How to lift the barbell while standing from the floor. Weight training: seated and standing bench press

The military bench press is perhaps the best basic exercise for the deltoid muscles. In this exercise, you can quickly increase the working weight, which will certainly lead to the growth of the deltoid muscles and the overall strength of the body.

Starting position

Standing straight, feet shoulder width apart. The bar is held on the chest with bent arms. The bar should be at the level of the deltoid muscles and pressed against the top of the chest. Pronated grip (palms pointing forward). The width of the grip is about 5-10 cm wider than the shoulders. The knees are slightly bent. Use a special weightlifting belt at the waist.

To get into the starting position for the military barbell press, you can either pick up the barbell from the floor and throw it to your chest, or pick up the barbell from high racks (approximately at chest level). Be sure to secure pancakes on the bar with special locks!

Army barbell bench press, exercise technique

Push the bar up hard. At the same time, do not unbend your arms to the end. Elbows should remain slightly bent. Hold this position for a moment and slowly lower the bar to your chest. Perform the desired number of repetitions.

When you press the bar up, the torso inevitably leans back. Make sure it doesn't get too strong. Especially not the last repetitions, when doing the press becomes much more difficult.

Breath

Moving the bar up - exhale, moving the bar down - inhale.

The military press develops the anterior and lateral parts of the deltoid muscles, triceps. When using solid weights, it greatly strengthens the entire body.

Army Bench Options

People with a problem lower back are advised to perform the military bench press while sitting on a bench with a back. Exercise can be done by lowering the barbell behind the head. This option is not recommended if there is the slightest problem (injury) with the shoulders or simply lack of flexibility in the shoulders.

A great variation on the standing press is to do it with dumbbells or kettlebells.

On the last repetitions of the last approach, when there is no longer enough strength for the press, it makes sense to perform several pushes, slightly bending the legs at the knees and straightening them sharply, giving impetus to the barbell or dumbbells. Cm. .

What is unique about the bench press?

This exercise is basic for pumping the deltoid muscles. Due to the fact that the work is carried out with free weight, during the exercise, the stabilizing muscles also tense.

Due to the regular performance of the bench press while standing, you can increase the strength of the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

During the exercise, the shoulders, pectoral muscles, triceps and back are included. The muscles of the abdominal press, legs, and extensors of the body act as stabilizers.

Standing Barbell Press: Proper Execution

If you want to build mass on your shoulders and develop the upper part of the pectoral muscles, then follow the recommendations described below.

The technique for performing the exercise is quite simple:

Starting position: we take the bar with a grip slightly wider than the shoulders, the bar of the bar is at the hips.
Feet shoulder-width apart, legs slightly bent at the knees.
Raise the bar to your chest so that the bar touches the top of the pectoral muscles. The palms should look up. We bend the back in the lower back, straighten the shoulders.
We take a breath and very smoothly (without jerking and pushing), we squeeze the bar up. At the time of the bench press, it is better to hold your breath in order to better use the muscle corset.
Exhalation should be done when overcoming the most difficult area in terms of amplitude. We straighten the arms at the top point, but in no case completely. Elbow joints should not be fixed. But the shoulders need to be used to the maximum.
At the highest point, you need to stop and strain the deltoid muscle.
Now you can take a breath and slowly lower the barbell. Returning to the starting position, you should proceed to the next repetition.

When performing a bench press while standing, you should not relax your back and abs muscles, otherwise there is a high risk of injury. You need to look only in front of you, without turning your head, so as not to lose balance.

The standing press (or Army press), as a basic exercise, is best done at the very beginning of the delt workout. If the exercise is performed with dumbbells, and not with a barbell, you need to increase the amplitude of movement - at the top point of the dumbbells, bring them as close as possible, almost until the shells collide.

Bench press standing from behind the head

When performing an exercise such as a barbell press from behind the head, the main target is the muscles of the shoulders. In addition, triceps and some other muscles located nearby will be actively involved.

The overhead press is a strength training exercise. The level of difficulty of the bench press from behind the head is considered average.

The exercise technique has some specific features.

First you need to pick up the barbell, standing straight and keeping your back as even as possible. We raise the bar above the head, then lower it behind the head. At the same time, the arms should bend at the joints about ninety degrees. Leaving the torso motionless, raise the barbell and perform the required number of repetitions.

For the bench press standing from behind the head, it is extremely important to choose the right weight, otherwise the execution technique will change in a negative direction.

For example, when returning the projectile to its original position, you can’t limply spread your elbows to the sides. Too much weight simply will not allow you to do this. The back must be kept straight, the torso must be motionless. In fact, only the arms bent at the elbow joints move.

