by Jonathan Greengrass

Created on: July 10, 2010

The bench press is the most popular exercise in the gym, especially for younger members. A good bench press is seen as a mark of strength, and when people attempt to gauge the strength of a new member it is often with the phrase "How much do you bench?". However, in their quests to look strong and match up to other gym members, many lifters actually use improper form which presents itself as a serious risk to injury.

The basic technique is that the weight should be taken off the rack and lowered to about chest height, with the weight hovering over the chest (NOT the neck, guillotine presses are for advanced lifters only). The weight is then pushed directly up, with the arms locking out to complete one repetition. The weight is then lowered and the sequence is repeated.

Like any exercise, one key is to give yourself a proper base. That means feat on the floor, not on the bench. Some users like to put their feet on the bench to prevent themselves from lifting their rear ends of the bench (another classic lifting mistake), but in doing this they sacrifice stability, especially on a narrow bench. It is perfectly acceptable to use your legs to 'drive' during a press, as long as your abdomen remains on the bench.

The next step is hand positioning. The proper hand position depends on the desired muscle stimulation. A wide grip promotes stimulation to the chest, as it reduces the potential for the triceps to aid in the lift. A wide grip (with hands some inches wider than shoulder width apart) can almost act as an isolation exercise, and can heavily stimulate the chest. It is worth pointing out that this grip reduces the range of motion, meaning that you should make sure you can comfortably rerack the bar before beginning with a wide grip. Conversely, a narrow grip, where the hands are only a couple of inches apart, is primarily used to isolate the triceps. Lifters won't be able to lift as much as on their standard bench, but the triceps do gain a lot of stimulation. A neutral grip (hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart) is an even balance between tricep and chest stimulation, and allows the user to lift the heaviest weights.

A lot is made in the musclebuilding community about rep speed. Some lifters are in favour of explosivly pushing the bar up, whilst some are in favour of slower reps with a 2 count on the lift up. With no clear evidence to the most effective technique, this comes down to personal preference. However, if you choose to be explosive, remember that you should keep the weight under control at all times. It doesn't take a genius to point out that having 140lbs flying around uncontrolled over the cavity that contains your vital organs is a bad idea.

Finally, your torso should remain on the bench. Unnecessarily arching your back will put a heavy stain on it, leaving it open to injury. Remember, in this exercise more than most others injury is incredibly dangerous. On a dumbbell bicep curl, if you get injured and drop the weight the most you can expect is a badly bruised toe. If you get injured on a bench press you could drop the weight on your neck, crushing your throat, as happened to a USC running back in the not too distant past.

Remember, the bench press can be a great show of strength if performed well, but this desire to show off should be secondary to being safe. Improper technique, often used to try and lift more weight, can lead to serious injury, and is very easy for veteran lifters to spot. Lifters often give out respect more for good technique than strength with awful technique, so remember these tips next time you walk into a gym.

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