The Bench Press

Think of the bench press as a total body exercise, not just a chest exercise as it is often thought of.

Your set up is very important. You want your feet firmly planted, next you will want to squeeze your glutes and abdominal muscles. Keep a slight arch in your lower back and open the chest slightly as you retract your shoulder blades. This is your foundation which you should maintain throughout the movement.

Grip the bar firmly and slightly outside shoulder width. You want to find a grip width that allows you to slightly tuck your upper arms towards your torso. You do not want your upper arms completely perpendicular to your body, this can be very hard on the shoulder joint. Before you descend, take a deep breath into your lungs and keep the core braced.

As you descend, attempt to actively pull the bar down to your chest near the nipple line, while keeping your entire core and legs braced. Your forearms should remain in a vertical position with the bar directly over your elbows. After touching your chest, press the bar up with your chest, shoulder and tricep muscles. Exhaling as you complete the motion.

You may notice the bar does not move completely vertical, it will move in a slight arc pattern between the start position above the shoulders and the mid-way position on the chest.

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