The
bench press is a
strength trainingStrength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
exercise. While lying on his back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight and the
elbowThe elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
s locked (or close to this position). The exercise focuses on the development of the
pectoralis major muscleThe pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
as well as other supporting muscles including the
anterior deltoidsIn human anatomy, the deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder. Anatomically, it appears to be made up of three distinct sets of fibers though electromyography suggests that it consists of at least seven groups that can be independently coordinated by the central...
,
serratus anteriorThe serratus anterior is a muscle that originates on the surface of the upper eight or nine ribs at the side of the chest and inserts along the entire anterior length of the medial border of the scapula.-Function:...
,
coracobrachialisThe Coracobrachialis is the smallest of the three muscles that attach to the coracoid process of the scapula. It is situated at the upper and medial part of the arm....
, and the
tricepsThe triceps brachii muscle is the large muscle on the back of the human upper limb. It is the muscle principally responsible for extension of the elbow joint...
. The bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of
powerliftingPowerlifting is a strength sport, consisting of three events: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift.Powerlifting resembles the sport of olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. It evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same 3...
and is used extensively in
weight trainingWeight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
,
bodybuildingBodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy; an individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their appearance...
and other types of fitness training to develop the chest.
A specific
formForm is a specific way of performing a movement, often a strength training exercise, to avoid injury, prevent cheating and increase strength.-'Proper form':...
to the bench press reduces the chance of injury and maximally challenges the muscles of the chest.
The
bench press is a
strength trainingStrength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
exercise. While lying on his back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight and the
elbowThe elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
s locked (or close to this position). The exercise focuses on the development of the
pectoralis major muscleThe pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
as well as other supporting muscles including the
anterior deltoidsIn human anatomy, the deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder. Anatomically, it appears to be made up of three distinct sets of fibers though electromyography suggests that it consists of at least seven groups that can be independently coordinated by the central...
,
serratus anteriorThe serratus anterior is a muscle that originates on the surface of the upper eight or nine ribs at the side of the chest and inserts along the entire anterior length of the medial border of the scapula.-Function:...
,
coracobrachialisThe Coracobrachialis is the smallest of the three muscles that attach to the coracoid process of the scapula. It is situated at the upper and medial part of the arm....
, and the
tricepsThe triceps brachii muscle is the large muscle on the back of the human upper limb. It is the muscle principally responsible for extension of the elbow joint...
. The bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of
powerliftingPowerlifting is a strength sport, consisting of three events: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift.Powerlifting resembles the sport of olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. It evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same 3...
and is used extensively in
weight trainingWeight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
,
bodybuildingBodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy; an individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their appearance...
and other types of fitness training to develop the chest.
Form
A specific
formForm is a specific way of performing a movement, often a strength training exercise, to avoid injury, prevent cheating and increase strength.-'Proper form':...
to the bench press reduces the chance of injury and maximally challenges the muscles of the chest. A
barbellA barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. It consists of a metal bar, one or more sets of weight plates, and a set of collars. Barbells range in length from to...
bench press starting position has the weight lifter lying on a
benchA weight training bench is a piece of equipment that has a resemblance to a normal bench, but is designed for use in weight training....
, with the shoulder blades pinched together to avoid recruiting the anterior deltoid during the lift. The weight lifter keeps his or her feet flat on the ground or at end of the bench, with the buttocks always in contact with the bench. The weight lifter grips the bar with his or her hands equidistant from the center, with the elbows bent to 90° and the elbows beneath the wrists. Movement of the weights starts by lifting the bar off the pins, and lowering it until it touches the chest. After the bar has met the chest it is important to pause before moving in the upward position and not to allow the bar to bounce off the chest. Bouncing the bar off the chest can cause injury and practising a short pause can keep that from happening. After allowing the pause, the weight lifter then pushes the bar off his or her chest, terminating when the arms are straight, at which point the weight lifter can lower the bar again. After the desired number of repetitions, the weight lifter returns the bar to the pins. Because the load on the bar above the chest can be heavy, a
spotting partnerSpotting, in weight or resistance training, is the act of supporting another person during a particular exercise, with an emphasis on allowing the participant to lift or push more than he or she could normally do safely....
increases the safety of the movement.
