Bench press. Standards, technique for women

Not just for men, the bench press is one of the best exercises for developing upper body strength. This exercise is beneficial for women as well, as it tones the arms, shoulders, and chest.

Bench pressing safely and effectively requires proper technique, which must be understood. Women can maximize their workouts and prevent injuries by learning proper form.

The norms and variations for women in the bench press are useful to know, regardless of your level of experience in the gym or weightlifting. The fundamentals will be broken down in this guide so you can approach the bench with assurance.

Aspect	Description
Standards	For women, the bench press standards vary by weight class and experience level. Beginners may start with a lower weight, typically around 40-60% of their body weight. As they progress, they can aim to lift 80-100% of their body weight or more.
Technique	When bench pressing, it"s important to maintain proper form. Keep your feet flat on the floor, your back slightly arched, and your grip firm but comfortable. Lower the bar to your chest in a controlled motion and press it upward using your chest and arm muscles.
Breathing	Breathe in as you lower the bar and exhale as you press the weight back up. This helps maintain stability and strength throughout the lift.
Common Mistakes	Avoid bouncing the bar off your chest, flaring your elbows, or lifting your feet off the ground, as these can lead to injury or reduce effectiveness.

Benefits of the exercise

For young girls and mature women alike, the bench press from a laying position is a universal strength exercise that helps build the muscles of the chest and shoulder girdle. An indirect load is produced on the forearm, triceps, and wrist ligaments during this training. The technique an athlete employs when pushing the barbell out of their chest determines the standards for performing the bench press.

A bench press must be performed as part of the overall training regimen. One or two times a week, one should engage in shoulder girdle and pectoral muscle pumping exercises. Depending on the goal of the training, the level of physical activity on this musculoskeletal system varies. For girls who want to tone every muscle in their body and have a toned figure, bench pressing once every seven days is sufficient.

Exercises for the development of the back can be combined with training of the chest muscles. Girls who practice weightlifting, martial arts, or who wish to focus solely on building their shoulder girdle and chest muscles should press a barbell at least twice a week. Simultaneously, the general training course either completely excludes or drastically reduces exercises for other skeletal muscle segments.

Bench pressing is essential for developing muscle tissue in the musculoskeletal system because it enables you to accomplish the following:

• strengthen and increase the volume of muscles that are responsible for the mobility of the shoulder girdle, the tightness and elasticity of the chest (deltoid and pectoralis major muscle);
• make the top of the back wider;
• prevent sagging of the back of the arms due to constant training of the triceps (this muscle is directly involved in the implementation of movements to push the barbell over the chest);
• give the biceps a more rounded shape, which makes the arms more aesthetically attractive, signs of flabbiness are eliminated;
• maintain the tone of all the muscles of the upper body;
• improve the synchronous work of the muscle tissues of the body.

Girls who train in barbell bench press have beautiful bodies with proportionately developed chest muscles in the front and back. Upper body muscle deficiency results from skipping this exercise.

Women can gain from the bench press, an efficient strength-building exercise, by strengthening their upper bodies, improving their posture, and increasing their general fitness. Achieving optimal results and preventing injuries requires proper technique, and being aware of standard weight goals establishes reasonable progression benchmarks. Learning this exercise can be a crucial component of a well-rounded fitness regimen for women, regardless of experience level or desire to enhance form.

Types of exercises

Bench press: This exercise is done on a level floor, horizontal bench, or an inclined bench (requirements vary for athletes in different weight categories). This exercise comes in a variety of forms that you can perform on your own at home or at the gym.

Classic bench press

This exercise’s traditional form has you using athletic equipment on a horizontal bench that is perfectly flat. The bar is secured with unique hooks. You can develop your pectoral muscles uniformly and strengthen your deltoids, triceps, and shoulder girdle with the classic bench press.

This is the exercise that all new athletes start with, and more seasoned athletes use it frequently as well. When it comes to the lowest risk of straining the spine, shoulder joints, or upper limbs, the traditional bench press is the most effective.

Reverse grip

There is a horizontal bench used for this exercise as well. The grip is in the opposite direction when fixing the hands on the bar’s surface, which is the only difference. Although it’s not advised for novice athletes, this kind of bench press works the entire front portion of the chest.

The fact that an increased load is placed on the deltoid muscles and wrist connective tissue when pushing the barbell from the chest with a reverse grip explains the exercise’s limitations. Young girls who are just beginning to play sports run the risk of suffering a serious wrist sprain.

With a back arch

For faster muscle growth, pushing the barbell from the chest while simultaneously arching your back is a challenging exercise that works your muscles. This kind of training is done on an inclined or horizontal bench. Because the girl must arch her spine in the lumbar and thoracic regions when pushing the barbell, this places additional strain on her muscles.

