As you can see he did it quite easily, let’s hope he can crack 750 soon!

Equipment Needed
The equipment required to perform the close grip bench press is similar to the equipment required for the standard bench press technique. You will need a flat weights bench which is comfortable and suits your needs and weights with sufficiently supported uprights. You will also require the barbell and sufficient weights on the barbell, placing too much weight for your ability on the barbell can cause an accident and even a serious injury.

Performing the Close Grip Bench Press
In order to perform the close grip bench press you will need to place your desired amount of weights on the barbell, start off low if you are inexperienced in performing this particular lift. You will then need to lie down flat on the weights bench and place your hands on the barbell at around 12 inches apart. Slowly lift the barbell of the support hooks and lower the barbell to your chest, then lift the barbell up whilst keeping your shoulders close to your body and making sure you do not lock your elbows at the top of the lift as this can cause a lot of discomfort. Repeat these steps for as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with. Whilst performing the close grip bench press you will need to make sure you are stable on the weights bench, the best way to do this is to have your feet flat on the floor and widely separated from each other, and this will give you much more stabilization whilst lifting weights in the close grip bench press position.

Safety Advice
The best piece of advice is only lift what you can manage, and only do as many repetitions as you can manage, over eagerness and over confidence is accountable for a lot of injuries caused in these types of exercises. It is also advised the lifter has a spotter to support them whilst lifting just in case you get into some trouble.

The benefits of the close grip bench press are that you can usually lift more than you normally would when using the standard bench pressing technique. The close grip is very useful for building up the chest, but the area it concentrates the most on is the triceps. So if you are looking to develop those areas of the body, the close grip bench press could be the perfect exercise for you.

The Upright
A weight bench usually has an upright included, the purpose of the upright is to support the barbell in-between lifts. If the bench is a heavy duty version, usually the uprights are also better supported in order for the lifter to lift higher weights, the stronger the upright the more weight it can support. Some benches have wider upright also, these are essential if the lifter is looking to use a wider grip on the barbell when lifting.

Other Factors to Consider
You should always take the price of the whole package into consideration, especially if you have a budget; it is not advisable to go over your budget. Also, take into consideration the actual barbell and weights, check if these are included in the package, if not, you will need to check the additional cost of purchasing these extra items, only purchase the weights you will need and take the quality of the weights into consideration, some come in plastic, whilst others are solid steel.

The most important thing to remember when purchasing a weights bench is to make sure it is comfortable to use and that it suits your needs perfectly, there is nothing worse than purchasing something which is short of your requirements. It is advisable to do some research before purchasing, such as asking an advisor at your gym or local fitness shops, there is also a wealth of knowledge available on the internet.

The first step to being a good spotter is communicating with your weightlifter. Ask your weightlifter how he or she would like to be spotted. Ask about just how much help is expected from you so that you don’t overdo the amount of help you put in. After all, it isn’t your workout. The end of a set is most crucial though, because this is the most effective part of the weightlifting process. If you help too much, you could reduce the effects of the set on your weightlifter. Also, remember to ask your weightlifter how many repetitions they would like to complete.

Your weightlifter may want you to help them with their “lift off”, which is when you pull the bar upwards as the weightlifter first lifts the bar. Helping with the lift off allows the weightlifter to conserve energy for the actual lifting instead of wasting efforts on the initial lifting.

You should always pay attention to your weightlifter’s needs. Be aware if your weightlifter is starting a new set. If you need to take a break in between repetitions, say so, so that they do not start without you there. Also, make sure that you do not lift the bar at the first sign of your weightlifter struggling. Make sure that they are giving you a signal that your help is really needed.

Remember that being a spotter means being encouraging. Some weightlifters like being yelled at in a manner similar to men at boot camp, but you should be conscious of the fact that people have different preferences. Some lifters like someone screaming words of encouragement to them at the top of their lungs, while others like peace and quiet to be able to concentrate on their lifting. Either way, you should be in a proper mindset of concentration, and be sure that your lifter is in the same mindset as well.

