If you have been going to the rocking chair for quite a long time, then you have definitely been asked more than once "how much you press"? And, interestingly, you already know exactly what we are talking about - the maximum weight in the bench press.

The fact is that people are fascinated by the sight of lifting large weights from a prone position - which is why beginners in this business are often unhappy with their results, because they also want to catch respectful glances. But it's not just the acclaim that drives people to include bench presses in their workouts - in fact, this exercise is extremely important for developing the upper body (triceps, and pectoral muscles). This bench press indirectly affects the development of the legs, so it is stupid to underestimate it.

So, for starters, it is important to understand that the bench press is an exercise that must be performed strictly according to a certain technique, mistakes in this matter are fraught with unpleasant consequences (which, however, applies to any other exercise). If you do not understand what exactly and how you are doing, then sooner or later you will run into your “ceiling”. This article will just tell you how to competently and most effectively perform the bench press.

Fundamentals: theoretical and practical

What, in fact, is this bench press in the prone position? This is a basic (multi-joint) exercise that does not involve the use of any fixed weight, which is designed to increase the mass of muscle groups in the upper body, as well as to develop strength. Most of the load on the bench press goes to the pectoralis major muscle, but some of the load also goes to the deltoids and triceps.

There are several variations of the bench press:

1. The so-called "press to touch", which involves powerfully pushing the bar up immediately after it touches the chest.

2. Classic barbell bench press. Performed lying down horizontal bench, it is important to hold the barbell on outstretched arms. As with the press to the touch, the bar is lowered to a light touch of the chest, but after that a short pause is maintained, after which the neck is again squeezed into outstretched arms.

3. Bench press in the Smith machine. This simulator is generally quite a unique design - it allows you to perform most of the most basic exercises with maximum efficiency. The bench press is also possible to perform with this machine. To do this, you need to fix the guides and take a horizontal position on the bench, which must be prepared in advance for the exercise.

4. Bench press in the frame. The power rack also allows you to perform the bench press quite effectively. Take a position in the frame: the bar should initially be on the limiters, which must first be set at chest level, and then proceed to the exercise. As a rule, the bench press is used by athletes who have been injured and are now temporarily unable to use other bench press options (or there is simply no one to insure you).

5. Bench Press incline bench. This version of the bench allows you to work out not only the upper part of the pectoral muscles, but also the lower one, which is very good.

In addition, in the bench press, you can direct the load to the desired muscle group, it all depends on the width of the grip of the bar. For example, a narrow grip has a stronger effect on the triceps, a wide grip on the middle of the chest.

Bench Press Technique

So, the equipment is prepared, you also warmed up - it's time for the bench press.

1. Take a position on the bench so that your eyes are exactly under the bar.

2. Next, lift your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades and press them against the bench. At this point, you should feel tension in your upper back - this indicates correct position Maintain this position throughout the exercise. Now you can grab the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width.

3. Take the bar in the palm of your hand is closer to the wrists, and not to the fingers. Squeeze the bar as hard as possible. The wrists at this point should not be bent towards the head - they should be straight (in the future this will help you a lot, because you will thus avoid wrist pain).

If you're not sure about your grip width, ask someone to help you with that. Have your assistant stand behind you, looking down, assessing the position of the forearms - they should be perpendicular to the floor.

4. Now you need to slightly bend your lower back and place your legs at a right angle to your knees, shoulder width apart. Of course, your back will sag a little - this is normal, but do not overdo it.

Tip: Just maintain the natural curve of the body. As for the legs, they should stand confidently, not slip or move during the exercise. The muscles of the buttocks and thighs should also be tense, because. they will slightly lift you off the bench (remember, however, that there should be no separation of the pelvis from the bench).

5. Now it's time to remove the bar from the racks with straight outstretched arms. Once this has happened, move the bar in a horizontal line until it is exactly over your shoulders. Now, in fact, the "bench press" begins.

Repeat all of these movements whenever you are about to move on to the bench press during your workout - this will help you develop your technique better, as well as accustom your body to proper preparation. Naturally, this will also help avoid injury.

