Bench press

A man performs a barbell bench press while another spots him.

The bench press is an upper body strength training exercise that consists of pressing a weight upwards from a supine position. The exercise works the pectoralis major as well as supporting chest, arm, and shoulder muscles such as the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps. A barbell is generally used to hold the weight, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.[1]

The barbell bench press is one of three lifts in the sport of powerlifting (alongside the deadlift and squat) and is used extensively in weight training, bodybuilding, and other types of training to develop the chest muscles.

Movement

The person performing the exercise lies on their back on a bench with a weight grasped in both hands. They push the weight upwards until their arms are extended, not allowing the elbows to lock. They then lower the weight to chest level. This is one repetition (rep).

Powerlifting: Take position on a flat bench with body weight resting on buttocks and upper traps whilst driving feet into the floor. Movement requires the weight to be taken at full arms' length, lowered to upper torso, paused, and then lifted to starting position.

History

The bench press has evolved over the years, from floor, bridge, and belly toss variations to the methods used by bodybuilders and powerlifters today.

At first the strict floor press was the most popular method. In 1899, using a barbell with 48 centimetres (19 in) discs (plates), George Hackenschmidt, inventor of the barbell hack squat, rolled a barbell over his face (which was turned to the side) and performed a strict floor press with 164 kilograms (362 lb). This stood as a record for 18 years until Joe Nordquest broke it by 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) in 1916.

Around this time, new methods started gaining ground. Lifters started figuring out that strong glutes could help them get the bar from the ground to overhead. They would lie on the floor and position the bar over their abdomen, then perform an explosive glute bridge movement, catapulting the bar upwards and catching it at lockout.[2]

Lifting techniques, training and drugs have improved over the years and the raw bench press record lift has grown from 164 kilograms (362 lb) to 335 kilograms (739 lb)[3] (held by Olympic Weight-Lifter Sam Barrett)[4] in less than 100 years.

Muscles

A female athlete performing a bench press at the IPA world championship 2007, in the "Bench Only" category

A conventional bench press uses pectoralis major muscle, anterior deltoid, coracobrachialis to horizontally adduct the shoulder. It also uses predominantly triceps brachii and anconeous to extend the elbows. Wider hand spacing places a greater emphasis on shoulder flexion and narrower hand spacing utilizes more elbow extension. Because of this, wider hand spacing is associated with training the pectorals and narrower hand spacing is associated with training the triceps.

In addition to the major phasic (dynamic) muscles the bench press also uses tonic (stabilizing) muscles: scapular stabilizers (serratus anterior, middle and inferior trapezius), humeral head stabilizers (rotator cuff muscles), and core (transverse abdominis, obliques, multifidus, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum)

Variations

Variations of the bench press involve different groups of muscles, or involve the same muscles in different ways:

Possible injuries

A man (lying down) performs a bench press with a spotter using a potentially dangerous thumbless grip.

Performing the bench press can contribute to multiple types of injuries:

See also

Notes

  1. John F. Graham (August 2000). "Dumbbell bench press". Strength and Conditioning Journal. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 Contreras, Bret (2011-12-15). "The Best Damn Bench Press Article Period". T Nation. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  3. "Men's Raw World Records (Open)". PowerLiftingWatch.com. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
  4. "Barbell Bench Press Video Exercise Guide & Tips - Muscle & Strength". Muscleandstrength.com. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  5. "Barbell Bench Press Video Exercise Guide & Tips - Muscle & Strength". Muscleandstrength.com. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  6. "Barbell Incline Bench Press". Exrx.net. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  7. Phung, John (2013-08-14). "Master the Reverse-Grip Bench Press". T Nation. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  8. The Close Grip Bench Press Mistake You’re Probably Making. "The Close Grip Bench Press Mistake You’re Probably Making". Muscle and Brawn. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  9. "How to Bench Press like a Pro: A deep look at Bench Press Form". LIFT. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  10. IOC Sport Medicine Manual 2000 available in .PDF form online
  11. "Petition Requesting Labeling of Weightlifting Bench-Press Benches to Reduce or Prevent Deaths Due to Asphyxia/Anoxia" (PDF). US Consumer Product Safety Commission. May 13, 2004. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
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