The bench press exercise develops the musculature of your upper body while burning fat and building strength. You can bench press using bars of various sizes. Full barbells present many advantages over smaller and mid-size bars, such as dumbbells, including increased stability when lifting -- a key benefit for the novice lifter. Selecting the right-size bar will help you in your quest for increased strength. Consult a health care professional before beginning any exercise program.
Bench Press
The traditional bench press is performed with a full barbell while lying flat on a bench. Your head, shoulders and hips should rest on the bench. Keep your feet flat on the floor at all times; never allow them to rise. Pull your shoulder blades together before taking the full bar out of the rack. This keeps your shoulders more stable when lifting. Lower the bar to your chest, not your neck. Do not bounce the bar off your chest. Push the bar smoothly to full extension. Never lift without a competent "spotter" to observe and be ready to help if you have trouble.
Function of the Bench Press
The bench press, using a full bar, primarily works the muscles of your chest, shoulders and triceps. According to a 1995 study published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," your triceps are the most heavily recruited muscle in the bench press when you use a standard Olympic bar. Additional recruitment of your upper back, as well as of the wide muscles of your back, provides stability and some initial power out of the bottom of the lift. Your biceps and forearms contribute only to stabilize your elbow joint; little in the way of power is generated by your biceps.
Standard Bar
A standard Olympic bar weighs 45 lbs. and is 7 ft. long. This full barbell features rotating sleeves so the plates you load on the end will rotate. The rotating feature means you do not have to work as hard to keep the bar from rolling in your hands. Another feature of this full bar is that it is easily loadable in small increments. Standard Olympic barbells are manufactured in weights as low as 2.5 lbs., and custom plates weigh as little as 0.5 lbs. A standard bar features knurling, or a diamond-shaped pattern that makes it easier to grip.
Other Bars
Variations of the full bar exist, and normally they are shorter and lighter. These are good beginner bars, as they are easier to lift and control because a shorter bar will not wobble back and forth as much while you are lifting it. These smaller bars can weigh as little as 10 lbs. Variations of these mid-size bars include bars that come loaded with a fixed weight, such as 20 lbs. or 30 lbs., with no way to adjust the weight. Smaller and mid-size variations of the full Olympic, or standard, barbell feature the plate loading option, but special plates must be used because standard Olympic plates will not fit on a smaller bar.
References
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles; C. Barnett et. al.; November 1995
- "Strength Training Anatomy -- 3rd Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2010
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