Weight Lowering Technique

In addition to lifting the weight, it is also important to understand how to lower it correctly, because. the load at this moment is quite serious. To begin with, remember that your elbows should be at an angle of 50-60 degrees in relation to the body - this is the most stable position for bench press. Many beginners spread their elbows to the sides, or vice versa, press them too close to the body - both will sooner or later lead to injury, it is because of this that the bench press is considered one of the most dangerous exercises in terms of shoulder injury.

If, for example, in the lower phase of the press, the elbows are at an angle of 20-30 degrees, then this is considered too close, and 90 degrees is already too wide. So 60 degrees is considered the most optimal and safe position of the elbows in relation to the body.

We figured out the elbows, now you can return to the intricacies of the exercise. The bar must touch the chest, by all means avoid incomplete repetitions. Drop it off average speed. Optimal time lowering - 2 seconds.

Lifting the bar and placing it on the rack

So, the neck touched the chest - it's time to press the barbell. Although the name of the exercise contains the word "bench", it is best to imagine that you are pushing the body away from the bar, and not vice versa. In the process of lifting, the neck should describe a small arc - from the chest to its original position. It is important to straighten your elbows, and not keep them slightly bent - this will help you keep the weight.

Remember that the shoulder blades during the bench press should always be brought together and pressed against the bench, there is a slight deflection in the lower back, the feet are firmly pressed to the floor, and the buttocks, respectively, are on the bench.

Theory: Bench Press Muscles

The muscles that participate in this exercise work not only in their normal mode (we are talking about physiology), but also in a rather specific one, developing a static effort. Simply put, they are concerned with stabilizing various parts of the body. The muscles that take on the load in the bench press can be roughly divided into 2 broad categories:

1. The main driving units that make the most significant contribution to the strength of the exercise. Otherwise they are called "direct movers". There is also another type of synergistic muscle, the "auxiliary movers", which work in the same direction as the main muscles to help move the limbs.

2. Engineering units. This type includes stabilizing muscles, which are responsible for the technically correct execution of the bench press - they fix the posture, as well as the position of all involved parts of the body with powerful efforts.

If you are clearly aware of which muscles work at each step of the exercise, you will be able to master it better, as well as develop an anatomical atlas of muscles. Of course, this will allow you to understand which muscles are lagging behind, increase strength and muscle volume without injury and overload. Now let's take a closer look at the contribution of the auxiliary muscle groups.

Step 1: Starting the exercise

Most beginners do not pay enough attention to the legs during the bench press, because it seems that the legs are not involved in the exercise. But in fact, this is not so - at the bottom point, the body resembles a spring, which helps to repel the bar. And if this spring unclenches too weakly, then about further development breasts can be forgotten - you have to switch to strengthening the legs. Do barbell squats or deadlifts.

Step 2: Back

Many people get the impression that the main load during the bench press goes to the pectoral muscles and arms. But once you've trained enough lower part body and learn how to use it in the exercise, then you will feel that the back muscles have come into play. No wonder, because it is these muscles that accelerate the upward movement of the neck and allow you to make more powerful pushes. So do not forget about the development of back muscles - use block simulators and master the pull-up technique.

Step 3: Shoulders

Feel your optimal rhythm and pace of movement of the bar during the bench press and keep it in every workout. Don't rush, control every move. In addition, work on strengthening your shoulders, because they help maintain stability when lifting heavy loads, and also protect muscles from damage. One of the best shoulder exercises is considered to be a military bench press, it is recommended to add it to your program.

Step 4: Completing the Exercise

Develop triceps, otherwise you will not be able to smoothly and calmly bring the barbell to the top position. You can train your long head with French presses, do block extensions.

Bench press: types and methods of execution

The traditional barbell bench press is a must-have exercise for most, but there are also several varieties of it that allow you to develop different muscle groups. Consider the most popular:

1. Dumbbell bench press.

In truth, this exercise cannot be called a full-fledged replacement for the bench press with a barbell, but still it deserves attention. The hardest part of this exercise is keeping the dumbbells in the correct position. But it develops coordination and the ability to keep the load balanced, which helps when working with a barbell.

