For the decline barbell bench press , proper form is important. Start with light weights and transition to heavier weights when you feel comfortable. For every barbell bench press variation, we've included a dumbbell press.
The benefits of utilizing dumbbell chest presses in your strength routine include:. During barbell exercises, it is possible for your dominant side to train harder than your less-dominant side. Free weights , on the other hand, do not share the load between both arms.
As a result, muscles will grow more symmetrically. When it comes to working your chest, you have options: flat bench press , incline bench press , decline bench press, and variations for each..
When performed correctly, these chest exercises activate all of your pectoral muscles to varying degrees. The flat bench press is generally the best of the bunch, especially for beginner bodybuilders.
However, we believe the best way to grow chest muscle mass and strength is to base your entire chest workout around all three main barbell chest presses. From there, you can diversify your workout with a collection of accessory lifts that also activate the entire chest. Want a guaranteed way to increase your bench press?
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Sign up for our Newsletter. Also, because of the angle of the bench, this exercise puts less stress on your rotator cuff , which is a common area for injury when using the flat bench.
However, there are some cons to performing an incline chest press. Because the incline chest press puts more stress on your upper pec, it develops this muscle group more, while the flat bench tends to build mass over the entire pec. You never want to overtrain your muscles, which can happen if you train the same muscle group two days in a row.
Overusing any muscle can lead to injuries. As mentioned, the pectoralis major is comprised of the upper and lower pec. When flat benching, both heads are stressed evenly, which makes this exercise best for overall pec development. The flat bench press is a much more natural fluid movement, compared to your everyday activities. However, just like the incline chest press, there are some cons. Also, the angle of the flat bench press puts the pec tendons in a vulnerable position.
Most shoulder injuries and overuse injuries can be stemmed from flat benching. Many torn pecs in bodybuilding have been the result of heavy flat bench presses. As a personal trainer, I see shoulder injuries among men as the most common injuries. Common mistakes are:. As with any kind of press, you really need to warm up your chest and shoulders properly by using resistance bands and by stretching. With flat benching, you need to make sure you have full shoulder mobility and scapular stability to reduce the potential for injury.
If you find discomfort at all during the flat bench exercise, you should really consider the incline bench exercise or use dumbbells instead. The flat bench press does a better job of developing your pecs. They get shoulder pain from flat benching but seem to tolerate incline benching well. If this is you, switching some of your flat bench press volume for incline presses might keep your shoulder joints a little happier. Experiment with different inclinations, grip widths, and bar paths to find what feels best for your body.
Use your eyes and make the best guess you can. The incline bench press trains the same muscle groups you use in the flat bench press: your chest , shoulders , and triceps. If these muscles get bigger and stronger, you will likely get stronger in any exercise that uses them. However, in the flat bench press, you are likely using a greater portion of your chest muscles, especially towards the lower chest. If your goal is to get stronger in the flat bench press, you should adhere to the principle of specificity and do at least some training in the flat bench press.
When that is covered, it is probably a great idea to do some extra work for your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and the incline bench press can be a great tool for that.
It depends on your individual body structure. If your arms, especially forearms, are long relative to your body, touching your chest in the incline bench press might become difficult or even impossible.
The goal is to work your muscles through a long range of motion, and if you lower the bar until your chest and shoulder muscles are fully stretched, that is long enough. For a lot of people, this will be when the barbell touches the chest, but not for everyone.
If you find the incline bench press uncomfortable, a great alternative is the incline dumbbell press. It works the same muscle groups, but some people find it more comfortable and that they can train through a longer range of motion than with a barbell.
This is probably due to a more efficient pressing angle in the flat bench press, in which you can better use your strong chest muscles.
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