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What You Need to Know About Bench Press

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    The most important day of your workout routine is Monday, isn’t it? Yes, that is the day when you train your chest. Monday is the universal chest workout day. That is the time when men do their best to get pecs like Arnold has.

    Another question. What is your favorite or the most important exercise of your chest routine? I’m sure you answered “Of course, the bench press!”

    There is no question that it is among the most famous and most discussed exercises. It is included in almost every workout routine. It is also a fact that this is the exercise that strengthen and build the chest muscles the best. But only if you do it properly!

    There are many questions related to it on every bodybuilding forums.

    Here I collected and answered the most common questions. Follow the tips below to get the most from this super exercise.

    Why should I do it?

    It is not a must because there are many other beneficial exercises, but it is strongly recommended. A study that I shared recently has proved that it the most helpful exercise to stimulate the pectoralis muscles and to increase the strength of the entire upper body.

    How to perform bench press correctly?

    I have seen so many people in the gym doing it incorrectly. That is not only inefficient but also dangerous since you can suffer injuries. If you are a beginner, you must learn the correct form first.

    Here is the tutorial.

     

    What are the biggest bench press mistakes?

    Have you ever seen people lifting their hips or legs while they press? Have you seen people lowering the barbell just a few inches? These are just a few mistakes people do that can lead to injury and worse muscle stimulation.

    Learn how to avoid the biggest mistakes below.

     

    Why can’t I improve my bench press?

    In almost everybody’s life comes a point when he gets stuck with bench pressing. But there are special techniques that you can use to go on with lifting heavier weights. That happened to me as well, but I overcome it with the tips of powerlifters.

    Here are three suggestions that have helped me a lot.

     

    What is better barbell or dumbbell press?

    It is obvious that with the barbell you can handle heavier weights, but dumbbells require more control that engages other stabilizing muscles. Personally, I do both and this way I enjoy the benefits of both.

    Here is a video in which you can learn the pros and cons of both.

     

    Are push-ups as useful as bench press?

    Although, I mainly do bodyweight exercises to train my body, I have to say bench press is the winner in case you want to build strength and chest muscle mass. (Check the mentioned research above.)

    However, push ups are great for beginners to get used to strength training, and there are push up variations that are especially hard so you can get great results. That is what I do!

    Recommended:

    Why do people use chains for bench press?

    To tell the truth, I have not done this sort of “trick” yet. It is mainly used by powerlifters to improve their lifting.

    Specifically it is for training lockout in the bench press. Very valuable for a powerlifter. It also teaches them to explode off the chest which can result in greater weights lifted. It is more of a specific technique builder and a plateau breaker than any type of special muscle building technique.

    You can read the entire discussion here.

    Why is the bench press so psychological?

    To tell the truth, it was the only exercise that I stressed about. But I’m not alone with this problem.

    A lot of people pay too much attention to this exercise because of their egos. They want to lift too much weight to show the world how great they are. They want to use too heavy weights that they cannot handle safely and comfortably. Obviously, that leads to the fear of dropping the bar on themselves. And that fear has a really negative effect on their training.

    “Rome wasn’t built in a day” as it is said. Start slowly and increase the weight little by little.

    Here is a great discussion about the topic.

    Are incline and decline bench press necessary?

    It is a fact that working a muscle group from different angles is certainly beneficial. Some trainers and bodybuilders say that they must be done, others say the flat bench is enough. I do each of them, but I focus on the flat the most.

    Watch the tips of CriticalBench.

     

    Conclusion

    The whole point of this post is to maximize the outcome of your bench press training. Go ahead and start using the tips you have learned above.

    And if you have other questions related to the topic, ask it in the comments below, and we are going to give you the answer.

    Did you find the answers useful? You may want to share it with your friends.

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    James Wright

    James (36) has been working out since he was 15 years old. He has a home gym where he pumps iron, does bodyweight workouts and boxing. He likes sharing his experiences with others who want to build a better physique.

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