Bench Press Variations: Muscle Building Chest Techniques & Tips
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BENCH PRESS VARIANTS
Without question the bench press is the most popular of weight exercises. No matter what your weight-training goals are - bodybuilding or
powerlifting - hard work on the bench can add size and strength to the pectorals, shoulders and triceps like no exercise or combination of
exercises known. Many lifters do not stop there but add other exercises like inclines, declines and dips to get maximal development and
strength. What is frequently overlooked is the existence of several variants of the good ol' bench press that are more convenient and cost
effective and at least as productive. By properly integrating these variants into your routine, you can get better results without the need
for any more equipment than a normal flat bench used for the regular bench press. Merely changing your grip width on the bar, elbow
position, bar path or range of movement can lead to positive results.
The first way to vary your bench is to alter your grip width on the bar. By varying your grip width, you can emphasize different upper-body
muscle groups for specific goals. The most commonly used bench grip is slightly wider than shoulder width. This grip tends to emphasize the
pecs, delts and triceps equally. By widening your grip, you shift more emphasis to the pecs and away from the triceps. I suggest widening
your grip only one inch on each side every two to three weeks, letting your flexibility, muscles and tendons become accustomed to this wider
grip. Going too wide too quickly could result in injury, so increase gradually. You may notice some new soreness in the pecs the first few
workouts. This sensation is due to the new stress placed upon them. Perhaps you'll have to use a little less weight at first if you don't
possess enough pectoral strength to handle the same weights with a wider grip. Give it time and you may soon surpass your old narrow-grip
poundages. By adding more involvement from the larger and potentially stronger pectorals, you now are using more available muscle power to
bench than relying on the smaller triceps to carry the load. Most top powerlifters use wider grips to make use of their pec power.
On the other side of the coin, narrowing your grip will emphasize your triceps and lessen contribution from the pecs. I've noticed, however,
that many lifters use too narrow a grip to work their triceps. Some go narrow enough to touch their hands together in the middle of the bat.
This is a lose-lose situation, as an economist would say. First, going narrower than shoulder-width grip does not work the triceps any more
than shoulder width. Second, a grip this narrow is extremely uncomfortable on the wrists and shoulders. Third, the lifter has little control
of the bar and can lose it at any time, again risking injury. A shoulder-width grip is a win-win situation that allows the lifter maximum
triceps stimulus plus greater comfort and safety. Also, more weight can be used for greater results. If I've just described your close-grip
bench-press style, try mine and grow!
Bar path can be varied to provide a twist to the bench. Bar path indicates the point where the bar hits the chest. During a regular bench the
bar would hit the chest near the nipple area. This is the position of best leverage and power. By varying the point of contact, you can stress
different parts of the pectorals. To work the upper pec, many lifters turn to the incline bench press. Though this can be an effective choice,
similar results can be had by lowering the bar farther up on the chest, near the shoulders, during a regular bench press. As with grip changes,
don't go too high or too heavy too quickly. Work into the weight gradually. Again there may be some initial soreness due to the new stimulus
on the pecs. Don't go too high on the chest. Some lifters lower the bar to the neck, a position which could be precarious if they fail to press
it up to lockout. You should always use a spotter while benching anyway. Logic would assume that lowering the bar farther down on the chest,
more towards the waist, would impact the lower pecs - as declines do. Logic is correct.
Elbow position provides a third method of varying the bench. Keeping your elbows out at right angles from the body (consult grade- school
geometry) will shift more load to the pecs, similar to dumbell flyes, but a lot more weight can be used. Keeping your elbows in shifts the
load away from the pecs and more to the delts and triceps.
The final variation of the bench that I want to mention is limiting the range of movement to less than a full up-and-down press. Pressing from
the chest to one-half to two-thirds of the way up maintains tension on the pecs and builds power off the chest. Pressing from one-half to
two-thirds of the way down to lockout switches the focus to the triceps. The third variant is pressing in the middle of the movement that spreads
the load equally to all the muscle groups involved while providing continuous tension.
I'm sure many of you can now see that by combining a few of these variants, you can design a bench workout that will fat whatever needs you
have. For example, a powerlifter or bodybuilder who needed more pec work could include wide-grip benches with elbows out. For a pump set he
could do partials from the bottom, using the same grip and elbow position. For variety some sets could be performed high or low on the chest
as he feels fit. A lifter needing triceps power would add close-grip benches with a finisher of part- way-down close grips, both with elbows
in of course.
The standard bench press is still your best bet for overall upper-body size and strength, but by merely varying your grip width, bar path,
elbow position or range of movement, you can tailor the simple bench press to fit your individual needs whether you are a bodybuilder,
powerlifter or average weight trainer. These bench variants can easily be integrated into your routine and require no additional equipment or
space. Give some of them a try, and I'm sure you'll achieve positive results.
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