Chest Training - The Bench Press Exercise

The bench press exercise is one of the three included in a power lifting event together with squats and deadlifts. This type of a competition aims towards gaining a repetition that will be with the biggest weight possible, this making the pectoral muscle having a small role in the actual lift in power lifting. To get an idea about weights used, you should know that the current world record for one single repetition of a Bench Press Push (one repetition) is 1,008 pounds, record set by Scot Mendelson. The previous record was of 1,005 pounds, set by Gene Rychlak. On the other hand, when dealing with bodybuilding things change. In this sport a bench press exercise routine is utilized in order to train both the chest and the triceps in some cases.

This chest building exercise will require the individual to lie on his back, usually on a special bench aimed towards this exercise and raising and lowering the bar above his chest. We are dealing here with the best possible exercise for developing the pectoral muscle, together with getting other muscles involved as well like the serratus anterior, the anterior deltoids and even the triceps in a given variation of the exercise. When performing the lift you will need to stay on the bench with your shoulders pinned to it and the weighted barbell is suspended on a special rack that is over your chest, away from any part of your body. Needless to say that most bench press exercise will be done on this special exercise table.

In order to properly perform a bench press routine you will need to follow the following guidelines. First you will have to lie on your back and pull the abs in tight while flattening your entire lower back on the exercise bench. Lift the bar over your chest and lower it until the elbows will form a 90 degrees angle. Press the arms straight and do not lock the movement in order to quickly return to the starting position (which for one repetition is actually the one point in which the elbows form the 90 degrees angle). One to 3 sets of 12 to 16 repetitions are recommended and between sets you should allow your body to recover for around 30 seconds. If you will be lifting heavy weights you have to use a spotter and a training partner to help you out is also recommended.

You will see that this chest training exercise is valuable and indispensable in bodybuilding as it works the chest best while also adding workout to shoulders and arms. You can mix it all in and have alternatives for the bench press by utilizing a declined or inclined angle or a stabilizer ball. The incline variation will shift some stress to the anterior deltoids while focusing more on the upper part of the pectorals while the declined variation is the one that will put the emphasis on the lower pectorals. The barbell bench press is the exercise used in bodybuilding for developing inner chest strength while the dumbbell bench press variation is focusing on the smaller muscles and promotes bulking up the pectorals.


When not used for athletic or physical gains, the bench press has also been performed as a joke, a hazing challenge or as a demonstration. It can also be done as chest exercise at home.