At the top point, the projectile must be delayed for one to two seconds. Correctly selected working weight will allow you to perform the exercise correctly and effectively for the target muscles, to avoid injuries. Experts advise performing this exercise in a special rack for barbell squats. With this device, you can place the barbell at a height corresponding to the height of a person. Once the correct weight and height are chosen, the exercise will become much more comfortable.

The height is set so that, having approached the bar, it was possible to rest against the bar with the back of the shoulders, remove the bar and, holding it with both hands, move back from the racks.

In order for the position to be stable during the exercise, the socks must be slightly spread apart. Squeeze the bar as you exhale, straighten your arms completely. The projectile should be lowered while inhaling. Do not make sudden movements, otherwise you can get injured.

Bench press standing from the chest

This exercise is simply indispensable for those who want to develop the muscles of the shoulder girdle, and in addition, increase the overall volume of muscles.

The military press is an extremely productive exercise, which is included in the list of mandatory in the American army.

The weight must be set so that eight to twelve repetitions can be performed. We take the barbell at chest level, point our palms away from us, and place our hands wider than our shoulders.

When lifting the barbell, the shoulders should be slightly retracted, and the chest, on the contrary, slightly forward, thus maintaining the correct curve of the spine. When lifting the bar, the arms must be fully extended. It is undesirable to lower the barbell below the clavicle.

It is important to keep the torso straight, otherwise it will not work to create a normal support for the exercise.

Too much weight should not be taken, as it can pull back, which will inevitably lead to loss of balance and even injury. It is important to watch exactly how you hold the barbell. Remember, the thumb must be securely wrapped around the neck, otherwise you may drop the barbell.

You need to squeeze the bar over your head, and in no case, not in front of you. From time to time, you need to pay attention to the flexibility of the shoulder joints and how to knead them.

The bench press from the chest is not suitable for people who have problems with the spine or shoulder girdle. In general, before starting to perform this exercise, it will not be superfluous to consult a doctor.

Best bench press: standing or sitting?

Among athletes, this question is quite burning. Some prefer the bench press while others prefer the bench press.

The famous Dr. Ken, who has been dealing with issues of gaining muscle mass for many years, gave the palm to the bench press.

Why? This exercise is much more difficult to perform, so more muscles are included in the work. However, there are people who, for health reasons, are not able to do a bench press while standing, and for them it is better to perform a seated version. The bench press is somewhat related to one of the most difficult exercises in bodybuilding - barbell squats. If you are sure that you are able to do the bench press - do it. If not, it is better to find a replacement. For example, bench press.

The bench press requires much better control on the part of the lifter over their own body and the barbell. When trying to keep the body in a strictly vertical position, the lower back and even the hips are included in the work. The forces that affect the spinal column are dissipated through the legs, which reduces the load on the spine.

In some cases, with incorrect technique or incorrectly chosen weight, the spinal column is still subjected to compression. Many Olympic weightlifters have suffered precisely because of compression loads on the spine.

Unfortunately, many athletes are inherently poor in coordination, and therefore they cannot subject the triceps and deltas to an adequate load. In fact, they can't properly control their body and the bar when doing the bench press. Such athletes should especially carefully monitor the weight of the projectile.

The seated press is, in general, a safer exercise, but only if the back is provided with additional support. This option has a serious disadvantage - the compression load is not dissipated through the legs. When the muscles of the belt are under load, the connective tissues are in a static position. Therefore, the effectiveness of the bench press for gaining muscle mass should be recognized as less significant than from the bench press.

Compiles and conducts personal training programs for physique correction. Specializes in sports traumatology, physiotherapy. Engaged in sessions of classical medical and sports massage.Other authors

Fizkult hello, friends! And today we are in turn debriefing the exercise bench press in the top while standing. When you come to the gym, you should only think about the exercises, nothing should distract you!

One of the best exercises that man has ever invented! Probably the ancient Greeks practiced this exercise. Most likely, it was the bench press in the standing position that was at the first OLYMPIC GAMES.

The main working muscles in this exercise are the anterior and middle deltoid muscles. And trapezius muscles. The bench press is difficult to perform with insufficient mobility of the shoulder girdle. So! Let's analyze this exercise.

Starting position, set the bar slightly below the shoulders. It is performed in two ways, or with a narrow grip. This is the position of the hands when the index finger lies in front of the smooth bar mark.