2. Incline bench press.

There is a lot of controversy in the bodybuilding community about "upper chest." Is it necessary to focus on the development of this so-called upper part, or is it better to train the entire thoracic region at once? What, in fact, is included in this "upper" part?

The top of the chest usually means the muscles located in the region of the collarbone, and although they are part of the pectoralis major muscle, their structure is quite different. So that various exercises affect differently upper part chest and chest in general. Of course, you cannot train exclusively the clavicular muscles, because, as already mentioned, they are part of the pectoral muscle, but you can choose exercises that will have the greatest impact on strengthening the upper chest. Incline bench press is the best of them all.

Try different bench inclinations ranging from 30 to 45 degrees to find the one that works best for you.

Another point - the bar during the exercise should pass near the chin and touch the body not in the nipple area, but just below the collarbone. Thus, the vertical trajectory of the rod movement will be achieved.

3. Bench press with a narrow grip.

If you decide to strengthen the triceps, then the narrow grip bench press is best exercise you can't find. And trained triceps will show best result in the traditional bench press. The main thing is not to overdo it with narrow grip- if you spread your arms literally a few centimeters apart, you will achieve unpleasant consequences in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe shoulders and wrists. So just keep your arms a little narrower than in a standard bench press, all other recommendations are the same (legs to the floor, shoulder blades to the bench, the bar goes in an arc and touches the chest).

If you feel discomfort in your wrists, just spread your arms wider. Dilute them until the discomfort disappears.

4. Press with a reverse grip.

Grasp the bar firmly with your palms facing you - this reduces the load on the shoulders and increases the efficiency of working out the upper chest. Basically, that's all you need to know about reverse grip, all other recommendations for the exercise are the same as the traditional grip.

5. Bench press on an inclined bench upside down.

This type of bench press is practiced to develop the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle, but for training this part of the chest, it is better to give preference to push-ups on the uneven bars.

Calculation of the optimal weight

Most the right way define your optimal weight for training - practice. Just do the exercise with different weights, and you will understand which one is right for you with the current physical training. But if you are used to believing formulas and tables, then you can use the Brzycki formula (there are also Bachley and dos Remedios formulas):

1 time max = M * (36 / (37 - k))
(where M is the weight of the barbell, k is the number of repetitions with the given weight)

You can use the following tables to get an idea of ​​what people with different levels preparation:

The "no training" column shows the average results of the bench press for those who have not done it before, the "average" column for those who have been doing it for several years. gym, and the "professional" column is for competitive athletes (1% of athletes).

Instead of a conclusion: how to increase the performance in the bench press?

1. Always grip the bar firmly.

2. When you have removed the bar from the racks, immediately proceed to the exercise, do not pause. Lead the bar in a straight line.

3. Do not get carried away with training the pectoral muscles - two sessions per week should be enough. Training affects the whole body and the central nervous system, and not just a specific muscle group, it is important to give the body a rest. Avoid overtraining.

4. Constantly improve your movement technique. If you feel that closer to the end of the exercise you don’t think about technique at all, it’s time to unload the bar. Do not chase the maximum weight, prepare the body gradually.

5. Visualize. Imagine how you press a certain weight, scroll through the workout in your head. Thus, you prepare yourself and the brain for an increase in load.

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Hello everyone, today we will talk about bench press techniques.

Classic bench press technique.

Bench press seems pretty simple exercise, But actually it is not. In the bench press, many muscle groups are involved: pectoral, deltoid, triceps, and also, as stabilizers, biceps, middle and rear deltoid, latissimus dorsi. Also in a static load (to maintain the body in the correct position): legs, trapezius and long back muscles.

For convenience, we divide the exercise into phases:

Phase I - preparation for the starting position.

