Bench press so that your forearms are perpendicular. Correct grip when performing bench press: position of hands and fingers. Rod movement trajectory

Article last updated: 02/09/2015

Bench press- this is one of the most popular exercises in the gym, which is used by absolutely all athletes, from beginners to professional athletes. With it you can increase strength and build muscle mass. In this article I will tell you about this exercise, how to perform it, and we will also talk about the most common mistakes which are performed by both beginners and experienced athletes. I will tell you about all this and much more in this post.

A LITTLE THEORY

As I said, this is a fairly popular exercise that almost every athlete in the gym does. In principle, as far as technology is concerned, on the one hand everything is quite simple, but if you look from the point of view of sports physiology, everything turns out to be not as easy as it might seem at first glance. So that this exercise loads exactly the target muscles and does not have any negative consequences in terms of injuries for the athlete, correct technique plays a very important role.

Interesting: An absolute world record set by American powerlifter Scott Mendelsohn. In 2013, he lifted a barbell weighing 505.65 kg or 1115 lbs. this achievement in multi-layered clothing. Also, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the official bench press standards on this page -.

It would seem that what is so complicated about it, you just lie down on a bench, remove the barbell from the rack and press. However, not all so simple. IN bench press the correct grip, the trajectory of movement, the width of the arms, and so on play a very important role. We’ll talk a little lower about how to properly work the pectoral muscles with this exercise, but now let’s talk a little about the varieties this exercise.

BENCH PRESS OPTION

1. Classic version

The athlete lies down on horizontal bench, having spread your legs slightly and pressing your feet firmly to the floor, you need to remove the barbell from the racks and hold it on outstretched arms, maintaining balance. When the athlete lowers the barbell to the chest, you can make a slight bend in the lumbar region. The fifth point and the top of the back cannot be lifted from the bench. You should lower the bar until it touches your chest, and then raise the bar to the starting point.

This option is performed, as you already understood, on incline bench, the tilt itself is approximately 30 degrees. You can change the angle of inclination depending on what part of the chest you want to work. For example, you can tilt the power bench down or up. A similar variation is performed in order to pump the lower or top part breasts

1. Smith machine press

In this version, the athlete performs the exercise with a barbell fixed in a special structure. In this type of press, the athlete can perform the movement strictly vertically, this is very convenient for beginner athletes, since there is no need to spend additional load balancing the barbell, you only need to press the barbell up and that’s it. This greatly simplifies the task. That is, with the help of a Smith machine, the load is even more localized specifically to the target muscle groups.

1. Press in a power rack

This variation is most often used by athletes who have suffered a certain shoulder injury and, in order to reduce the range of motion, place special limiters at chest level, which do not allow the athlete to lower the barbell even lower. In general, if you have a shoulder injury, it is better to forget about the bench press for a while and do alternative exercises as .

A narrow grip is used to pump triceps muscles arms, that is, triceps. This is a basic exercise for this group, so it is best used at the beginning of a triceps workout.

Note: Many people mistakenly believe that the narrower the grip, the larger and better the triceps are worked, but this is not entirely true. The width of the grip should be slightly narrower than the width of the shoulders; the technique itself is that during the downward movement, the elbows do not move apart, but are pressed to the body and looking straight.

THE VALUE OF THE GRIP AND ITS WIDTH

The grip width is great importance, since the position of the hands determines which part of the muscle group will be worked. That is, if you place your arms too wide, you will pump up the sides of your chest, which are located closer to the front deltoids. Performing the exercise with a close grip will allow you to concentrate the load on the triceps and midsection. pectoral muscles. If you place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, the load will be evenly distributed across the chest muscles.

IMPORTANT!!! The grip itself also has its own significance, since improper grip of the bar can lead to the bar slipping, and accordingly the athlete can get serious injuries. To prevent this from happening, always use a closed grip, especially if you are performing the exercise with heavy weight.

THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES WHEN PERFORMING AN EXERCISE RECOMMENDATIONS

As I said earlier, never use " open grip" This option is not suitable not only because it is not safe, but also because such a grip will not allow you to fully control the barbell during the exercise. Also, if you use a closed grip, this will increase the effectiveness of the exercise. Read more about grip strength and how it affects the increase in your strength indicators, you can read here.

To help you concentrate more on performing the exercise, increase your grip strength and the grip of your palms on the barbell, use special chalk. Also, this will help prevent your hands from slipping to the sides during the next approach.

