The bench press is an excellent exercise that is popular for working multiple muscles. According to BodyBuilding.com, the most common exercise in the gym is the flat barbell bench press. Some of the main benefits of the bench press are that it is an easy exercise to learn and it works groups of muscles at a single time.
Muscles Worked
While the bench press is commonly viewed as an exercise for the chest muscles, it works numerous other groups as well. If you perform the bench press correctly, you will engage not just the chest muscles but also the arms, back and shoulders. Specifically, the bench press works the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps and biceps.
Correct Procedure
To perform the bench press exercise safely and correctly, lay down on the bench under the bar and put your feet flat on the floor. Keep your feet relaxed throughout the exercise. Your eyes should be slightly below the bar as you look up. Grip the bar at a comfortable width, generally about shoulder-width. Inhale deeply and then exhale as you lift the bar off the rack, holding it above your chest. Take another deep breath and hold it as you lower it to your chest in a controlled motion. Press the bar up and exhale. Repeat this process.
Compound Vs. Isolated Exercises
The bench press is a good example of a compound exercise, which works groups of muscles and helps you build muscle mass faster. A good example of an isolated exercise is the fly, which focuses almost exclusively on the pectoral muscles. As a compound exercise, the bench press engages not only the pectorals but also the deltoids and triceps. Compound exercises can also help you lose weight faster since developing larger muscle groups increases your metabolism.
Variations
In the standard flat bench press, you lie flat on the bench with the weight directly above you. In order to shift the muscle groups that you work on, you can implement variations of the standard flat press into your workout. In the inclined bench press, in which the bench is raised to an angle rather than lying flat, you work the upper part of the chest and your shoulders more than other muscles. With the decline bench press, in which you drop the bench to an angle below 90 degrees, your efforts focus more on the lower part of your chest and your triceps.
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