Chest Workout for Women : Push Ups

We all know a chest exercise or two. Chest muscles need to be strong, but they need to be strengthened the correct way. Each of the exercises below are safe and effective for building a strong and balanced chest.

Typically women don’t want to work these muscles because we think it will make our chest appear larger. FALSE! In fact, working the muscle correctly will result in a natural lift! How lovely :)

nee Push Ups

Start- Begin on all fours. Your knees should be directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. You should be looking at the floor.

Go For It- Slowly lower your upper body towards the ground. Try to touch your nose to the floor. Pause for one second and lift back to start.

Tips and Techniques-

– Inhale as you lower your body weight. Exhale as your lift your body back to the start of the chest exercise.

– If your wrists bother you, move them more forward.

– Keep your back flat at all times.

Modified Push Up
This pushup is great because it doesn’t require you to jump into “boy” pushups right away. Doing push ups on your knees does reduce your output from about 60% of your body weight to only 35%. But this is a good starting place and you can always work up to the full push up. You can also modify this further by performing push ups against a wall (easiest) or high counter to give you some leverage until you can build up to floor exercises. We know you want to bust out a GI Jane one-armed push up, but that takes practice… so be realistic and get to work!

1. Lie flat on your stomach.

2. Place your hands flat on the ground next to your armpits, with elbows bent. Don’t place your hands too far away from your body. They should end up right under your shoulders once you push up.

3. Bend your legs at the knees and cross your ankles, lifting your ankles off the floor. This will ensure that you use your knees as your fulcrum (pivoting support) instead of your feet.

4. Push up with your arms as you pivot on your knees, keeping your back and neck in alignment the whole time. Keep your face turned to the floor and do not arch or round your back. If you have trouble keeping your spine aligned, concentrate more on contracting your abs to stabilize your core.

5. Lower yourself back toward the ground in three to four counts, but don’t touch the ground with your chest. Keep a few inches between you and the floor, and then repeat the push up.

6. Do three sets of 10 reps, with 30-60 seconds rest in between. Work up to three sets of 20 reps by adding an additional five reps to your routine each time you can complete all three sets without trouble, two exercise sessions in a row.

Breast Lift Exercises for Women

Pills and creams and surgery, oh my! The lengths that women will go to for great breasts are extreme, but you don’t have to go under the knife to perk up. Maybe you’ve just had a baby, maybe you’re staring the big four-oh in the face or maybe years of sitting hunched over a computer have taken their toll on your posture. No matter the reason, the first place to look for results isn’t the operating table. You can create your very own boob lift at home with these three easy-to-do exercises.

Firm chest muscles and great posture can help improve the appearance and lift of your breasts. In this how-to, you will learn the best way to protect your breasts during exercise and the chest exercises you can do to lift the breasts.

Wear a proper fitting sports bra during exercise. Breast tissue can be damaged and sag over time when not supported properly during exercise. Have a bra fitting expert help you find your correct bra size, and buy the most supportive exercise bra that you can afford, no matter whether your cup size is an AA or DD.


Stability Ball Dumbbell Fly
Step 1

Same position as with the dumbbell chest presses.
Step 2

Grip the dumbbells in the same manner, with your knuckles facing the ceiling. Extend both arms -- this will be your starting position.
Step 3

Slowly spread your arms to about chest-width. Hold for a count of 5. Next, slowly spread them again until they're at 45 degree angles with your torso. Hold for a count of 5. Next, lower them until the dumbbell is about even with your shoulder.

Traditional Pushups

They're not fancy, sexy, or cutting edge, and they don't require trendy equipment. However, pushups are still among the best chest workouts around. All types of pushups use your body weight as resistance to strengthen the chest. Proper hand, head, and feet placement is essential to prevent possible injuries, such as rotator cuff strain, and to get full benefits of the exercise.