If you are not sure that you can do the intended number of repetitions, perform the exercise in a special power rack with limiters that will not allow the barbell to fall below the limit at which you secured those same limiters.

If you have no one to back you up and you are performing bench presses on a regular bench with racks, do not wear special locks. In this case, if you are unable to press the barbell down and return it safely to the racks, you can lowest point, by tilting to the sides, throw the pancakes onto the floor.

If you feel that you do not have enough strength to squeeze the barbell and place it on the racks, under no circumstances throw the bar with weights on your chest. Try to slowly lower the barbell to your chest, then gradually roll it down to your waist. Then try to get up and drop or lower the barbell to the floor.

Still very important point, which I would like to mention in today’s article is warm-up. Many people are quite dismissive of warming up not only before the bench press, but also before the workout itself. If you want to exercise only for health benefits and get the results you need, be sure to warm up before each workout and before each basic exercise. For example, before starting classes, we did the 15th warm-up, then, before performing the same bench press, lie down on a bench and do one approach with an empty bar. This will help you protect your joints and make the exercise more effective.

A less catastrophic, but still a mistake, is when an athlete independently removes the barbell from the racks. It is not advisable to suffer from such masochism, since this is a rather traumatic and very stressful movement for our native joints, especially if the weight is large enough. Don't be lazy and always ask someone to help remove the projectile from the racks. It's both convenient and safe.

I am also a little outraged by the fact that many people do not think with their own heads. I'm talking about the bridge when doing the bench press. Yes, this reduces the amplitude quite well, in this position it is easier to press and so on, however, I increasingly notice that beginners who have watched enough videos on the Internet and mindlessly repeat everything that has been shown begin to suffer from this “bridge”. Yes, this is all good, but such movements can only be performed by knowledgeable people who have fairly good experience in training and nothing more. If a novice athlete repeats such movements because of a weak back, he may simply injure himself. Therefore, you need to train wisely. Watch videos, learn from other people's mistakes. Approach this issue head-on, because after all, you are dealing with own body, and this is not a joke.

If you can't find a power rack at your gym that has stops that prevent you from lowering the barbell below a certain point, then it's best to get help from a partner unless you're confident you can get the last rep of the set.

Many people often do not notice and do not attach much importance to how the bench is located under the barbell. Remember, it should stand exactly in the middle of the bar and lie flat so that when you lie down on it, your eyes are level with the bar.

Your elbows should be directly under the bar or under your wrists so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. To position your hands this way, you need to choose the correct grip width. It should be suitable for you, based on the length of your limbs. Typically, for men the distance between the palms is approximately 52 cm, and for women this distance should be reduced by 10 cm. However, these are not exact numbers, experiment and find a more comfortable grip width for yourself.

I recommend always using hand bandages , when performing the bench press, this will help protect your wrists from injuries and all kinds of complications. Naturally, at the beginning, when the weights are not yet so large, you can do without them. However, when your strength starts to grow, I recommend getting something like this.

You cannot do the chest kick exercise. This means that when you lower the barbell down towards your chest, it is as if you are kicking the barbell away from it and pushing it back to the starting point. This cannot be done. In the picture I have provided below, you can see the correct trajectory of movement while pressing the barbell up. You can do both. When you lift the barbell up above you, to avoid tilting the barbell towards your legs, you should slightly change the angle towards your face, as shown in the picture with the black line.

CORRECT TECHNIQUE FOR PERFORMING THE BENCH PRESS

Let's finally look at the correct technique for performing this exercise. Everything, as I said earlier, at first glance is quite simple, however, as you already understood from all of the above, it’s not all that easy. So, proper technique, let's go.

• Before starting the exercise, set up a bench. Place it exactly in the middle of the bar so that it stands correctly and is not at any angle. If you are doing the exercise in a power rack, set up the limiters in advance. Also, before you start, ask someone to back you up and help you remove the barbell from the racks.
• When everything is ready, lie down on the bench, place your feet firmly on the floor, bend slightly at the lower back. Grasp the bar firmly (after rubbing your hands with chalk) and with the help of a friend, remove the barbells from the racks.
• So, you removed the bar from the racks, and at outstretched arms it was in front of you. Slowly lower
  the bar to the bottom of the chest, that is, just below the level of the nipples. During movement, your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor, that is, if you look at them from the side, they should be vertical. If they are not vertical in relation to the floor, then you have taken the bar incorrectly.
• Once the bar is at its lowest point, you can hold this position for 1 second, then with a powerful and controlled movement, press the bar back to the starting position.
• At the top point, you do not need to fully straighten your arms, so the load will fall on the elbow joints. You should always bend your elbows slightly at the top and keep your arms tense. By the way, when they are tired, many people press the barbell up and hold it with straight arms until they rest. There is no need to do this. You should perform the approach forcefully, without long pauses.
I want to share with all like-minded people.

