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Flat
Barbell Bench Press
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-> Exercises
-> Flat Barbell Bench Press
The Flat Barbell Bench Press
is one of the most common exercises used in the gym.
It is used to work the large Pectoralis
muscles of the chest.
How to do it:
- Lie
down on a flat bench with your feet flat
on the floor.
- Take
a medium grip on the bar using the smooth
rings as a guide. Generally, a good rule-of-thumb
is to place your middle finger on the
rings.
- Experiment
with grip widths until you feel comfortable
then remember where that grip is.
- Take
the bar off the rack and hold it out at
arms-length.
- Lower
it slowly to the nipple line then press
up in a slight backward arc so that the
bar finishes approximately over your face.
- You
should inhale as you are lowering the
bar and exhale as you are pressing up.
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Where
to bring the bar:
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- On
the flat bench, you should bring the bar
to the point where the breastbone ends (for
most people).
- Always
try to keep your forearms vertical. If they
are tilted at a large angle you will not
get the most efficient push on the weight.
- To
determine your proper grip, using just the
bar, lower it to your chest and look at
your forearms. They should be vertical and
directly under your wrists.
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Keep
your wrists straight. Don't cock them
back or allow them to twist during the
exercise. This causes undue stress on
the wrist and reduces power in your
shoulders, chest and arms.
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Grip
the bar firmly so that it doesn't roll
out of your hands and remember to always
use collars to prevent the weights from
sliding off. This especially important
when you are first learning the exercise
as you may have difficulty with balancing
the bar. Weights sliding off the bar
can cause injury to yourself and others.
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Tricks:
- Try
to imagine the bar as an immovable object and
push yourself down and away from it rather than
pushing the bar up and away from you. This will
increase your pushing power with a simple change
in mindset.
Common
Errors:
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