The first and best exercise for building chest muscle mass is the flat bench press with a barbell. Other muscles that are indirectly strengthened in this movement include the shoulder and triceps muscles. In this article, we aim to familiarize you with the correct technique for the flat bench press, so stay with us until the end.
The dumbbell bench press engages more muscle fibers and is very effective in isolating these muscles, as each part of your chest should work independently, which means more pressure on these muscles. Dumbbells also allow you to perform the movement with a greater range of motion compared to a barbell. These are strength-based exercises and are known as the most effective movements for increasing muscle mass and strength in the chest. If this is your first time doing this exercise, we highly recommend getting assistance from another person to ensure safety during the exercise. If there is no one to help, don’t be generous with the weights and use lighter ones.
Additionally, this exercise is for strengthening the chest muscles, so when performing it, the barbell should make contact with the middle of the chest, not the stomach or neck! The barbell should not bounce up and down like a spring on your chest. Focus completely on the movement of the barbell throughout the exercise.
Instead of using a barbell, you can also use dumbbells or resistance bands.
By adjusting the distance between your hands, different muscles in the chest or triceps will be engaged.
First, focus on the correct technique before using heavy weights. If you get injured, no one will care about your personal record.
If you want to place more emphasis on the chest and triceps, pause briefly at the top of the movement.
Depending on your goal, you can arch your back slightly. Just make sure that most of the arching comes from the upper and middle back, not the lower part.
Some experienced individuals may not use their thumbs to grip the barbell; however, we recommend that most people use their thumbs for better control.
Adjust your hand spacing when gripping the barbell. If you have long arms, you can spread your hands further apart and vice versa. Just be careful that if you feel pain in the front of your shoulders, you should widen your hands more.
Press the barbell with your hands to improve shoulder stability.
Some people curl their toes inward to improve foot contact with the ground and use the power of their legs to assist in the movement. You can try this method and find what works best for you.
Think of pushing yourself away from the barbell, rather than pushing the barbell away from yourself!
Prioritize contracting the upper back muscles while performing this exercise.
We suggest getting help from another person when lifting the barbell off the rack to prevent unnecessary strain on the back muscles.
Use your legs to press against the ground and assist in the movement, and contracting your glutes will help keep your hips stable.
Try to push the barbell outward, as if you want to bend it. This activates stabilizing muscles in the shoulder.
Your glutes and shoulders should maintain direct contact with the bench throughout the exercise.
Lift the dumbbells off the floor with your palms facing each other.
Sit on the edge of the bench and then lie back into the starting position.
Keep the dumbbells close to your chest.
Once in position, take a deep breath.
Press the dumbbells upward.
Lower the dumbbells slowly and under control.
Contract your chest and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Repeat the movement.
Barbell Flat Bench Press Technique:
Lie on a flat bench. Grip the barbell so that when the bar reaches your chest, your forearms and upper arms form a 90-degree angle.
Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it straight above you.
Slowly lower the barbell until it touches the middle of your chest while inhaling.
After a brief pause at the bottom, push the barbell back to the starting position while exhaling. Tip: During the movement, focus on using your chest muscles to lift and lower the weight, not the arms or shoulders. In other words, the chest muscles should perform the main part of the movement, while the other muscles assist.
Pause for one second at the top and contract your chest muscles. Tip: This exercise will yield the best results for chest growth if you lower the barbell for twice the time it takes to lift it. For example, if it takes two seconds to lift the barbell, lowering it should take four seconds.
Repeat the exercise for the recommended number of repetitions.
Once you've completed the desired number of repetitions, gently return the barbell to the rack.
Warning: As with all exercises, do not perform this exercise suddenly or explosively. Maintain full control of the barbell throughout the movement.
