Bench Press Workouts For Beginners – Tips And Advice
Most experts agree that the barbell bench press is the best exercise for the chest. A bench press is a great exercise used for strengthening the shoulders and triceps as well. If you want to build the chest muscles, the bench press is the best-suited workout for you since it works both the lower and middle pectorals.
This is one of the workouts that any beginner trainee should learn to perform. Therefore, you have to learn the correct benching technique as a beginner. The wrong form of executing this workout may not lead to considerable gains and may end up causing injuries.
This post is here to give you some tips to enable you to develop that chest you have always dreamt of by using a perfect form of the barbell bench press. Follow these tips and your chest workouts will never be the same again…
The first thing you need to look for is a flat bench. Look for a barbell loaded with plates. When you are first trying this movement, you should use a relatively light plate to build up the muscle memory. This is supported by the fact that developing neural pathways in many cases lead to the initial strength increases.
Lay down on the bench with your back arched but with your butt on the bench. This is the position you should hold throughout the lifting. Your feet should be firm on the ground and should not move in any way. Your eyes should be positioned directly under the bar.
Retract your shoulder blades. Squeezing your shoulder blades will help prevent any shoulder injuries during the bench press. It will also make you more stable meaning that you will have more control and power during the exercise.
Grip the bar with a grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. The markings found on the bar will guide you. The palms should not be facing you instead they should be facing away from you. The bar should be directly above your upper chest.
Lowering the weight should be done in a slow, smooth and controlled way. Lower the bar to the area above your lower chest. In order to use the right tempo, count to 2 as you lower the bar. At first, the bar may not be steady. Do not worry about this as you will perfect and become steadier as you continue.
Most beginners make a mistake of bouncing the bar and not working the chest muscles. It is good to pause for a split second before executing a positive repetition.
Lower the bar to your chest while keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle to the bar. The elbows should not flare out. Keep them in. doing this will help you prevent any shoulder injuries and any injuries to your pectorals.
Try to hold your breath and push the bar upwards in an explosive manner. After you get past the most difficult point during each rep, exhale. Your arms should be fully extended every time you lift until your elbows lock. Make sure that the bar follows the same path when you lift it up and when you return it down.
As a beginner, it is a good idea to start light. The most important factor when you begin is not how much you can bench. The most important thing is form. Therefore, you need to make sure you master the correct form before you pay any attention to the weights.
Keeping your feet planted firmly to the ground when lifting up or down will help make you steady and in control. This will be very important, especially when you will be dealing with more challenging weights. This will also help you push through those difficult repetitions.
Your upper arm and forearm should form a 90-degree angle. If this grip is less than a right angle, then your grip will be too narrow. More than a 90-degree angle and your grip is too wide.
As we said above, it is very important to keep your elbows in. apart from preventing injuries, failing to pay attention to this form may also impede your bench press power. Many advanced lifters have suffered from shoulder injuries as a result of failing to heed to this advice.
In order to work your chest more effectively, lower the bar around two inches above your chest. This will add more pressure to the muscles in your chest. This will make the chest muscles grow faster as the muscles will try to adapt with the heavier bar…
check the video below for a useful example of a great bench press workout for beginners… all the best!