| If you are familiar with only one exercise in the Bright | | | | Feet Position: Your feet should be flat on the ground, |
| 'N Fit Training Routine, it is probably the Flat Barbell | | | | and about 30 inches apart. Try to drive your heels into |
| Bench Press. Enter any local fitness center or campus | | | | the floor. |
| gym and you will more than likely witness someone | | | | Now that you have gotten into that tight position, you |
| performing this movement. The question is, how many | | | | must hold it throughout your entire set. |
| of those people are doing it properly? | | | | Step 2: Unracking the Barbell |
| This exercise, when done correctly, will lead to great | | | | Extend your arms to push the barbell straight up in |
| strength, power, and size gains in the chest, shoulders, | | | | order to remove it from the hooks of the rack. If you |
| and triceps. | | | | have a spotter, ask him/her to give you a "lift-off," in |
| Muscles worked during the Flat Barbell Bench Press:o | | | | which he/she helps you unrack the weight by pulling |
| Chest (Pectorals)o Front Shoulders (Anterior Deltoids)o | | | | the barbell straight up out of the hooks before you |
| Arms (Triceps) | | | | begin your set. |
| It is important to learn how to perform the Flat Barbell | | | | As you remove the barbell from the hooks, slightly |
| Bench Press to receive all of its benefits and avoid | | | | move the bar towards your feet so it is directly over |
| injuries, particularly to the shoulder and elbow joints. | | | | your lower chest. Your spotter can remove his/her |
| Step 1: Setting Up | | | | hands from the bar once you have the barbell |
| The set-up is crucial for performing the exercise | | | | completely under control. |
| properly. You must be in a tight and stabilized position | | | | Now you are ready to bench press! |
| before and throughout the movement. | | | | Step 3: Bench! |
| Head Position: Lie down on a flat bench directly under | | | | As you are bench pressing, remember to keep your |
| the barbell as it sits in the hooks of the rack. Adjust | | | | chest out, shoulder blades pinched together, back |
| your body (slide your back forward or backward on | | | | against the bench, and feet firmly on the ground.o First, |
| the bench) so that the center of the barbell is directly | | | | take a big breath and slowly lower the barbell in a |
| over your eyes. Keep your chin tucked, and your eyes | | | | straight line until it touches your lower chest. As you |
| looking above. | | | | are doing this, try to keep your elbows tucked to your |
| Hand Position: Grab the barbell with your hands equally | | | | sides, and your wrists in line with your elbows. Do not |
| distant from your body, placing them about 23-26 | | | | follow the barbell with your eyes as you lower the bar |
| inches apart. This grip will evenly activate your chest | | | | to your lower chest, keep looking up.o Once the barbell |
| and tricep muscles, rather than one more so than the | | | | touches your lower chest, pause for a second to |
| other. Hold the barbell low in your hands (as close to | | | | eliminate the tendency to bounce the bar off your |
| your wrists and away from your fingers as possible) | | | | chest.o As you release the air by breathing out, |
| to prevent the weight of the bar from bending your | | | | explosively push or "press" the barbell in a straight line |
| wrists and placing stress on your elbows. Be sure to | | | | directly above your lower chest by extending your |
| wrap your thumbs around the barbell, and squeeze the | | | | arms. Keep your elbows tucked to your sides and |
| bar as hard as you can. A "thumbless" grip can be | | | | squeeze the barbell as hard as you can as you are |
| extremely dangerous because you have less control | | | | doing this.o Repeat from the first bullet-point of Step 3. |
| of the barbell. | | | | Practice this technique with an empty (unloaded) |
| Upper-body Position: Puff your chest out by pulling | | | | barbell until you have developed muscle memory. The |
| your shoulder blades together and pressing your back | | | | movement may seem awkward at first but it will |
| against the bench. Keep everything tight. This position | | | | become more comfortable as you continue practicing |
| will make your body a more stable surface to push | | | | it. Remember to stay 100% focused during every |
| from, allowing you to bench press more weight. It will | | | | single rep! |
| also place less stress on your shoulder joints. | | | | |