Lie face down on the floor with your hands flat on the floor at the shoulder area, arms extended.
Hold your head straight and do not tuck the chin in or lift it up.
Bend your toes, so that you don't rest on tip toes, for best weight distribution.
Slowly lower yourself to the ground. Rest your weight on hands and toes for a count of three.
Raise to starting position and repeat. If you are a beginner, try to do up to eight push ups, and then add more repetitions as you gain strength.

Bench Press Cheat

Without a doubt, the most coveted and respected lift in the iron game is the barbell bench press. Ironically, no other lift is the source of so much frustration either. Sticking points and plateaus seem to trouble nearly everyone at one time or another. It's not uncommon for someone to spend months or even years benching the same amount of weight with no improvement at all - but it doesn't have to be that way.

With a few small changes in your technique, a good dose of hard work and some patience, a 300, 400, or even 500-pound bench press is within your reach. If you'd like say goodbye to sticking points and finally break through the plateau's that have plagued you for so long, then put these 15 powerful bench-boosting principles to work and you'll smash through previous limitations and send your bench press soaring into new territory faster than you ever believed possible.

The arch is one of the best ways to decrease the ROM on a bench. I'm constantly working to get my arch bigger and bigger. My goal is to make my bench look as much like a decline bench press as I can. The way I achieve this is by moving my feet farther and farther back under my body. My goal is to get my feet as close to my head as possible.

When benching the only parts of my body that I want touching the bench are my traps and butt. In my federation, my feet have to be in contact with the floor at all times but they do not have to be flat on the floor. Therefore I push my feet back as far as I can get them and balance myself way up on my toes. It's a very very uncomfortable position but pushing big weight is not about comfort. If it's comfortable, you aren't tight enough.

Prior to the lift, the lifter should be certain that the weight is balanced on the bar and that collars are securing the plates. Improper balance can result in an awkward and uncomfortable left attempt that may result in injury.

The lifter should position themselves so that the bar is located above the eyes. The back and buttocks should be firmly placed on the bench pad. The feet should be placed flat on the floor.

The grip should be centered on the bar. Most athletes will feel comfortable with the arms slightly wider than the shoulders. Longer armed athletes however, may prefer a wider grip while shorter armed athletes will find a slightly narrower grip more comfortable.

I've found that as you take your liftoff, roll the elbows in slightly will make the lift more comfortable. It will also make it easier to tuck the elbows on the way down. Speaking of liftoffs- when taking a liftoff, hold the bar at arm's length for a moment or so. The weight will compress the shoulder joint thus decreasing the distance the bar will have to travel.

So, there you have it. Just a few strategies to help you cheat your way to some heavier weights on the bar. With any luck, you may find yourself reading some idiot's comment on one of your videos accusing you of being a cheater too.

How to Learn to Do One Arm Push Ups

The one-handed pushup is a benchmark of fitness and strength. The exercise requires the development of subtle balance muscles to channel raw strength into a very difficult and awkwardly balanced exercise. With the right training and dedication, you can do a one-handed pushup within weeks.

One of the best ways to get the technique of a one-arm push up is to get a set of push up bars to make it harder. By using a push-up bar, it causes you to deepen the range of motion and eventually will lead way to a solid one-arm push up. I also recommend practicing both arms...you never know when a shoulder injury may occur and you might have to perform a one-arm with the opposite arm. (as with double arm push-ups, you can also start with your knees down, or another great way to learn the balance is widen your feet out for stability, but work on getting your feet closer every week until you master the move with your feet shoulder width apart).

The one-arm push-up is as much technique as it is strength. Spread your feet out wide in the push-up position then put most of your counter-pressure on the foot that's opposite your hand. Left-hand = right-foot. Right-hand=left foot. Then you'll be using much more of your core muscles to steady yourself down and back up again.

Try not to tilt your upper body upward as that really makes it look like you are doing it the easy way. Build your coordination up over the course of a couple weeks keeping your shoulders parallel to the floor so that when you go down to your deepest point both shoulders are low to the floor.

