HOW TO PERFORM A BENCH PRESS!

Bench press or the flat bench press is one of the top exercise to build a strong and big chest. This exercise includes using a flat bench, a barbell with some weights and a barbell rack. Below i will outline the key steps and techniques to do a bench press the right way!

ALWAYS WARM UP BEFORE YOU START A WORKOUT
Aim for atleast 2 sets 12 reps of very light weight.

Step 1 - Rack up the barbell to around 50% of your 1 rep max. For example (if your 1 rep max is 80kg, you would put on 40kg on to the bar)

Step 2 - Lie down on the bench and grab the bar (knuckles facing towards the ceiling). Make sure to grip the bar pretty hard to ensure it doesnt slip. Also you should grab the bar shoulder width apart (place your right hand on to your shoulder and guide it to the bar), do the same with your left hand.

Many people grab the bar with their palm facing the ceiling, this is a NO NO! You would be more likely to injure your wrist as the weight gets heavier which would stop you from working out.

Step 3 - Arch your back slightly ( lift your glutes off the bench and bring it closer to the middle of the bench). Make sure not to arch it too much as this would restrict the range of motion which we do not want. On the other hand, powerlifters arch their back a lot to the point that their range of motion is very little, they do this so that they are able to lift heavier weights which is not the aim of this post.

Step 4 - Tuck in your shoulder blades. In order to do this you must, lift your back off the bench slightly and bring your chest forwards while moving your deltoids back. Hold this position tight and place your back on to the bench. This would reduce the use of your delts during the motion.

Step 5 - Keep your elbows close to your body. Flaring out the elbows would put more stress on to your shoulders and would defeat the purpose of a bench press. It would also be more difficult to perform this exercise with your elbows flared out. Furthermore, keeping the elbows closer to the body, helps it to target the chest more effectively.

Now that you are in the right position to perform the bench press. Lets get into how to do it without injuring yourself.

Step 6 - Lift the bar off the rack, either with a spotter or on your own.

Step 7 - Lower the bar slowly until you get to about an inch off your chest and raise it back up. (Make sure you stay in the same position throughout the whole set).

In order to get the best out of the lift. Use your legs as extra support and leverage. Once you lower the bar down to your chest, use your legs by pushing them down into the ground. This would help you with lifting the bar back up to the top.

Thats it! Now that you know how to perform a bench press the correct way, go ahead and use this guide. Watch how your chest grows quicker.

REMEMBER it is not about how much weight you lift, its about the correct technique which allows your muscles to grow. Let the people ask you how you built a big chest, tell them to master the technique and come back to thank you.

If you have any question please comment below, i will be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability and show your support by leaving an upvote on this post! And follow me for more!