It is most important that you understand that spotting for someone else is a huge responsibility. Do not agree to spot for someone who is much bigger than you and is carrying a weight so heavy that you cannot handle it. If you agreed to become someone’s spotter and cannot handle the weight being lifted, then you are putting the safety of the weightlifter in your hands. You must keep in mind that you must be able to carry the weights from the angle that you are in.

Although it is an extremely important aspect of weightlifting, the art of spotting is not something that is taught to everyone at the gym. Hopefully, with these tips, you have just learned the basics on how to be a spotter.

We do not recommend you to use reverse grip in order to achieve physical strength. You will hurt yourself due to this and it is banned too. And the most important reason being it will consume too much time before you become an expert with this “banned” reverse grip method.

The grip with your thumbs pointing out is called the false grip. This grip goes well with its name and it is suggested that people avoid this too. With this false grip your triceps, forearms, and your fibres won’t get activated. Also, you might injure yourself while using false grip. Stats says that mostly lifter were hurt because they were using the false grip and so it is recommended that you stay away from such grips. Hold your bar properly so as to hold on to your health!

The best suggested way is to use regular grip and do hold the weight firmly. This way you won’t get hurt and will gain strength quickly.

* Please don’t work too hard: Hard work for a couple of times every week is fine but one must not regularly work very hard to gain strength quickly. This will be harmful and will bring back no gains.
* Eat tons of food: Well, you might think eating too much will disturb your metabolic system but that isn’t true. You need to eat a lot in order to keep up with the energy which is spent while bench pressing.
* Concentrate hard on your triceps: You must strengthen your triceps as they play a major role when you bench press daily. So every alternate day work on your triceps before you start bench pressing and after you are done with bench pressing.
* All work will kill you. Take some rest: Your muscles get the chance to self repair when you take rest. So it is very necessary to take rest after you have worked hard for a couple of hours. At least 8 hours sleep daily is a must.
* Big sets of close grip bench press: This is by far the best method to improve your triceps. Do try it!
* Give priority to bench press: Eat, sleep, and drink bench press. This should be on your priority list of daily workouts.
* Change your routine regularly: Your muscle growth tends to slow down if you continue with the same schedule daily. So change your schedule every alternate month and you will notice a sudden change in the speed of muscle growth.
* Bench press boards: Bench press boards are said to be very useful to improve your weak points and improve your bench press workouts on overall basis. Do use bench press boards.
* Less cardio and more weights: It is better to concentrate on one exercise at a time. Better work on weights regularly and give least days to cardio. You can get your cardio training later on.
* Work till your body starts shouting a big NO: Keep increasing the weights till you cannot move even an inch.

The dumbbell chest press closely mimics the bench press. This exercise works your chest muscles, along with your shoulders and triceps. You may want to modify or avoid this exercise if you have shoulder, elbow, or lower back problems.

Now let’s get ready for the exercise. With your feet placed flat on the floor at shoulder width apart, lie flat on the bench (or up on the bench if it’s more comfortable). While your palms facing up, push the dumbbells up so your arms are directly over your shoulders. Tilt your chin toward your chest.

As for the movement: Start to lower the dumbbells down until your elbows are nearly below your shoulders muscles. Then depending on the tempo, blast the weights back up. Make sure you take care not to lock your elbows or allow your shoulder blades to rise off the bench.

Do’s and Don’ts

* DO allow your lower back to keep its natural arch so you have a slight gap between your lower back and the bench.

* DON’T contort your body in an effort to lift the weight; lift only as much weight as you can handle while maintaining good form.

Here are other variations you can do with dumbbells as well:

Partial Dumbbell Press: Lower the weights only about three quarters distance of the basic version of this exercise. Try this version if you have elbow, shoulder, rotator cuff problems.

