The Big Five lifts (Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Barbell Row, Shoulder Press) are frequent bench marks for how strong a given person is. While the eternal, cringe-inducing question “how much ya lift?” is usually reserved for either deadlifting or bench pressing, all five movements are essential for muscular development, general fitness, and just feeling pretty good about slinging around heavy weights on a daily basis. They’re also some of the most dangerous movements to perform if you don’t know how to do them properly. The bench press, especially, can kill you if you try to lift wrong and end up crushing your own throat or spine.
Why Bother?
The bench press is, personally, one of my favorite compound lifts. There’s something primally satisfying about laying down beneath a weight that threatens to crush your lungs and hoisting it up with only the power of your upper body that just feels so good. Other than that, it’s a fantastic method of building upper body strength, applicable to pretty much all walks of life, no matter what job situation or sport you’re playing. Increasing your working weight on a bench press helps build pectorals, deltoids, triceps, forearms, hands and even abs. It really is an amazing tool, which is why it’s so popular. If you’ve ever wanted those ‘rippling pectorals’ like Hercules, or to strain your shirt, the bench press is the way to go.
How To Perform
The instinct, when you begin the lift, is to keep the bar high on the chest, around shoulder level. Not only is this more dangerous, keeping the load closer to your very vulnerable throat, it can damage your shoulders and back as well. Instead, you want to set yourself up with the bar directly above your eye line and lift straight up, bringing the bar down to the bottom of your sternum and pressing from a much lower position. This better engages the entirety of the pectoral muscles, removing the danger to your shoulders, arms and head. When the bar is in the ready position, make sure your grip is just past shoulder width to keep the movement smooth and focused on your chest, not your arms. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and press your back into the bench. Once you’re in the ready position, explode upwards with your chest and arms into the lockout position. Now that you’re in the concentric position, lower the bar with control back to the bottom of your sternum. That’s one rep.
