If you’re wanting a stronger and bigger chest, it’s important to bench press. This exercise is one of the best ways to build a bigger chest. That being said, the bench press isn’t something that should be taken lightly. While this exercise is incredibly beneficial for developing a stronger chest, not doing it properly is dangerous. Therefore, it’s important to follow a few tips in order to perform the bench press safely. In this post, you’ll learn six ways to get the most out of the bench press.
- Lock Your Barbell Before Adding Weight
It’s important to be safe before beginning to bench press. Before you’re able to bench press, you’ll need to place weights on a barbell. Before adding a single plate, ensure that your barbell is properly locked into place. This stops the barbell from flying off the rack should one side become heavier than the other. In addition, an unlocked barbell could cause the weight you’re placing to fall right back onto the ground. Regardless of what could happen, neglecting to lock your barbell is an embarrassing and potentially dangerous mistake to make. - Wrap Your Wrists
It’s extremely important to think about your wrists while performing the bench press. During this exercise, it’s imperative that your wrists remain parallel to your forearms. If not, you could risk injuring your wrists. Having this happen while performing the bench press is extremely dangerous. Therefore, you can wear wrist wraps in order to keep your wrists straightened. These items typically use Velcro, ensuring they’re easy to put on and take off. - Start Out with Warmup Weight
As a runner would warm up before a big race, you need to do this before lifting weights. Starting out by lifting your one rep max could cause you to tear your muscles. You can easily warm up by performing the bench press with a lower amount of weight. This simply prepares the muscles for the workout they’re about to receive. That being said, you don’t need to wear yourself out while warming up. Instead, simply perform a set or two with lighter weights before starting your actual workout. - Lower the Distance Between Your Chest and the Barbell
One of the worst things to deal with while training is a strength plateau. Unfortunately, this is something that happens to almost everyone. In addition, the bench press is an exercise that often causes the dreaded plateau to occur. To take care of this problem, you can try lowering the distance between your chest and the barbell. Bench Blokz work well and are much safer than using boards. Instead of balancing anything on your chest, these items are placed directly on a barbell. In turn, you’re able to move heavier amounts of weight than normal. - Train Supporting Muscles
You’ve read a lot about the bench press helping to improve your chest muscles. That being said, the chest isn’t the only muscle group trained by the bench press. You’ll also find that your upper back, shoulders, and tricep become stronger during this exercise. These areas of the body are known as supporting muscles during a bench press. Considering that, it’s important that you also train these muscles groups throughout the week. Starting a full body workout regimen is a great way to ensure all muscle groups receive adequate training. - Track Your Results
Make sure that you’re tracking your bench press results. It’s nearly impossible to always remember the last amount of weight you lifted. Considering that, it’s wise to always keep notes handy while working out. You’ll want to take note of the weight you’re lifting and your rep range. This information allows you to know if you’re gaining strength or hitting a plateau.
In conclusion, there are several tips to follow while performing the bench press. The bench press can be an extremely rewarding exercise. However, it’s hard to obtain muscle gain while performing this exercise incorrectly. Considering that, it’s important to ensure that you’re using proper powerlifting gear while performing this exercise. Many lifters wear wrist wraps and gloves while bench pressing. Wearing the proper training gear reduces your risk of injury while ensuring you get the most out of every workout.