Flat Barbell Bench Press - With Mini Bands

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Description

Step 1: Set your supports on the bench so you can unrack the barbell and be in proper position to perform the bench press.

BANDS SET-UP:

Step 2: Double a mini-band over each side of the barbell, attaching them to band pegs at the bottom of the bench press. If your bench press does not have band pegs, you can place a heavy dumbbell under the bar on the floor, and run the band under that.

Step 3: After loading the weights and bands, lie on the bench with your spine in a neutral position. Position yourself on the bench so that the bar is directly over your eyes. Keep your feet firmly on the floor, pinch your shoulder blades together and make sure your traps and upper back are tight. When grasping the bar, wrap your thumbs around the bar tightly and make sure your palms are facing forward. Use a grip that will have your pinky fingers on the rings of the barbell.

Step 4: Keeping your elbows tucked, inhale and then unrack the weight, also ensuring your wrists remain in a neutral position. If using a spotter, have them assist you in unracking the weight to the starting point. NOTE: When using bands, tightness is imperative, as the bands will add extra tension/difficulty when unracking the weight. While keeping your air in, lower the weight in a controlled motion with the bar in line with your mid-to-lower chest until the bar touches your chest.

Step 5: After the bar touches your chest, press the weight back up in a straight line to its original starting position until your arms are locked out, exhaling only once the rep is completed. Keep your feet firmly on the floor throughout this movement, maintaining tightness throughout your lower body. Additionally, make sure your shoulder blades continue to be pushed together and your elbows are tucked. NOTE: Again, the bands add extra tension when pressing the bar, so remaining tight is extremely important.

Step 6: Take another breath between reps, exhaling only when reps are completed. Repeat until the desired reps are reached and then rack the weight, or have your spotter help you rack the weight in a controlled manner. Weight can be added to the bar between sets.

Benefits:

The bench press is often considered the king of all pressing movements, and for good reason.

Adding mini-bands is a great way to develop your bench press, adding another element of difficulty.

With mini-bands, there is incredible tension throughout the movement, including when lowering the weight. But the bands add a significant degree of difficulty on the pressing portion, adding increased resistance as the bar move towards lockout.

That makes benching with mini-bands a great tool for developing lockout strength and power off of your chest.

As the bands stretch, the movement gets tighter, forcing your pressing muscles to work even harder towards lockout.

If you struggle at the mid-point or lockout portion of the bench press, using mini-bands is a great way to rectify those problems.

YouTube Video ID:

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Summary:

The bench press is often considered the king of all pressing movements, and for good reason.

Target Body Parts: Chest
Equipment Needed: Barbell, Bench, Dumbbells, Mini Bands, Weights

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Flat Barbell Bench Press - With Mini Bands