The more secure your grip, the stronger you become. Proper grip is one of the most important aspects of training, much more important than many people realize. Numerous studies have proven that grip strength is a reliable indicator of a person's overall health. Some leading coaches use special grip testing to analyze the speed of an athlete's recovery after an injury.

When you lift weights, your grip can improve (or hinder) your ability to perform a particular exercise. Small changes in the position of the hands, thumbs or the angle of your wrists can greatly affect the movement during the exercise, as well as the weight you can use in it.

In my practice, I have seen a large number of grip errors, but 3 of them seem to me to be the most common. The good news is that they are fairly easy to fix, which in turn will pay huge dividends for you. Don't let an incorrect grip hold back your training progress. Today we will fix these 3 most common grip errors.

Mistake #1: Benching Your Wrists on the Bench Press

Curling your wrists when doing the bench press (with a barbell or dumbbells) is the most common mistake I see. You, probably, could also see it or admit it yourself. I also made this mistake for years. This is what it looks like in the photo (on the left):

Athletes make this mistake by allowing their palms to face upward rather than their knuckles. Why is this happening? Primarily due to insufficient stability in the wrists and grip strength. Although it may be that the person simply has not yet learned how to hold the bar correctly. Or he learned, but still can’t get rid of making old mistakes.

To fix this, focus on upright position wrists and make sure your knuckles are pointing up toward the ceiling. It should feel like a punch. You don't apply it to the inside of your wrist. It is as if you are pointing your knuckles towards the target of the blow. The same thing happens when doing the bench press.

I've seen people lift an extra 30 pounds on the bench press just by correcting this grip error. If you do it too, then correct it immediately!

Mistake #2: Using only a different grip in the deadlift

Using an alternate grip (one palm on top and the other on the bottom of the bar) when performing deadlifts is a common practice. Although it cannot be definitely called undesirable, it can cause some harm. Constantly using a different grip in the deadlift can lead to imbalances in the body. How exactly? You lean forward towards the hand that is gripping the bar from below. This results in a subtle but very strong twisting movement in the body. This also increases the stress on the spine, which in itself is not good, especially when you are lifting heavy weights.

Another imbalance occurs in the development of the biceps. The biceps of the hand with which you grab the bar from below work much more actively than the one with which you grab the projectile from below.

It is impossible to say definitively that a different grip is “good” or “bad”, however, I believe that a “lock” grip (in which the thumb is located between the bar and 2-3 fingers of the hand) is the best option for deadlift. Many may find it inconvenient or completely unsuitable for this exercise, but try it anyway. By using this grip, you will likely notice that you can lift more weight and do it more safely. Good way move on to the practice of a lock grip - start with a regular overhand grip.

If you still decide to stick to a different grip, then at least alternate hands, alternately taking the bar from below or from above different hands in every new approach.

Mistake #3: Closed grip in lat pull-downs

If you use a closed grip when rowing a block to the chest, you will likely limit the work of the target muscles, namely the latissimus dorsi.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, to engage your back muscles more actively in this exercise, you must eliminate your thumbs from the grip. This will make you work harder latissimus muscles, as well as other muscle groups of the back, not the arms.

Many people have difficulty doing chest rows because the arm muscles tire faster than the back muscles. In these cases, you finish the set with minimal work on the target muscles, since the closed grip engages the muscles of the forearms. Instead, grab the handle with an open grip. First of all, this will allow you to transfer the load from your forearms and biceps to your latissimus dorsi. The first jerk in this exercise should always come from the back muscles.

Use these 3 tips in your training and the results will follow.

Find out which type of grip is best suited for working specific muscle areas, tips and tricks with photos and videos.

Usually, gym goers do not pay enough attention to grip width when walking, and those who walk for a longer period of time also know about this, but this is where most knowledge is limited. Although broader knowledge will allow targeted blows to redirect the load to the right places and thereby correct muscle flaws. Also remember that different grip widths allow for different grips, and the range of motion also varies.