In this phase, we are preparing for the starting position. We lay down on the bench, take the bar in our hands. The grip should be as wide as possible, 81 cm (if there are no injuries to the chest or shoulder joints) - this reduces the range of motion. The hands should be tilted back (the stay lies exactly over the joint, and not closer to the fingers). This makes it possible to further reduce the amplitude, as well as vary the position of the elbows, press them or spread them apart. With straightened hands, it is inconvenient to bring the elbows to the body. It is also not recommended to tightly clasp the bar (clench your hand into a fist). The thumb must be released and bent, and the neck itself is squeezed out with the palms. We reduce the shoulder blades, lower them as low as possible to the lower back. We bend as much as possible in the thoracic region (we become in the “bridge”) towards the barbell. After we start the legs back so that they are tense (we put on the toe or on the full foot - at the request of the athlete). This is necessary for the rigidity of the starting position and for the inclusion of the maximum number of muscles in the work. How to take the starting position, each athlete decides individually.

Phase II - starting position.

In the second phase, we remove the barbell from the racks (with or without the help of an assistant), fix the barbell on outstretched arms. When the bar is fed by an assistant, you need to bring the shoulder blades even more and bend. The starting position is fixed and the bar can be lowered (after the referee's command, if this is a competition, but this team is not present in all federations).

Phase III - lowering the barbell to the chest.

The speed of lowering the bar must be the maximum at which the lifter can maintain position and control of the bar. In the negative phase, the athlete's muscles are greatly depleted, so a lot of strength is wasted when lowering slowly. When lowering, the athlete's chest moves towards the bar, the legs and lower back are tense. The bar should be lowered to the highest point of the backbend, usually under the bust. The amplitude of movement must be strictly perpendicular to the ground.

IV phase - squeezing the barbell.

After touching the chest bar (or the referee's command, if this is a competition), the bar is squeezed out. The barbell should be pressed away from you in the shortest amplitude. It is impossible to take the bar towards the head (this is very important!), (in a bare bench press) in addition to the fact that this increases the amplitude, it reduces the work of the triceps and transfers the load to the shoulders. This is very traumatic, the movement will not be continuous.

Phase V - fixing the bar and returning to the racks.

After fully extending the arms at the elbows and fixing the bar in a stationary state, we return the bar to the racks (at the command of the judge, if this is a competition).
The classic bench press technique is considered generally accepted, it is what the trainer will teach you if you come to the powerlifting gym. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that it suits the majority, which is why it is so popular.

Technique "Press with indentation"

Technique:

After the referee's command "Start", the barbell is lowered under the bottom of the chest, if classical technique the bar is fixed at the highest point, then with the indentation technique, the bar is pressed into the chest for a couple of centimeters, but the athlete does not relax, but remains in tension. After the referee’s command “Press”, the chest moves up, thereby pushing the barbell, at the same time the barbell is squeezed out, thereby the movement becomes more powerful. With this technique, most athletes do not use the maximum grip, but the average.

It should be noted that with this technique it is important to have very strong long back muscles, it is they who help to move the chest forward at the start.

More muscles are involved in the work (than more muscle included in the work, when lifting weight, the easier it is for the body to cope with the load).
- Helps athletes who have a weak start (long back muscles will help with the start).
- Athletes who have strong triceps but weak chest medium grip and indentation will help to cope with a large weight.
- When pressed, it is easier to cope with the delay (in competitions, a long delay can greatly deplete the muscles, they will not be able to cope with the load, when pressed, part of the weight falls on the long muscles of the back (leaves the chest, delta and triceps), pressing will help to cope with this task ).

Indentation increases the range of motion (the shorter the movement, the easier it is to cope with the weight).
- When pushing in after the command of the judge, the weight is not considered taken (some athletes accidentally press the barbell into the chest a little more after the command, this is prohibited by the rules).
- The technique is more difficult to develop than the classical one.
Auxiliary exercises.

It is very important to pay attention to the extensors of the back. If with a classic bench press they only support the position of the body in a static load, then with the indentation technique they perform a dynamic load at the beginning of the movement of the bar. Therefore, some of these exercises should be included in the training program.

Deadlift from plinths.
- Bent-over barbell row (not performed in the classic bodybuilding style, when the body is tilted almost parallel to the floor, but the body needs to be tilted by about 45%. The movement is performed in a high-speed manner with full reduction of the shoulder blades, the emphasis should be shifted to the long muscles of the back, rhomboid , not the lats).
- Snatch pull from plinths (weightlifting exercise to improve speed, will provide an opportunity to develop a fast and powerful start when pressing).
- Boat on a bench with weight (exercise to strengthen long muscles back, dynamic plus 2-3 seconds static on each rep, or just static for 15-30 seconds)

The indentation technique during the bench press is not suitable for all athletes, it is mainly suitable for those who have weak pectorals, but strong deltas and triceps, a weak start. When mastering the technique, it really works, which is evidenced by many athletes who put all-times in the press using the indentation technique, these are Vadim Kahuta and Jeremy Hoornstra.

