It’s one of the most familiar workouts out there and a fantastic way to test your overall upper body strength. The bench press is a go-to for building your chest, triceps and confidence.
Unfortunately, if done incorrectly, you can find yourself seriously injured. When it comes to the fundamentals and reaching your fitness goals safely, Ruffier Fitness is here to show you the way. Keep reading to master proper bench press form no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
Setting Up for Proper Bench Press Form
Setting up properly for your bench press is critical to ensure safety and perform your best.
- Start by positioning yourself on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar.
- Plant your feet firmly on the ground for stability, keeping them slightly behind your knees.
- Arch your lower back slightly and engage your core to maintain a tight, strong posture.
- Grip the bar evenly, ensuring your hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Retract your shoulder blades by pinching them together to create a stable base and protect your shoulders.
- Finally, inhale deeply, unrack the bar, and keep your wrists straight before executing the lift.
Choosing the Right Weight For Your Bench Press
While doing more because you can do more is one of our philosophies, you should never push yourself too far. Start with the bar, even if you know you can lift more, warming up with the bar is a great practice.
The weight should feel challenging, but not impossible. Gradually add weight about 5 or 10 pounds at a time for your next workout.
Common Mistakes With Proper Bench Press Form
Elbows Too High – We often stretch our elbows out to the sides without realizing that this move stresses our shoulders and elbows unnecessarily.
Lifting Your Glutes off the Bench – This technique can strain our lower back, reducing the effectiveness of the lift.
Flaring Your Elbows – Curling a weight that’s way too heavy tends to make our elbows point out, which could harm our shoulders, neck, and back.
Ignoring Your Legs – Powerlifters engage their legs from the floor to reduce compensatory movement.
Not Engaging Your Wrists – Forgetting to engage our forearms can make our wrists snap backward when we lift off.
Some additional recommendations;
- Ask for a spotter
- Pause before descending
- Keep our heads on the bench
- Position our grip properly
- Keep our feet flat on the ground
Hire a Personal Trainer & Master The Perfect Bench Press
We’re here to help you find success in the safest possible way. While we want you to push yourself harder each time, we’ll always be watching out for proper form during all your workouts.
Whether you’re an Akron local looking into a semi private gym or looking into online personal training packages, we’re confident that we can get you into your strongest, healthiest, fittest body ever. Don’t start a lifting routine without a consultation from us!