To avoid back injuries, it is advised that this exercise be done under the supervision of a trainer or fitness instructor.

With legs raised up

Girls who wish to push the barbell for the fewest repetitions possible without sacrificing the effectiveness of their workout are advised to use this kind of exercise. The primary distinction between a horizontal bench and a bench press with legs raised is that the athlete’s lower limb feet are on the bench’s surface. This exercise is done on a bench with a standard grip.

The benefit of doing this exercise is that it works the triceps and chest muscles more effectively.

Using rubber or chains

You can increase the volume of muscle mass in the chest, shoulder girdle, and back of the arms by using rubber bands or chains during the bench press exercise. In addition, the girl gains proficiency with handling athletic equipment by learning how to "finish off" the bar when she raises it above her head.

Because the rubber bands’ resistance force diminishes as the bar gets closer to the chest, the strain on the muscles lessens. The girl must exert all of her physical strength when the sports equipment is lifted up for the next time.

On the floor

This kind of chest bench press is thought to be the easiest and most accessible for self-training. The girl does not have to use an inclined or horizontal bench or go to the gym. A room with plenty of open space and a perfectly level floor are sufficient to organize the training process.

Engaging in this exercise has the benefit of strengthening the upper chest and triceps more effectively.

Using the Smith machine

This particular exercise is thought to be more beneficial for building the muscles in the middle of the chest. From a technical standpoint, this kind of bench press is similar to the traditional push-the-barbell exercise performed over the chest. The Smith machine’s metal guides, on the other hand, stabilize the bar’s movement along a predetermined trajectory. The girl directs her physical strength and energy toward muscle training instead of using them to maintain equilibrium and body balance.

Narrow grip

A horizontal or incline bench is used for the narrow grip bench press. This kind of training aims to maximally load the triceps and shoulder girdle muscles while concurrently strengthening the middle region of the pectoral muscles. The athlete should place their hands as close to one another as possible on the bar when executing this exercise.

French

One characteristic that sets the French bench press apart is the use of a sports equipment bar that has a curved W-shape.

Girls who wish to increase the strength of their triceps, strengthen their chest muscles, and enhance the functionality of their shoulder joints use this kind of training.

Bent down

An inclined bench is used to perform a bench press with an incline down. The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the lower pectoral muscles. This kind of bench press is regarded as technically challenging since the girl’s body is angled when she pushes the barbell. Here, the legs are extended higher.

The following are reasons not to perform the downward incline barbell press:

• increased intraocular pressure;
• heart and cerebral vascular diseases;
• unstable blood pressure.

Numerous blood vessels in the upper chest, neck, and brain tissue are immediately targeted during the downward incline barbell press.

With an upward incline

With this kind of exercise, the girl’s body is supposed to be positioned with her head up on an inclined bench. In this instance, the press bench has a 45-degree inclination.

With this kind of training, you can strengthen your upper pectoral muscles and put more strain on your triceps and shoulder girdle.

Standards

Bench press: This exercise can be done with large or small weights, depending on the athlete’s constitution.

The following table outlines the minimum requirements for lifting this sports equipment by women, accounting for their overall body weight:

Weight of the girl	Master of Sports of International Class	Master of Sports	Candidate for Master of Sports	1st category	2nd category	3rd category
44 kg	55 kg	47.5 kg	40 kg	37.5 kg	32.5 kg	27.5 kg
48 kg	60 ​​kg	52.5 kg	45 kg	40 kg	37.5 kg	32.5 kg
52 kg	67.5 kg	57.5 kg	50 kg	45 kg	40 kg	35 kg
56 kg	72.5 kg	62.5 kg	55 kg	47.5 kg	42.5 kg	37.5 kg
60 ​​kg	77.5 kg	67.5 kg	57.5 kg	52.5 kg	47.5 kg	40 kg
67.5 kg	85 kg	75 kg	65 kg	57.5 kg	52.5 kg	45 kg
75 kg	92.5 kg	80 kg	70 kg	62.5 kg	57.5 kg	47.5 kg
82.5 kg	97.5 kg	85 kg	75 kg	67.5 kg	60 ​​kg	52.5 kg
90 kg	102.5 kg	90 kg	77.5 kg	70 kg	62.5 kg	55 kg
90+ kg	107.5 kg	92.5 kg	80 kg	72.5 kg	65 kg	57.5 kg

The aforementioned requirements allow women who are not seasoned athletes to perform the traditional bench press. Athletes who do not take steroid hormones or other medications that increase physical strength, endurance, or energy can use these indicators.

Implementation techniques

The bench press is lying; standards are used to track individual athletic accomplishments independently. This is a challenging exercise that must be performed in accordance with the technical requirements. Otherwise, there will be no benefit from muscle training.

