The barbell bench press is one of the major fitness and bodybuilding exercises. The technique of this exercise helps the formation and overall development of the strength and endurance of the large pectoral muscles of the chest.

What’s a barbell bench press

In this article we will answer some of the most important questions about the barbell bench press. How to hold a barbell when bench pressing? What grip to use – medium or wide, How many reps to do?, Should I do barbell bench press without spotter and many more.

Barbell Bench Press facts:

Barbell Bench Press muscles worked:

• main muscles worked (Target muscles)– Pectoralis Major, Sternal

• assisting muscles (Synergists):– Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
  – Deltoid, Anterior
  – Triceps Brachii

• Muscles helping the dynamic stabilization that occurs during compound movements (Dynamic stabilizers)– Biceps Brachii, Short Head

Barbell Bench Press variations

There are different variations of this exercise. Mainly the difference is the type of the exercise and the grip that is used.

– Power lifting barbell bench press – typical for powerlifters

– Classic barbell bench press – this article si devoted to this barbell bench press technique and its universal application. This form is most commonly used in power bodybuilding and also as part of the workout routines of professional athletes.

– Insolated barbell bench press (Barbell Guillotine Bench Press) – the most widely used variation of this exercise that is used in the bodybuilding. It is used more often by beginners who are trying to increase the size and strength of the chest muscles.

Broadly speaking, the difference between the classic and power performance is that the power technique uses greater involvement of the abductor of the shoulder girdle and the flexors of the shoulder (front shoulder heads)

Barbell Bench Press according to the grip

Classic grip – the lever passes through the middle of the palm and base of the thumb caught him;
inverted (broken wrist) grip – the lever passes through the base of the palm and thumb, the latter covering lever but the wrist was broken back so that the pressure from the flexors in the forearm is weaker;
open turn – lever runs through the middle or base of the palm, thumb does not cover tightly lever as is or below or stretched along its length

All versions of the inverted grip away lifted from the classic version of lifting the barbell bench press, making it closer to the guillotine. The classic technique suffers greatly from such behavior of the bar.

The trainees who try to raise forcefully open grip, inevitably trigger for pushing the barbell bench press and not willing to raise guillotine or discharge lever.
according amplitude

full amplitude
partial upper or lower (1/2, 1/3 or 2/3 motion) amplitude

Method of execution

training

Stand well on the floor or bench, so that you have a solid foundation under your feet, bend your legs at the knees so that your heels have good contact with the ground.
Hold stalk began at shoulder level and lift the body forward and upward by flexing the spine in a slight arc, then tighten the muscles in the upper sector of the back, retract the shoulder blades together and pull your shoulders back and down until them touch the bench.
Fit hands on the lever in a moderately wide grip classic.

execution

Remove Shanghai with a partner without releasing muscle collecting your shoulders.
Fast position it over his shoulders and begin descent.
In the middle of descent slightly rotate elbows to torso rotation in the shoulders. Keep your elbows positioned perpendicularly under the lever.
Controlled point drop-down lever to lower sector across his chest until you touch them. The longer your hands are compared to the torso, the more downward (toward the rib arc) should slide down the lever.
Hold for a split second and start lifting.
Raise mild curve from the point of descent to the point vertically positioned above the shoulders.

recommendations

Do not leave the burden falls too quickly.
Do not fend off lever from the breasts.
Keep your shoulders pulled back and down as they allow a slight vertical motion during the amplitude so that the shoulders do not razdelechavat.
Do not put your shoulders to your ears, so you go to a bad version of the lift type “Gelotina.”
In the bottom point stick elbows close to the body.

feasibility

The classic lift bench press is a place in almost any program to increase and maintain the active weight.

It is important to understand that this is not just a technique for breast and complex and mnogostavno movement which involves working many muscle groups. Attempts to bodybuilders isolation (ie stress) in the performance of classic barbell bench press have little sense given that such can be achieved to a greater extent with other techniques such as:

Ejection barbell bench press type “Guillotine”
Pushing a barbell bench press began
Fleiss
Nudge machine pectoral muscles
Close hands with cables occipital leg
crossover

In power-conditioning application barbell bench press can be and criteria and an instrument to influence the power balance of the muscles of the chest and shoulder girdle.