What should you be bench pressing

Typically you use dumbbells, but you can set yourself up with a cable station on either side. Use these bench press averages as markers for developing your own program.

Make good form a priority over increasing your bench press weight. Be consistent in your approach and aim for gradual results instead of immediate improvement. Listen to your body and take a break if you feel pain. Rest for at least one full day each week. Talk to your doctor if you are just starting out or have any medical concerns that could be affected by weightlifting. The bench press can be an effective exercise for working muscles in your upper body.

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Strip away everything else, and pound for pound, just how strong are you? To delve a little bit more into things, your age, size, build, and fitness level or lifting experience needs to be looked at. In contrast, someone with an advanced fitness level or is an elite athlete should be able to lift more than twice their own bodyweight.

A lbs man in his 20s would be able to lift in an intermediate level, in advanced, and in elite. Size and fitness level tend to be better indicators rather than age when gauging how much they should be able to bench press. Constantly comparing yourself and your progress to what you see around you is a recipe for frustration.

Instead, focus on yourself, and listen to your body. Simple, at the bottom of your lift it creates a spring off your chest so you can smash your 1 rep max from the get go! Your shoulders and upper back should also be in contact with the bench for the duration of the set for stability purposes. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lower the bar to your chest. If you want to bench heavier, though, these exercises will help you by strengthening some of the key supporting muscles that work with the chest to lift and lower the bar.

Benching with a narrow grip shifts the emphasis to your triceps while safeguarding your shoulders. Grip the bar with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart, then bring it down to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides.

Pause, then press it back to the starting position. Lie on an incline bench, gripping a barbell with an overhand grip. Plant your feet on the floor. Lower the bar towards your chest, then press it back up to the start. The main function of the pecs in pressing moves is bringing the arms towards the centre of your body.

Lie flat on the bench with your feet planted on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Press the weights directly up until your arms are straight so that they meet over your chest.

Slowly lower back to the start. In the Spoto press you pause the barbell cm above your chest before pushing up, to better isolate your pecs and blast through plateaus. Alternate with a standard bench. According to the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research , doing press-ups on a suspension trainer increases muscle activation in the chest, shoulder and abs muscles.

Start with your feet on the floor, holding the TRX handles. Brace your core and glutes to keep your body in a straight line.