Reverse grip

In order to complete this bench press, you must adhere to the following sequence of steps:

1. Lie on a horizontal bench.
2. Place your hands on the surface of the neck at the level of the shoulders so that the grip of the brush is turned with palms to the face.
3. Remove the bar with hooks on inspiration and bring to the surface of the chest.
4. Exhaustly squeeze out a sports shell from the chest.

It is important to use both the right and left limbs to control the wrist condition while performing this exercise. If this area of the hand experiences a sharp or aching pain, you should stop training.

With an arched back

You must perform the following actions in order to use this technique for strengthening your chest muscles:

1. Lie down on a horizontal bench.
2. Place your hands on the barbell with a normal grip at shoulder level.
3. Bend your back in the thoracic and lumbar spine so that only your shoulder blades, the back of your head and buttocks touch the surface of the bench.
4. As you inhale, lower the barbell to the surface of your chest.
5. As you exhale, lift the sports equipment up.

It is crucial that a fitness instructor or weightlifting coach watches how this exercise is done from the side. Beneath press improper deflection can result in a potentially fatal back injury.

Classic

To execute the traditional bench press, you need to adhere to these guidelines:

1. Lie down on a horizontal bench.
2. Place your hands on the surface of the bar with a normal grip at shoulder level.
3. As you inhale, remove the barbell from the fixing hooks, and then lower it onto the chest.
4. As you exhale, push the sports equipment forward, raising it until your arms are fully extended at the elbow joints.

When performing the classic bench press on a horizontal bench, girls should use sports equipment that does not weigh more than 60% of their body weight. This is the ideal working weight to build muscle in the chest with the least amount of risk of injury.

With your legs raised up

To complete this exercise, you must adhere to the following sequence of steps:

1. Lie down on a horizontal bench.
2. Place your hands on the surface of the bar with a normal grip at shoulder girdle level.
3. Bend your legs at the knees and fix your feet on the edge of the bench.
4. As you inhale, lower the barbell to your chest.
5. As you exhale, return the sports equipment to its original position.

Make sure the sports shoe’s sole is firmly in contact with the bench before beginning this exercise to prevent it from slipping or sliding to the sides. If not, you run the risk of losing your balance and falling off the bench.

On the floor

In order to conduct this kind of training, you must do the following:

1. Lie down on a perfectly flat floor with a hard surface.
2. Take the barbell in your hands.
3. As you inhale, lower the sports equipment to the surface of the chest until your elbows touch the floor.
4. As you exhale, straighten your upper limbs, lifting the barbell up.

It is not advised to use heavy weights when doing a floor bench press because there is a genuine chance that you could get crushed by the barbell. particularly if the training is done alone, at home, without the assistance of a trainer or instructor.

With a downward slope

In order to complete this exercise, the girl must adhere to the following sequence of steps:

1. Lie on your back on an inclined bench to pump up the lower part of the chest.
2. Place your hands on the surface of the bar at shoulder level.
3. While inhaling, smoothly lower the barbell to the lower part of the chest.
4. As you exhale, press the sports equipment upward.

It is important to keep an eye on your blood pressure, heart rate, and overall health while doing this exercise. You must get medical attention right away if you experience dizziness, lose your motor coordination, or become confused.

With an upward slope

You must adhere to the following guidelines in order to perform this kind of bench press:

1. Lie down on a bench with an upward slope.
2. Place your hands on the surface of the barbell at shoulder level.
3. As you inhale, remove the sports equipment from the fixing hooks, lowering it to the chest.
4. As you exhale, lift the barbell upward.

Training on an incline bench at a 45-degree angle necessitates the use of larger weights compared to a traditional horizontal bench. The weight of the sporting goods should be increased by ten to fifteen kg on average. A fundamental exercise that is required for girls enrolled in general training programs who wish to gain muscle mass, tone their bodies, and enhance their appearance is the bench press.

The working weight of this sporting goods is chosen on an individual basis based on the athlete’s physical capabilities. Girls in different weight categories have different benchmarks for their bench presses. Aim to train your chest muscles 1-2 times a week using a barbell, and make sure you follow the proper form for each exercise.

Women can safely benefit from the bench press exercise, which is excellent for strengthening upper body muscles when done with proper form. Gradually increasing the weight while maintaining form and starting with smaller weights helps avoid injuries.

It is imperative to bear in mind that the strength levels of individuals vary. While following the rules can be helpful, it’s important to pay attention to your body and move at your own pace. Gradual consistency will produce observable gains.

The bench press is a fantastic exercise to include in your routine whether your goal is to gain strength or fitness. Remain calm, use the right form, and relish the development!

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