Bench Press

For many guys, there is no more classical test of strength than bench pressing a weight. Although bench presses are used by everyone, they have a sort of unique meaning among athletic man. Among serious weightlifters, the question “what you bench?” Is almost a refrain. Yet weight training is more than learning how to lift the biggest barbell. Everyone who is serious about exercising and physical health can benefit from using free weights. Having a weight bench is almost a necessity if you really want to keep your body tuned and in tip top shape.

When I did my first bench press, I was in Junior High, and I definitely had something to prove. I had a gym class and, although I was large, I was not a a jock. I was actually rather physically awkward, if you want to know the truth. The bench press gave me a place to really test myself, and show the other boys what I could do. At first, I was not very good at lifting, but soon I was really taking off. It was only a matter of time until I was tough. I was starting to look good too, and the girls were really starting to notice.

At the time, I did the bench press simply because it was what we were supposed to do. I did not know all of the benefits of doing the free weight exercises. Free weights give you a much better workout than do machines. You have to stabilize the weights while you are moving them, and this makes you develop more strength than simply having to push the bar forward in a line like with a machine. You will get stronger, faster, and look better doing it.

Nonetheless, with all of its advantages, the bench press does have some things about it that require caution. It can be quite a dangerous exercise if you do not really know what you are doing. You need to make sure to have a spotter at all times. After all, if you are using a nautilus machine and you can not complete the lift, it will not matter. You can simply get up from under the machine and move the pin to a level where you can handle it. If you are using a bench press, however, and you can’t lift the barbell off of your chest, it can literally crush you. So, when working out with barbells, hand weights, or other kinds of free lifting exercises, always be careful.