your face turn red.

You are stopping oxygen from getting to your muscles and may cause injury. If needed

inhale and exhale rapidly as you push the weight up.

Flat Bench Lower 1/2 Reps:

Have you ever spotted someone that gets stuck at the bottom of a rep and then after you

give them a little help the rest of the rep is easy? This exercise helps you get by this

sticking point. Simply lower the weight then lift it a few inches off your chest and lower

again. This exercise is done with relatively light weight for higher reps.

Flat Bench Upper 1/2 Reps:

Just as some people get stuck at the bottom of the exercise, some people have trouble

locking out at the top. This is mainly due to the triceps, but this exercise helps you lock

out when you are using heavier weight. Simply lower the bar half way down and push it

upwards locking out at the top. Once again this exercise is done with lighter weight for

higher reps. During these exercises you can take quicker breaks between sets.

Negatives:

You will need three spotters for this lift. One will stand behind the bar, and the other two

will stand on each end of the bar. Three spotters are necessary due to the fact that some

of your negative sets will be done at a much higher weight level than your one rep max

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