How to develop bench press? Can you suggest workouts for a school football player?

Question 1

Hi everyone. As I am in High school now, I am fond of football. My friends also like this kind of sports. So after classes, we usually go to play the game. No wonder that I want to have a good physical shape, developed muscles and fit body in general. So I decided to try some exercises to increase my endurance. I found helpful top back workouts for men. Crossfit training as one of the newest kinds of workout. And even followed some tips on how to train for a marathon.

Recently I noticed that my results have improved. But I’m not intended to stop on the achieved. Actually, my next goal is developing the bench press. I guess it will strongly improve my results in football and not only. My physical culture teacher advised me this kind of training. So my question to you guys is the following:

How to develop bench press? Can you suggest workouts for a school football player?

I have spare time on Wednesday and Friday. Besides, I can do some workouts at the weekend. So I’m looking forward to reading your suggestions on the workout program. Thanks a lot!

How to develop bench press? Can you suggest workouts for a school football player?

Question 2

Hi there!

There are few advices how to do bench press.
There are several important aspects to consider in order to get the desired result from training.

The width of the grip. To main load on the pectoral muscles, it is recommended to hold the barbell at a distance a little more than the width of the shoulders – the right grip while lying down. If the neck is taken very widely, then the target muscle will be worked out, and it will not be possible to load the chest well. In that case, if you hold the barbell with a narrow grip, then more triceps will work.

Amplitude. To increase muscle volume, it is best to work inside the amplitude, that is, at the highest point, do not fully extend the arms, leaving a small angle at the elbows. Lowering the neck, you should not put it on the chest, the coaches say that the correct bench is when there is only a couple of centimeters left before the body.

The trajectory of movement. At the beginning of the workout, the neck should be raised exclusively, observing the vertical trajectory. Such movements allow you to load the pectoral muscles, and there is a great opportunity to control everything. When a certain result is achieved, it is worth moving to a trajectory that implies a shift of the top point to the eye level.

Pace. Understanding how to perform bench press correctly, one cannot miss this important aspect of the exercise, on which the result depends. To reduce the risk of injury and enhance the effect, it is recommended to do everything smoothly without sudden movements. Another important point – lowering the bar is slower (2-3 seconds) than raising (1-2 seconds). At the top point, it is recommended to linger for a second, which will lead to maximum contraction of the pectoral muscles.

Breath. The correct bench press implies a sharp exhalation while lifting the rod and inhaling when it is lowering. Many novice athletes make a serious mistake and hold their breath during an exercise, which negatively affects the result.

Stuart Barnett · Answer · Published: January 6, 2019 | Modified: October 15, 2019

Hi there!

There are few advices how to do bench press.
There are several important aspects to consider in order to get the desired result from training.

The width of the grip. To main load on the pectoral muscles, it is recommended to hold the barbell at a distance a little more than the width of the shoulders – the right grip while lying down. If the neck is taken very widely, then the target muscle will be worked out, and it will not be possible to load the chest well. In that case, if you hold the barbell with a narrow grip, then more triceps will work.

Amplitude. To increase muscle volume, it is best to work inside the amplitude, that is, at the highest point, do not fully extend the arms, leaving a small angle at the elbows. Lowering the neck, you should not put it on the chest, the coaches say that the correct bench is when there is only a couple of centimeters left before the body.

The trajectory of movement. At the beginning of the workout, the neck should be raised exclusively, observing the vertical trajectory. Such movements allow you to load the pectoral muscles, and there is a great opportunity to control everything. When a certain result is achieved, it is worth moving to a trajectory that implies a shift of the top point to the eye level.

Pace. Understanding how to perform bench press correctly, one cannot miss this important aspect of the exercise, on which the result depends. To reduce the risk of injury and enhance the effect, it is recommended to do everything smoothly without sudden movements. Another important point – lowering the bar is slower (2-3 seconds) than raising (1-2 seconds). At the top point, it is recommended to linger for a second, which will lead to maximum contraction of the pectoral muscles.

Breath. The correct bench press implies a sharp exhalation while lifting the rod and inhaling when it is lowering. Many novice athletes make a serious mistake and hold their breath during an exercise, which negatively affects the result.

Question 3

Hello! It is a fascinating question. I think it will be useful also for other users of this site. Probably everyone has his or her favourite kind of sport. However, unfortunately, sometimes it is quite difficult to combine some workouts and team sports games.

To begin with, I would like to tell you that it is possible to play sports games (for example, basketball, football, volleyball, etc.) and to go to the gym. Yes! Some people say that it is difficult and even impossible. However, my brother is a school football player too, and he goes to the gym regularly.

First of all, I want you to know that it is not allowed for you to combine the hard workouts with playing football on the same day. You need to separate the days for football, and the days for workouts. Why? The answer is simple. It can lead to severe injuries. Everyone knows that all athletes want to be healthy. You should always remember that your body also needs some rest.

If you want to develop bench press you should always remember:

The weight of the barbell increases little by little;
It is forbidden to use open grasp due to a high degree of an injury risk;
It is required to determine the ideal width of the grip. The elbows are perpendicular.
It is impossible to bend your wrists too much when pressing.

Be sure this minimum list of requirements will protect you against injury during training.

If you are a beginner and have not chosen a program for bench press yet, I recommend doing the bench press twice a week. The first day is heavy and the second one is a light one. On the day of hard training, you do five sets of 5-6 reps. As a percentage, it is 70-80% of the maximum weight that you can lift at one time. On an easy day, you do three sets of 8-10 reps (50%).

Have excellent results and good luck!