Fitness Benefits of the Bench Press

In my post Anatomy of the Bench Press I was asked what the benefits were for this exercise. Powerlifters, Bodybuilders and many regular gym junkies will have a basic understanding of the benefits of including Bench Press in their training but for regular gym members who only want to get fit or stay healthy here are some of the reasons to consider including Bench Press as part of your training program.

Save Time in the Gym

In my Anatomy of the Bench Press post you can see that there a large number of muscles which are exercised all at the same time when bench pressing, If your time is limited at the gym you need to be able to get the most out of each exercise you choose. Three sets of Bench Press takes a lot less time to complete than three sets of Dumbbell Flys for Chest, three sets of Shoulder Press and Three sets of Tricep Push-downs.

Build Athletic Power

Power is a measure of fitness for many recreational and competitive athletes. Power is your ability to exert force, or strength, over a given distance as fast as possible. Bench press is one of the best ways to increase your upper-body strength for many different sports.

Weight Loss

The goal of many is to loose weight, but more specifically fat, Bench Press is a great muscle building exercise. When you build healthy lean muscle, it boosts metabolism which can in turn can lead to a reduction of body-fat if used in conjunction with a healthy diet.

Improve Bone Density

As we all age, bone density is reduced and the bones become fragile and easily broken,  It becomes important as we age to include strength training to slow or even reverse this loss of bone density. Including the bench press as one of your main upper-body exercises is a great way to maintain upper body bone density.

Reduce Bad Cholesterol

According to the American Council on Exercise. Regular weight training helps the body process sugar, leading to a reduced risk of diabetes. Resistance training exercises including  the Bench Press can lead to a reduction of “bad” cholesterol and an increase in “good” cholesterol levels for improvement in general health.

Disadvantages

As with any exercise there is always disadvantages, the disadvantage of Bench Press is that if the exercise is done incorrectly  with too much weight, excessive strain can be placed on the shoulders. It is therefore important to have a qualified coach or experienced personal trainer (not all personal trainers have Bench Press experience) check and correct your form when first learning to Bench.

And when you finished training take a look at How to reduce soreness after working out .