Strength training will be mostly tricep work and front delt (shoulder work). Lay on a bench with a single dumbbell. Do single-arm dumbbell press holding the dumbbell in a hammer (palms in) position. Use your ab/core muscles to compensate to keep you steady. Work up to going heavy since you won't be doing but only a few of these one-arm push-ups and you'll be supporting a lot of weight on that one arm. Train both sides to show your equal strength of both arms when you do your routine.

Best Reps for Bench Press

It’s a very common question I get asked all the time in the gym, via email and on the forums. “Can you give me some tips for increasing my bench press?” You see the bench press is often used to measure a guy’s strength. The heavier your bench, the stronger you are right? Wrong. Now anyone who’s knows anything about lifting weights and body strength knows that that this is absolutely not true. However, as far as upper body exercises are concerned it’s probably the best exercise to measure upper body strength.

The standard understanding for how many reps are needed to build muscle is best grasped when examining the boundaries set for the different priorities that different rep ranges are said to be geared towards. Erm, yeah…in other words, let’s look at this in numbers:

Strength = 1-5 reps

Building Muscle (hypertrophy) – 8-12 reps

Endurance = 15+ reps

In the tradition of Arnold Schwarzenegger, most people follow high volume bodybuilding routines that look something like this:

Bench press - 4-5 sets 8-12 reps
Incline press - 4-5 sets 8-12 reps
Dumbbell flyes - 4-5 sets 8-12 reps
Cable crossover - 4-5 sets 8-12 reps.


For Bench Press you can try to do:

Do about 3 sets of 5 reps for your working sets. Don't forget to include warm up sets as well, something like this

12 reps - empty bar
8 reps - light weight
6 reps - moderate weight
3 reps - medium/heavy weight
1 rep - heavy (make this about 10lbs under your working sets)

3 sets of 5 reps

Try to increase the weight for your working sets by 5lbs each week.

Exercises for your Chest - Decline Pushups

Push-Ups are the classic exercise. If I could do only one routine that would keep my chest, shoulders and arms in shape (and even help tone my stomach) it would be push-ups. Anyone can do them no matter strength or skill level. What is more, no special equipment needed. Is it any wonder that push-ups are an integral part of every prison workout...or any workout for that matter?

I have chosen to highlight a "decline" variation of the push-up because having the feet elevated targets my upper pectorals. In my opinion most of us already have "something" at the bottom of our breast area so strengthening the top of the chest muscles helps to lift the breast area and better defines the chest. Again, just my opinion. Try regular and decline and see which works best for you.

How to Do It

Place hands on floor (wider than shoulders) and prop feet on a step, platform or (if you're advanced) an exercise ball. Slowly bend arms and lower body until elbows are at 90 degree angles. Straighten arms and push up without locking elbows. Keep abs tight throughout the movement! Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 12-16 repetitions, with a 20-30 second rest between sets.

This exercise works the chest, arms, abs, back and shoulders.

Range of motion will be compromised if grip is too wide. Higher elevations will not involve sternal head of pectoralis major. Lower elevations will target sternal head of pectoralis major but still involve clavicular head of pectoralis major as a synergist.

Build Pecs Without Weights

Why would anyone want to workout without weights? Everyone knows that using weights and machines is the fastest most efficient way to gain size and strength. While this is true, there are many reasons why someone would want to, or even be forced to train for a while without the benefit of using weights.

Someone working long hours trying to support his family may not have the time to get to a commercial gym, and may not have the extra space or money to set up a good home gym. Also, someone who has to travel quite often for business might prefer getting a good workout in his or her hotel room rather then wandering the streets of South America asking "Donde esta el gymo?"

Push ups are the best I think. Not only do they make you look good but they also improve your bench remarkably when you do get to the gym. If you put your feet on a chair it increases the weight and helps a little more than a regular push up. They are also good for building up abs believe it or not!

