Bench press lying on a horizontal bench is a universal basic exercise. It is performed to increase muscle mass or improve strength indicators. But in order to achieve results and see progress, it is important not only to monitor nutrition and not skip workouts. It is necessary to understand how to properly press the barbell lying down, taking into account the rules and safety precautions.
Working groups
Bench press: Safety technique If you use the correct bench press technique, you can develop the upper part of the body well. During the exercise in its various variations, it is necessary to analyze which group is the maximum pressure. And taking into account such information, adjust your technique.
The main working muscles are:
triceps;
anterior bundle of deltas
full body stabilizers;
thoracic (small and large).
Additionally, tendons and joints of fingers and hands develop and strengthen.
Dumbbells can be used as an inventory, which does not affect the final result.
Safety precautions
The lack of warm–up before training is a flaw of novice athletes. First, you should warm up the muscles and speed up the work of the heart to reduce the likelihood of injury.
Do not neglect insurance. The assistant will not only insure when working with a large weight. He can see the shortcomings that the athlete commits and give advice on how to lift the barbell correctly.
The weight, number of approaches and amplitude are determined individually. At the same time, the weight category of the athlete himself, his experience and the ultimate goal are taken into account.
Tips and Rules
The higher the bench is raised, the greater the load on the upper chest. But this is not the only rule that it is advisable to adhere to. In the classic version , the bench press technique looks like this:·
the athlete lies down on the bench, tightly pressing the back of his head and head to its surface;
the legs bent at the knees are placed shoulder-width apart (emphasis on the heels);
the neck is taken with an average grip, the brushes should go beyond the shoulder level;
it is impossible to work only with your hands, as it is inefficient and unsafe (in order to do a bench press with a barbell correctly, you need to bring your shoulder blades together and bend your lower back a little).
Basic errors
Inexperienced athletes can not immediately master the technique of performing the bench press. They often make such mistakes:
They abruptly “throw” a projectile or straighten their elbows. It is necessary to lower the weight smoothly, creating static tension in the negative phase.
They don’t watch their breathing. When pushing the load up, there should be a deep exhalation and an inhalation when lowering.
The impact zones are unevenly distributed: when one part of the body works more. At the same time, the skew or insufficient deflection of the back is visually clearly visible.
They press from the chest without using other muscle groups, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the training.
What to do if there is no progress
As practice shows, to see the first changes, it is not enough to master the technique and do the bench press correctly. It is necessary to develop a methodology, determine the optimal number of repetitions and weight for working with the projectile.
Minimal progress can also be explained by the lack of proper rest between classes and an unbalanced diet. Muscles need a period of rest to recover and grow. And if there are not enough calories and a balance of BZHU in the diet, you should not wait for an improvement in indicators.