The bench press is a tried and true exercise that has delivered results to men for generations past. The exercise works your pectoralis major and pectoralis minor or otherwise known as pecs. This muscle is the basically the big fanning muscles on your chest. It also works the front deltoids and the triceps but those a minor muscles compared to the pecs.
When you perform this exercise as part of your workout routine, your chest is going to get bigger, but how do you perform the bench press properly to result in massive pecs that make women swoon? Incorporating the bench press done with proper technique into your workout will do the trick! Follow these guidelines to make your bench press a surefire way to achieve a big chest.
o Proper placement on the bench-The most important thing about proper technique in bench press is how you place your arms and back. The shoulders should be retracted during the whole workout. How exactly do you retract the shoulders? First of all the back should be arched enough to be able to slip a hand in between the arch in your back and the bench. The chest should be up and the shoulders back. This gives the body more power and less stress on the rotator cuffs.
o Bring the bar to the lower chest- Most men bench press to their chest. Since I’m telling you this little secret, you’ll be ahead of most men. By bringing the bar to the lower chest instead of straight up and down, you place more stress on the muscle and less stress on the joints, resulting in a happier, more amazingly buff man.
o Use varying techniques- To develop all the muscles in the chest, it is important to do different types of bench press. There is the incline bench press, which is done with the bench in a 45 degree incline. This will work the upper chest. There is also a decline bench press. This is done with the bench at a decline. This works the lower chest muscles. Also, since the body gets used to certain movements, it is important to keep it guessing in order to get results. By switching from dumbbells to barbells and back again, your body will be in constant stress and grow bigger muscles.
o Go slow- When performing the actual up and down movement of the bench press, it is important to keep it slow. Slow, maintained movement will keep the muscle engaged and in charge. This will be a crucial way to increase growth in your chest muscles.
o Challenge yourself- Don’t be afraid to get a little crazy! If you have completed a session with relative ease, next week you should be upping the ante. Don’t underestimate your own strength. Have a little faith and challenge yourself. Your muscles will not change if you don’t make them. So go ahead, put another wheel on the bar!
o Eat right- If you have been doing the bench press properly and still can’t get any results, maybe the problem is your fuel. When you tear the muscles through your workout, you need to provide your body with the right food to repair itself. The best way to do that is with a good nutritiously balanced diet with a heavy load of protein. Protein is the muscles best friend.