How To Bench Press Effectively & With Proper Technique

The bench press is one of the most important upper-body workouts you can incorporate in your wokout routine. This exercise can be used as a key indicator to your own upper body strength.

** So What is a Bench-Press?

In the simplest terms this exercise is when you lift weight off of your chest, this can be done effectively with a barbell or dumbbells. This chest exercise is a very important part of your chest workouts.

A weight lifting bench is all you really need to perform this exercise, and many home gyms are appropriately equipped to do this lift. Maybe that's one of the reasons this chest exercise is one of the most popular lifts. But remember, the bench-press is a part of your powerlifting routine. It must be incorporated with the other vital lifts in your muscle building program.

** The Muscles That Are Targeted

No lift builds as much muscle in the upper body as this exercise does. These muscles include...

- Primary muscle: chest (pecs)

- Secondary muscle: triceps

- Secondary muscle: shoulders

If you follow a well designed powerlifting routine that uses this chest exercise effectively you will build consistent "balanced" strength in your entire upper body.

** How to properly perform a bench press, whether you're using a home gym or a weight lifting bench

To fully benefit from this chest exercise and avoid injury, you must perform the lift correctly.

- Step 1: Lay flat on the weight lifting bench and grip the bar with your hands about 22-28 inches apart, depending on your size. Make sure you use your thumb in the grip.

- Step 2: Keep your back flat, shoulders back, and chest up.

- Step 3: Look straight up at the ceiling and lift the bar off the rack. Never concentrate on the bar. If using a home gym setup, look at the wall straight ahead of you.

- Step 4: Lower the bar to your chest. Make sure the bar taps your chest and your forearms are perpendicular to the floor.

- Step 5: Lift the bar back up. Never, ever use your back to lift! This is a sure way to injure yourself, setting you back on your hardgainer workouts.

** Safety precautions to ALWAYS use when performing this chest exercise

Benching is notorious for ruining people's workout programs. Lifters often overdo this exercise and subject themselves to overuse injuries. Follow these safety measures to make sure your workouts are never interrupted by injury.

- Always use a spotter. If you find yourself unable to lift a bar another time, you won't be stuck.

- Don't lift your back when lifting the bar. This creates "artificial" strength and can lead to injury.

- Use a safety rack.

- Make sure you are using proper technique. Start your workout programs with little weight and slowly add weight as you perfect your technique.

- Never lift in excess. Overuse injuries can ruin your workouts.

** Bench press variations for workouts

The variations of this chest exercise should be incorporated into your weight lifting workouts. Each lift emphasizes a slightly different muscle group and can evenly work your muscles so even strength distribution is obtained. A gym professional can help you perform these alternatives correctly.

- Close Grip Bench-Press: Emphasizes triceps.

- Reverse Grip Bench-Press: Reverse the way your palms face. Emphasizes triceps.

- Incline Bench-Press: Emphasizes upper chest and shoulders.

- Decline Bench-Press: Emphasizes lower chest.

Your workouts should emphasize the regular bench-press, but these variations can be added for variety and to give your regular "bench muscles" a break.

One final note. This article mentioned the use of home gyms when doing this chest esercise. Don't use a machine unless you absolutely have to. Barbell workouts are much more effective than machine workouts.