Bench presses are a weightlifting staple, popular for their effectiveness in working and strengthening the upper body. There’s just one problem– many people, especially those who aren’t as experienced with weightlifting, tend to get them wrong. Poor bench press form is surprisingly easy to lapse into, but can have some pretty severe consequences if left unaddressed. Here are a few of the top things you should do to ensure you get a solid, safe bench press workout every time.
1. Dress Appropriately
First of all, ensure that you purchase proper workout clothes before doing any sort of exercise. Your bench press set is going to be intense, so you’re going to need clothes that can wick away moisture, fit comfortably, and don’t restrict your range of motion. Just wearing your standard casual clothes may cause them to be damaged, and will be uncomfortable. We recommend getting several sets of workout shirts and shorts.
2. Invest in Quality Equipment
If you’re going for a home gym setup, you’ll need a few things: a lifting bench, a weight rack, a barbell, and plates for the barbell. When purchasing this equipment, don’t skimp on quality to save a few dollars. Why? There is, of course, the obvious– quality equipment feels better to use and lasts longer. (Buy nice or buy twice!) However, there’s another, far more important reason: safety. If a flimsy piece of equipment from a shady manufacturer breaks at just the wrong moment, it could mean more than just needing new equipment, it could mean a trip to the hospital. It’s much easier to avoid all of that by just purchasing the proper equipment. Plus, having equipment you can trust will allow you to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to your workouts, getting you the gains you want as quickly as possible.
3. Practice Proper Bench Press Form
As with all workouts, your bench press form is important for a safe and effective workout. Improper form can leave key muscle groups untouched while placing excessive strain on others, both decreasing the benefits of your workout and increasing the risk of injury.
While the motions, positions, and overall form for a chest press may seem simple and intuitive, we’d encourage you not to assume that you’re doing it correctly. Instead, find an experienced weightlifter or personal trainer to check you on your form, make sure you’re doing everything correctly, and point out areas where you can improve. This ensures that your bench press routine will be safe, effective, and injury-free.
4. Find a Spotter
Even if you know all the proper forms and have them down to a science, accidents can still happen. If you’re trying to bench 100 kilos and suddenly, you lose your grip on the bar, you could be seriously hurt as a result. To prevent this, it’s essential that you have a spotter ready to go at all times. Spotters keep themselves ready to catch the bar if you drop it, and can hang onto it for long enough for you to get out safely. We recommend finding a workout buddy so that you can take turns spotting for each other.
5. Gradually Increase Weight
If you’re an experienced bench presser but are wondering how to bench more, this section’s for you. Ultimately, there aren’t any elaborate tips or tricks to suddenly start benching more; you just have to put in the effort and reap the rewards. One thing worth noting, though, is that you should only increase weight in small increments.
Choose a baseline that you know you can easily accomplish, and then go up by 3-5 kilos every week or so from there. Eventually, these gradual additions will start catching up to you. From there, slow down on increasing the weight and devote yourself to strength training in order to push past your limits. Doing it slowly in this manner will allow you to avoid injuring yourself by taking on too much weight at once.
6. Know Your Limits
Finally (and most importantly!) listen to your body when you’re working on your flat bench press. While you’ve probably heard the phrase “no pain, no gain,” it’s important to remember that pain exists for a reason. If you’re feeling any pain that’s new or unusual, stop working out right away and get some ice on the affected area. Trying to push past any and all pain during intense workouts will most likely end in an injury. The loss of one workout day to rest and recover is nothing compared to the lost weeks that’ll result from recovering from a torn ligament or strained muscle, so don’t forget to take it easy when your body tells you to stop.
Looking for more tips, tricks, and products to get the most out of your daily workouts? Visit our site at NineFit today!