Many people know about the barbell. The barbell is a piece of equipment that is often seen in daily life, and in many exercises, the barbell needs to be used. For barbell exercises, such as the barbell bench press, I believe someone still knows where to do the barbell bench press. So where is the barbell bench press exercise? Let’s take a look below.
Where to do barbell bench press exercise
A narrow grip can strengthen the inner part of the pectoralis major and triceps brachii.
A wide grip can strengthen the outer part of the pectoralis major muscle.
The bench press is a compound movement that involves the movements of multiple joints, including the shoulder joint and elbow joint. The second half of the bench press moves the shoulder joint. The movement of the elbow joint is driven by the triceps brachii and occurs in the first half. Therefore, when doing bench presses, you should not focus on your arms, but focus on experiencing the feeling of the chest muscles exerting force to push up the barbell, and feel the contraction process of the chest muscles. In addition, novices must learn to focus on the contraction and extension of the muscles at the beginning, rather than blindly adding weight to the bar and causing movement deformation.
Essentials of flat barbell bench press
1. The barbell bench press generally uses a wide grip to allow the pectoralis major muscles to be more fully stretched and fully contracted; the trunk and the upper part of the chest need to be straightened into an arch, the shoulders are completely sunk, and the barbell is Place the bar on the chest about 1cm away from the nipples; when the barbell is pushed up until the arms are straightened, the pectoralis major muscle must be in a "peak contraction" state and pause for a moment.
2. Exhale when pushing up, and inhale through your mouth when returning to the starting position.
3. Do not lift your hips and waist off the stool.
4. Position of the feet: Separate the legs at a 45-degree angle and place them flat on the ground for strong support. If you step on the bench, the stability will be poor, and you need to share part of the force to control the stability of the core muscles, so that you cannot use your maximum strength to exercise the chest muscles. Of course, you can put your feet on the stool on the Smith machine without this worry, and it can effectively prevent the waist and abdomen from assisting in exerting force, and more isolated exercise of the pectoralis major muscles.
Note: Different grips have different focus on stimulating muscles: slightly narrower than shoulder-width exercises the middle pectoralis major and triceps brachii; shoulder-width exercises the entire chest muscles; slightly wider than shoulder-width exercises the outer pectoral muscles; wider thanIt focuses on training the rear deltoid muscles.
What should you pay attention to when doing flat barbell bench press
1. Always hold the barbell tightly. Holding the barbell tightly is equivalent to increasing the tension of the forearm, upper back and chest muscles.
2. Keep your chest lifted (thorax extension) throughout the movement.
3. Keep the elbow close to the body, and the angle between the upper arm and the torso is approximately 45 degrees.
4. Take a deep breath and hold it when you release the bar.
5. The trajectory of the barbell's descent and push-up is similar to that of a bent-over row. Maintain control of the weight and do not let it fall freely.
6. Keep the back, buttocks and legs tense and perform isometric contractions (the length of the muscles does not change when they contract but only the tension increases).
7. When the barbell drops to your chest, put your feet down on the ground, push the barbell up and exhale.
8. Do not lock the joints at the highest point of the push-up, and always keep the back arch and the chest extended.