Bench Press Tips: Variations To The Bench Press To Spice Up Your Workout Sessions

When formulating a work out regimen, it is important to review the various bench press tips that are available to you before you begin incorporating these moves into your regimen. You should be familiar with the proper technique for execution of these moves and what benefits you will receive from these workouts.

One of the best bench press tips for variation is to utilize the incline exercise. This variation on the standard type targets your upper chest muscles. The exercise is essentially the same, but the difference is that an incline bench press is performed with the bench set at an incline of about 30 degrees. The change in angle compared to the original bench press works the upper chest and shoulders harder. A smith machine is commonly used for this type of exercise because it forces the lifter to push straight up and drop the bar to the correct part of the chest. Make sure that you tighten up your whole body from head to toe for the complete set.

The decline bench press is another variation. This variation is different because you perform the exercise with the bench at a decline of about 30 degrees. This variation puts more emphasis on your lower chest muscles as well as the triceps. This variation of the exercise, can be done with either dumbbells or a barbell. When performing both the incline and decline bench press variations, it is important to have a spotter nearby. One of the most important bench press tips is that you always do your workouts with a spotter around. You don’t want to be trying to perform these exercises alone, especially if this will be your first time attempting these variations.

Another of the bench press tips for variation, is to utilize the close grip. This variation is one of the most useful exercises in developing pressing strength. With the close grip press, there is no lateral movement of the upper arm towards the midline of the body during the lift. The stress of the weight is shifted to the triceps. While performing this variation, your hands should be about shoulder width apart. Even with correct shoulder-width grip, the close grip bench press puts more stress on your wrists than other pressing exercises. You may find wrist supports helpful if while performing these.

When incorporating these workouts into your regimen, usually incline and decline variations are included after the regular bench press has been performed. The close grip bench press is by far the most effective tricep exercise. It is also one of the most strenuous. On days when you plan to work out your triceps, you should perform these exercises first. Triceps can be incorporated well with other pressing exercises for chest and/or shoulders, or they could easily be trained together with biceps on a day devoted to arms.

In addition to the other bench press tips, here is a little more information to consider. A higher number of repetitions (about 8-10) build muscle mass, while performing a lower number repetitions (about 3-6) build strength. If you are attempting to build strength, take your time to adjust your regimen to include lower reps and higher weight.

Another tip that doesn’t directly apply to this exercise, but that is an important point to remember is that with each workout you should aim to perform one or two stretches. You should be focused on keeping a smooth and controlled pace throughout the stretch so that you are in full control of the movement. If you can stretch for just five to ten minutes after each workout you do, you should notice significant declines in muscle soreness from doing this stretching and over time you will increase your ability to work through a greater range of motion. This will then allow you to derive better results from your workout because you will incorporate more muscle fibers each time you perform a given exercise.

In conclusion, the bench press is a staple in the workout regimens of many. If you are looking for some bench press tips to ensure success and also provide variation with this exercise try the incline, decline, or close grip press, and also incorporate some stretching in your workouts.