Have you ever tried "dips"? This is great in building the pecs. Google or youtube "dip exercise" to see what i'm talking about and do those. You can do dips with two chairs on your sides or at the playground in between the monkey bars. Try it our with your bodyweight and see how many you can do at once. If you can do more than 10, then get your back pack and add weights to it like 10-20 lbs so that you can only do 7-8 reps at the most per set. Do 3 sets of 7-8 reps of dips after you do your push ups exercises.

If you want to be able to do many push ups but not get big, visit www.hundredpushups.com -that's if you want to be able to do 100 push ups and really tone up. Do this after you get a little bigger.

Dumbbell Flat Bench Presses

Dumbbell bench presses can be performed at the three various angles and they are the flat bench version, decline, and at an incline. But, we are mainly focusing on the flat version for now.

The main benefit of dumbbell presses, as opposed to barbell presses, is using dumbbells in this manner also allows for a greater stretch at the bottom and more efficient peak contraction at the top than a barbell press do.

Lie flat on your back on a free standing flat bench. Have your spotter hand you each dumbbell and slowly press them upward and together. When you press them upward, you want to do so in an explosive fashion. Conversely, be sure that when you lower the dumbbells you do so in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure. Remember to always use a spotter when performing this and almost every other free weight exercise!

Dumbbells should follow slight arch pattern, above upper arm between elbow and chest at bottom, traveling inward over each shoulder at top. No need to drop weights - see suggested mount and dismount techniques: standard or advanced. Also see mount & dismount from special machine rack.

Dumbbell Flys

Lack of variation in chest training can create disparity among the same muscle. Adding flys to presses will make your chest muscles strong and muscular. Bench press works on chest only up to the first 60-70% of pressing movement when it is taken over by anterior deltoids. This makes fly moves more important as pectoral muscles function to bring arms towards the center and flys help do just tat.

Dumbbell Flys are a great way to build inner chest. It gives chest muscle the complete look and feel.

Steps.

1. Lie flat on the bench keeping your feet on floor for better balance.

2. Hold the dumbbells at arms length above you with palms facing each other.

3. Now lower the dumbbells by bending the elbows slightly, and lower them only to a level parallel to the floor. DO NOT go beyond this point or lower.

4. Now return the weight to the starting position thrusting and squeezing the chest.

Repeat this movement to complete the set.

Warning straight armed is much more difficult than elbows bent because of leverage. Decrease your weight till you can do these with your arms almost straight. Many times you will see people doing WAY more than they should and they do them like this (demo). No, use less weight. Why? Because then you can spot yourself. At about rep 6 when you cant do another straight armed one, bend your elbows slightly. This increases your leverage and makes it easier on your pecs, now you can do 2 or 3 more. When you cant do any more reps, bend your elbows a bit more. This way, you can do forced reps safely.


Special Instructions

A narrow bench will allow free movement of the shoulders. This is not an exercise for heavy weights. Keeping arms slightly bent will less the stress on the elbow.

Dumbbell Bench Press

The Dumbbell Bench Press is a fantastic movement that when properly performed builds the chest muscles. Dumbbell Bench Press is a great chest exercise because it can be performed using various angles to develop every part of the chest muscle. The Dumbbell Bench Press is also a fantastic chest exercise because it allows for great freedom of motion and as such engages many supporting muscles that further stimulate optimal chest development.

The movement is basically the same as the barbell bench press and the muscles used are the same. This exercise is also considered a compound movement.

The only difference in the movement is the balance. Each dumbbell must be lifted independently of one another which can be somewhat more difficult since one side of your body may be stronger than the other. However, this movement is very beneficial because it forces your weaker body part to become stronger.

How to do it?

Preparation

Sit down on bench with dumbbells resting on lower thigh. Kick weights to shoulder and lie back. Position dumbbells to sides of chest with bent arm under each dumbbell.

Execution

Press dumbbells up with elbows to sides until arms are extended. Lower weight to sides of upper chest until slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder. Repeat.

Variations

Another variation of this exercise is to perform it with the palms of the hands facing each other.