Normal grip

The most common type of grip, the golden mean between wide and narrow types of grip, the distance between the hands should be approximately 70-80 cm, the reference point is 20 cm wider than the shoulders on each side. With this type of grip, when the barbell is lowered to the chest, the forearms should be almost completely vertical to the floor and strictly parallel to each other. The main load falls on the center of the pectoral muscles. Typically used for this exercise is the standard Olympic bar 20 kg., but it is possible to perform the exercise with a smaller 10kg bar.

Wide grip

This type of grip is wider than the shoulders, the distance between the hands increases to 100 cm or more, or approximately 30-40 cm from the shoulder on each side. At the same time, at the lowest point, when the bar touches the chest, an obtuse angle of approximately 120 degrees is formed between the forearms. The emphasis of the load shifts to the external pectoral muscles, the triceps receive less load and the working weight can be taken more, since the chest is actively involved in the work, but be careful without a good warm-up and stretching, you can get injured.

Narrow grip

The distance between the hands is reduced to 30 cm, while a large load is shifted to inner part the pectoral muscles and, when lowering the forearms, form an acute angle; it is very important when working in such a grip to keep the elbows as close to the body as possible.

Reverse grip

An uncomfortable grip at shoulder width or slightly wider, since it puts the wrists in front of the face and causes a feeling of twisting of the forearms when working. When lowering the barbell, try to press your elbow joints closer to your body, with the load falling more on the upper chest and the front deltoids.

What is the best grip to use?

There is no definite answer to which grip width in the bench press is better, because everyone has their own goal and different problem areas in building a muscular body. For movement, they mainly use a normal grip, but this does not mean that you need to forget about others, experiment, do it periodically different types grips.

You can perform exercises with one type of grip for 3-4 training cycles, and then do 1 workout with another.

To help, take note of the following cheat sheet:

Normal grip – spares shoulders and joints

Wide grip – for pumping the outer part of the chest, allows you to lift Weight Limit, reduces the load on the triceps.

Narrow grip– the load will be mixed on the inner chest and triceps

Reverse grip – the upper chest and anterior delta are worked out

Add variety to the exercises, do not let the muscles get used to one grip, thanks to this the muscles will experience discomfort and respond better to the load when fighting something new, which will lead to improved strength and mass indicators.

In short:

Lie down on the bench so that the bar is exactly at eye level. Arch your back - stick your chest up, squeeze your shoulder blades back. You must lie on your shoulder blades. Don't lift your butt off the bench. The back should be curved in the form of an arch - an open palm should freely pass under the lower back. Place your feet on the floor shoulder-width apart under your hips. The feet are on the floor with the entire surface of the foot. Fix your shoulder blades, butt, feet, they should not move anymore.

Grab the barbell without lifting your shoulder blades from the bench. Wrap your fingers around it in a ring - the thumb should be opposed to the rest. Do not arch your hands - the fist and forearm are located in one straight line.

Remove the barbell, taking a deep breath, hold your breath and straighten your arms - the bar will rise above the rack holders at your eye level. The shoulder blades should not move from under you, they are brought together as before, and you lie on them. Now, with straight arms, slowly move it forward above you. It should be above the level shoulder joints. Your arms should be vertical when viewed from the side. From this position the barbell will lower to your chest.

Lower the bar on the chest, approximately in the middle. Do not lower the bar vertically, it should move down and slightly forward. At the lowest point, the elbows are moved away from the body at an angle of 75°. Do not spread them apart at right angles - this will injure the ligaments of the shoulder joint. At the lowest point, the forearms should be vertical.

Press the barbell up from the chest until the arms become straight. Fully extend your elbows. At the top point, the bar should be above your shoulder level. Exhale. Take a deep breath, repeat the previous point.

Now let's look at the bench press in detail, in all its nuances.

Head

Position yourself on the bench so that the barbell is at eye level. In this case, your shoulders will be at the optimal distance from the mounts on which the barbell rests: not too close to them, so that the rack does not interfere with lifting the barbell upward, and not too far away, so that the barbell does not have to be moved over your head for a long distance.

During the bench press, do not rest your head on the bench, this can lead to neck pain. Instead, tense your neck and lift your head slightly off the bench until your hair barely touches it.

Keep your head in a neutral position, don't throw it back or lift it to watch the bar go down. You should feel the bar touching your chest as it comes down.

