All about the bench press. The bench press is a direct path to the world of strength and volume of the pectoral muscles

Video “Bench Press horizontal bench” from Denis Borisov

Analysis of the exercise

What muscles work?

Barbell bench press - classic modification basic exercise aimed at hypertrophy and strength development pectoral muscles (pectoralis major and minor).

At the moment of movement, a large array of muscles is also involved in the work shoulder girdle:

How to do a bench press correctly

The standard mistake is to press along a vertical trajectory from the middle of the chest. In this case, the greater load is received triceps, which prevents the power potential from being fully realized pectoral muscles. Correct option: The trajectory of the press should follow an “arc” from the lower area of the pectoral muscles to the head.
The negative movement should be smooth and controlled, and the implement should lightly touch the chest at the bottom of the amplitude, without springing. If you don’t work in this manner, you need to reduce the burden.
The lower back should maintain a slight natural curve with full contact with the hips. Failure to comply with this rule puts additional pressure on the lower back, which carries the risk of injury. Although in professional powerlifting creating a large arch in the lower back (bridge) is considered acceptable, when performing a classic “bodybuilding” press it is recommended to avoid such a technique.
The bar must be fixed in the upper position for a few seconds.
The bar of the barbell should be in line with the forearm. This, on the one hand, prevents injury to the wrist joint, on the other hand, makes it possible to develop maximum effort in the pressing movement.
The barbell must be held with a “lock” (closed) grip when thumb is opposed to four others, and the bar of the bar is located at the base of the palm - this guarantees the “locking” of the bar and the strengthened position of the projectile.
The movement of the projectile should occur in the maximum “span”: at the bottom point the barbell touches the chest, at the top point – until the barbell is completely lifted up.
The bar of the projectile must remain perpendicular to the body in all phases of movement.
The feet act as an additional support point in the exercise, adding stability to the body - therefore, when performing the exercise, the legs should “rest” on the floor with a full foot and be at the same level as the knees. In addition, when working with large scales the leg muscles act as synergists in the pressing movement, so they correct position significantly increases its efficiency.
In the bench position, the shoulder blades should be retracted and pressed against the bench, which provides better stability for the athlete. This position also “lifts” the chest - this reduces the range of motion of the barbell, increasing the effectiveness and safety of the exercise.
Correct breathing mode: at the start, when taking the projectile from the racks, take a deep breath, during the concentric contraction (at the moment of the actual press), exhale.
The head should be placed on the bench in a neutral position (the back of the head on the bench) - turning the head is potentially traumatic for cervical spine spine.
Upon completion of the negative movement, without relaxing the muscles, it is recommended to “send” the barbell upward with a powerful effort - this is the best option from the point of view of “rationality” muscle contraction.
When performing a “chest” press (with an emphasis on the pecs), the elbows should be spread to the sides, while the biceps and chest are in the same plane, and a right angle is maintained between the shoulder and forearm. In the case when it is necessary to develop maximum strength in the bench press, it is advisable to use the “thoracic-triceps” press technique, in which the optimal position of the elbows is considered to be 45° to the body when lowering the bar to the chest.
To make the pressing movement more isolated and with emphasis on the chest, do not extend your arms all the way through the elbows at the top position. When you “turn off” the elbow, the load flows from the pecs to the triceps.

Inclusion in the program

It is standard to include barbell bench presses on a horizontal bench in training program aims to increase chest mass and strength. Based on this, the optimal number of repetitions per set for this exercise falls in the basic range from 6 to 12. This volume of work is considered universal for most athletes.

Solving specific problems, such as a targeted increase in strength in the bench press, can be done within the framework of the classic “lifting” approach to training, that is, performing up to 5 repetitions per set. In this case, the bench press should be performed as the first exercise.

For beginning athletes, to develop technically correct motor skills and strengthen the neuromuscular connection, it is recommended to work in a high-repetition range - up to 20 times per approach.

