To Press on a Bench

 

  Charles Poliquin

Guest Blog by Mat Boulé, Faculty Member at Posturepro.net and Osteopath and Posturologist at Clinique Médicale de Santé Globale Brouillard

Think fast… the top 3 muscles used in the bench press?

You might have answered pectoralis major, front deltoid and triceps.

Considering that I asked for 3 muscles, you did quite well. The issue then, is not your answer. The issue is my question!

I find we too often try to match a specific exercise with a few muscles as main agonists where we could make a case that hundreds of muscles participate in every exercise.

So let me ask the question again! What are the top 3 muscles used for the bench press?

That question may be harder to answer this time. Here’s my answer:

– Gluteus maximus;
– Hamstrings;
– Tibialis Posterior.

To press on a bench, you will use both the scapular and pelvic girdles. Actually, to press on a bench, you will use both of these girdles in opposite direction. If the upper limbs move in a direction of flexion, the lower limbs contract towards extension.

The scapular girdle will mobilize and the pelvic girdle will stabilize. That is how and why you can move a load. In any context, there needs to be both stabilization and mobilization.

If you are going to recruit the extensor chain efficiently, it’s because your feet’s contact points on the ground are optimal.

So you’ll be pressing on a bench, feet will be on the floor. The feet, ideally, should have the 3 following contact points for maximum posterior chain recruitment:

– Heel;
– Base of 1st metatarsal.
– Base of 5th metatarsal.

When that’s not the case, recruitment of the posterior chain AND of the flexors of the upper limb are compromised and you press less on a bench than you should.

The take-home message is simple: ground your feet and use your glutes as much as your pectorals to get the bar up!

I will let Gareth Riddy explain how that all works in the context of Posturology!

In next the upcoming blog, we will focus on what causes poor contact points of feet on ground!

Read more: http://www.strengthsensei.com/to-press-on-a-bench/#ixzz3K6HCuyMP