Shoulders

Shoulders, like shoulder blades, should not come off the bench. Do not raise your shoulders at the top of the press - this will increase the distance of the barbell and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. The shoulders, together with the shoulder blades, form a stable, stable base for performing the press. If you cannot remove the barbell from the rack without lifting your shoulders off the bench, then you should position it lower or ask a spotter to help you remove the barbell.

The shoulders should not move at all, they are glued to the bench. If you lift your shoulders off the bench, you relieve tension from the pectoral muscles. By doing this, you reduce the effectiveness of the bench press and it loses its meaning. Moreover, the mobility of the shoulders during the press will sooner or later inevitably lead to injury and shoulder pain.

shoulder blades

Correct fixation of the shoulder blades is 50% of success in the bench press. The shoulder blades should be forcefully drawn together and pushed down. You have to lie on them. When removing the barbell, you press your shoulder blades and shoulders tightly into the bench and they should not move anywhere. They are pressed against the bench by a barbell. This is very important, without bringing together and fixing the shoulder blades correct bench press It won’t work with an emphasis on the pectoral muscles. Insufficient fixation of the shoulder blades also leads to elevation of the shoulders above the bench

Throughout the bench press, your shoulder blades should be firmly drawn together. Imagine trying to squeeze a pencil between them. Don't lie on a bench like a sofa. The shoulder blades, like the entire back, should be in constant tension.

Poor scapular support is one of the two main causes of shoulder pain after bench pressing. The second is raising the elbows to the sides, which we will discuss below.

Breast

Lying on a bench, lift your chest up towards the ceiling. You should kind of stick it out, make your chest a “wheel”. This will shorten the vertical path of the barbell - by bringing the chest (bottom point) closer to the top point of the exercise. This will also shorten the horizontal path of the barbell - by bringing the chest closer to the shoulder joints. Chest lift activates maximum muscle fibers pectoral muscles, because they begin to be positioned more vertically.

The flat chest bench press increases the distance the barbell travels. This reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. This can also lead to injury to the shoulder joints due to an increase in the horizontal stroke of the barbell.

Lifting your chest and arching your back is not cheating, but don't lift your butt off the bench.

Back

Lying on a bench, arch your back in an arch, a bridge. Lean on the bench with your shoulder blades and gluteal muscles. Don't get off your butt! The lower back is raised above the bench so that you can place your palm under it on the bench. When bench pressing, the spine does not experience a vertical axial load, as during squats or deadlifts, during which it is strictly forbidden to change the physiological curves of the spine, so arching the back during the bench press is completely safe.

The pictures in this article and most of the text are taken from the bench press manual from stronglifts.com

At the same time, there is no need to overextend. This can cause lower back pain; those who are especially diligent can even dislodge the intervertebral disc. Your task is to lift your chest up and press your shoulder blades into the bench, arch your back just enough to achieve this, but no more.

Back

During the bench press, your butt must be firmly pressed against the bench, otherwise the repetition will not count. Lifting your butt off the bench is cheating because it pushes your chest beyond the limit and significantly reduces the bar's range of motion. Also, raising your butt can lead to dangerous hyperextension of the spine.

Legs

The bench press is performed with your feet on the floor. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, placing your full foot on the floor. Don't lift your heel. The entire foot should be on the floor. The heel is located under the knee or slightly behind the knee. The shins should be vertical, perpendicular to the floor.

With your feet in place, place them on the floor as if you were trying to move the bench back. The weight of the bar pressing your shoulder blades and shoulders into the bench will prevent you from moving backward. During the bench press, your legs don’t just stand on the floor, you actively rest on them, they are constantly tense. Once your feet are in place, don't move them any more, don't move them during the press.

Grip

You need to wrap all your fingers around the barbell in a ring. That is, the thumb must be opposed to the rest. When bench pressing, it is strictly forbidden to use a monkey grip (when the thumb is on the same side of the bar with the rest). With a monkey grip, nothing prevents the barbell from sliding down; no one is safe from this.

The bench press is the only barbell exercise that can kill you on the spot if safety precautions are not followed. Every year in the United States, several deaths are reported as a result of using a monkey grip when bench pressing (you can Google “Bench Press accident”). People are really dying. Straight to death, no joke. Dozens of others remain deeply disabled. Imagine what happens to a person when a barbell with a working weight falls on his neck or nose. Not a single belayer will have time to react. By the time the ambulance arrives, the body will already have cooled down. Never use a monkey grip on the bench press.