The exercise is performed on the day of training the pectoral muscles in the recommended number of sets from 3 to 5 (depending on the goals of the training).

The selection of weight for an exercise is made on an individual basis: it is necessary to work with such weights that allow you to accurately perform the planned number of repetitions in the “close to failure” mode.

Preparation for execution

Basic bench press sets should be preceded by a series of 2-3 warm-up sets with minimal weights. For beginner athletes, they can be replaced by performing a set of push-ups for 10-15 repetitions.

How to increase your bench press

1. “Technical” techniques

2. “Training” techniques

How much does a bench press bar weigh?

Amateur athletes work with the equipment that is available in the gym, so theoretically the bench press can be performed with a straight bar of any weight (the so-called training). For beginners, training bars are often more convenient because they offer a greater spread in weight and also vary in length. However, the standard in strength sports in this exercise (as in other basic ones) the Olympic bar weighs 20 kg.

Contraindications

The bench press is very important exercise, which allows you to develop the chest muscles, as well as triceps, muscles of the back of the arms and front deltoid muscle shoulder and is very useful for both women and men. But all this is only possible if you know how to do the bench press correctly A and do this exercise. This question includes consideration of grip width, arm placement, back and body, as well as other points. Read on to know all the details.

The bench press can be performed either with dumbbells or a barbell, or in a special machine known as a Smith machine, which limits the movement of the barbell in the horizontal plane, so the exercise loses a little in effectiveness, although it becomes safer. Other variations include the incline bench press on both sides to emphasize the upper and lower chest respectively.

Technique and body position

Lie down on a bench under a rack that holds the barbell. Your eyes should be approximately level with the A-pillar.
The buttocks, shoulders and head should be tightly pressed and in the same plane with a slight (neutral) curve of the spine. Your legs should be flat on the floor with all your feet, and spaced relatively wide apart.
Do a few warm-up presses to get your muscles working.
When you're ready, add your main weight to the barbell. Just do it gradually to understand what weight is optimal for you.
Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width, as shown in the photo.

The type of grip determines which muscle groups will be used first. With a narrow grip, the load shifts to the triceps and the middle of the pectoral muscles. With a wide chest. With average it is distributed evenly.

Remove the bar from the rack and lock your elbows before lowering the bar to your chest at nipple level. The bar should be lowered strictly in a vertical plane, and not in an arc, as most beginners do. This may cause injury!
Take a deep breath and slowly lower the bar to chest level, but do not lower the bar onto it! Control the movement.
Press the barbell up and exhale when finished. Repeat.

To get used to doing the bench press and for greater safety and correct execution, be sure to use a partner for insurance and “guiding” the exercises.

What are the possible implementation options?

Arching your back, focus the load on the lower pectoral muscles. This way you can press more weight.
If you lift your legs off the floor and keep them suspended or on a bench, you can completely remove tension from the lower back and concentrate on working your chest.

Also, to learn how to do the bench press correctly, be sure to watch the video above. Good luck!

In all strength sports, training includes the bench press. But not only in powerlifting and bodybuilding it is the main exercise. In fitness, it is also constantly used to pump up a large group of muscles, even by fragile women.

Definition of exercise

In sports terminology, the bench press means a horizontal exercise with a barbell, during which it is raised from the chest to the level of straight arms.

The exercise trains the main muscle groups of the chest and shoulder girdle. Depending on the variety, emphasis can be placed on all muscles or on individual groups.

The variety of execution options allows you to use this exercise both to build muscle mass and to give them a beautiful relief shape.

Along with its effectiveness, the activity is not without risk of injury. Therefore, it should be performed either on special equipment or with the help of a spotter who, at the moment of fatigue, will help remove the barbell from the chest. IN otherwise Even an experienced athlete can be crushed by the significant weight of the projectile.

Performance technique

Starting position - lying on your back on a gymnastic bench. The legs are spread and resting on the ground. The athlete removes the barbell from the safety rack or accepts it from an assistant at outstretched arms.

