Barbell Bench Press
First and foremost there must always be five points of contact during bench press – each foot is one, your butt, shoulders and head on the bench. Bench press is a full body exercise. You may choose to arch your back if you want, as I do in the video, even more than I do or less. That is up to you, but the arch is in your thoracic spine, not your lumbar. The arch decreases the range of motion from lock out to your body and back up. This aids in making your one rep max easier simply due to having less work to do.
Begin set up by placing each foot firmly on the floor, digging your heels in to the ground. You want your feet as close to under your butt as possible so you can truly maximize your leg and glute strength, because why wouldn’t you use the strongest muscles in your body to make things easier. (Newbies to this form will have a sore booty the next day because of how tight you squeeze your glutes in this position.)
Once you have your body in the right position under the bar (you can use the rack to get yourself into a comfortable yet powerful position) you really want to engage your core. Get as tight as possible from where your heels are dug into the floor, your glutes squeezing, your shoulder blades/ scaps pulled back and down and your core flexed like you were about to be punched in the gut.
Then choose your grip. I like my hands directly out front, with my shoulders, elbows and wrists all in one straight line for normal grip, my thumbs about a half inch into the knurling of the bar. What normal grip is for you depends on your shoulder width and where you feel most powerful. Wide grips is going to be outside of that grip, and close grip will be inside that (that being what feels comfortable for you.)
Once you have your grip set (thumbs around the bar for safety), either get a lift off from a friend or press up and out, keeping your elbows tucked in, using your triceps to unrack the barbell. Using your triceps makes it easier on your shoulders. At that point try to “break the bar” by pushing into it with the pinky side edges of your hands. This, along with shoulders back and down, will help you engage your lats and decrease the range of motion of the bar path. Also, your wrists should not be bent backward too far. The “breaking of the bar” motion will also help decrease pressure on the wrists.
Keep your elbows tucked into your body as you lower the barbell straight down to touch your upper body, somewhere at or just below your nipple line, then once contact is made, press straight up for one rep.
As for breathing, take one big deep breath and keep your core fully engaged, then lower the bar and press back up, then release the breath. That will help you keep tension in your core and whole body. You shouldn’t go through the reps super quick.. you want every single rep to feel as tight through your body as a one rep max should.
For safety I do recommend a spotter or at least do not use clips on your bar so if necessary you can push one side off of you and the plates will fall.
Barbell bench press is part of Kyra Williams’ Personal Fitness Program and workout routines as they strengthen your entire body, but specfically target your chest, triceps and shoulders.
Your Coach,
Kyra
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