Of all the weightlifting exercises the bench press is undisputedly the best. But in order to avoid injuries and ensure maximum muscle gains you must know proper bench press technique. It is crucial to know the proper technique and below is a list some tips you can follow.
It is important that you keep your shoulders back when doing bench press. Make sure your shoulder girdle is always in a retracted position. Practice this position until you have mastered it. This position will make you do powerful bench press in a safe way. Another bench press technique is to keep your feet planted on the floor. Your feet should not move around to give you better balance. In stabilizing the body during a bench, the feet play a major role in doing so. Later on you will learn to push with your feet when lifting heavier weights.
Though doing a bench press mostly requires your physical ability, you must be mentally tough as well. Try to psych yourself that you will be able to complete the lift successfully. Try to imagine that you are already lifting and feeling the weight in your arms and chest. By doing so you are preparing your body to what you are about to do.
You should also try to find the right grip. Try to find out if you are comfortable with narrow or wider grip. After that you should work on your weak areas. Doing a bench press involves two motions to complete. Pushing the weight upward and bringing it down. If you find difficulty in a certain phase you should focus on the phase immediately. And finally, do not forget to warm up first before lifting. It is not a good idea to jump right into an attempt without warming up beforehand.
These are the few things you should remember to achieve the proper bench press technique. Your success greatly depends on your mastery of these things.