Grip width plays a big role. The farther the arms are spread, the smaller the amplitude of the barbell movement. In this case, mainly the pectoral muscles work. To load your arms and shoulder girdle, you should use a close-grip bench press.

Lying down, the athlete slowly lowers the barbell to his chest. It is important that it does not dangle in different directions. Ultimately, the bar falls on the athlete and immediately rises up to outstretched arms. In this case, the shoulder blades should be brought together to maximize the use of the deltoid muscle.

Basic mistakes

Since the bench press is one of the dangerous exercises, you should avoid a number of possible errors which may cause injury.

Warm up, warm up and warm up again. The load on muscles and joints during the bench press is high. Without proper preparation, you are more likely to injure yourself.

Do the exercise with a partner, especially if you are a beginner athlete. Even insurance restrictions may not help if you have not calculated your own strengths.

The correct range of motion of the barbell is the basis of the exercise. Start with a light weight to master the press and learn to feel the working muscles. Only after this start strength training.

Proper grip is extremely important. The barbell must be held in a closed ring. Otherwise, it may slip out and fall on your chest, stomach or head. At the very least, it will be unpleasant to be hit by even a 20-pound weight.

Do not twist the joints of the hand. This significantly increases the load on them, which means the risk of dropping the bar will increase. Also watch the position of your forearms. They should be parallel, and at the lowest point occupy a strictly horizontal position.

Varieties

This sports exercise has many options. The classic is the bench press with a wide grip on the barbell. Everything else is a variation for better working out a specific muscle group of the thoracic region.

Instead of a barbell, you can use other devices. The dumbbell bench press is very effective. Provided it correct execution The muscles of the shoulders and arms are well worked out.

For exercise you can use incline bench. The higher the head, the more load on the arms, and vice versa, in a position where the body is higher than the shoulder girdle, the load goes on the pectoral muscles.

Depending on the presence of an assistant, there are bench presses in a power rack, bench presses with racks, and bench presses with a spotter.

According to the technique of execution, there is a press in “touch”, classic sports version, push-ups, bridge press.

The exercise is also distinguished by its focus on individual muscle groups when in different forms grip:

direct, reverse;
wide, medium and narrow.

Close grip press

Over time, athletes begin to use the close-grip bench press. IN general outline the technique of its execution is practically no different from other types. The main feature is that the grip of the barbell is carried out almost in the center of the bar.

This method greatly relieves the muscles of the shoulders and forearms. The upper and deep pectoral muscles work well and lower section deltoid.

This exercise is not practiced in competitions for several reasons. The main one is the large amplitude of the rod stroke. Yes, and the load is local, but during the competition you need to show general physical fitness.

Using this method in training, it is easy to increase muscle mass and volume. Anyone who knows this exercise does not wonder how to increase the bench press. This exercise Great for training strength and endurance. After it, the classic bench press with the same weight will no longer be so effective, which entails its increase.

Incline press

A special variety of the exercise in question is the incline press. To perform it, an athletic bench with an adjustable surface inclination is used. The level of load on certain muscle groups depends on its angle.

By performing the bench press with your head higher than your body, you significantly shift the center of gravity towards the upper chest and shoulder girdle. The pectoral muscles are practically not involved in the exercise. This a good option when you need to focus specifically on the shoulders and forearms.

To maximally work the pectoral muscles, you should lower your head and chest below your lower back and perform a bench press. In this case, the grip is selected as wide as possible. You should also be careful about the condition of your brushes. In this position, there is a high probability that the bar may go back, which means there is a risk of turning your fists in the opposite direction.

Press on inclined surface Don't start with too much weight. To begin with, it makes sense to try with the most comfortable load, gradually increasing it.

Pressing and pressing from a dead point

IN gyms athletes also often perform push-ups and bench presses. These are variations of the exercise in which the barbell is lowered not to the chest itself, but to a certain point above it.

