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chest exercises > Barbell Bench Press
 
 

   
  
  

 
 

This exercise is excellent for building strength and muscle mass, but it is not suitable for a beginner - it should be regarded as a useful progression from Machine Chest Press. It works on the front of the shoulders and triceps as well as the chest.

1 Lie on your back with your feet supported either by a raised platform or the floor. Make sure that you do not over-extend your lower back and keep your buttocks in contract with the bench. Take an overhand grip on the bar, slightly wider than a shoulder-width apart. Inhale and push the bar off the rack (if there is one) then move it lower down to the midline of your chest. 

2 Try to keep the bar, your wrists, elbows, and your shoulders working on the same line of axis - straight up and down.

3 Hold for a second then push the bar back up, making sure that you shoulders do not hunch forward away from the bench and that it is your triceps muscles and chest that are pushing.

4 Keep your upper body in contract with the bench as much as possible and keep your breathing rhythmical - exhale when you push the bar back up.


 
 

Precautions:

- if your lower back over-extends and feels uncomfortable, bend your knees and raise your legs off the ground. Keep you hips and knees at 90 degrees, with both your feet and knees together.

- make sure that you do not snap your elbows at the top of the press. If you keep you elbows slightly bent the stress at the joints will be relieved

Variations:

- try bench presses on inclining and declining benches

- once you can do bench presses confidently, progress to using dumbbells. You need slightly more control with these, but there is an increased range of movement (a,b).