One of the most popular weightlifting exercises is the bench press. The bench press is a compound movement, meaning it requires more than one joint action. It is an excellent exercise for developing strength in the upper body muscles involved in pushing things away from you: the pectoralis major(chest), the deltoids(shoulders), and the triceps(back of the upper arm) muscles. The bench press exercise is also one of the competitive exercises involved in the sport of power-lifting. But when you are doing a version of this exercise for health and fitness it is not always necessary to follow the same rules that competitive power-lifters must follow. If you are doing a Chest Press for fitness, to develop upper body strength, or for recreational bodybuilding to develop the chest muscles, it is not necessary to bring the bar all the way down in contact with your chest, especially if you have long limbs. Lowering the bar to a depth where your upper arm is parallel to the floor, or elbows even with your shoulders (if using a seated machine) places plenty of direct stress(the good kind) on the prime movers(the pectoralis major) without over-stressing the shoulder joint. Another factor of major importance for protecting the shoulder joint is to keep your shoulder blades pulled together, or pinched, throughout the exercise. This can be difficult for many beginners, but it is something that can be practiced without the bar. Other tips for safe and effective bench or chest presses are:
- Use a spotter if using heavy weight.
- Pay attention to your grip. If using a barbell, make sure your grip is even on the bar, not lopsided. An uneven grip can cause the bar to tilt and possibly topple the lifter off the bench.
- A closed grip(thumbs wrapped around the bar, opposite of the fingers) is recommended over an open grip(thumbs next to the index fingers on the side side of the bar). If you do use an open grip be sure you have adequate strength and flexibility in your wrists.
- Always stay in full control of the bar's speed and path when both lifting and lowering the bar.
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