You can't bench press every time. Upper training should consist of alternating strength and endurance exercises. The push-up is performed in such a way that the athlete lowers the barbell on his hands to a certain height, approximately half its stroke, and then lifts it up again.

Presses from a dead point are an easier version of pushups. To perform them, the athlete uses racks on which the supports are installed at the required height. The barbell rises up on your hands, and then falls back into place. This is the safest option for performing bench presses. It is with its help that novice athletes will understand how to increase their bench press without running the risk of injury.

Competition form

In powerlifting there is almost always a bench press competition. The technique for performing this exercise is slightly different here. Firstly, touch exercises are prohibited. The athlete can lift the weight only after the judge has given the command to do so.

Secondly, liberties are allowed in terms of the type of grip. It is logical that most athletes choose its wide version: it works more muscles, and the height of the barbell is lower.

Thirdly, the “bridge” pose is allowed. The athlete arches his body in such a way as to raise his chest as high as possible, reducing the distance from the chest to the barbell with outstretched arms.

In addition, at competitions there are options when the bench press is performed without equipment. The standards for such exercises are slightly lower than for equipped exercises. They range from 1-2 body weights of the athlete depending on his qualifications and sports association.

Bridge training

For professional athletes In this sport, bridge training is of great importance. You should devote no less time to it than to doing the bench press itself.

The difficulty is that pumping muscles steals their elasticity. Therefore, athletes should do stretching after each session, especially the muscle corset.

The height of the deflection depends on this, and therefore the time after which fatigue sets in. For bridge training use different exercises from yoga. The “Cobra” pose is especially important, in which the athlete tries to achieve maximum deflection of the lower back, resting his outstretched arms on his legs lying on the floor with his knees down.

In competitions, the bridge is used not only to reduce distance. The athlete has 3 points of support: shoulder blades, tailbone and legs, standing almost under the back. This makes it possible to absorb enormous weight with the whole body.

Bench Press Records

It's hard to say who the absolute record holder is among those who have ever performed the bench press. The Guinness Book record in this sport was recorded in special equipment - a bench press shirt. It belongs to the American athlete R. Kennelly and weighs 486 kg with a dead weight of 140 kg. Without equipment, this powerlifter benches only 323 kg.

Among women, the American T. Rainwater-Grimwood is also considered the record holder. In 1994, she was able to bench press 180 kg, which is almost 100 kg more than her weight.

The first world record holder is considered to be weightlifter P. Anderson. In the mid-50s of the last century, he set the bar at 280 kg without a shirt. And although it was believed that the Soviet athlete Yu. Vlasov was stronger than him, no one managed to break this record for a long time. At the same time, Anderson himself never relied on the bench press. He specialized in others strength exercises, especially squats. It wasn't a problem for Anderson to squat 510kg two or three times. His hips were more than 1 m in girth.

Emergency exit from exercise

Finally, it is worth mentioning that it is not always possible to practice with a safety net. In this case, it is better to do the dumbbell bench press. They do not create a danger of pinning the athlete to the bench with their load. If you still decide to work with a barbell, you should never rely on your own strength. Leave yourself an escape route.

There is no need to secure the weights to the barbell with clamps. When the strength leaves the athlete, you can carefully tilt the bar to one side so that the load comes off it. At this time, you should be careful and hold the barbell very tightly, otherwise the overweight side will fly in the opposite direction.

Triceps, forearms, rotator cuffs;

Negative Incline Bench Press(upside down) – pectorals, deltoids, triceps, forearms.

The technique for performing the first two variations of the press is almost identical. The negative bench incline and corresponding press is a specific assistance exercise for powerlifting and is not a suitable movement for building muscular pecs. One of the reasons is the increased risk of chest and pectoral ligament injuries.

How to do the bench press correctly

As an example, consider classic bench press lying on horizontal bench. Lie on the bench with your back. The correct starting position implies: shoulder blades not retracted, full contact of the upper back with the bench, neutral position of the spine, and support in the form of the gluteal muscles.

