How To Do The Bench Press

The bench press is undoubtedly the most popular and most well known weightlifting/weight training exercise. Rightly or wrongly, it is considered the ultimate test of strength. Once your buddies know you do some weightlifting, the inevitable question they ask is: “ How much can you bench?” It is never “how much can you shoulder press?” or “how much can you leg press?” Hit the weights room, and you are guaranteed to see a bunch of guys around the bench press station, each vieing to to lift as much weight as possible.
Proper technique is the last thing on their minds, and most end up building little muscle, or worse, develop shoulder injuries

Muscles Targeted By The Bench Press

The bench press is the primary exercise for increasing your upper-body strength and building up your chest or pectorals. The bench press also targets your front deltoids and triceps.

Step 1

Place a flat bench under the bar on the bench press station. Ensure the bench is properly aligned in the center of the station.

Step 2

Lie on your back on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor and your eyes directly under the bar. Reach up and grasp the bar firmly with a thumbs-wrapped-around grip. Your elbows should be slightly bent with your forearms roughly parallel.

Step 3

Lift the barbell from the rack and and hold it above your chest with your arms fully extended. Inhale as you lower the bar in a controlled fashion to your chest. Touch the bar lightly to your nipple-line, then exhale as you drive the bar upward above your chest and lock your arms out.

Do's

Keep your feet firmly on the floor as you perform the bench press. Imagine the kinetic energy working it's way from your legs, up your hips, along your torso, onto your chest, shoulders and triceps.

Keep your back and butt braced against the bench throughout the movement.

Keep your elbows pointing directly at the floor as you lower the bar.

Use a weight that allows you to complete your reps without compromising your technique. If you are a beginner, use a weight that allows you to do 10 to 15 reps with proper technique. Increase your weights gradually as you get stronger

Don'ts

Don't lift your feet or place them on the bench. This makes your position unstable on the bench and breaks the chain of kinetic energy derived by having your legs firmly planted oth the floor

Don't lower the bar in a rush and bounce it off your chest to use momentum aid your lift. This is common with lifters who use too much weight and have to 'cheat' to successfully complete their reps. Bouncing the bar increases your chances of developing shoulder injuries.
Dont arch your back or lift your butt off the bench as you press the barbell upward

Don't flare out your elbows or push them back as you lower the barbell. This places excessive strain on your shoulder joints and may lead to shoulder joint injuries. Shoulder joint injuries will stop you doing the bench press or any kind of weightlifting

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Tips For Building Muscle at 15 or 16

Steroid Freak. What the F***

The pressure on young teenagers, even at the young age of 15 or 16 to build muscle and get in shape grows each day.

You simply cannot get away from it.

Lean muscular bodies, pecs, delts and six-packs. Movies, television, the internet and magazines are full of seriously jacked dudes, ripped and shredded with big biceps. You marvel at the beach-bod of Chris 'Thor' Helmsworth or the seriously jacked muscular Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson.

You flex your biceps, look at your under-developed chest and slender legs, and think, man, I ain't got muscle-one. Guys with big muscles have all the fun. Girls like guys with big muscles. You've got to get buff and gain muscle. You've got to hit the gym.

Building Muscle 

Hitting the gym to work out and build some muscle is a lot healthier than sitting at home working little more than your thumbs and fingers on your X-box, Playstation or Nintendo-Wii .

But working out and building muscle can also be unhealthy and lead to injuries if in your haste to get jacked real quick you do the wrong exercises, do the exercises incorrectly, workout too frequently, spend too long in the gym and take dangerous shortcuts.

Gain Muscle Safely

Your first time in a gym can be pretty daunting. You are faced with an array of machines and racks of dumbbells and barbells. It's all very exciting if a little bit intimidating. Armed with little more than the bro-science of some of your friends who have done a little bit of weightlifting, you are can't wait to get started.

But gaining muscle and improving your fitness takes a lot more than simply lifting weights. You need to structure your workouts. It may sound pretty stupid, but as a beginner you need to start at the beginning.

This means starting with basic exercises that will get you stronger in the shortest possible time, strengthen your tendons and joints and prepare you for the other exercises to come as you progress.

Weightlifting, particularly with heavy weights puts significant stress on your shoulder, elbows and knee joints, but the right exercises done properly will strengthen your joints, ensuring you are able to safely handle heavy poundages needed to build muscle as you become more advanced.

As a 15 or 16 year old beginner, focus on resistance machine exercises that work your main muscle groups. For example, the seated chest press for your chest, seated shoulder press for your shoulders, lat pulldowns or row pulls for your upper back and the leg press for your legs. As you get stronger and your body accustomed to resistance training, you can safely introduce free weight exercises.

Build Muscle Healthily

Research reported at the end of 2012 suggested that increasing numbers of teenagers are turning to anabolic steroids as they seek shortcuts in their haste to gain muscle. Steroids are unhealthy and you should never consider using them. They damage your heart, liver and your body's ability to produce testosterone. Testosterone is a muscle building hormone produced in your testes. Your body produces increased amounts of testosterone between the ages of 16 and 19. So, from a purely muscle building perspective, it is pretty dumb using steroids, as your body is naturally kicking out vast amounts of muscle-building hormone.

The research also reported increased use of protein shakes and other muscle-gaining supplements among teens. At 15 or 16, you don't need protein shakes or supplements. You focus should be on eating a wholesome nutritious diet.

Learn How to Build Muscle with a Healthy Nutritious Diet

Learn How to Build Muscle Quickly, Safely and Effectively

                            

The Muscle Groups

It is important you have an understanding of your body and its main muscle groups before you start working out.

The major muscles are:

1. The chest, also known as the pectorals or pecs.

2. The shoulders which comprise the front deltoids, the side deltoids and rear deltoids.

3. The upper back also known as the latissimus dorsi or lats

4. The trapezius.

5. The quadriceps or front thighs also known as the quads.

6. The gluteus maximus also known as the glutes, butt or backside.

7. The core muscles that include the lower back or erector-spinae, abdominals or stomach muscles, and the obliques also known as love handles.

The secondary muscles are:

1. The biceps.

2. The triceps.

3. The forearms.

4. The hamstrings. (back of the thighs)

5. The calves.

The major muscles should be the main focus of your gym workouts. Targeting these muscles will help you get considerably stronger in the shortest possible time and help you gain the most muscle bulk.

You may well think you do not want to develop your glutes. "I don't want a big backside!" But it is highly unlikely you will get a big backside from working out. Your muscles will be firm and toned, and that is surely better than a fat and flabby backside.

And if you are involved in any sports, you will find that real power and explosiveness comes from strong, muscular thighs and glutes.

Because of the way your body works, you will discover that exercising your major muscle groups also brings the secondary muscles into play.

For example, when you do the flat bench press or seated chest press to work your chest muscles, your front deltoids and triceps are also brought into play.  Your forearms kick in as stabilizers during the movement. 

Learn more on how to build muscle quickly, safely and effectively by downloading:

Teenage Muscle A Guide To Muscle Building For 15 And 16 Year Old Teens