Also, you can perform the exercise with the palms facing each other and then twisting the wrist as you lift the dumbbells so that at the top of the movement the palms are facing away from the body. I personally do not use this variation very often as it seems to be hard on my shoulders.

Pec Deck Exercise

A popular choice of exercise for those who do not seem enter the free weight section of the gym regularly, and want to target the pectoral muscles!

The pec deck can be quite effective at isolating the chest fibres, as they are recruited during lateral flexion of the shoulder. The nature of the arm position during the exercise also allows for minimal involvement of secondary muscles during the execution of the exercise. This is ideal for those who want to isolate the chest, maybe for use as a pre-exhausting exercise before chest pressing exercises to follow.

Pec Deck machines, commonly known in the gyms as pec deck or pec machines, play a vital and important role in strengthening the chest. Most commercial gyms strive to have pec machines in their environment as they prove to have fruitful outcomes. Pec machines work in a very simple fashion. The muscles around the chest area are worked by clutching the muscles of the breast together and forward. Most areas of the chest can be worked by stimulating and working other parts of the human body such as the back and the abdominals.

If using the Pec deck or the peck machine for the first time, be sure to read all instruction and to ensure you have access to a trainers help at all times. Though it is said to be safe, the weightlifter has to be briefed on the proper usage of the machine. The weightlifter should be well aware of the fact that over exerting the chest muscle or performing the exercise in a wrong manner can cause an injury. Injury can differ from the type of causes. Some can be permanent, some can be temporary. In order to remain physically able, the weightlifter has to ensure that all precautions and measures have been taken.

Using a Pec Deck machine, seat yourself in it accordingly. Perform the exercise by squeezing your forearms and elbows in together so that you virtually touch them together at the peak of the movement. Be sure to really squeeze your pecs at the peak of this movement for a one-count. Return to the start position and repeat.

The key conservative treatment for such injuries is to work on strengthening the rotator cuff muscles, including exercises for both internal and external rotation. Another problem that seems to occur after the patients use pec deck machines is known as thoracic outlet syndrome. It's a somewhat complex ailment to diagnose. The nerves to the upper arm leave the spine in the neck and them a bundle, known as a plexus.

The nerves in the bundle travel by certain muscles behind the collarbone, or clavicle, in front of the first rib and past other muscles to supply the arm. Some people have extra bands of connective tissue around this bundle of nerves. If the bundle becomes compressed, the patient may develop tingling, numbness, pain, temperature differences-perceived or actual-and a variety of symptoms over large areas of the arm, forearm, hand and even armpit.

Increase Your Bench Press Weight!

The bench press is one of the most well known exercises to athletes and strength coaches around the world.

It doesn't always transfer to the playing field, or the court but a strong performance in the bench press can really give elite athletes an edge when it comes to scoring high in combines or other tests to determine their future as college and professional athletes.

You body might have become used to doing the same exercises, for the same weight, for the same sets, for the same days of the week that it will continue to do the same thing each week. So, change something! If you normally do your chest workout on Monday, try doing it on a different day of the week. Try doing a drop set with your bench presses. Try doing dumbell presses for a week or 2 instead of the regular barbell bench press, then try to bench again. Change something around and shock your body into increasing, it just might work.

The bigger your muscles, the stronger you are. Eat at least your body-weight in lbs x 18 calories. Get 1g/lbs protein daily from meat, poultry, fish, eggs & whey.

Tips To Keep In Mind

* Keep your elbows tucked in to your side and use your strong triceps to help the lift. The Bench Press Strength! manual contains the appropriate volume and intensity of triceps work to prepare your arms.

* Use your whole body in the lift. Push against the floor with your feet. Keep your upper back muscles tensed and keep the upper back on the bench for stability.

* Push the bar straight up to reduce the movement distance.

* Practice your technique! Heavy lifting is a combination of skill and muscular work, so you learn how to perform the movement most efficiently.

* Identify your weaknesses so that you can train appropriately.

