The bench press is an excellent total body exercise, at least it's supposed to be. I often see folks ignoring the lower body, or purposely eliminating it, by raising the knees in the air. You're missing out on it's benefits when you do that. Here's a great exercise to help you get used to an active lower body during traditional bench press. This one forces you to engage your lower half, push into the ground, and translate that into moving the bar. In other words, get more bang for your buck!
Target Areas: chest/upper body with a special focus on active hips.
Uses: a warm-up on bench day, good for bench press beginners seeking better form, or as an upper body day pairing.
*Spread feet wide if trouble keeping them still.
**Always execute this with a partner for safe setup.
Try 1-5 sets of 8-15 reps.
#training #benchpress #strong
Like what you read?
Sign up now to get the latest tips and advice
Tim DiFrancesco, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and founder of TD Athletes Edge. He is nationally renowned for his evidence-based and scientific approach to fitness, training, nutrition, and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
For training and nutrition advice, follow us on:
• Twitter http://twitter.com/tdathletesedge
• Facebook http://www.facebook.com/tdathletesedge
• Instagram http://instagram.com/tdathletesedge
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/tdifranc1
• Sign up for our newsletter and follow our blog at http://www.tdathletesedge.com
