Bench Press 101 – CrossFit Downtown Heights Tampa, FL

Welcome to Bench Press 101. Here at CrossFit Downtown Heights in Tampa Florida we strive to not only be the strongest, but to move the best. All movement takes practice to become better, this is not lost on something as simple as the bench press. In CrossFit, Movement is key.

The Setup:

How you set up for a bench press is the foundation for achieving good reps and gaining strength in not only muscles, but joints and tendons as well. Always begin by sitting on the bench in a comfortable even position. Feet stay flat on the floor. Your head should rest just at the end of the bench giving your shoulders room to flex on either side. Elbows should always be tucked in to the rib cage. Your entire back should always be in contact with the bench.

The Press:

Before you begin always make sure you have a spotter and/or safety arms attached to the rig. Something to prevent the Barbell from crashing down on you in the case that you cannot lift the weight. In CrossFit we typically do bench by lifting the bar off the rack into a stacked position begin at your wrists and ending with active shoulders. Keeping you heels on the ground, drive the barbell vertically away from your body immediately after it touches the chest. The movement ends with locked out shoulders, arms, and wrists.

Thank you for reading Bench Press 101. Here at CrossFit Downtown Heights we strive to be the best gym/center in every aspect of fitness. We hope this article helped you on your own fitness journey. Always Sunny in Tampa Bay!!