Bench Press

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Bench Press

For lifters looking to create the classic "He-Man" physique, the

single most important upper body workout is the bench press. The bench

press builds the upper arm, chest, and shoulders. The muscles here

have a great impact on making it look like you posses great strength,

which is an important factor for many lifters. This workout is also

one of the easiest lifts, since you are lying down on a static bench

that prevents most unnecessary movement.

To perform the bench press, lie face up on the bench with your eyes

directly under the weight bar. Whether you rest your feet on the floor

or on the bench makes no difference. For the traditional workout, grab

the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart. If you want to

work the outside of your chest strongly, get a wider grip. Conversely,

if you would like to work the inner portion of your chest more, get a

closer grip. Take the weight off the rack and support it above your

head. Let gravity take the weight down while exhaling slowly until it

has touched your chest where it feels most natural to you. Then,

exhale and push it up at a steady, controlled rate.

Once your elbows have locked, you have completed one rep in the bench

press workout. Some people incorrectly lower the weight quickly,

allowing it to bounce off their chest. Though this makes it easier to

lift the weight from the start, it hinders complete muscle growth

while on the bench press.

Curls

The curl workout is used mainly for exercising the biceps but can also

be very effective in working the chest. There is no station for doing

curls, but you might want a curl bar. A curl bar is one that has...

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down for each your reps.

Closing

These four workouts have been selected because together they give the

user a full-body workout, but are in no way "all-inclusive." There are

many other workouts designed to shape various parts of the body not

discussed here. To be in the best shape possible, it is important that

you become familiar with the different weight machines that you have

access to.

Lastly, safety should be your foremost concern while lifting. Pain at

any time is a sign that something is wrong, but do not confuse pain

with extreme fatigue. It is not wise to take chances by lifting in the

midst of pain; you might only exacerbate any present injury. With the

information presented here, you should be able to have outlined a very

effective workout routine, but more importantly, a very safe routine.

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