Don't stand on your toes. The entire surface of the foot should lie on the floor and serve as a solid support. Angle in knee joint must be made straight. If your anthropometric data does not allow this, substitute pancakes from the barbell.

Grasp the barbell on the racks with a grip such that at the bottom point of the amplitude the angle at the elbows becomes almost straight, as shown in the illustration.

Please note that the forearms are directed strictly perpendicular to the bench.

Negative phase

In most exercises, the movement begins with a concentric phase - with lifting the weight. In the bench press, thanks to a power frame or rack, the lift is carried out immediately to the top point, as a result of which the eccentric phase, better known as the “negative” phase, comes first.

Slowly and under control, lower the barbell to the middle or lower edge of your pecs.

Key nuances:

Don't throw the barbell down;
Don't relax at the bottom;
Don't look at the bar;
Don't do the chop press;
Don't squeeze your shoulder blades.

Positive phase

After lightly touching the barbell to your chest, mentally contract your pectoral muscles. This will throw the barbell up a couple of centimeters. Press the bar without pauses. Train the sum of movements: chest activation – barbell toss – push-up.

At the top point, after a second of fixation, begin a new negative phase and a new repetition.

Important technical details

Pay attention to the illustration. Correct bench press the bar is only possible when the projectile moves in one plane. To do this, you need to fix the position of your elbows. The required angle is 90°. In the picture it is depicted with red lines. It's about about the angle between yours latissimus muscle and shoulder (arm). A classic methodological error is taking into account the right angle between the torso and arms. This approach does not take into account the anatomical features of a person and his individual attachments of muscles, joints and ligaments.

The correct press is a right angle press in the elbows, between the shoulder and the lat, in the wrists, etc.

Common Mistakes

Concentration on chest

Common mistake - hand press. The triceps and shoulders play an important role, but they should not dominate the context of the fitness press. Do not forget about the main function of the pectoral muscles - bringing your arms together in the frontal plane.

During the positive phase of the movement, mentally bring your fists together. The barbell won't let you do this, but this mental attitude increases the neuromuscular innervation of the chest and promotes correct biomechanics of the exercise.

Focus on bringing your hands together. A bench press in fitness is not just an upward movement of a projectile. It is necessary to set the correct motor stereotype for subsequent stimulation of muscles to grow.

Forget about moving the bar up. Think about bringing your shoulders toward your torso. You will be surprised at how much better babies respond to such a load.

Shoulder movement

Another mistake is bringing the shoulder blades together at the lowest point. This technique migrated from powerlifting and weightlifting, where the bench press was a specific exercise with a certain bias. Reduction of the shoulder blades engages the back muscles and reduces the innervation of the pectoral muscles.

If you look at videos of professional bodybuilding workouts, you will notice a movement similar to the retraction of your shoulder blades. In practice, this is a deltoid movement.

At the lowest point, the shoulders are deliberately retracted below the torso to stretch the pectoral muscles along chest. The higher the stretch, the higher the force potential, since the reduction in fiber length will be more significant. Therefore, professionals, when touching the bar, move their shoulders down, and as they press, they return them to their starting position.

Leave the shoulder blades for powerlifting and other strength sports. Neuromuscular innervation is important in fitness.

How to learn the correct barbell press technique?

Beginners are recommended to start by gradually mastering all the above nuances. Doing this with a barbell is problematic. Try a Smith machine with a fixed bar trajectory. Here you will be able to observe the abduction of the shoulders, the abduction of the arms and the smooth control of the movement.

Then you should move on to the Hummer format lever trainers. Despite the fixed trajectory, here you can prepare to perform barbell or dumbbell bench presses.

Barbells or dumbbells

Barbell promotes maximum strength potential. The working weight will be large because muscular system does not spend resources on holding the projectile. With dumbbells, the weight is lower, because the stabilizer muscles are involved in the work, and the central nervous system, in addition to the bench press, needs to pay attention to holding the equipment.