Technique "Press with oncoming movement"

Technique:

The counter movement technique is very similar to the classic bench press technique, but with one change. This technique was first noticed by the American athlete Ryan Kenelli, and became popular in Russian-speaking powerlifting thanks to D. Golovinsky.
When taking the starting position, the athlete stands in the bridge, bending to the bar as much as possible, after taking the bar from the partner’s hands, bends even more, brings the shoulder blades together and strains the legs. Lowering the barbell, the athlete, bending, meets the barbell with his chest, when the barbell (or the referee’s command) is touched, a start with maximum effort follows, and when passing dead center the pelvis is pressed against the bench, thereby the movement becomes faster and more continuous.

Rapid movement in which the athlete overcomes the trajectory with maximum speed, saving strength for future approaches (slow presses always greatly deplete physical and psychological energy, which leads to the fact that the athlete is not able to give all the best in the third approach).
-With the developed technique, problems with a dead center are eliminated.
-Due to the speed of execution (less energy expenditure), the athlete is able to train longer, perform more volume in training, which favorably affects the final result.

Minuses:
-Technique is hard to come by.
-If the dead point has not been passed, but the pelvis has already been removed back, all the rigidity of the starting position will be lost, the speed will drop and the attempt will be blurred (with the classical technique, when the pelvis does not press against the bench, the rigid position of the body is maintained and the athlete is able to “fight” and squeeze bar).

Auxiliary exercises:

The counter movement technique is a very complex technique (unlike other bench press techniques), so it is worth including a lot of training to improve the bench technique.
- Press with a delay.
- Presses in the range of 40-50% (to improve technique).
Highly important element technique is speed, it must be given special attention.
- Speed ​​presses.
- Presses from bars, with rubber bands, with chains in a high-speed manner.

Conclusions:
A fairly new, but gaining popularity, oncoming traffic technique is working. After mastering the technique, it really helps, especially well on bench presses in the 10+ rep range (she has no equal here, if you do not take into account the rebound, as in the folk press).

Technique "Press with an emphasis on the chest"

Chest-focused bench press techniques are very popular, especially with beginners, for a number of reasons. Most people who come to the gym have one goal - to pump up, and only then, when they are good at bench presses or they learn about powerlifting and decide to perform. Also, the chest is the largest muscle group and many rely on it when pressing. There are also a lot of athletes high level with a well-developed chest (it is genetically dominant or it was just emphasized during training).

Technique:

The technique is very similar to the classical one, the athlete also becomes a bridge (trying to reduce the amplitude), rests with his feet. The difference is that in the classical technique, the elbows are pressed against the body (usually an angle of 45 degrees or less), and when the emphasis is on the chest, the elbows are pulled apart (usually the angle is more than 45 degrees, but less than 90). Usually these athletes have a pronounced dead point in the middle of the amplitude, sometimes in 2/3 of the amplitude.
Pros:
- The technique is easy to learn.
-Suitable for many athletes with developed breasts.
-Bench looks cleaner.

Minuses:
- Triceps are weakly included in the work.
-Obvious problems with dead spots (the chest is already almost reduced, and the triceps have not yet turned on).
-Due to less inclusion muscle fibers the speed is low (which complicates the movement).

Auxiliary exercises:

The main load falls on the pectoral muscles, so you should work with them.

Incline bench press.
- Dumbbell press.
-Press-wiring dumbbell.
It also makes sense to work with the dead center.
- Press with a delay.
- Press from a bar 3-5 cm.

The technique is working, has proven its effectiveness by popularity and time. Also, many athletes who used this technique have achieved very good results (Sergey Grishko, Ange Galati), and some of them even achieved high results (Roma Eremashvili).