Opposition thumb effectively prevents the bar from slipping. Grasp the barbell tightly in the ring with all your fingers, and it will not move anywhere.

In order for the bench press to be effective, you need to squeeze the barbell very tightly, with all your strength. Imagine that you want to leave a clear imprint of every millimeter of the skin of your hands and fingers. Squeeze the barbell as you would a dynamometer.

When bench pressing, it is recommended to use a “bulldog grip”. It is so called because of the oblique position of the hands, similar to the clubfoot position of the front paws of a bulldog. With this grip, the barbell is located low in the palm, at its base. The bar crosses the palm not perpendicularly, but at an angle. See the picture.

The bulldog grip on the bench press has several benefits. The low position of the bar in the palm ensures that the hand does not bend back under the weight of the barbell. Axial load falls directly on the bones of the forearm, this relieves tension from the hand and prevents its hyperextension. The bulldog grip “straightens” the hands, placing them in line with the forearm. At the bottom of the exercise, this grip allows you to keep your forearms vertical without experiencing discomfort.

Most cases of hand and wrist pain when bench pressing go away when using the bulldog grip.

Grip width

Grip width different people will be different. It should be such that at the bottom of the exercise, when the bar touches the chest, the forearms are vertical when viewed from behind.

In order to determine the optimal grip width for you, take an empty bar (or any straight stick, plastic pipe PVC, mop, bodybar). Lie down on the bench and lower the bar to your chest. Now look to the right and left, at the position of your forearms. Adjust your grip width so that your forearms are vertical at the bottom of the exercise (perpendicular to the floor). Always use this grip width when bench pressing.

With such a grip width, when viewed from behind, at the top point of the exercise, the straightened arms will seem to diverge to the sides at an angle from the shoulders. This is normal, this is how it should be. To prevent this position of your forearms from “breaking out” your hands, use a bulldog grip.

Elbows

As you lower the barbell from the top position onto your chest, bring your elbows toward your body. At the lowest point they should not stick out to the sides at an angle of 90°. This perpendicular position of the elbows leads to damage to the ligaments of the shoulder joint. This poor technique is a common cause of shoulder pain after bench pressing. If a person complains of shoulder pain after bench pressing, I'm willing to bet that he flared his elbows too far out to the sides.

At the bottom of the bench press, the elbows should be moved away from the body so that an angle of approximately 75° is formed between the humerus and the body. This position of the hands is ideal for distributing the force of the pectoral muscles and completely eliminates injury to the shoulder joint.

At the same time, do not press your arms too close to your body, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

To determine the angle of your elbows that is ideal for you, focus on the position of your forearms. At the bottom of the exercise, your forearms should be vertical (plumb/perpendicular to the floor) both when viewed from behind and from the side. Record yourself on video from behind and from the side, watch, draw conclusions, correct mistakes.

The barbell is lifted from the chest until the arms are fully extended at the elbows. Otherwise, the repetition does not count.

Forearms

At the lowest point of the exercise, the forearms are positioned vertically (perpendicular to the floor) when viewed from behind (from the head of the bench). Forearms tucked toward the head indicate a narrow grip and a redistribution of the load from the pectoral muscles to the triceps. Forearms that slope to the sides indicate an overly wide grip, which can hurt your shoulders and be painful on your hands.

If you look from the side, then at the bottom point of the press the forearms should be relaxed in the same way - perpendicular to the floor, vertically. Moreover, the brush should be on the same line with them, be their continuation. This takes the load off the hands and prevents them from hyperextending backwards.

Removing the bar from the rack

Take the correct position on the bench, arch your back, squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together, grab the barbell, take a deep breath, hold your breath - and you are ready to remove the barbell.

Straighten your elbows. The bar will rise above the rack holders. Now slowly, with straight arms, move it a little forward so that it is exactly above your shoulders. You will feel the desired position - in this position it is very easy to hold the barbell, because your arms are straightened, and the weight is not held by static (isometric) muscle contraction, but simply lies passively on your bones, installed vertically in a column (forearm bones and humerus).

This position of the barbell—exactly above your shoulder joints—is the starting and ending point of the barbell's trajectory. Find some landmark on the ceiling that corresponds to this position of the rod. From here the barbell begins to move downwards and here it returns at the end of the lift. This position of the bar will allow you to take short breaks between repetitions to exhale and inhale.

When removing the barbell, the shoulder blades should not diverge, and the shoulders should not come off the bench. If you cannot reach the bar without lifting your shoulder blades, set it lower.

