Looking Good Without a Shirt: The Benefits of The Bench Press
There are few exercises that offer as much bang for your buck as the bench press.
Remember back when you were in high school, and all the guys in the weight room were amped up over somebody’s personal record? Remember the first time you benched 135, then 225, then maybe 315? The feeling that many people derive from doing this exercise well is inspiring and motivational, and the excitement one feels at setting a new record brings people back to the bench over and over again.
But what’s more, and what some people unfamiliar to bodybuilding don’t realize, is that the bench press is about more than just ego. It is one of the most complete exercises in the gym for building upper body mass and strength.
Why
So what makes people push harder and stack plates on the bar day after day? Think about it, what do you look like when you’re done with a killer set? Your chest puffs out from the word go and you feel like a million bucks. The effects seem almost immediate, and people who work out on the bench with passion have some of the most impressive chests, shoulders and triceps.
I have seen people crowd around the bench while somebody is pushing a personal record and seriously cheer them on. It feeds the spirit and creates an atmosphere that makes going to the gym a blast. The lifter goes back for that feeling as well as the benefits of the exercise, both of which make the workout fun.
Let’s face it, you never want to feel like you’re taking out the trash when you’re doing something that you should be enjoying. So choose a good spotter, a workout partner who wants to increase their max as much as you do, and somebody who is devoted to the discipline.
How
This is even more important than the “why.” Because bad form leads to bad injuries and that can set a committed lifter back for weeks — if not months.
So how does a person do this seemingly simple exercise correctly?
Step one: Do 5 minutes of light cardio, stretch and do some light warm up sets.
Step two: Your feet must be flat on the floor and your butt, shoulders and head need to be on the bench, with a slight arch in your lower back. Make sure that you are fully warmed up for your working sets.
Step three: The bar is brought down in a controlled fashion — to the upper sternum — and never bounced off of the chest. Pause briefly, then drive the bar back up.
This is obviously a very simple explanation of the exercise. Follow these bench press tips to be sure you’re doing this great exercise properly.
When
While the bench press is a tremendous boon to the bodybuilder’s overall appearance, in order to see the best progress, the body needs rest after heavy workouts. The exercise can be abused and done too often and that can be a recipe for disaster.
Bodybuilders need time to rest and recuperate, and that can only happen when you’re not in the gym lifting weights. You grow when you’re resting, not training. Training is where you stimulate the muscle growth, resting is when the muscles grow.
Try to change up your bench press workout every 4-6 weeks. It doesn’t always have to be a major change, sometimes just a minor adjustment can keep you moving forward.
When all is said and done, the bench press is the king of upper-body exercises. By following these simple steps, you can reap the full benefits of one of the best exercises in the gym.
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