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999. Trained since 2007. CCM in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and the South of Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar Territory according to IPF. 1 rank by weightlifting. 2-time winner of the championship of the Krasnodar Territory in t / a. Author of over 700 articles on fitness and amateur athleticism. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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The date: 2012-05-29 Views: 952 585 Grade: 4.9

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Classic bench press

Bench press

Weight and reps for beginners

For men: 8 - 12 repetitions of 25 - 35 kg. 3 - 4 approaches.
For women: 8 - 12 repetitions of 15 - 20 kg. 3 - 4 approaches.

Load on muscle groups

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

Description of the exercise

Basic exercise for chest training. There are many variations of this exercise. The picture shows a chest press. That is, the athlete works with one breast. With the "lifter" bench, the main task of which is to squeeze the maximum weight, the athlete includes as many muscles as possible in the work. I do not recommend the "chest" bench press to non-professionals. Since this option is not designed for large weights and a small number of repetitions. Well, what man does not like to shake big weights for 1 - 2 times! The "chest" bench press is best done with light to medium weights for at least 6 to 8 reps. After all, it heavily loads the tendon of the pectoral muscle and the ligamentous apparatus of the shoulder joint, and large weights will sooner or later lead to injury to the shoulder or chest. But the "lifter" bench is just designed for maximum weights and with other equal conditions is less traumatic. But less use of the pectoral muscles. Less - does not mean that they do not work with this technique.

Main chips

1. To get used to the “bridge” in the bench press, you can put a soft roller under your lower back for the first time. This will teach you to arch your back. 2. When you lie down on the bench, do it so that your eyes are under the bar. If you lie too deep, the bar can catch on the rack when you press. If it is too far, it will be inconvenient to put on and take off the bar. 3. When placing the bar on the racks, make sure the bar is firmly on the racks before removing your hands. I have already seen 2 times how the athlete put the neck on the very edge, removed his hands, the bar broke off the racks and fell on his face. The spectacle is not for the faint of heart, I tell you. 4. Use wrist bandages when working with a weight of 70% of the maximum and above. Even if you have strong brushes. Over time, constant stress can lead to pain in the hands. 5. The belt in the bench press absolutely does not save you from back injuries. It's just a fetish or a tribute to fashion. 6. Never press if you are alone in the room. Everyone has already said this a thousand times. The exception is when you have a bench for the bench with special safety racks (now these are no longer uncommon). 7. Never drop the bar to your chest. You must have full control over the process of lowering the projectile. Otherwise, the result will be low efficiency of the exercise and injury.

Bench press from the chest, lying on a straight line or on an inclined bench - this is one of, that is strength exercises, the most effective for the complex development of the entire musculature of the body. The main working muscles when doing the bench press are the pectoral muscles, the secondary muscles are the muscles. shoulder girdle, triceps and, in part, the top of the press.

Essentially, the bench press is key exercise for dialing muscle mass in the upper body, as well as to form a wide and powerful chest. Anatomically, the bench press is similar to push-ups from the floor, but the main difference is that using a barbell or dumbbell makes it easy to use extra weight and load the muscles harder.

How to do a bench press?

Since the bench press is a sophisticated version of the regular floor push-ups, beginners are advised to first learn, and only then move on to the chest press. Since the press remains in slight tension during push-ups (and repeats the exercise at the top point), the press must also be tense during the bench press.

This is precisely one of key points correct technique - you should be able to lift the weight of the bar precisely due to the muscles of the chest with a tense and motionless body, and not arch and writhe with your whole body or raise and put your legs on the bench to facilitate the exercise. Dumbbells, in turn, only make it harder for beginners to learn bench press technique.

Bench Press: Step by Step Technique

1. Lie down on a horizontal bench press and place your hands on the barbell. The distance between the hands should be approximately 55-60 cm. Make sure that the weight of the bar presses mainly on the palms, and not on the wrists, but thumb was located on top of the bar. The bar itself should not lie too high in the palm of your hand.

2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together (imagine that you are trying to squeeze a pencil between them), then press them against the bench, then remove the barbell from the holders. Borrow starting position- arms extended upwards are perpendicular to the bench, elbows are fixed. Tighten your abs and arch your back slightly. The bar is at the top, exactly along the line of the eyes.