Or done with a wide grip, this is when the little finger rests on the measure of the neck. I don’t recommend doing a wider grip, it will overstretch the shoulder bag too much, which, in principle, will not play any benefit for muscle development! But the joint will help to ruin! So we do either a narrow grip, so the emphasis shifts to the front muscles. Or wide grip.

And so, we chose the grip. and remove the bar from the racks, take a step back. Feet hip-width apart or slightly wider. The knees are slightly bent, just a little, in order to take the load off the lower back. The pelvis is slightly laid back, the lower back is bent. Elbows should be under the bar - this is the starting position.

We take a good breath and directly perform the bench press itself. You can perform a bench press in front of you, in principle, this option has a place to be. And many bodybuilders do the bench press exercise while standing in this way.

But again, my personal opinion, I believe that the basic exercise does not need to be isolated! That is, this is done in order to shift the load on the front surface of the shoulder. I recommend the good old weightlifting or classic form of this exercise.

This is when we raise the bar above our heads. In the upper phase, when we are already passing the head, the trapezius muscles begin to actively turn on. With this exercise, we load the entire shoulder girdle.

We take a good breath in order, let's say, to create intra-abdominal pressure, and thereby create additional support for the spine. The position of the fingers, to whom it is convenient. Some people like to press with an open or "monkey" grip, someone with a closed grip.

As for the elbows… many people recommend not including the elbows, someone recommends including the elbows. but it is the classic performance of the exercise, it is with the elbows included. You can, of course, not directly turn on your elbows to insanity, but straighten your elbows at the top.

Oblique muscles, the press should be in static tension. Dead center, up to the head we pass on holding our breath. We passed the head, we exhale. So friends, one more thing... many people have back pain , This exercise is best done while sitting.

Which I do not recommend, because sitting your spine is loaded even more. If in this exercise the load is distributed over all muscles. The knees are slightly bent, the pelvis is slightly bent. And our load spreads throughout the body. that puts less pressure on the spinal column. then sitting, the load on the spine just rolls over.

Therefore, if you have a weak lower back, a weak back, then DO NOT DO THIS EXERCISE! Better just limit yourself to a dumbbell bench press or another exercise. The best exercise is exactly the bench press in the top while standing.

By the fact that, along with the shoulder girdle, the abdominal muscles also work well for you. And that's it, friends. Well, that's all, write what you think about it. May JIM be with you. See you soon, bye.

Sincerely, admin

Basic exercises to increase the mass and strength of the shoulders. Standing barbell press affects mainly the anterior and middle bundles of the deltoid muscle, and also loads the triceps, pectoral muscles, trapezium and back. An analogue of the bench press while sitting and dumbbell presses.

Starting position

Place your feet parallel at shoulder width and slightly bend at the knees. Take the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Raise the bar to your chest so that the bar touches the top of the chest with your palms facing up. The back should be slightly arched in the lower back, shoulders straightened.

Trajectory

From the starting point, squeeze the bar straight up. Lock the bar at the top, then slowly lower to the starting position. The load on the front parts of the deltoid muscles will be greater if the elbows are slightly forward. For targeted training of the middle sections of the deltoid muscles, on the contrary, spread your elbows to the sides.

body position

Do not lean back when pressing the bar, thereby making the exercise easier by removing some of the load that they should receive from the shoulders. Do not lift your head, look only forward. Also, do not put one foot forward, the other back, the legs should be parallel to each other.

Implementation options

The average grip (hands shoulder-width apart) is considered optimal when doing a bench press from the chest to train the deltoid muscles. If the grip is too narrow, part of the load will move to the triceps. In the event that the grip is very wide, part of the load will move to the pectoral muscles. With a wide grip, the effectiveness of the exercise will also decrease, as the range of motion will decrease.

Note

During the exercise, breathe evenly, without holding your breath, exhale on the rise, inhale when lowering the barbell. Do not relax the abs and back muscles, otherwise there will be a risk of injury.

Execution technique

Grasp the barbell shoulder-width apart with an overhand grip and lift the bar to your chest.
Squeeze the bar straight up until your arms are fully extended so that the bar is above your head.
Slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.

The army press originated abroad in the ranks of the army. And to this day, everyone who regularly performs it can boast of physical strength. No wonder the army bench press, standing on a par with the push and snatch, was included in the mandatory Olympic program for weightlifting competitions.

