What does a bench press do for your fitness? A bench press is a simple exercise which is done when you are lying flat on your back on a bench. When lying, you are required to press a certain amount of weight upwards from your chest. This allows you to stretch your muscles upwards. You can use a pair of dumbbells or barbell to hold the weight. However, barbells are the best because they can support more weight and are also more stable as compared to a single dumbbell. As a result, bench press is one of the most preferred exercises by power lifters. Below are some of the reasons why you should consider a bench press.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Bench Press?
- Strengthens your upper body- Bench press exercises are the best for strengthening your upper body. Even when starting, you can boost your upper body strength by at least 40% within just 6 months.
- Improves bone strength-This exercise is a resistance and weight bearing exercise which works against the gravity. Due to the resistance, it helps to strengthen your bones. Again, pushing heavy loads enables your body to produce new cells in the bones which will help your when your become old or once the bones starts to degenerate.
- Boosts your testosterone- Lifting heavy loads enhances the production of testosterone in your body. Increase in testosterone leads to more muscle growth which should be your target when doing these exercises. Apart from that, weight lifting also boosts your physical definition and it also helps to tone your muscles.
- Prevents muscle imbalance- In case you are a serious weightlifter who engages in activities that involves pulling muscles such as the biceps or forearms, you may need a bench press. The good thing about this exercise is that it protects you from muscle imbalance. These imbalances may cause strains around your joints and muscles but a bench press can prevent such problems.
- Bigger chest- Bench press is among the best exercises you can use to target or develop your chest. The pec major is a glamour muscle located on the chest. The muscle gives the pecs their strong and large appearance. Using a bench press helps to build this muscle.
- Fat burning- If you are looking forward to losing some weight, bench press exercises can help you to burn excess fats and calories. You should try to exercise at least 3-4 times in a week using high repetition sets.
- Good for joints- As you become old, the cartilage that are located between the joints starts to weaken. This can lead to immobility and can also cause severe pain. Doing exercises using a bench press helps to replace the nutrient deficient fluid that is found in your cartilage.
- Boosts your grip strength- Lifting weights on a bench press may also enhance your grip strength because you will need to squeeze the bar tightly when lifting heavy weights. As a result, your adjacent arm muscles to contract. Such contractions allow you even to lift heavier weights which increases your grip strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which muscles are involved during bench pressing exercises?
There are different misconceptions about the muscles that are involved when bench pressing but the truth is that this activity provides a full body workout. However, the pectorals, the lats and the upper back muscles are the main muscles that are engaged during this exercise. Apart from your pectoral muscles, other muscles that are involved include, the serratus anterior, triceps, Rhomboids, Latissimus Dorsi, core, Coracobrachialis and the deltoids. In short, bench pressing involves almost all your upper muscle.
What does a bench press do for your fitness?
If you are searching for an effective way of building your upper body, a bench press will give you the best results. The pressing movement helps to build your chest muscles to enhance strength. It is also good for your secondary muscles such as the triceps and deltoids.
Which is the best way to bench press?
To get the best results when bench-pressing, there are some things you should consider. For example if you are just starting, you should try to exercise for 1-2 times in a week. You should keep increasing the weight slightly every week until as you gain more experience. As a starter, you can still gain muscles and strength by adding more volume into your core muscles. You also need to ensure that you are using a very strong workout bench that can support your upper back effectively.
Conclusion
Bench press is a very effective exercise that you can use to improve your body strength. When done correctly, it is great for muscles building meaning that it can boost your strength. It is also good for your bones, beach muscles, joint health and it also great for those who would like to burn excess calories. However, you need to do it consistently to achieve the kind of results you would want.
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