H A R A T A N

Barbel Bench Press Video

First, remeber: it is not about the weight! – Then lie down on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Usually, the best grip is to place your pinky fingers on the O ring. Or you can do this, just experiment with grips widths until you feel comfortable then remember where that grip is that is comfortable for you. Take a deep breath and take the weight from the rack… exhale when you’ve moved it over your chest. A bit higher is okay but don’t go lower as this makes it difficult to keep your elbows under your wrists.

Take another deep breath and hold it before you lower the bar. Now lower the bar in control… if the bar is free falling, that isn’t control. Lower it slowly to the nipple line then press up in a slight line. (NOT a backward arc). You do not want the bar to finishes over your face. It should go fairly straight up. Now exhale and get another deep breath and hold it before you descend again for another rep. During the movement keep your elbows directly under the wrists that puts you in a 90-degree angle, which about 90% of you do when benching we call it the so-called bodybuilding benching style.

Not the correct movement but everyone does it and it aggravates the shoulders. Your arm should be at a 45-degree angle. Keep your wrists straight though. Don’t cock them or allow them to twist during the exercise. This causes undue stress on the wrist but for extra security use wrist wraps.

Here’s a good test to show yourself how to bench correctly. Have your partner put his hand up for you to hit and then throw a punch. Did your arm come from a 45 or 90 degree angle?

No one throws a punch at a adheree angle. Not even Bruce Lee did. When lowering the bar to your chest, look at your forearms. They should be vertical and directly under your wrists. That’s where your power is dummies. Though when you do change your benching style the weights you were using will be less. Just lose the ego and you’ll be benching more, trust me. Ok, back to technique.

Drive your feet into the floor and drive your body, and head into the bench when pressing the bar off your chest. This is a part of the bench press few people understand and have a tough time doing as well as learning the right breathing technique. But by doing this on each and every rep gives you increased power out of the bottom of the movement.

Your feet should be on the floor. At the moment you begin to push the bar up, drive with your feet and squeeze your glutes. This drive will translate directly into added power out of the bottom of the bench press.