Bench press standing (army): video

Exercise rules

Place the barbell on a rack at chest level and set the appropriate weight. Take the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing forward) at shoulder width.
Bend your knees slightly and place the barbell on your chest. Take a step back, spread your legs shoulder-width apart.
Raise the bar above your head with straight arms, it should be slightly in front of your head.
As you inhale, slowly lower the bar to your collarbones.
As you exhale, lift the bar back to the starting position.
Repeat as many times as needed. Variations: This exercise can be done while sitting. This option is especially suitable for those who have problems with the lower back. Also, for better muscle isolation, you can replace the barbell with dumbbells. The barbell neck press is not recommended for people with shoulder problems.

Detailed execution techniques can be found in the following video.

Description of the exercise

There is an opinion that the army press originated abroad in the ranks of the army. From the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, gyms began to be organized in the army, but then they were not sufficiently equipped. Usually only a barbell and weights were present in them. Based on these conditions, the military was forced to adapt. And they adapted, inventing such an exercise as the Standing Barbell Press, or as it is also called the Military Standing Press. Those who regularly performed it could boast of great physical strength of the shoulder girdle. No wonder the army bench press, standing on a par with the push and snatch, was included in the mandatory Olympic program for weightlifting competitions. Why? Because it very believably shows the true strength of an athlete.

Muscle groups involved in the standing military press

Let's find out together which muscle groups are involved in the work when performing this basic exercise - the military bench press. The military bench press develops the entire shoulder girdle in proportion.

Starting from the front delta, which receives the maximum load; the middle and back deltas, which are auxiliary muscles during the exercise and, as a result, receive less load, and ending with the upper chest, trapezius muscles and triceps muscles.

Important: Few people know, but the triceps receive a truly unique load in this exercise, and the point here is that the moment of maximum stretching coincides with the moment of maximum contraction of the triceps muscle of the shoulder. This has a positive effect on the increase in strength and muscle volume of this group.

You can also perform the bench press while sitting, which allows you to focus on working out the shoulder girdle. However, doing the exercise while standing allows you to cover more muscles.

Warm up your deltoid and core muscles before exercising. Qualitatively heated shoulder muscles and stretching will help to avoid dislocations, sprains and fractures.

Since when performing a standing military press, the entire load is distributed exactly vertically along the spine, we recommend that you definitely use a weightlifting belt to fix the spinal column.

Key Mistakes When Performing the Standing Military Press

The most common errors are related to loss of concentration and general fatigue.

When performing the standing military press, avoid sudden jerks and uncontrolled lowering of the bar to the chest. With sharp jerks up, you can get a shoulder injury, an imbalance of the body can also occur, the hands begin to “drive” in different directions.

A common mistake made by beginners is rounding the back. A round back and a huge weight on the bar together give a sharp increase in the load on the spinal column - this is a 100% chance of injury to the lumbar region (the appearance of hernias and protrusions in the spine).

Alternative Replacements for the Military Press

To avoid all mistakes or minimize them, we recommend replacing the standing military press with other exercises also aimed at developing shoulder girdle hypertrophy.

One such exercise is the Seated Dumbbell Press or the Seated Barbell Combo Press. In this case, the vertical load is minimized by fixing the spine, which allows you to maximize the use of the deltoid, trapezius muscles, and triceps muscles.

Complex bench press while sitting

On the example of the Dumbbell Press while sitting (performed both with and without a backrest), a more intense loading of the muscles of the shoulder girdle is manifested due to the exclusion of the help of the leg muscles during the movement. That is, the athlete excludes all stabilizer muscles from work, and focuses only on the muscles of the shoulder and triceps.

The next set of exercises that can replace the Military Standing Press are the various variations on the Smith machine, both standing and sitting. We especially recommend them for beginners. A big plus of the bench press in the Smith simulator is that the bar moves in one vertical axis along the guides. The athlete has to include stabilizers in the work of the muscles, and in the sitting position, by fixing the back, the vertical load is again minimized.

The third group of exercises to replace the Army press is a variety of dumbbell lifts. If you want to maximize the use of the muscles of the shoulders, the dumbbells must be raised to parallel with the floor.

Otherwise, if you raise the dumbbells above the parallel, then the trapezius muscles will be included in the work. But for some, this may be a plus. For example, this is what the famous bodybuilder Nikolai Yasinovsky does, who “kills two birds with one stone” with such a movement. Shakes both shoulders and trapezium at once.

Lifting dumbbells in front of you

Lifting dumbbells forward and to the sides

In more detail, the inclusion of muscles when performing exercises of this group can be seen in the illustration below.

The fourth group of exercises is traction: Barbell chin row, Dumbbell vertical row to the chest, and Vertical traction on the Smith machine. Barbell exercises can be performed with both narrow and wide grips.

Vertical dumbbell chest row