Bench press form

[just_lift]

Where exactly is the ba suppose to hit the chest and do i press it straight up or how? any other tips on bench pressing would help too.

 

[ZECH]

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/BBBenchPress.html

 

[gopro]

Before you even move the weight you must "set up" your body for a proper press. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and shrug your shoulders down toward your feet. This should raise your rib cage a bit. Keep this position throughout the set. Bring the bar down to your lower pec line and then press up and slightly back. It will take some time to get used to, but will eventually become natural to you.

 

[Mudge]

See sig, for me I am about 3-4" below the nipple. I practiced every day for a week with a very very light weight just to get used to the motion, and steps involved.

I go above the nipple on incline though.

 

[Jim1954]

It looks like to me, that the guy doing the bench on the exrx site is bring the bar down to far up on the chest, or maybe it's just the angle. Anybody else see this?

 

[Mudge]

Watch his elbows and the angle, everyones structure will be different. I know I dont use the same row angle he does.

 

[Jim1954]

Mudge,

Hmmmm, I used to bench like this guy, and one of my
shoulders would always hurt. I thought it was just the way I was built, but on another forum I was on, someone told me that was because my form was wrong. I'm sure I could use dumbells that would be to heavy for me to get into position, and my shoulders would be fine. All I have is a flat bench right now, so I can't try out a different benching technique. It could be that I may never be able to bench with a bar, but right now my chest is doing fine without it.