Muscles
A generic bench press utilizes pectoralis major, anterior deltoid,
long head of biceps brachii and coracobrachialis to flex the shoulder. It also uses predominately triceps brachii and anconeous to produce elbow extension. Wider hand spacing creates larger emphasis on shoulder flexion and narrower hand spacing utilises more elbow extension. Because of this a wider spacing is associated with working pectorals and narrower hand spacing is associated with working triceps.
In addition to the major phasic (dynamic) muscles the bench press also uses tonic (stabilising) muscles: scapular stabilisers (serratus anterior, middle and inferior trapezius), humeral head stabilisers (rotator cuff muscles), and core (transverse abdominis, obliques, multifidus, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum)
Because the bench press is a large, compound exercise it should be completed early in a exercise session to ensure fatigue of one component does not limit the entire exercise (for example doing elbow extension before this exercise would fatigue the triceps and lead to under performance of the bench press).
Variations
Bench press works primarily to build the chest. Variations work different subgroups of muscles, or work the same muscles in different ways:
Angle
A weight lifter can bench press on a flat bench, incline, or decline
- The flat bench press works the mid portion of the pectoralis major muscle
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
as well as the anterior deltoid muscleIn human anatomy, the deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder. Anatomically, it appears to be made up of three distinct sets of fibers though electromyography suggests that it consists of at least seven groups that can be independently coordinated by the central...
. If the term 'bench press' is used, it is generally assumed to be a flat bench press.
- An incline elevates the shoulders and lowers the pelvis as if reclining in a chair; this variation works the upper portion of the chest and deltoid. This is referred to as an incline press or incline bench press. Anecdotally this emphasises the upper fibres of the pectorials and middle deltoid.
- A decline bench press elevates the pelvis and lowers the head, and works the lower portion of the chest and deltoid. This is called a decline press or decline bench press.
Stability
A lifter can do certain things to destabilize their lifting. Examples include lifting on a swiss ball, using dumbbells instead of a barbell, or not using the legs to stabilize oneself on the bench. Narrowing the leg position or bringing the feet onto the bench are other examples of ways a lifter can destabilize the movement, and lessen the amount of weight they can safely press.
Hand position
- Varying the width of the grip can shift stress between pectorals and triceps. A wide grip focuses on the pectorals. A narrow, shoulder width grip focuses more on the triceps.
- Using different lifting impliments can alter the stress on a lifter's grips, a lifter can extend or flex the wrist while lifting.
Chains and bands
A lifter can use chains and bands to increase their bench press (much like other lifts). This is popular amongst those training for
powerliftingPowerlifting is a strength sport, consisting of three events: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift.Powerlifting resembles the sport of olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. It evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same 3...
. These give a 'resistance curve' where it is harder to lock out the press. This is achieved by the stretching of bands or the lifting of chains, increasing the resistance as the lift progresses. It allows a lifter to bypass weakness in the muscle while stretched and to focus on lockout strength, primarily a triceps issue.
Possible injuries
Incorrect form may lead to multiple types of injuries:
- Torn ligaments/tendons in shoulders.
- Back injuries
Back injuries result from damage, wear, or trauma to the bones, muscles, or other tissues of the back. Common back injuries include sprains and strains, herniated disks, and fractured vertebrae. The lumbar is often the site of back pain. The area is susceptible because of its flexibility and the...
due to bridging, which is the arching of the lower back turning the bench press into the decline press. To prevent bridging, compress the stomach muscles to force the lower back down, or bring legs up and lie flat on the bench.
- Injuries to the trapezius muscle
In human anatomy, the trapezius is a large superficial muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae and laterally to the spine of the scapula...
.
- Elbow
The elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
/wristIn human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
strains.
- Cracked or broken ribs
The human rib cage, also known as the thoracic cage, is a bony and cartilaginous structure which surrounds the thoracic cavity and supports the pectoral girdle, forming a core portion of the human skeleton. A typical human rib cage consists of 24 ribs, the sternum, costal cartilages, and the 12...
, usually the result of bouncing the bar off of the chest to add momentum to the lift or a loss of strength causing the bar to fall onto the chest.
- Distal clavicular osteolysis
Osteophytes, also known as bone spurs, are bony projections that usually form along joints.-Pathophysiology:Bone spurs form due to the increase in a damaged joint's surface area. This is most commonly from the onset of arthritis. Bone spurs usually limit joint movement and typically cause pain...
: bone spur or erosion at the end of the clavicle. Athletes suffering from this condition should avoid doing bench presses.
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