The bench press is the most popular weightlifting exercise in America. Here's why.
Interest in bodybuilding has skyrocketed since the pandemic began. Searches for "bodybuilding" or "weightlifting" apps have grown by over 190% year over year, according to Google Trends data. Among the most popular bodybuilding gym exercises that people seek out are squats, dumbbells and deadlifts. But one analysis shows that by far the most popular weightlifting exercise – among both men and women – is the bench press.
The bench press is such a sought-after piece of gym equipment because the workout produces the kind of results bodybuilders are after, it's a straightforward exercise that's easy to do and because it offers a host of other health benefits beyond muscle growth alone.
How to properly bench press?
Like many forms of resistance training, the bench press requires the use of some basic gym equipment. These include a workout bench to lay back on, a long barbell that sits atop a secure rack frame on both sides of the bench, and weight plates of varying poundage that are added to each side of the barbell in equal amounts and then secured with clips at each end.
Once the right equipment is in place, getting the most out of the exercise requires good form. Jackie Miller, a certified IRONMAN and USA Triathlon coach who has been advising athletes for 18 years, says the trick to proper bench press form is sticking to the following steps:
- Lay flat on the exercise bench with your knees bent on both sides and your feet firmly planted on the ground. "The barbell should be at about chin level above you once you're laying down," says Miller.
- Grip the barbell with both of your hands a bit wider than shoulder width apart with your elbows extended directly below each hand.
- While keeping your elbows extended, push the bar up and off the rack and carefully move it forward until it's directly above your chest.
- Inhale as you slowly lower the bar to your chest in a controlled manner. "Lightly touch the bar to your chest, but do not bounce it off," Miller advises.
- Exhale as you push the bar back towards the ceiling in a straight line until your elbows and arms are once again straight.
- From there, you can place the bar back on the rack or continue the same measured up-and-down motion with brief pauses between each repetition (called reps) for as many sets as you're comfortable doing.
"Once you feel fatigue such as muscle burn or feeling overly tired, it's time to rack the weight," says Melanie Adams, an American College of Sports Medicine certified exercise physiologist and a professor of exercise science at Keene State College in New Hampshire.
What muscles do bench pressing work? What about incline bench press?
Done properly, the exercise works several muscle groups, but its primary target is the pectoralis major, often called pecs. "This is the large, fan-shaped muscle on top of our ribs and over our chest," says Adams. She explains that the job of these chest muscles is to help move one's shoulders and control movement of both arms across the front of the body.
The bench press works other muscles, too. "The triceps get some good stress as well as the exercise extends the elbow," Adams explains. So do assisting muscles such as deltoids, biceps, forearm muscles, rib muscles, "and the latissimus dorsi, which stabilize the wrist and shoulder blades."
The exercise is also unique because it can be adjusted to target each muscle group more extensively.
Lifting from an inclined workout bench will target one's upper chest muscles, while decline bench-pressing movements will target one's lower chest muscles, explains Dr. Matthew Best, director of research in the sports medicine division at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. At either setting, however, "it's important to avoid trying to lift too much weight or performing the exercise too rapidly, which can predispose to injury," he adds.
More on squats:Squat challenges are all over social media. What muscles does the exercise work?
What are the health benefits of bench pressing?
Beyond increased upper-body strength in each of these muscle groups, bench pressing has other health benefits as well. These include improved stamina and endurance, increased mobility and some research shows that the exercise can also increase bone density.
Performing the exercise also partly satisfies the physical activity recommendations set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For optimal health and strength, the agency recommends 75 to 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each week in addition to muscle strengthening activities at least twice a week.
Maintaining such levels of physical activity, the CDC notes, can improve one's brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease and improve one's ability to do everyday activities. "Many people are initially interested in weightlifting to increase muscle size, but quickly learn our muscles are involved in all kinds of hormonal interactions like lowering inflammation, stopping stress response and growing brain cells," explains Adams. "Building both muscular endurance and muscular strength throughout the body pays off for your health."
In case you want to try:What do deadlifts work? Understanding this popular weight-training exercise.