Hello Wellness Warriors! I have been wanting to get back to talking about the nuts and bolts of exercise for some time, but I wasn’t quite sure how to tackle it. And then the world threw a few curveballs at us this year and starting something new on the blog was pushed to the back burner so that I could get through work and child care duties. But that did give me some time to think about what I wanted to address: proper form for foundation exercises.
Also, please excuse my squinty face in these pics. I had a very short window to get pictures taken and it was clearly crazy sunny.
I believe that exercise is important and if you are reading this, I am guessing that you do too. What I don’t believe is that you need overly complex routines or individual exercises to see amazing benefits. A good foundation of staples will serve most goals. More important than the fanciest exercise, choreography, or equipment is good form.
Without proper form, it doesn’t matter what you are doing, how much/many, or how often. In fact, without proper form, you are potentially setting yourself up for injury or burnout. So I thought that I would review the biggest mistakes I see being made time and again on those nuts and bolts type exercises. And I am starting with bench press.
Bench press is one of those exercises that has so many benefits, it may not be possible to hit them all. In addition to building strength in the chest, it is also important for developing the front deltoids and triceps. We don’t think of our chest as part of our core, but it is, so having a good strength base here is critical for upper body function. Bench press also helps develop shoulder stability, which is both necessary and tricky if an injury exists.
Bench press is also an easily modifiable exercise. It can be done with a traditional barbell, or it can be adjusted to be done with two dumbbells or therabands. Heck, even a broom handle can be used. Bench presses can also be done on a standard flat bench, inclined or declined.
Given all of that, bench press is also one of the exercises that I see form issues with the most. And the type of form issues that makes me want to throw my lifting gloves at people. (For the record, I don’t, these are just big time form mistakes).
For a good bench press, it’s all in the set up. The first mistake I see is foot placement. YouTube videos have popularized the power lifter foot placement. There is nothing inherently wrong with this placement if you are an advanced lifter, have been properly trained to execute it, and understand the changes in stability and body mechanics it causes.
Wedging your feet up closer to your waist places unnecessary stress on the lower back. It is much safer to place your feet under your knees so that your knees form a 90 degree angle. The exception would be if you have short legs and your feet can’t comfortably reach the floor. In this case, place your feet up on the bench.
The second set up mistake I often see is a tucked chin or tense jaw. I get it, if you are bench pressing (even if you are using bands) you are likely to be encountering more resistance than an exercise like bicep curls, so the instinct is to dig in. But that should be a mental state only.
If you are tucking your chin or tensing your neck and jaw, you are placing your cervical spine in jeopardy. You want your neck to be relaxed with your head resting comfortably on the bench and your eyes looking at the ceiling. Again, you are about to push some resistance, our spines combat that more efficiently when their natural curves stay intact.
The third set up mistake I see has to do with hand placement. Now, hand placement is one of the many ways that bench presses can be modified to emphasize different muscle (or fiber) input. Closer placement emphasizes the triceps and a wider placement emphasizes the pectorals.
My issue isn’t with the choice of wide, natural, or close grip. My issue is that often placement isn’t balanced. Meaning that each hand isn’t the same distance from the middle of the bar. To combat this, first and foremost the bar needs to be centered over the bench. Then, after laying down and properly placing your feet and double checking your neck, you should check that your nose is at the midpoint of the bar.
From here, start with the natural grip. Your hands should be almost directly above your shoulders. In fact, here’s a handy guide using hand placement during push ups to help you visualize this. A narrower grip will place your hands closer together, wider further apart. All you need to do at this point is make sure you have zero shoulder pain with any of the three hand placements.
So now you can actually lift. The fourth mistake I see is that a lifter doesn’t bring the bar down far enough. Many lifters stop an inch (or several) above their chests. You aren’t getting the full range of motion or benefit from the exercise. As you lower the bar, you should be inhaling, and as such expanding your rib cage. Guys, bring the bar down to touch your rib cage just below the level of your nipples. Ladies, aim for where a standard sports bra band will span your ribs. A slight tap from the bar, and then exhale while pressing back up.
And the last mistake I see often is an overarching of the lower back. Again, I get it, you are probably lifting a decent amount of weight. But as I said before, our spines combat the weight more effectively if we keep their normal curvature intact. Some arching as you inhale is normal, but if a large portion of your lower back is lifting off the bench every single rep, you need to check that. It usually means that the amount of weight is too high. Not something bench pressers love hearing, but it is more advantageous to do it correctly at a lower weight than to permanently hurt your back.
If you do have back or shoulder injuries or issues, be sure to seek the advice of a trained pro in your area. And remember that broom stick I mentioned before and you laughed at in my pics? That actually provides a great un-loaded way to practice proper form.
Until next time, be well, friends!