The One Arm Pushup Tips

So you're bored with the classic push-up. Or you're a monster and think the classic is just too easy. Either way, here are some suggestions to do something challenging instead of the bland push-up.

Most of us who can do two dozens or so push ups will be able to do at least one single arm push up. This is fact that anyone can test. Just spread your legs half a mile out and allow your back to curve every which way lift and drop the opposite shoulder by amplitude of two feet. And somehow you will be able to do something that your none-physically active friends will believe is a single arm push ups.

They will throw a few wows, pat you on the back and tell their friends about how strong you are. They will also tell everyone not to mess with you or you will one arm push up them silly. As great as it all sounds, you yourself know that what you did was something very far from a true skill that you have tried to portray.

How to do it?

* Keep feet spread slightly farther than shoulder width. The more spread apart your feet are, the easier the move. Judges will mark down for this. Make sure both knees are facing the floor throughout the movement.

* Place hand where it feels most comfortable, usually slightly outside and above the shoulder joint, with fingers facing slightly inward.

* Place other arm tight against the side of the body and the back of the thigh for balance and control.

* Keep the entire body rigid and tensed, to ensure control and ease of the movement.

* Lower your body slowly until your shoulder is parallel with your elbow. Avoid dropping the opposite shoulder; both shoulders should be kept in a straight line, parallel to the ground during the entire movement.

* Explode back up in a controlled, yet smooth movement, and lock out the elbow at the top of the push-up.

* Keep eyes and head facing forward throughout the movement, rather than facing the floor.

The best way to insure that you reach the point where you can do one arm push ups unassisted, is to make sure and really master the previous movements before moving on. The more time you spend mastering the previous movement, the easier time you will have with the next movement.

Chest Press Machine Exercise

A machine chest press is an exercise performed on a device designed to work the chest muscles. Most gyms have chest press machines. They have a seat to sit on or a bench to lie down on. When you are on the machine, the user presses away from the body with their hands on two handles in front of the chest. The amount of resistance is determined by the number of weight plates that are chosen by the user.

# Preparation

Press your back flat against the back pad and pull your navel to your lower back to stabilize your core.
# Execution

Press the weight slowly away from your chest until your arms are straight. Pause, then slowly return to a 90 degree elbow bend.
# Equipment notes

Some machines have a bar to put your foot on to press the handles far enough forward so that they are easier to grab. Your machine may or may not have a foot rest on which to rest your feet while you work. Either way, keep the arms between 90-180 degree


Position yourself on a machine bench press (some are structured to have you in a seated position, while others have you lying flat on your back). Simply begin by pressing the weight outward/upward in an explosive fashion. When you return to the start position, be sure that you do so in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure.

The minus part about machine is what you can do on the machine won't be close to what you'll press with the barbell. Machines work you in 1 plane of resistance, whereas free weights take three. Machines tend to take the stabilizers and synergists out of the equation that are vitally important with free weights.

My advice-start benching both with the barbell and dumbbells. Forget about going to failure and keep 1-2 reps in the hole.

Build that Pectoralis Muscle

Aside from big arms, there's no desire among aspiring underweight muscle building enthusiasts that quite outdoes the longing for a big, well-developed chest. And why not; big pectorals command respect. They're somehow primitively associated with courage and assertiveness. When you have pectoral muscles that only slightly protrude beyond your abdominal section, you're considered to be "in shape". What's more, in a world of male competitiveness where one's height seems to unfairly monopolize the aura of dominating physical stature, powerful pectorals can be a great equalizer. They tell the world that regardless of the level your genetics had you lengthened, you're packaged physical prowess by choice. You exude strength and athleticism with well developed pectorals.

To build pectoral muscles fast, you must dedicate yourself to a regimen of weight training, good nutrition and rest. If you are committed, you can see a noticeable change in your chest within a few weeks.

Develop a weight program that works your pectoral muscles hard. Begin with three sets of 10 reps for each of three chest exercises. Try bench press, flat bench flies and push-ups. Always remember to warm up and stretch your pectoral muscles.

