Beginners Guide to the Benchpress

What Is a Bench Press?

The bench press is arguably the most famous and popular of all gym movements, especially amongst men. Whether you choose a barbell or dumbells it is a valuable tool for everyone when looking to develop upper body strength.

Why Do We Use the Bench Press

Developing upper body strength may not be everyone’s primary goal when heading to the gym and some females may even roll their eyes at the thought but hear me out. The bench press mainly targets the chest, shoulders and triceps. Now if I had a pound for every time a women held her arms aloft, whilst shaking them, asking “how do I get rid of these?” I’d be a rich man. Well what they are referring to are their triceps aka. bingo wings. This is where the bench press can help and why building some upper body strength can go a long way to helping rid bingo wings forever.

5 Tips to help your bench press:

Grip the bar/dumbells – This will help keep the wrists strong and the shoulders switched on throughout the movement.
Pull the weights down – Too many people relax on the lowering portion of the lift, making it harder to push. Pull the weights down and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Keep your chest up – Much like tip 2 this will help prevent the back from relaxing and stop any unwanted movement at the shoulders.
Keep your feet on the floor – When bench pressing you want to create as much tension throughout the body as possible so get your feet flat on the floor.
Lock your arms out – Your triceps are your friend in the bench press and bring a lot to the table get them working for you and lock your arms out at the top of the movement.

Dumbell Bench Press

Barbell Bench Press

If you have any questions on the above or would like some advice on how we could help you with your fitness goal, don’t hesitate, visit our gym and try one of our small group personal training sessions.

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