Barbell Benchpress

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Load bar with correct weight. Put on safety collars.
2. Lay on bench.
3. Grip barbell with desired width, using an overhand grip. Arms should be roughly perpendicular to your body throughout the movement.
4. Dismount barbell from rack.

Excution/Movement

1. Slowly control the barbell down to your upper chest.
2. Stop just shy of the chest.
3. Press the weight back up to the starting position.
4. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Comments

The barbell bench press is a commonly used upper body exercise. The bench press will stimulate the pectoral muscles effectively.

If we are using the barbell bench press to cause hypertrophy to the pectorals then the execution of the movement is important. Our goal is stimulate the chest fibres, and minimise secondary muscle involvement, although we can not totally eliminate it.
Perform both the eccentric and concentric in a controlled manner, focusing on the contraction of the chest. Expand chest out to minimise anterior deltoid involvement. A lot of weight is not always necessary to stimulate the pectorals.

For hypertrophy 6-12 reps will likely yield the best results, providing optimal time under tension. This will provide adequate stimulation for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and acute response to anabolic hormone concentrations, compared to that of lower rep ranges.
For strength and power 1-5 reps is optimal for stimulating the type iiB fibres and neural adaptations of the nervous system.