The Bench Press

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Welcome back to Conditioning Corner. I hope you enjoyed the last two-part article on “Hamstring Training Exercises For Injury Prevention.” That article has saved many an athlete from season-ending injury over my coaching career. This week, we will take a look at the bench press and how to perform the exercise both safely and effectively.

There are a couple of things I want to point out before explaining this exercise though, pertaining to the value of the lift. Much too often do I see athletes and the general public emphasize physique rather than athletic ability. The bench press is certainly a valuable exercise, however, it is also one that can be over-emphasized. Remember that successful athletes are also WELL-BALANCED athletes. For every push, you should do a pull. Consider that there are some major NCAA Division I programs who do not even bench press because they think it is a waste of time. These are not your small D1 programs, either. These are some teams that you may have seen on your favorite sports program recently. For this reason, next week’s edition of CC will contain a pulling motion.

Beware of thinking a bench press equals greater athletic prowess. I encourage all of you to consider all the other components of balanced conditioning; power, speed, acceleration, balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, stamina, accuracy, and muscular strength. The bench press really only enhances 1 or two components that I mentioned: strength and potentially some endurance.

So onto our exercise – the BENCH PRESS. This is a great exercise to enhance power output of the upper body, general coordination, and pushing ability. A few examples related to the bench: blocking in football, shot putting, or setting a pass in volleyball. The bench press builds the musculature of the chest, trunk, and arms. Muscles include the pectoralis, triceps, biceps, deltoids, latissimus (lats in gym lingo), and even the abdominals. Professional bench press competitors even use their legs as part of this exercise!

How To Perform The Bench Press

1. Establish a five point start position; both feet on the ground, rear end, back, and head in contact with the bench (picture 1).

2. For regular and incline bench, the grip width should be wide enough so that your forearms are perpendicular to the ground when your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. For closegrip bench, your grip width should be just slightly wider than your chest to allow for full range of motion (picture 2). When using dumbbell presses, follow the same path when lifting as if you were using a barbell.

3. Take a deep breath and hold it, and lift the bar off the rack (you may use a spotter to assist you). Position the bar over your chest so that your arms are perpendicular to the ground before beginning your first rep (picture 3).

4. Allow the weight to descend until it makes slight contact with your chest. Continue holding your breath.

5. Lift the weight vertically, do not exhale until you have moved past the sticking point.

SPOTTING
Your spotter should have similar skill and strength as you (picture 4). Establish a communication routine with them so that all parties are aware of their responsibilities. For example, you may count “one, two, three, lift” during the initial repetition to time a lift off with your spotter. The spotter should NEVER touch the bar while it is in an upward motion. A spot should only occur when you are failing at the lift and the bar is moving back toward the lifter. When spotting dumbbell presses of any variety, the spotter should GUIDE AT THE LIFTER’S WRISTS, NOT THE ELBOWS. Spotting at the elbows still places the lifter at risk for injury.


What’s the difference between a champion and 2nd place? Usually not much. The difference lies in the training that leads up to competition. The goal of Conditioning Corner is to provide scientifically based, practical information for coaches, parents, and athletes, in the hopes of enhancing athletic performance and reducing the chance of injury. CC provides information on sports science, physiology, and training theory related to the field of strength and conditioning. Each article describes how to properly execute specific exercises and routines related to athletic performance for all sports and athletes. Where possible, it discusses the ideas behind training theory and common misconceptions on how to prepare for athletic contests.

If you enjoyed reading CC, greater Manchester Sports has created an exclusive online training forum where you can post questions and exchange knowledge on how to help each other out. It is a free service and is accessible through the GMS website (http://greaternhsports.com). Previous editions of Conditioning Corner are archived at this location as well.

Disclaimer: Every attempt has been made to make the information in this article accurate. The information in this article has been developed to provide guidelines for a sports training program. Since every individual responds differently to physical activity and nutritional intake it is the responsibility of the reader to seek the guidance of a qualified conditioning professional or to insure that he/she is qualified to follow the exercise routines, nutritional guidelines, and activity habits contained herein. NLP LLC does not accept any responsibility for the use or misuse of the information in this article. Please consult a physician before embarking on a program of physical activity and a nutritionist before significantly modifying your diet.