When you grab the barbell before removing it, your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. If your arms are straight even before you remove the bar, then it is located high, set it lower.

Moving Down

Start the downward movement by bending your elbows. As you lower the barbell to your chest, bring your elbows toward your body. Do not spread them apart at right angles, but do not touch your body with your elbows.

At the bottom of the exercise, the elbows should be moved away from the body to the sides at an angle of approximately 75°.

The barbell should go through the full range of motion - from the top point with straight arms to touching the chest. If at the bottom of the bench press the bar does not touch the chest, the repetition does not count. Reducing the amplitude reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and turns off most of the fibers from work. If you cannot perform the full range of motion, take less weight.

Low point of the exercise

For most people, the lowest point of range of motion on the bench press will be around the middle of the chest (sternum). This will depend on your build, grip, etc.

To determine the place on the chest where the barbell should fall specifically in your case, use your forearms as a guide. At the bottom of the exercise, when the elbows are abducted to 75°, the forearms should be vertical both when viewed from behind and from the side. Take a video of yourself from behind and from the side, determine the desired position of your forearms. The place where the barbell is located on the chest when the forearms are vertical is the optimal position of the barbell at the lowest point. This is the point where the barbell should be lowered on every rep.

There is no need to pause at the bottom point, try to use the muscle stretch reflex (). Touch the barbell to your chest and immediately push it up.

At the same time, make sure that the bar does not bounce off your chest. If it hits your chest and bounces up due to shock absorption from the chest, then you are lowering it too quickly. This is dangerous and ineffective.

Rod movement trajectory

An important point that many people don't understand, which leads to most bench press problems.

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So, the inclined trajectory of the barbell is the safest and most effective from the point of view of anatomy and physiology. Therefore, you cannot do the bench press on a Smith machine. The rigidly fixed vertical stroke of the bar forces the shoulder joint to work in a pathological, unnatural manner for it, and, moreover, under load. This leads to constant trauma to the ligaments of the shoulder joint, chronic inflammation, pain in the shoulder, and sharply increases the risk of shoulder injuries when performing other exercises. Never bench press on a Smith machine. Just like any other bench press or deadlift.

Secrets of an effective bench press

Many people have problems with the growth of their pectoral muscles, they complain that the muscles do not respond to training. In order for the muscle to be maximally involved in the work, you need to not just try to push the barbell up, but do it with the pectoral muscles. There are several tricks for this.

Think about what pushing yourself into the bench, not the barbell up. Imagine that you need to move a cabinet that is next to the wall. You lean your back against the closet and push yourself away from the wall with your hands. Do the same thing during the bench press. This will help keep your shoulder blades retracted and your shoulders from lifting off the bench.

There is a very old and very effective trick for activating the pectoral muscles. When you push a barbell, imagine that you are trying bend it into an arc, how to make an arch out of it, like strongmen in a circus bending rods. Squeeze the bar as hard as you can and try to sort of turn your fists with the bones facing outwards, imagine that you are bending the barbell. It is clear that the bar will not bend, but this action will immediately involve the entire volume of the pectoral muscles in the work.

At the same time, try to bring your hands together above the chest. Naturally, your hands should not move a millimeter on the barbell, but you should transfer this force to your fists when holding the barbell. To understand what I'm talking about, raise your hands, bring your open palms together in front of you and try to squeeze them with all your might. Can you feel your pectoral muscles working?

When you push the barbell up, spread your elbows, they must remain under the bar. If you don't flare your elbows out to the sides during the upward movement, they will be in front of the bar, which will shift the emphasis to the triceps. The triceps cannot effectively press the working weight designed for the pectoral muscles.

Installing the rod on the rack

Do not rush. At the end of the last repetition, fully straighten your elbows. Pause while holding the barbell above your shoulders.

After making sure that you hold the barbell firmly and confidently above your shoulders with straight arms, slowly move it horizontally back until it rests against the rack. The bar rests against the rack, it is located directly above the rack holders. Now bend your elbows and lower the barbell onto the mounts.

Some people try to rack the barbell at the end of the last rep, immediately moving it back in an arc. This is a gross violation of safety regulations. At the end of the set, your arms are tired and cannot support the weight of the barbell if your elbows are bent. Straighten your arms completely - this will take the load off the arm muscles, the weight will rest on the bones placed in a column, and you can easily and safely move it back to the rack. As soon as you feel that the bar has rested against the rack, bend your elbows and lower the barbell onto the mounts.