3. Keeping your shoulder blades together, push your chest forward. To do this, keeping your buttocks pressed against the bench, arch your lower back and twist your chest up. This will stretch the chest muscles, thus increasing the range of motion and increasing the effectiveness of the exercise. However, don't arch your back too much.

4. Keep your feet on the floor at the level of your knees, feet slightly apart. Never put your feet on the bench or lift them into the air. Make sure that the heel does not come off the floor when squeezing the barbell. The legs should create a kind of support and support, while helping to keep the muscles of the body in static tension.

5. Lowering and raising the bar during the bench press from the chest is necessary under a slight slope. When lowering the bar vertically down, an excessive load on the ligaments is created, which can easily cause injury to the shoulder and elbow joints. At the bottom of the movement, make sure that the bar does not “spring” on the chest, but only slightly touches it.

6. Watch the position of the elbows at the bottom of the trajectory. The ideal angle is approximately 75 degrees. In fact, the elbows should neither be pressed against the body (this worsens the mechanics of movement), nor be perpendicular to the sides (which, in turn, is extremely traumatic). Remember to make sure that your wrists do not wrinkle.

7. At the top of the bench press movement, hold the barbell exclusively on straight arms with locked elbows. Falling forward or backward is dangerous. That is why it is important not to rush to increase the weight - if you cannot "catch" the correct technique, first learn how to lock your elbows with an empty barbell bar.

8. If you train without or belaying a partner, be sure to bench press in a special frame with limiters. Otherwise, if you cannot hold an excessively heavy barbell, you risk not only dislocating shoulder joint, but also to smash his face or even break his chest.

Bench press for girls

Due to the peculiarities of the structure of the spine, it is much more difficult for girls to maintain a constant tension of the body, which is so necessary for correct execution bench press. That is why, before doing this exercise, they are recommended to do 2-3 warm-up sets of planks on outstretched arms and 2-3 sets of slow push-ups from the floor.

Also, girls (just like beginners) are not recommended to perform “specific” variations of the bench press on a fitball, with their legs up and so on. It is important to first learn the correct technique of the classic barbell chest press on a straight bench, and only then move on to dumbbells and, since this only complicates the mechanics of movement.

How to breathe properly while bench press?

Unlike most other exercise, in which, when bench pressing, it is important to remember that it is strictly forbidden to exhale air at the bottom of the movement. In fact, by emptying the lungs, you provoke a decrease in the volume of the chest and reduce the level of tension in the muscles of the body.

A chest full of air will not only provide additional stretch to the pectoral muscles, but will also help keep the shoulder blades together, which, again, will make it easier to keep the core muscles in tension. Exhaling while pressing from the chest is necessary at the top of the trajectory - however, it is important not only to empty the lungs, but only to gain some new air.

***

At correct technique bench press lying legs should be firmly on the floor, allowing you to maintain static tension in the muscles of the press and body. The shoulder blades are brought together, the chest is exposed forward, the back retains a slight deflection (however, the pelvis does not come off the bench). The bar goes down slowly and slightly diagonally, and exhalation takes place at the top of the trajectory.

The following muscles act as assistants:

• anterior bundle of deltoid;
• anterior dentate;
• coraco-humeral;
• triceps

Correct execution technique

In fact, there are many variations of the bench press. There is a classic power press, aimed at working out the pectoral muscles - and bodybuilders do it. There is a powerlifting bench, more traumatic, but aimed at lifting maximum weight, in which many other muscle groups are connected. There is a style of execution suitable for the Russian bench press - for the number of repetitions and strength endurance.

Classic chest press technique:

1. Lie down on a bench press with the bar at eye level. If the bar is given to you, you can lie down even lower, but if you remove it yourself, this position will injure your shoulders.
2. Press your shoulders, head and buttocks to the bench, and bend your lower back a little and strain. Bring your shoulder blades together. Fix it as tight as possible. Rest your feet on the floor, placing them wider than your shoulders.
3. Grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip.
4. Remove the bar from the stops, squeeze it up. At the very top, your arms should be straightened out (but not to a click in the elbows), the neck is above the middle of the chest.
5. Inhaling deeply, lower the bar to the bottom of your chest until it touches. As soon as she touches the chest, hold your breath and squeeze the bar up with a powerful effort. You can exhale after overcoming the dead point of the ascent.
6. Lower the bar to your chest at a moderate to slow pace.

