The bench press, a popular exercise, is effective for weight loss if done safely with proper technique. The bench press works more than your chest and is actually a whole body exercise. Bench press, squat, chest press and overhead press all work several muscle groups. While doing these exercises, you burn calories as well as build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat throughout the day, so by building muscle, you increase the overall amount of calories you burn. The more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose.
Chest Press
When doing a chest press, you work your pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps, posterior deltoid and the muscles in your rotator cuff. To do a chest press, start by laying on a bench on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Hold dumbbells above your chest with your arms extended. Keep your wrists straight. Lower the weight by bending your elbows until your upper arm is parallel with the ground. In this position, keep your elbows below your shoulders; they shouldn't be parallel with your shoulders. Push the dumbbells upwards until your arms are extended but not locked.
Overhead Press
When doing an overhead press, you work your deltoid, triceps, latissimus dorsi and the muscles in your rotator cuff. To do an overhead press, start by standing with your knees slightly bent. Hold a barbell at collarbone height. Keep your hands double shoulder-width apart. Press upwards until your arms are extended but not locked. Lower the weight downwards in a controlled motion until you're in the starting position. Keep your head in line with your body and your eyes focused straight ahead throughout the exercise.
Bench Press
To do a bench press, start by laying on the bench. Position yourself so your eyes are directly under the dumbbell. Keep your body tight, flex your abs and squeeze your shoulder blades together to tighten your lats. Squeeze the bar tight and force your arms outwards, as if you were attempting to pull the bar apart. Pull the bar off the rack and hold it over your chest. Your grip should be between wider than shoulder-width but less than double your shoulder width. Lower the bar until your forearms are parallel with the ground. Your elbows shouldn't be square with your shoulders. Keep your elbows about 45 degrees from your body. Push the bar up at a slight angle towards your head until your arms are extended, not locked.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael A. Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney J. Corn; 2008
- "A Practical Approach to Powerlifting"; Larry Sheppard, Bill Jamison; 2007
- Dave Tate's Six-Week Bench Press Cure; Nate Green; May 2009
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