The bench press is easily one of the most popular exercises among bodybuilders. It builds up muscle mass in the chest, shoulders, and triceps pretty quickly. It’s also easy to understand. It’s a movement where early improvements are common as long as the trainer is consistent with training, food and rest. And it is perhaps the greatest measuring stick among both trainers and non-trainers who will very often inquire “How much do ya bench?”
The bench press is popular and it is effective – but only if it’s done safely. Here are a few mistakes commonly made by bodybuilders in the gym on the bench press.
Sweaty hands
If you are a guy who sweats a lot, wear gloves when you’re benching. Don’t end up in the emergency room with a very hilarious tale involving your sweat glands and that bar-shaped bruise across your upper body. A pair of gloves will run you about $10 at any Sports Authority or on EBay. Using them will allow you to possess a greater level of control on the bar, resulting in less likelihood of you being injured by a bar that slips out of your hands.
Skipping the spotter
If you’re already a seasoned bodybuilder intent on breaking the next bench press barrier, then you probably already know that training chest alone is a path to gains that is much slower than training with a buddy. Aside from the speed of gains, training alone will also place you at a greater risk for injury in the gym. If you don’t have a full-time training partner, you should at least ask a stranger or an employee to spot you.
Missing the warm-up
Always warm up. You might not feel like you need it, but the very tense and un-limber muscles of the shoulder and triceps might disagree with your initial pectoral analysis and tear just to voice their disdain. Three sets of light movement for a body part should take place before you go for maximum weight.
Leaving the opposable thumbs at home
Recently, youtube clips of bodybuilders using a non-opposable grip have emerged on the web. Yes, some bodybuilders place the thumb on the same side of the bar as the other 4 fingers. The outcome is very often a bar slipping and falling about 18 inches onto the chest of a very fragile and vulnerable human being beneath. Wrap your arms around the bar every time, and grip it tight. Your grip security is the only thing keeping this 200, 300, or 400 pounds from shattering much of your upper body!
If you are using any of these behaviors, it’s time to stop immediately. You may try to rationalize your behavior, or argue that you are seeing greater results because of your actions which violate one of these rules. The fact of the matter is that these rules were developed based upon decades of lifting accidents and mishaps. Don’t become a statistic – avoid irresponsible behavior and honest mistakes in the weight room.