However, when working with a barbell, athletes find it difficult to concentrate on bringing their arms together, but with dumbbells the problem is easily solved. The pressing movement is complemented by a final contraction of the arms, which creates a strong stimulus for muscle growth.

This is why some beginners find that they “feel” their chest better on the dumbbell bench press. In practice, this is a signal about the incorrect technique of performing a bench press with a barbell. You should innervate the pectoral muscles equally well in any variation of the press.

There are no key differences. If the barbell does not provide the necessary stimulus for growth, use dumbbells, but at the same time learn the correct technique.

Style Summary

Bench Press – great exercise for the pectoral muscles, but for most it will not be that unique movement that will give a pronounced muscular chest. The technique is complex and requires thorough study. Without it, the chest press will turn into a shoulder and arm press. And remember that before training you need to do it, and after it.

Take your time. Learn the correct technique and practice. If, even after training, the bench press does not suit you, do not be discouraged. In the fitness arsenal there are many equivalent exercises for replacement, for example, lifting dumbbells on a horizontal bench - favorite exercise Arnold.

Christian can bench with an open grip, he's a pro. No to you.

1. To improve your raw (shirtless) bench press results, you need large, strong deltoids.

I have long noticed: when the bench press increases, so does the bench press. At the same time, not only does the weight increase, but the barbell is also easier to control and the movement is cleaner. I bench pressed the most after a shoulder-specific program, not after a bench-specific program.

It seems clear that when the shoulders are bigger and stronger, the result improves. But for some reason it didn’t dawn on me for a long time that when the shoulders are smaller and weaker, then the opposite is true. One day I decided to focus on the bench press, and removed the bench press (Zozhnik’s note: this means bench press while standing or sitting) from the program in general. My pecs and, of course, my triceps have grown and become stronger. But it is surprising that at first progress on the bench slowed down, and then even regression began. It was only when I returned to the bench press that I realized how weak the deltoids had become.

What to do?

We often try to lift the bench press by doing it as a main bench press and abandoning the regular bench press. This is mistake. Put the bench press first, for example, start each bench press workout with an overhead exercise (push press, strict press, dumbbell press) in a 5x5 pattern. At first, the weight in the subsequent bench press will decrease because the working muscles will get tired, but gradually you will get involved and become stronger.

2. Reducing body weight affects the bench press the most.

It would seem that when you lose a few kilograms, it should have a greater impact on the results in the deadlift and squat. But even cutting off the water lowers my bench press weight. A few years ago I had a case where I bench-pressed 190 kg on Monday, sat in the sauna with my wife on Friday (and lost 2.5 kg of water), and the next day I was stuck at 165!

I continued my observations: with my own weight of 88.5 kg, I bench pressed 147.5 kg, I began to weigh 93 kg - I bench pressed 165, 97.5 kg - 175, 102 kg - 184. And only by gaining 104-106 kg, I bench pressed more than 192 kg. Even at approximately the same muscle mass. I have noticed on myself and on clients that after a day of fasting in the diet (i.e. loading with high-calorie treats), everyone bench presses more. Probably due to water retention and increased glycogen stores. When cutting, the bench press suffers the most, then the bench press, then the squat, and then the deadlift.

What to do?

When training (and eating) to lose weight, be sure to include power load to maintain your performance. I prefer to do a little more reps, the working weight for 5-7 reps does not drop as much as for 1-3. And for those who don't worry about calories and only think about the pounds on the bar, I advise you to always make sure you are adequately hydrated.

3. When your shoulders start to hurt, bench presses with tourniquets that reduce the load help.

Athletes bench pressing heavy weight, shoulders often ache. There are a lot of reasons, for example, violations of technique and imbalances in muscle development, which should be worked on. And usually people give up bench pressing until the pain goes away. Personally, this never helped me - when I returned to the bench, my shoulders immediately began to crack again. But, of course, you can’t do the exercise through pain; If you continue, gritting your teeth and showing character, you will only be able to worsen the situation.