Incline Chest Press: Perform this exercise on an incline bench, and you use less weight than when you perform on a flat-bench press. You’ll challenge the upper fibers of the pecs more.

Decline Chest Press: Do this exercise on a decline bench, with your head lower than your feet. The hardest part of this exercise is actually picking up and releasing the weights. Grab the weighs while you’re sitting up, hold them against your chest, and ease yourself into the decline position. When you’re done with the exercise, gently ease the dumbbells off to either side to the floor (don’t just drop them). Better yet, ask someone to hand the weights to you at the start of the exercise and take them away when you’re done.

Performing an Incline Bench Press
To perform an incline bench press you will need to adjust the weights bench so the back support part is on angle upwards (inclined). Make sure your back is supported at all times. You may then proceed to lift the barbell from the support rack and slowly lower it towards your chest, make sure it does not actually come too low or you will be putting extra strain on your shoulders, then you should raise the barbell slowly, making sure you are in control at all times, do as many repetitions as you like or as many as you can handle. If you are not overly confident with this exercise, you could get a person to stand there as a spotter to help you if you get into difficulties along the way.

The difference between an incline bench press and a normal bench press is that an incline bench press focuses more on the upper chest muscles, perfect if you are looking to improve this area of your body. Remember not to put yourself in unnecessary danger at any time by doing too many repetitions, by not doing the correct technique or by trying to lift weights, which are too heavy for you, you should also make sure all of your equipment is correct and safe to use. Start low and gradually work yourself up until you get the hang of it. If you are a member of a gym, you could ask a trainer or an expert to help you out or the trainer could give you some valuable advice.

People do read many articles which boast of revealing rare techniques to improve your bench press but we are sure that all of them might have failed by now. But the tips here will improve your bench press at this very moment and all that you need to posses is the eagerness in you to learn something new. Don’t worry; these tips have been tested by experts.

1. The best way to start your bench press rep is with no weight on the bar. Do not forget to check the hand spacing on the bar.

Unrack the bar as you always do and lower it to your chest. Request your partner to note the way your forearms have taken shape. There are chances to gain the best power and sometimes nothing from your exercise. It is always suggested to gain at least the average power from your exercise. For average power (the optimal required amount), you must bring your forearms as close to the vertical as possible and they must be at the bottom of the rep too. One must adjust the placement of his hands as per the rings on the bar. The optimum placement is something with which you are comfortable. After all, it’s your health!

Different ways people place hands on the bar leave different effects on their bodies like: in case your hands are placed closer to each other then the direction of force will be inwards instead of being upwards. If your hands are placed away from each other then the resulting force will be directed outwards instead of being directed upwards. In case your arms are vertical then the resultant force will be directed upwards pushing the bar up. Did you observe that all these cases weren’t in your favour when it comes to handling the bar properly?

2. Step 1 taught you how to grip the bar. Step 2 will teach you how to manage your body and how to generate proper strength / stability for your body.

After gripping the bar properly you will have to lay yourself on the bench and remember that your feet must be on the floor NOT on the bench. If you place your feet on the bench then there are chances that you will lose your balance and you will fail to completely utilize your energy. It is always suggested to place your knees at an angle of 80 degree for best results (we will throw more light on this later on).

One method that one can use to lock your shoulders in order to gain maximum stability and strength is:

* Prefer to place your hand on the back of the bar. Placing hands on the bottom might not result in better results (we will learn this with an image later on).
* It is time to rotate the bar so as to bring your palms underneath the bar (don’t remove your grip). Now, you will feel like you have locked your shoulders and they are stuck in the most suitable position.
* While you were busy with the above step, remember to lift your body (not your arms and legs) slightly above the bench and adjust the blades of your shoulder below the body (in the gap which is created between body and bench).
* This way your chest will bulge outwards and it will make your body look a lot thicker. Your pectoral will achieve a much better line of pull if you follow the above steps.
* Remember that your shoulder blades remain squeezed in between the body and the bench during this complete setup.

