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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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