The Bench Press
The proper technique when you bench can make all the difference in the world.
The proper technique when you bench can make all the difference in the world.
Unfortunately, the bench press has a bad rap for causing shoulder injuries. But this isn't due to the bench press being a dangerous exercise, but due to so many people doing the bench press incorrectly. The correct way to do the bench press does NOT involve flaring the upper arms straight out to your sides as you lower the bar down to your upper chest.
The correct way to do the bench press is to tuck the upper arms into your sides more so that your upper arms form about a 45- to 60- degree angle with the sides of the torso. To do this, you actually involve the lats a lot by contracting them to pull your arms in as if you were holding two grapefruits in your armpits as you lower the bar to your lower chest, and then drive it back up toward your upper chest so that the bar follows a bit of an arced path, versus a straight up-an-down vertical path. Using your lats properly in this manner will not only spare you from shoulder injuries, but will also help to increase the amount of weight that you can bench press.
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle Group |
---|---|---|---|
Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | Chest |
Reverse-Grip Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 | Chest |
Incline Dumbbell Flye | 3 | 10-12 | Chest |
Cable Cross-Over Chest Press from Mid Pulley | 3 | 12-15 | Chest |
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle Group |
---|---|---|---|
Dumbbell Flye | 4 | 12-15 | Chest |
Superset | 0 | 0 | Tips |
Bench Press | 4 | 12-15 | Chest |
Incline Dumbbell Flye | 4 | 12-15 | Chest |
Superset | 0 | 0 | Tips |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 12-15 | Chest |
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle Group |
---|---|---|---|
Bench Press | 4 | 6-7 | Chest |
Incline Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 | Chest |
Flat Bench Cable Fly | 3 | 15-20 | Chest |
Cable Crossover (Low Pulley) | 3 | 10-12 | Chest |
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle Group |
---|---|---|---|
Cable Cross-Over Chest Press from Mid Pulley | 3 | 15-20 | Chest |
Dumbbell Flye | 3 | 15-20 | Chest |
Barbell Bench Press With Band | 4 | 15-20 | Chest |
Reverse-Grip Bench Press | 4 | 15-20 | Chest |
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