The barbell guided bench press is a variant of the traditional bench press to build up the pectoral muscles which is carried out thanks to a guided frame what has the advantage of securing the movement and consequently of limiting the injuries. This exercise of body-building allows a better concentration on the work of the pectoral muscles, and to work heavy and/or with the failure without the assistance of a partner thus ideal to gain mass. On the other hand, because the movement is guided, the stabilizing muscles are less solicited and it can be not appropriate for everyone according to the various morphologies.
How do you do the exercise?
Initial position: Place an inclined bench under the guided bar. After having loaded the bar with the desired weight, take hold of the guided bar with spacing of the hands slightly higher than that of the shoulders and the back, the glutei, the shoulders and the head must be plated against the bench, the feet on the ground or at the end of the bench not to dig the back, the rib cage extended to the maximum to be able to work the pectoral ones in an optimal way.
Control the descent of the guided bar to your chest and then return to the starting position by pushing the bar to full amplitude without locking the elbows. Repeat until the end of the series then lock the bar again.
CAUTION: In case of difficulty you can lock the bar on the guide frame by swivelling your wrists forward to avoid getting stuck under the bar. Depending on your morphology, going down too low can be painful so don't insist and reduce the amplitude of the movement.
Tips
- If you are afraid of digging into your lower back without control you can add a step to place your feet on or put your feet at the end of the bench.
- Keep your shoulders flat against the bench, shoulder blades tight to focus on the pectoral muscles.
- Don't hesitate to work heavy, with maximum loads or in declining balance while taking advantage of the safety of the guide frame.
- Avoid locking the elbows at the end of the movement in order to keep a continuous tension for an optimal muscle growth.
Variants
- One can vary the grips in order to solicit differently the pectoral muscles: broad to solicit the external part of the pectoral muscles or in tight grip for the internal part and clavicular beam and the triceps.
- The inclination of the bench can be varied to emphasize the lower pectoral muscles (declined) or the upper part (inclined) or with even more inclination (anterior deltoids).
- Other variations: with a bench press, guided bar or free bar or exercises with dumbbells, inclined or declined.
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