What Would Happen if You Ate Three Eggs a Day?

Bench-pressing isn't important in bodybuilding because the goal is to build muscle, not metal. Because the bench press has been deemed the strongest predictor of upper-body strength, most of us want to honestly respond with a large number to that clichéd question. .

If you're looking to boast a more spectacular maximum, help is on the way. The Bench Press is an excellent exercise for increasing an athlete's pushing force by working the chest, triceps, back, and deltoid muscles.

Here's how to improve your bench strength. If you've been doing the bench press without thinking about how you're doing it, it's time to take a step back and concentrate on improving your technique.

Obtain Assistance:

Why:

* Have a qualified spotter hovering just behind you whenever you aim to push a set of bench presses to near failure.

* This is for your own protection, as well as the peace of mind that will allow you to go for that important additional rep you've never been able to get before.

* You can also use a spotter to help you unrack and rerack the bar.

Take a Position:

How to do it:

* Place yourself on a flat bench.

* Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor, either immediately behind your knees or slightly behind them.

* You want to build a solid foundation, and the best way to achieve that is to put your feet in the optimal position to support your body.

* Your base will be weaker if your feet are in front of your knees.

* Your heels will come off the floor if they're too far back, weakening your base once more.

* Your legs will be worthless whether your feet are on the bench or if you are up in the air with your legs folded.

Why should you get a grip?

* Your grip breadth is determined by the width of your shoulders.

* Take a grip with your forearms parallel to the ground.

* A larger hold puts too much strain on your shoulders, whereas a narrower grasp targets your triceps rather than your chest.

* Put your thumbs beneath the bar and your other fingers over the bar for added safety.

* You must also maintain a low grip on the barbell in your palms.

* Although a mid-palm or high-palm grip may appear to be less secure, your wrists will bend back, restricting your strength and eventually straining wrist tendons.

* Keep your wrists straight while squeezing the bar.

Natural Arches:

Why?

* Your spine is curved in a natural way.

* Throughout each set, you should maintain or slightly exaggerate it.

* This puts you in the strongest position while simultaneously raising your chest and limiting your range of motion significantly.

* An excessive arch can significantly restrict range of motion while also compressing your spine.

* Maintain a natural arch and keep your buttocks stiff while contacting but not pressing against the bench.

* Your legs, not your glutes, will provide lower-body support.

Become tense:

Why?

* Squeeze your shoulder blades together to tension your upper inner back before unracking the weight.

* Stability and strength are improved by being tense throughout the set.

* You aren't just sitting on a bench.

* With your upper back, you're pressing against it.

* Maintain a low shoulder position.

* Many people instinctively elevate their shoulders to meet the bar, but this actually increases the range of motion.

* Your chest will be maximum lifted if you keep your shoulders down and your upper back flexed, shortening the range of motion.

Unrack:

How to do it:

* Position yourself such that you just need to advance the bar forward a few inches in order for your reps to clear the supports.

* Reaching back to unrack the bar and then pushing it forward saps your strength and energy before you've even started your set.

* Remove the barbell from the supports by slightly straightening your previously slightly bent arms, ideally with the help of a spotter.

* Keep your shoulders back, chest up, back tensed, spine naturally arched, butt brushing the bench, glutes and legs tensed, and feet firmly planted on the floor throughout the liftoff.

Take a Deep Breath:

Why?

* Before each rep, take a deep breath.

* As you lower and raise the bar, hold your breath and exhale as you finish each rep.

Reduce the Stakes:

Why?

* The first thing to remember is that the bar should not travel straight down or straight up.

* From your shoulders to your lower chest, take it down at a small diagonal angle.

* After your first rep, this will be more noticeable.

* The second point to consider is the difference between elbow flair and elbow tuck.

* Bodybuilders used to bench press with their arms at a 90-degree angle to their torsos.

* Powerlifters, on the other hand, tuck their elbows in and aim for 45-degree angles.

* Tighten your muscles from your hands to your upper back, glutes, and legs.

* As the bar drops, you should tighten your grip even more.

* Lower the bar gradually but carefully.

* Assume you're executing a barbell row backwards.

* On the descent, you don't want to squander any strength, but you also don't want the bar to fall out of its groove or descend so quickly that it bounces on your chest.

Bottom Line:

How to do it:

* Touch your lower pecs with the barbell.

* Don't take a breather.

* By rule, powerlifters must do so.

* However, there's no necessity to increase the difficulty of your bench presses.

* Never bounce, just touch and go.

Press:

How to do it:

* Keep your butt on the bench and push your feet through the floor with your feet.

* Simultaneously, drive your upper back into the bench and force the bar away from you.

* Keep your shoulders down and your chest up.

* Imagine pushing yourself away from the barbell, as if completing an upside-down pushup, rather than focusing on the weight's movement.

* This will assist you in staying tight and forming the best base of strength to lift the bar.

* Your upper arms will remain at a 75-degree angle.

* Your forearms should be nearly vertical but slightly inclined rearward, and your wrists should remain straight without bending back.

Lockout:

How to do it:

* The barbell should come to a stop above your shoulders at the end of its up-and-down motion.

* At the peak, lock out your elbows for a few seconds while maintaining body tension and a spine arch.

* (If you're having difficulties with lockouts, do sets in a power rack or on a Smith machine that focus solely on the last half of reps.)

* Don't take a breather.

* Lock briefly and go on to your next rep, just like the touch-and-go at the bottom.

* Rack the weight and rest for the next set if it's your last rep.