Bench Press

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

Lying on a horizonzal bench with your butt glued to the bench and your feet on the ground :

• Takes the barbell with a pronated grip. The distance of your hands is wider than the width of your shoulder.

• Inhale and lower the barbell by controlling the movement to your torso.

• Press and exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercice work mainly the pectorals and a little bit triceps, anterior deltoids, serratus and coracobrachialis.

Variants

1. You can do this exercise by arching you back like powerlifters, This allows you to use your lower chest which are more powerful for lifting heavier weights. But you have to pay attention to your back if you want to avoid injury, caution.

2. You ca do this exercise by making the press with your elbows along your body to work more your anterior deltoids.

3. You can do this exercie by changing the gap between your hands :

   your hands closer => inner chest

   your hands wider => outer chest

4. You can do this exercise by changing the trajectory of the barbell :

   By lowering the barbell to the lower chest (near the edge of the rib cage) to work the lower pectorals

   By lowering the barbell to the middle of the chest to work the medial pectorals

   By lowering the barbell to the upper chest/lower nech area to work the upper pectorals

5. If you have pain in the back or you want a better isolation of the pectoral work, you can do the « press » with your legs raised.

6. You can do this exercise with a Smith machine.

Share this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.

-Steph