Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in and welcome back to another Technique Thursday. Before
we start, just a quick reminder that if you like what you see and are interested in learning
proper exercise technique, be sure to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell
so you don’t miss out on any of the exercise technique videos! Also, if you have any questions
ask them down in the comments section and we’ll either respond to you directly in
the comments section or answer your questions during our weekly Sunday Q&A. Alright, time
to demonstrate the exercise!
The exercise we will be demonstrating for you will be the Barbell Bench Press. To perform
the Barbell Bench Press, you’re going to want to lie supine on a flat bench with your
feet firmly planted on the floor, slightly behind your knees, with your butt, shoulders,
upper back, and head planted firmly on the bench, while maintaining a neutral spine throughout
the entire exercise. Adjust your body so that your eyes are directly below the racked bar.
Grasp the bar with a closed and pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,
and retract your shoulder blades and pull them down towards your butt to fix your scapula.
Exhale as you press the bar to lift it off the rack and position the bar over your upper
chest area with your elbows fully extended. This will be your starting position.
Begin the movement by inhaling as you lower the bar slowly and under control toward the
chest. Keep your wrists stiff and your forearms perpendicular to the floor, as you move your
elbows down past your torso and slightly away from your body. Lower the bar to lightly touch
your chest at approximately nipple level, without bouncing the bar, arching your low
back, or raising your chest and maintaining all five points of contact with your feet,
hips, torso, and head.
Exhale as you press the bar up and slightly backward to the starting position while keeping
your head, upper back, and hips on the bench and feet on the floor and maintaining a neutral
spine. Keep your wrists stiff and your forearms perpendicular to the floor and parallel to
each other. Continue pressing the bar up until your elbows are fully extended, but not forcefully
locked. Repeat these steps for the prescribed number of repetitions, then place the bar
back onto the rack, keeping your grip on the bar until both ends are secure and motionless
on the supporting pins.
Regarding tempo, there will be four numbers which will determine the speed of the movement.
The first number is going to be the eccentric portion, or the lowering phase, of the movement.
The second number is going to be the pause at the bottom of the movement. The third number
is going to be the concentric portion, or the lifting phase, of the movement. And the
fourth number is going to be the pause at the top of the movement.
Therefore, a tempo prescription of 5-0-1-0 will require you to lower the weight for 5
seconds and immediately lift the weight for 1 second, without resting at the bottom or
top of the movement. A tempo prescription of 3-2-1-0 will require you to lower the weight
for 3 seconds, rest at the bottom position for 2 seconds, and lift the weight for 1 second
without resting at the top position. A tempo prescription of 4-0-2-1 will require you to
lower the weight for 4 seconds, lift the weight for 2 seconds, without resting at the bottom,
and rest for 1 second at the top of the movement before performing the next repetition. A tempo
prescription of 2-1-2-1 will require you to lower the weight for 2 seconds, rest at the
bottom position for 1 second, lift the weight for 2 seconds, and rest at the top position
for 1 second before performing the next repetition.
That’s it for today’s video. Thanks for tuning in. If you liked what you saw be sure
to hit that like button, subscribe to our channel, and hit the notification bell so
you don’t miss out on any of the exercise technique videos. And if you have any questions,
ask them down in the comments section and we’ll either respond to you directly in
the comments section or answer your questions during our weekly Sunday Q&A. Keep fit, have
fun, and we’ll see you again next week!