Powerlifters do things differently. The most notable difference is the bridge. That is, they do not just arch the lower back a little, but stand in a bridge so that the chest is as high as possible - relying on the shoulders and buttocks. This reduces the range of motion, which means you can squeeze the weight more. In addition, not only the pectoral muscles participate in the bench press, but also the latissimus dorsi, and the muscles of the arms, and even the legs with the buttocks: the bar is pressed with the whole body.

Such an execution is traumatic, since even a slight relaxation of the lower back and abs in the bridge during the exercise leads to the fact that it collapses. Sprains, displacement of the vertebrae, and even a fracture of the spine - this is what threatens the careless execution of the lifter's bench press.

Well, if you are interested in how to sit on the twine, then it will be just for you.

In the Russian press for the number of repetitions, they also use a bridge and connect as many muscles as possible, in addition, they press “in rebound”, springing the barbell on the chest.

Common Mistakes

1. Relaxed lower back. Some try to “roll” it on the bench so that the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsupport for the body is as large as possible. This is wrong - with a tight lower back and a tight core, you will be able to take a little more weight, and the likelihood of injury is reduced.
2. Lack of foot rest on the floor. To some, this seems unimportant - after all, the bench press goes with the chest, and it rests on the bench, but the emphasis on the legs provides a more stable position. The chance of injury is drastically reduced.
3. Bench press. Using your own chest as an elastic substance that allows you to spring the barbell and change the direction of movement is common in the Russian press, where the result depends on the number of repetitions and the weight is not very large. But with a classic power press, beating off only reduces the load on the chest.

In powerlifting, the weight of the bars reaches such values ​​that not every rib cage it will endure.

4. Uncontrolled lowering of the boom. It is in the Russian bench press that athletes allow the barbell to practically fall, relaxing the muscles and catching it at the chest. To pump muscles, you need to resist the weight falling on you. In addition, the chances are reduced that you will be crushed by a barbell.
5. Pause at the bottom. You can linger at the top, but at the bottom there is a great chance that you simply won’t be able to squeeze the bar back and will remain lying under it. In addition, the pauses at the bottom are very tickling the nerves of the insurers.
6. Holding your breath too long. Pick up the pace of the exercise so that you do not have to stop breathing for more than 2-3 seconds. The head is spinning and it is easy to drop the barbell.
7. Bringing the elbows to the body. The pecs work best when the elbows are wide apart and looking down. The more you bring your elbows to the body, the more actively you include triceps in the work.

Safety

Never remove heavy rods from the stops yourself. If the working weights have long exceeded a hundred, look for a partner and ask him to serve.

Be very careful when placing the barbell back on the supports.. As a rule, by this moment you are already tired, and it happens that the barbell falls on your face. In general, this exercise is best done with a safety net - a partner will give you a barbell, help you squeeze it if you yourself cannot, and put it on racks without risk. If there is no safety net, do not even try to work with weights near the maximum limit and come close to failure.

Additional equipment

Use elbow and wrist bandages. You can wear a weightlifting belt to support your lower back.

In powerlifting, special bench shirts are often used, which wrap very tightly around the body. When lowering the weight, you have to overcome the resistance of the shirt, but in the lifting phase, it kind of springs up, giving additional momentum to the press. With such equipment, weights are added by 10-15 kg.

Before experimenting with your highs, properly master the technique of the classic bench press. Lifting in order to brag about how much you press at a time, do it only after you are sure that the muscles at the lower back and the press will withstand such a load. In addition, a very decent stretch is needed for the bridge.

Choose a weight that you can do 6-10 reps per set. It doesn’t make much sense to perform a bench press in multi-repetition - other exercises (“butterfly”, lying layout), for example, will help to “prove” yourself. It is for muscle building.