To build the chest pectoral muscles, work both the upper and lower sections in two different training sessions. You can combine one session with back training, for example, and the other session with biceps. Upper pectoral muscles are the most difficult to isolate. The movement is more awkward and the difficulty surprises new bodybuilders. To work the upper pecs, perform incline presses. Use an incline bench. You can use dumbbells or a barbell. You can also pull the bench over to a smith machine for added support or when you start to lift heavier weight. Work the lower pectorals with dumbbell or barbell decline presses, dips, decline flys and cable flys.

There are a lot of machines available at your gym that serve the same purpose. Use them as a complement to your dumbbell and barbell routine. Don't use them primarily, however. You sacrifice a greater range of motion and development of the stabilizer muscles. Start with lighter weights at first. Make sure your form is perfect before you attempt to lift heavy. The position of the movement can cause strain on the back if you do not concentrate on controlled, fluid movements. Don't jerk or use momentum to perform the lift.

Dumbbell Chest Press

Doing a chest press with dumbbells instead of a barbell can add a different element to your chest exercises, since both arms now have to work independently from one another. This is great for working both sides of the body, and the dumbbell chest press makes a nice complement to the barbell exercise.

Lie on an flat bench, keep your feet firmly pressed down on the floor for stability. Start with a dumbbell in each hand held overhead as if you were holding a barbell. Now lower them from arms length to as low as possible on your outer chest. The bar should be lowered under control until your arm reaches a 90-degree angle. There should be a brief pause on your chest before you return the bar to arms length position.

Modifications: Dumbbell chest presses are one of the best chest exercises because of their versatility. You can limit the range of motion many ways to target certain parts of the chest. You can also change the rotation of your wrists to maximize stabilization training.

Tips: Do not lower your upper arms below the plane of your body. Do not lock your elbows at the top of the movement. You can vary the distance between your sides and elbows to take pressure off the shoulders.

Bench Press Technique

The bench press has been considered one of the “core” weight lifting exercises for many years. The reason for this is simple: this exercise is extremely effective in strengthening the prime movers of the upper extremity. Examples of this can be found in:

*Football: tackling, blocking, and passing;,
*Swimming: crawl and breaststroke,
*Track & Field: pole vault, shot put, and discus,
*Baseball: throwing and hitting,
*Boxing: punching,
*Basketball: shooting, boxing out, and rebounding.

The bench press hits a large amount of upper body musculature with the primary focus being on the pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders, especially front and middle), and triceps (back of the arm). Any number of secondary muscles are hit but these are the main ones that are being targeted.

What’s The Bench Press? Lie on an upright support bench or a bench inside a Power Rack. Unrack the weight & lower it to your chest. Press it back up until your arms are locked. You’ve done a Bench Press.

You have several ways to Bench Press by varying grip, grip width, bench angle, etc. Some Bench Press variations are:

* Close Grip Bench Press. Shoulder width grip. Emphasis triceps.
* Reverse Grip Bench Press. Palms facing you. Also emphasis triceps.
* Incline Bench Press. From an incline bench. Emphasis shoulders.
* Decline Bench Press. From a decline bench. Allows more weight.
* Floor Press. Bench Press while lying on the floor. More triceps.

The "perfect grip" is the grip that has your forearms exactly perpendicular (90 degree angle) in relation to the bench press bar. If you have strong triceps, you may try using a close grip by moving your hands closer together when gripping the bar. If your triceps aren't strong enough, try using a wider than perfect grip by sliding your hands away from each other a little bit.

Make sure that your feet are planted firmly on the floor and that they do not leave the floor during your bench attempts. They should also not be moving around. This creates a stable base and foundation, which makes your bench more powerful. The whole body must be stable during a bench press and the feet are a HUGE part of that.

As you get used to bench pressing heavy weight, you will learn to "push" off with your feet for additional power (while keeping your feet planted). Try this during your normal bench press workouts, then use it to help increase your bench press max!