The bench press is an exercise that is always shroud in a lot of ego. You may add some poundage on the shoulder press, the max squat or even the dead lift but this does not matter anything until you have made some noticeable progress in the bench press. There are so many things you can do at a minimum strain to your health in order to improve on your bench press performance. Only that people are so busy following the trodden path they fail to notice them.

In order to increase your poundage once you embark on the bench press, do not concentrate on isolation. Put the most emphasis on improving the power inside your muscles. Make sure that your whole body is an active participant in lifting the weight. Position your self squarely on the whole bench while at the same time trying to arch your back while keeping your shoulders , butt and the head squarely on the bench. This is aimed at reducing the distance the bar will travel and also enable the legs to drive the shoulders closer to the bench for increased power. Your feet ought to be grounded on the floor and shoulder-wide apart. Tighten your whole body and grab the bar of the weight on a position which is just a little bit wider than the width of the shoulder.

Tighten your entire body and ensure your shoulder blades are squeezed close to each other behind you. Press your feet harder on the floor while flexing your butt. Have someone to assist you in lifting the weight from the rack. This will save you some energy you use to remove the weight from the rack as well as balance it between your hands all alone.

Take a firm grip on the bar and try to tuck your chin in the upper region of your chest. When you feel you are ready to lower the weight, inhale in order to bring about expansion of your belly and chest. This is aimed at maximizing your power generation and distribution capacity. When lowering the bar, ensure your upper arms are at 45 degrees from the sides of your body by tucking your elbows. Avoid letting the hands go right straight out the sides of your body because your shoulder joints will have to bear all the efforts, reducing your overall power.

Lower the bar until it reaches the point of intersection between your chest and abdomen. Maintain a consistent posture with your bar by making sure that it is always above your wrist the elbows. This will prevent the possibility of imbalance which can result in nasty accidents. Once the bar comes into the slightest contact with your body, you have to generate enough energy to give the bar enough up- thrust force to see it moving up in a complete turn.

Now exhale as you push the weight upwards. Maintain a straight lift throughout the lift, keep the shoulders and chest cavity very compact by controlling your exhalation patterns and ensure your elbows and face are firmly tucked as before. Concentrate on the motions of the triceps and the straightening of your arms.

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