What helps me out is the bench press with bands on the bar attached to the top bar of the power rack. The stretched rubber makes the most bottom part movements in which the shoulders are most tense. This way you can continue to practice the movement while simultaneously working on solving the problem. And when you return to the regular bench press, you will be ready both physically and mentally.

What to do?

As soon as discomfort in your shoulders begins, immediately switch to the bench press with assisted tourniquets. This will prevent further overload of the joints and will help maintain working muscles. Of course, if even in this version of the exercise your shoulders continue to hurt, then you should stop moving completely and go to the doctor.

4. It is useful to stretch the rubber between sets.

I noticed that my bench press weight was increasing when Tim Patterson (founder of Biotest) and I began experimenting with tourniquets. We looked for weak or painful points in the back movements: we did slow stretches of the bands with stops in different positions.

Then I simply added band stretches to my bench press workout, performing them between the main sets. I also tried them on a client who had shoulder problems: he increased his bench press from 100 kg to 125 for 5 reps without any pain!

What to do?

Between bench press sets, simply take the band, stretch it in front of your chest, and hold for 30-60 seconds. Then rest a little and return to the bench - the movement may become easier.

5. Open Grip Helps Eliminate Shoulder and Triceps Pain

Holding the bar in the palms without a strong and reliable grip thumbs, of course, causes a lot of fair criticism. Some experts note that such a “monkey” grip (or even a “suicide grip”) can lead to a heavy barbell falling onto the chest, which negatively affects the integrity of bones and soft tissues. Others add that since you are not squeezing the bar as hard as you can, the record suffers because the irradiation effect disappears (strong contraction of one muscle helps to contract the neighboring ones). But my experience has shown that an open grip provides more benefits.

Zozhnik categorically does NOT recommend doing the bench press with an open grip for people with less than 3 years of training experience. If you still decide, then significantly reduce the weight on the bar and you should definitely be insured by reliable assistants. Also for prevention - see how you can die due to an open grip here.

A few years ago, while trying out the fat bar bench press, I noticed that this variation of the exercise shoulder joints obviously easier. It took me a while to realize that with a thick bar, you get a semblance of an open grip. When you wrap your thumbs around the bar, your arms turn inward ever so slightly, which throws you a little off the “natural” path of movement by pointing your elbows out to the sides. If you press your elbows against the body forcibly, then an additional twisting load will fall on elbow joints. Either way, something will go wrong.

And with an open grip, you maintain a natural hand position, which makes life easier on the elbow and shoulder joints. As for the risks of dropping the barbell, I have been benching several times a week with an open grip for years. I don’t have very large palms, but so far I can control both a regular bar, a thick one (5 cm), and an even thicker one (7.5 cm). I'm not saying nothing can happen. But loss of control accidents usually happen when you grab onto too much weight.

What to do?

If you frequently injure your shoulders and/or elbows, try an open grip. Start with light weight to get comfortable, and honestly work for three weeks in this option to understand whether it suits you or not. From my observations, most do not return to a closed grip.

6. Cope with all the reps

Brandon Lilly (372 kg bench press) says you should do all your reps in training. I only got up to 197.5 kg and did doubles at 192.5 a few times, but never took a weight that crushed me. Of course, I like to challenge myself and always try to increase the load, but if I’m not sure that I can handle the weight, then I don’t put it on. At worst, this approach only slows me down a little and my technique isn't absolutely perfect.

This develops self-confidence and teaches you to successfully perform the movement, reduces the risk of injury and the use of cheating and technique violations (which very quickly become a bad habit). I can also bench press more often (up to 5 times a week) without setbacks due to injury.

What to do?

Train hard, train to develop yourself and improve your performance. But don't make a foolish attempt to accidentally raise more. You should be at least 80% confident that you will overcome the weight with good technique. The fewer repetitions you fail in training, the more strength, mass and health you will gain in the long run.