BETTER BENCHING
Ahhhh, the bench press. Perhaps the most beloved and utilized exercise known to man. What???s the first question often asked to a bodybuilder? ???How much can you bench,??? of course! Seems pretty simple, huh? Just lie down, unrack the bar, bring it down to your chest, and push it back up. Do that week after week and lift progressively heavier, and BAMN???massive pecs, right? Wrong! The bench press can be an excellent builder of pec mass, however, the way it is most often performed it ends up taxing the front delts and tris far more than the pectorals. I hear it all the time??????I don???t understand man. I can bench 365 and my chest is still small! Every time I bench the only thing that ends up sore are my tris and front delts!??? If that describes you as well do not fear my friend???some slight adjustments in form and body positioning and the bench press will swell your pecs to Arnoldesque proportions! Here is what you need to do before you even unrack the barbell:
lay down on the bench and set your feet firmly on the floor
arch your lower back slightly
raise your ribcage up high
squeeze the scapula together
pull your shoulders downward
Now you are in the correct position to achieve maximum pectoral recruitment with far less tricep and delt interference. The key is to keep your body in this position throughout the set. It is not enough to simply start this way. Learn to ???lock??? your body like this while you bench press, or perform any chest press or flye movement for that matter.
Once you begin your set, make sure to keep your elbows wide and under your wrists. Lower the bar to just about nipple level (this may vary slightly among individuals) under full control???bouncing is a major no no???and then push to the top in an explosive fashion.
This may seem strange at first, but once you master it, it will be time for some bigger shirts my friend!
Ahhhh, the bench press. Perhaps the most beloved and utilized exercise known to man. What???s the first question often asked to a bodybuilder? ???How much can you bench,??? of course! Seems pretty simple, huh? Just lie down, unrack the bar, bring it down to your chest, and push it back up. Do that week after week and lift progressively heavier, and BAMN???massive pecs, right? Wrong! The bench press can be an excellent builder of pec mass, however, the way it is most often performed it ends up taxing the front delts and tris far more than the pectorals. I hear it all the time??????I don???t understand man. I can bench 365 and my chest is still small! Every time I bench the only thing that ends up sore are my tris and front delts!??? If that describes you as well do not fear my friend???some slight adjustments in form and body positioning and the bench press will swell your pecs to Arnoldesque proportions! Here is what you need to do before you even unrack the barbell:
lay down on the bench and set your feet firmly on the floor
arch your lower back slightly
raise your ribcage up high
squeeze the scapula together
pull your shoulders downward
Now you are in the correct position to achieve maximum pectoral recruitment with far less tricep and delt interference. The key is to keep your body in this position throughout the set. It is not enough to simply start this way. Learn to ???lock??? your body like this while you bench press, or perform any chest press or flye movement for that matter.
Once you begin your set, make sure to keep your elbows wide and under your wrists. Lower the bar to just about nipple level (this may vary slightly among individuals) under full control???bouncing is a major no no???and then push to the top in an explosive fashion.
This may seem strange at first, but once you master it, it will be time for some bigger shirts my friend!
Actually I think you get more power when breathing correctly. As Vanity stated, the proper way is to inhale gradually when bringing bar to your chest and gradually exhale while pushing bar up.
