The bench press I feel like is one of the most overemphasized lifts by recreational lifters (mainly men), but it is one of the main upper body lifts, and a standard component of most strength and conditioning programs. The bench is also very important because it drives the numbers for all upper body lifts, in other words weights for all other upper body lifts can be calculated by the bench number. The bench press works the pecs, deltoids, lats, and triceps. Some variations of the bench press include; standard with the bench level, at an incline, at a decline, or with a bar or dumbbells. The bench press is also one of the 3 lifts in the sport of powerlifting, the others being the squat and the deadlift.
Unfortunately, bench is one of the most dangerous exercises, so it is absolutely essential to have a spotter, no ifs, ands, or buts. If something happens in the weight room, and the athlete didn’t have a spotter, you will most likely be held liable. Having a spotter will also help to reduce injury in the sense that the lift off minimizes the risk of injury to the rotator cuff. It is important to make sure that both the athlete and spotter are mentally there before the liftoff, and once the spotter feels like the athlete has full support of the weight, they can let go. The goal of the push off is for the athlete to feel stable. The spotter can also follow the path of motion with an alternate grip just in case something goes wrong at any point in the lift, they are there.
Bench should be done with the strength bar since it doesn’t spin. In terms of body position, the five points of contact should all be in place; both feet planted on the ground, and the glutes, shoulders, and head in contact with the bench. The forehead should be under the barbell (or the bar should be right above the eyes), and the athlete should have a closed grip. For more advanced lifters, the back can be arched, but this should not be practiced by beginners as it places more stress on the back. Grip 1 is an appropriate bench grip, where the pinky should be at least on the outer ring, though most females have a narrower grip. This can negatively effect the lift because the muscles will not be activated correctly. If somebody has a back issue, the feet can be placed up on the bench with the knees bent. It is okay to arch the back a little bit, as it helps to engage the lower body.
Once the spotter has let go of the bar, and the bar is over the chest, the bar should be lowered to the sternum with a controlled movement, touch the chest with a slight pause, then press the bar straight up, equally with both hands. In terms of breathing, the way down should be accompanied by an inhale, and the way up with an exhale. The pattern of the upward movement should be toward the head, and the bar should stay over the elbows. Some cues going along with the bench are “punch the bar up”, or “flare up.” If the glutes are coming off of the bench, the angle of foot placement can be increased. It is also important on the way up to drive through the heels.
If the athlete has a shoulder injury it is good to limit the range of motion by adding a board on the chest. This may also be a good thing for baseball players to do in order to prevent injury. Close grip bench press involves the deltoids and the triceps more. For close grip, grip should be an inch or two closer or about a thumbs length away from normal bench grip. Bench from the floor stresses the pecs more.
Due to lateral forces involved in bench pressing, people aren’t able to dumbbell press as much as they can bench with a barbell. The dumbbell press requires more stabilization, and doesn’t have the same lateral forces or else the dumbbells would move away from each other. The dumbbell bench also uses the biceps more than the triceps. The speed of the bar will slow down as the athlete progresses throughout the reps of the bench. The bench can be made more difficult with added chains or resistance bands. A study in 2010 by Garcia Lopez et al., found that velocity decreased when performing static stretching between sets but it was unaffected by ballistic stretching. Ballistic training between bench sets such as medicine ball chest passes may increase bench press performance. (Contreras, B., & Leahey, S. (2011). “The Best Damn Bench Press Article Period.” T Nation. 15 December 2011. <http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_best_damn_bench_press_article_period.)