Breath

Take a deep breath at the top of the exercise with the barbell held straight above your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together, arch your back, press your butt, hold your breath. Lower the bar. Don't exhale on the way down or at the bottom of the press, otherwise rib cage“deflates”, the chest goes down, the effectiveness of the exercise decreases.

As you lift the barbell back to the starting position above your shoulders, exhale and inhale again. You can do this several times before the next repetition if necessary. Try to breathe as if halfway, so that the air does not come out completely, and the rigidity of the structure does not decrease.

Over time, when you start doing bench presses with heavier weights, you will find it more convenient to do several repetitions on one inhalation, without exhaling during a pause. Experienced athletes This technique is often used by doing the first 2-3 repetitions in one breath. But while you are just starting to train with a barbell, learn the correct and safe technique - breathe between repetitions.

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What is the grip width for classic exercise- bench press - best to choose?

This question has probably arisen among all those who go to Gym long enough to think about getting the maximum benefit from an exercise. As you know, in order to make this or that exercise more effective, while maintaining its safety, it is necessary to choose a technique that will be the most rational. When considering the correct grip for the bench press, you need to first think about what your goal is: do you want to load the pectoral muscles? Or perhaps your priority is your shoulders and triceps? Having answered this question, you can begin to select the optimal grip width. The point is that you can't just say that the grip needs to be 81 cm wide in order to transfer the load to the pectoral muscles. We must not forget about the anthropometric features of each person, which require the selection of individual equipment.

The portal site invites its readers to take into account the following nuances, choosing the correct grip width for the bench press. Traditionally, the bench press requires the athlete to press while lying on a bench without significant arching. lumbar region(without bridge). The grip width is shoulder width or slightly wider. It is worth noting that many benchers divide the press into “triceps press” and “chest press”. Naturally, the difference in the grip width of the barbell during the exercise. So, as was said, you need to pay attention to several nuances when choosing the grip width, including:

1) Comfort. If you want to work your triceps and try to press with a close grip and feel that it does not bring comfort to your shoulders, then it may be worth working on the triceps using other exercises (triceps push-ups or isolation exercises). We must not forget that the shoulder joints of different people have different flexibility and the limit of repetitions inherent in them, which is why for some people the close-grip bench press (abbreviation ZHLUKH) will not bring discomfort, but for others, on the contrary, it will bring significant discomfort. Additionally, personal anthropometry (limb length relative to body length) may simply be unfavorable for a triceps-dominant bench press.

2) Rationality. If your arms are short enough (this is usually observed in stocky athletes of small stature), then in principle it will practically not matter to you what technique you use to press. Most likely, when preparing for competitions, you will choose a technique that will allow you to minimize the amplitude in the press (maximum wide grip and good bridge). If your limbs are long enough, then you should also choose a technique that will make the amplitude shorter (bridge and wide grip). However, we must not forget that many people do not have sufficient shoulder mobility to bench press. wide grip. Sometimes the problem of stretching the deltoid or upper pectoral muscles may occur. As a rule, this problem (if we are not talking about stiff shoulder joints) can be solved by forced gradual stretching of the indicated muscle groups. If the problem is with lack of flexibility shoulder joints is irresistible, then you can try to press with a medium-narrow grip with a fairly pronounced bridge. Naturally, in this case the amplitude will be longer, but the athlete will not feel pain or discomfort. Often a similar situation arises with the bridge, when individual characteristics (for example, hyperlordosis) do not allow the athlete to bridge hard enough to significantly reduce the amplitude of the press.

3) Understanding the goal. If you bench press for yourself, coming to the gym twice a week, then, perhaps, there is no point in you getting rid of yourself with a narrow or excessively wide grip width, because you are not going to competitions. If you want to work your triceps, then narrow grip may be present in your program. In any case, choose a grip that will be as comfortable as possible for your shoulders and elbow joints, as well as the lower back. Don't forget that in a work environment, a longer bench press will put more stress on the entire body, which can be considered a plus (yes, you'll press less, but the press will be more effective from a practical point of view). Working for absolute strength, do everything possible to reduce the amplitude (train the bridge and select the desired grip width).

Having decided what goals you are pursuing, begin to select the technique that will be most rational in your case. Ask your comrades from the gym to watch how you perform the bench press using the selected technique and with the selected grip width, because it is often difficult to identify your own technical errors that lead to the breakdown of the technique.