How to strengthen your back muscles with just one exercise? The barbell bench press can help

Isolated exercises are a great option for those who want to better work a particular muscle at the end of a workout. They allow you to focus on a specific body part and load it additionally after performing basic exercises, as well as to eliminate the imbalance between strong and weaker muscles. Today we’ll go into detail about the lying barbell pull, how and why to perform it.

fitness trainer

“The bench press is suitable for training the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle, providing an opportunity to perform isolated exercises. The load on the spine is reduced due to the support on the bench, making this technique safe for people with injuries in this area.”

It is performed on a horizontal bench on which you need to lie belly down. Don’t confuse this exercise with the bench press, which is a basic exercise and is performed very differently from the pull-up. The basic movement is done with the help of the hands, and, in fact, it is similar to bending during the press. Only in our case, you need to pull the barbell from the bottom up to the abdomen, and to perform the press, the projectile should, on the contrary, be lifted up from the chest.

What muscles are working?

The exercise activates the broadest muscle of the back, rhomboid and trapezius muscles, posterior delta, large and small round muscles, as well as the biceps of the arm. The basic variation of the barbell bench press is performed on a horizontal bench mounted on plinths or stacks of pancakes. This expands the range of motion, and the pronated grip (palms facing backwards) allows you to activate the middle part of the back.

The main advantage of this exercise is that it can be performed even by those who have not yet had time to develop the strength of their muscles well, because the projectile with which you need to do the pull is a barbell, and you choose how many pancakes to hang on it. And, of course, the most important thing is the correct, qualitatively executed movement, which will allow you to load the muscles as it is supposed to.

How to perform barbell pulling lying down correctly?

Each exercise contains a lot of nuances. And only after familiarizing yourself with them, you will be able to correctly perform all the movements. Therefore, take the step-by-step technique, which we have described below, with the utmost seriousness. Carefully read and memorize it, so that when you come to the gym, be ready and confident.

Technique

• Place a horizontal bench on an elevated position.
• Load the barbell with the right amount of pancakes and place it under the bench.
• Lie on your stomach on the bench, grasping the bar with a medium grip. Raise your head, you can place your feet on the bench or spread them out and place them on the floor.
• Exhale, pulling your shoulders back and bringing your shoulder blades together.
• The elbows will go backwards and pull the barbell to the mid-abdominal area.
• As you inhale, return to the starting position, stretching the broadest muscles of the back.

As you realized, for this exercise you will need not only a bench and a barbell, but also additional pancakes or something else that you can put under the bench. So try to find everything you need for the exercise ahead of time so that you don’t have to wait too long for the equipment to become available. If you have trouble placing the bench on the pancakes, ask someone to help you.

Progression and variations of the barbell bench press

Evdokia Savochkina: To increase the difficulty of this exercise, you can use different variations, such as changing the angle of inclination of the bench, changing the grip, using different types of barbell (straight, “club”, hexagonal), or adding supersets with other back exercises. This allows you to create a variety of loads on the musculature, stimulating its growth and development.

Now let’s go over the bench incline again in order, starting with the bench incline. If you adjust it to the position of positive inclination, you will be able to give an additional load on the lower back and rear delts. And a wide grip will allow you to shift the load to the shoulder girdle muscles, while a narrow grip will mainly act on the broadest muscles. And don’t forget to try the supinated grip, with its help you will reduce the load on your wrists and you can even do a biceps-centered approach.

As for the bars, the most interesting one is probably the hexagonal one. It looks like a hexagon and athletes often perform deadlifts with it. It is even easier to work with this bar than with a regular one, it is safer for the back, and any beginner will understand how to work with it.

And finally, supersets. What are they? These are two exercises that are performed one after another without breaks. As a rule, the exercises are strong, and they are done in two or three approaches, between which you can take a breather.

Exercise recommendations

For added effectiveness of the exercise, it is recommended to control the movement and perform the exercise at a relaxed pace. It is also important to choose the appropriate weight of the barbell to maintain proper technique of the exercise.

Remember that an incorrectly selected weight will not allow you to perform the exercise correctly. So you need to either do it technically or not at all, don’t self-deceive. Too much weight will provoke jerks, connection of those muscles that should not work in this exercise. And the essence of pulling the barbell lying down is in the concentrated and calm work of certain muscles.

Common mistakes are also tearing the chest off the bench and working at the expense of the arm muscles. In the first case, you will overload the lower back and if not injured, at least not engage the back as it should. And if you try to perform the exercise using the strength of your arms, then you will also not give your back the load that this exercise implies.

Safety and cautions

Evdokia Savochkina: Before starting the exercise, it is necessary to warm up the muscles, stretch the shoulder girdle and back. It is also important to monitor the position of the body to avoid overloading the spine.

Be sure to warm up, this is the key to a successful workout. You will not only protect yourself from potential injuries, but also bring the muscles and the whole body into tone. And if you start training without warming up, you will definitely not perform at your best.

If you have injuries or back pain, it is recommended to consult a doctor before you start training. And do not even think of training through pain, you should wait until it passes completely.

Make sure that your back is in the correct position during the exercise and that the bench is firmly secured.