nutrition and performance book

THE BARBELL BENCH PRESS
Despite being probably the easiest compound lift it seems that this lift causes most injuries.
Technically it still requires much thought and to perform it correctly you need to know the following
basics.
Lie down on the bench and make sure you un-rack it from just behind the head. Certain
machines will allow you to keep it racked whilst pulling it forward but most don’t. A spotter
can come in very handy when performing this specific lift for help racking and un-racking the
bar
Pinch your shoulder blades together and engage the lats. Drive the shoulders into the bench
and keep your feet flat on the floor with a wide stance. This helps to engage the chest and
stop you using predominantly anterior delt activation. Keeping your feet flat and based will
help you to drive through the rep
There should be a slight arch in the lower back. No more than a fist and your butt should stay
on the bench throughout the set. If it lifts, then chances are the weight is too much
Grip the bar about an inch or two out from shoulder width (generally, speaking). Hold it in the
palms and not the fingers and squeeze it nice and tight
Keep your arms locked in and make sure the rep starts directly above the chest and nipples
once you have manoeuvred the bar into place
Your arms should be around 45 degrees to your body, having the straight out will stop full
activation of the chest muscles, al lot closer to the body is generally used by powerlifters
Take a deep breath and keep the whole body nice and tight
At a steady controlled pace lower the bar directly down towards the chest until it almost
touches (or just touches) but do not bounce it off the chest for momentum
Then drive the bar back up towards the ceiling with everything you’ve got. Keeping the chest
up. Avoid rounding your shoulders to have the deltoids push it up
Keep the head flat on the bench. Don’t raise it up to look at the bar. Stay focused on the
ceiling. This will help to keep a vertical lift and avoid injury
The body should not have changed at all during the rep. The core would have been kept tight
throughout. Exhale as you reach the top of the rep
Deep breath. Reset the body. Repeat.
Some common mistakes to avoid:
Rounding of the shoulders forcing the anterior (front) deltoids to work more than the pectoral
muscles. Feet are sometimes placed on the bench as opposed to the floor. Hand positioning that
leaves the bar placing to much force on the wrist as opposed to the whole arm. Raising of the head
during reps. Improper functioning of the lats and shoulder girdle. Lifting the butt and twisting the
back to finish the rep. bouncing the bar of the chest and dropping the bar down uncontrollably.
Instability sometimes causes the bar to fail to travel in a vertical line.
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