Bench Presses

  Because of the number of muscle groups that come into play (triceps, pectorals, deltoids, lats, etc.), the bench press is a great upper-body exercise. The main kinesiological function of the pectorals is to draw the arms into the midline of the body—or, more technically, to adduct the arms—so the action of the arms during the performance of the bench press closely parallels the pectorals’ primary function. The bench press has its shortcomings, as you will learn further on, but for the beginner in search of overall muscle-mass increase, it’s virtually the “perfect” exercise. It is a movement of great poundage potential, and this, combined with the fact that it stimulates a large group of muscles at one time (some more than others), makes it like the squat, a tremendous weight-gaining exercise. To perform the exercise properly, lie on a bench with a barbell at arm’s length over your chest. Slowly lower the bar to your upper chest. Once the bar has touched your chest (I said “touched,” not “bounced”; bouncing a weight accomplishes nothing but injury), slowly press it back up to the top position, and repeat the procedure for the required number of repetitions. Put the weight down, rest briefly, and then perform your next exercise.