I’m not
sure how many of you have seen this Facebook Page: Yeah, She Benches. It shows
you pictures of half naked Fitness Models and wants to animate women to start
going to the gym to get nice, round boobies. For the curious of you,
here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/YeahSheBenches?hc_location=stream
However,
everyone who has eyes in their head and uses their brain more than just for
breathing will be able to see that those boobies are not exactly real. Most
Fitness Models (and please correct me if I’m wrong) get implants, because
their body fat percentage has dropped so low that their boobs turn into
packs. I think in that situation it is actually fair enough to get surgery,
because otherwise you don’t really look like a woman anymore. What I do not
agree with, however, is the image pages like this put into girls’ heads. Your
boobs will not look like that, even if you do Bench press every day of the week.
They will not grow and they will not perk up with a 90° angle. Please don’t be
fooled and don’t be disappointed if your natural, soft, bouncy, comfortable
boobies do not look like this.
Nevertheless,
Bench press is a worthwhile exercise that you should definitely include into
your training plan. Like squats, it is a compound movement, which works out
your arms (bicep and a bit of triceps), shoulders, chest, upper back, a bit core. Doing this exercise has many benefits, and I do think that
my boobs look perkier after I started working out my chest (unfortunately they have NOT grown). So I decided to
walk you through the exercise and help you get it right without injury.
When you do
Bench press, try to have someone around that can spot you. Either bring a
friend, or make a friend at the gym (this is a GREAT conversation starter at
the gym: “Hi, I’m Anna. I was wondering if you could help me with Bench press. I
need someone to spot me.”) It happened to me before that I got trapped. My arms
didn’t have enough power left to complete the last set, and I was lying under
this 35 kg (don’t laugh) heavy bar and I could barely move. Fortunately, the
bar is light enough to role it down my body without getting hurt, and there was
also a guy lifting it off me. However, if you start benching more weight, this
could get quite painful. So get a helping hand.
1. Position yourself on the bench.
Make sure
your body is straight and exactly in the middle of the bar. That way you are
able to better balance the bar. Grab the bar with your hands. Make sure they
are both the same distance away from the middle. Usually, there are marks or
stripes on the bar which can help you to align your fingers. You can chose
between a close and a wide grip. The wider the grip, the more you use your back
muscles. A closer grip uses more of your biceps and triceps muscle to move the
bar. I usually try to position my hands somewhere in the middle (yes, I’m a
fence-sitter) so make sure I work out arms, chest and back. When you are ready,
lift the bar from its stand and with straight arms hold it on top of your
chest. (I know, it looks like there is a huge jungle growing under my arms - I promise it is just a shadow...)
2. Performing the Exercise
Keeping
your arms on the same height, slowly lower the bar towards your chest. Try not
to stick out your elbows. Make sure the bar stays on top of your chest; do not
lift it above your face. When the bar touches your chest, lift it up again,
always putting in the same effort with both arms in order to keep the bar
straight. Repeat these movements and voila (!) – you are benching!
3. Positioning
The next
two pictures show the movement from the side. Tuck your feet in a little. That
enables you to use your lower body to also push a little if your upper body
fails to complete the movement. Pay attention to where the bar is – always above
your chest (you want to get those boobies working).
4. Alternative Positioning
The other
day, a staff at the gym (her name was Anna, too – it must have been fate)
showed me a different way of doing Bench press, and I think I actually prefer
it. In this method, you put your feet up the bench, and stick your knees up in
the air. Slightly lift your ass and lower back up to create some space between
you and the bench (you don’t have to lift it as high as I did in the photo – I exaggerated
a little). Perform the exercise as described before. If you do the movement
now, you have a wider range with your back muscles, which makes it easier to
move the bar. This way you work out your back a little more, and you are more
likely to be able to lift the weight. However, I would first try Benchpress
with your whole body on the bench, because you first have to find your balance
etc. If your body is lifted off the bench, balancing becomes more of a
challenge.
I usually do 3 sets, 8 reps of benchpress. I am convinced that these kind of exercises are harder for women than for men, because our chest muscles have a different structure (same with pull-ups and push-ups). But maybe that is just an excuse. At the moment I can bench between 30-35 kg, depending on the day and my mood. I have seen girls who can do a lot more, but please be careful with the weight, there is always the possibility that you accidently drop it on your face.
Now you are
one step closer to perky boobs! If you feel uncomfortable with the bar, try
Dumbbell Benchpress first. It works the same way, but you don’t have to balance
the weight as much, and you can train up your arms to be able to lift more
weight. Ease yourself into the exercise. For professional help and advise,
I hope
these posts really help you getting more comfortable with more complex and
scary looking exercises. Once you get started with weights, it’s like an
addiction – you can’t stop. You also feel super cool, because in the gym you
are now playing with the big boys. The other day I was walking through the
Meadows (a really nice park in the beautiful city of Edinburgh), and a PR
person from another gym approached me, handing me a flyer with their deals and
opening times. He also added that they have really good Zumba and Dancing
Classes. I looked at him, smiling, thinking “Yeah, I lift. Yeah, I bench.”
Anna Buchmann
[email protected]
http://www.ProFitnessPlans.com
[email protected]
http://www.ProFitnessPlans.com
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