Bench Press: Common Mistakes

The bench press seems a simple enough exercise, but many people are doing it incorrectly. A common mistake is letting the bar touch your chest with your elbows too far back. Another mistake is lifting your butt off the bench. If you have to lift your buttocks, the weight is too heavy and you’ll likely injure yourself. It’s better to have correct form by keeping your triceps parallel to the floor; lighten the load, and do more reps or timed sets. Play this video of Frog’s fitness trainer Bobby Cox to see the proper form of this workout. The movement should always be slower on the eccentric (lowering of the bar), and forceful and faster as you push the bar up.