Five Steps to Perfect Bench Press Form
When you’re working out with free weights, learning proper form and technique is critical if you are to avoid injury and gain the maximum benefit from each exercise. One of the most widely used free weight exercises is the bench press, but without proper form you risk injuring your shoulder, back, wrists, elbows, and ribs. To gain the maximum benefit from bench presses, make sure you’re taking each of the six steps outlined below to maintain perfect form.
Step 1: Check Your Handspacing
Optimal handspacing on the weight bar will allow you to maximize the amount of pushing power directed upwards, rather than outwards toward the weight plates or inwards away from the weight plates. To ensure you have your hands spaced corrected, you’ll need to begin with a spotter and a weight bar with all weight plates removed. Assuming the bench press position on your weight bench, and unrack the unweighted bar as you normally would for the exercise. Lower the bar to your chest, and have your spotter examine the orientation of your forearms. The line from your wrists to your elbows should be as close as possible to perpendicular with the floor. Move your hands until you have achieved this position, then note the placement of your hands on the bar. This is the position where you should grip the bar when you begin the bench press.
Step 2: Lock Down Your Feet and Shoulders
Once you have determined your proper handspacing, put some weight on the bar. To properly position your feet, recline on the bench and place your feet on the floor, with your heels tucked slighly behind your knees so your knees form about an 80 degree angle.
To maximize your shoulder stability during the exercise, reach up and grip the bar with your palms at the back of the bar, then lift your torso slightly while squeezing your shoulder blades together and rolling your palms so they are directly below the bar. This movement forces your shoulders back and puffs your chest out, creating an optimum position for exercising the pectoralis major. Continue to squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together throughout the remainder of the exercise.
Step 3: Lower the Bar
With the handspacing and grip position determined by steps one and two, and continuing to squeeze your shoulder blades together, remove the barbell from the rack and lower it slowly, under complete muscular control, to a point directly below your sternum, or breastbone. Inhale as you lower the weight, then gently touch the bar to your chest. Never bounce the bar off your chest, as this can injure your ribs or sternum.
Step 4: Drive with Your Legs
Making sure your feet are firmly planted as described in Step 2, drive your legs by pushing off your feet as if you are trying to slide up the bench. Practice this first with an empty bar; if you’re doing this motion correctly, you should start to slide up the bench. When you’re pressing a weighted barbell, however, the weight should anchor you to the bench, so the added leg power should simply help drive the barbell up when you begin to push with your arms.
Driving with your legs during the chest press is one of the best ways to maximize your power at the beginning of the upward press motion.
Step 5: Raise the Bar
As you drive your legs, push upward with your arms and exhale in a slow, controlled, forceful way through pursed lips. The bar should move in a slight arc from over your ribcage to above your face as you lift the weight, and you should try to exhale smoothly from the start of the upward motion until your arms are fully extended forcefully through pursed lips. Move the bar upward steadily and try not to slow down until you reach your lockout point.
Keep practicing your bench press form until you’ve mastered handspacing, foot position, shoulder position, driving with your legs, and raising the bar smoothly, and you’ll be on your way to the perfect bench press.