3. It’s time to tighten your muscles as now you will be asked to displace the bar from the racks. Start lowering the bar and inhale as you lower it close to a point which is even with your breastbone. You will feel like your muscles are springs which are now ready to force back with a bang!

Let the weight slightly touch your chest. Never apply a sudden force to push back the weight. It might cause broken bones or other injuries. This will also reduce the tightness in your chest and hence will not be helpful in building strength for your body as you might have expected.

4. Your legs will play a major role when you start to push back on the bar. Many ‘experts’ do not know about this method. The energy of your legs will help you to bench press extra weight than what you are capable of.

As stated before, your knees should be bent with an angel of 80 degrees. This helps your legs to push back with ease and apply greater force than what you will apply with other angels. You must try this technique using some empty bar so that you do not injure yourself when the weight is added.

* When you push the bar up and use your legs for the same, it will feel like you are pushing your body against the bench. When the bar is empty you will easily be able to push the body against the bench but after being loaded the force which is generated from your legs will directly be applied on the bar and hence you will be able to push the bar upwards.

This method of using legs to push the bar up is known as ‘driving using legs’. This way your complete body is involved in this exercise and not just the arms.

5. While bringing the weight down we asked you to take deep breaths in and when you push the weight up you must exhale forcefully but slowly. Breathing out slowly helps you to maintain the body posture else you might even stumble with the weight and hurt yourself.

* Remember that the contact of your feet with the floor is the reason why your legs are able to push the weight upwards. So, never move your feet away from the floor even if you feel like you are stumbling with the weight. You are likely to fail if you move your feet.
* If your feets start moving around and they don’t seem to be under your control then you should consider placing some weights on your feets. These weights are meant to warn you when your feets move. If they shake or fall down then you will know that you messed it up.
* The bar should not be forced ‘directly upwards’. An arced movement starting from your lower ribs and moving towards your face (when it is at its zenith) is the best way to push the bar upwards.

6. Congrats! You just now finished one complete rep. Now start again…

If you follow these tips then you are bound to get better results when compared to other hoax tips available on the Internet.

Benefits of Bench Pressing with the Smith Machine
Beginners usually find bench pressing with the Smith machine to be much simpler than bench pressing with a free weight barbell, the reason being that the Smith machine only moves up and down the steel runners, which means stabilization is not a problem. Not having to worry about the exact technique of bench pressing enables the lifter to bench press much heavier weights compared to what they could lift by doing free weight bench pressing. Using the Smith machine is also much safer to use, you don not have to worry about the barbell and weights falling forwards, backwards or even worse dropping on your chest which could cause major injuries. This danger is avoided because of the hooks that run doth both sides of the steel runners. Because the Smith machine is considered much safer, the lifter doesn’t really need a spotter or trainer to aid him/her, if the lifter does get into a bit of trouble, all it requires is for the lifter to lock the barbell into place one on of the hooks.

Disadvantages of Bench Pressing with the Smith Machine
The Smith machine is usually preferred to by beginners because of the safety aspects it has to offer, the machine however does not enable the lifter to establish or develop any stabilization skills required if they were ever to move on to free-weight bench pressing. Many people also consider the Smith machine’s vertical movement to be ‘unnatural’ as it does not mimic the body’s movement accurately; most weight lifters prefer to have an arc in the movement as it gives a greater overhaul of the upper body. Some users have also reported unusual strains occurring whilst using the Smith machine. The lifter must also make sure the bench is in the perfect position as you cannot reposition the barbell’s position.

To summarise, the Smith machine is a perfect and safe way for beginners and casual lifters to start bench pressing, also if you are an experienced bench presser on free-weights, there is nothing wrong with using the Smith machine due to its ease of use because you already have the proper technique mastered and there is little chance of you loosing it. So why not head over to your local gym and try one out for yourself.