The head-down press is a popular exercise that is part of the training programs of many athletes. Learn the features of the barbell press upside down. By far, the classic horizontal bench press is one of the most popular bodybuilding exercises. To be convinced of this, it is enough to pay attention to the bench in the gym. She is almost always busy. At the same time, many athletes also perform the barbell press upside down, although there are fewer fans of this exercise.
Incline press involves different placement of the head in relation to the legs. For example, if the head is located below the legs, then the main load when performing the movement falls on the lower pectoral muscles. It must be said that the pectoralis major muscle consists of two sections - the upper and lower. The upper one is called the clavicular head, and the lower one is called the sternal head.
Both departments are involved when the arm is raised above the midline. Incline press perfectly pumps the lower pectoral muscle. The most effective angle of inclination of the bench is 20-45 degrees. In addition, the triceps and the front of the delta are involved in the work. It should also be said that the narrower the grip when performing the movement, the greater the load on the triceps.
Benefits of the barbell press upside down
Performing a barbell press upside down, the athlete gains the following benefits:
- Using different angles of inclination of the bench, you can pump each segment of the pectoralis major muscle;
- Girls can, thanks to exercise, tighten the bottom of the neckline and raise the bust;
- The incline press is very effective for overcoming stagnation in the classic press;
- The activity of the lower part of the pectoral muscle increases and, in parallel, the load on the auxiliary muscles decreases;
- There is a transfer of load from the anterior deltas to the pectoral muscles;
- Due to the decrease in activity when performing the movement of the shoulder girdle, the likelihood of injury to the shoulder joints decreases;
- Part of the load is removed from the lower back.
Press technique
Any barbell press is a difficult enough coordination movement. When using an incline bench, the exercise becomes even more difficult from a technical point of view. Thus, it is necessary to master the technique well, which will now be discussed.
Stage 1
Prepare the bench for the movement by setting the incline angle you want. With the barbell ready, place yourself under the equipment with your legs secured in the bolsters. The grip is shoulder-width apart. After removing the projectile from the rack, place it over the bottom of the pectoral muscles, while making sure that your arms are perpendicular to the ground. This should be the starting position.
Stage 2
Inhale and lower the sports equipment down. When it reaches the chest, lightly touching it, press the projectile upward powerfully, exhaling at the same time.
Stage 3
Repeat the movement the required number of times.
Secrets of doing the press upside down
As with almost any exercise, there are secrets when doing the barbell press upside down, knowing which you can significantly increase efficiency.
- Squeeze your chest when the projectile is at the top of the trajectory, and hold the tension for two counts;
- The sports equipment should move exclusively in the vertical direction and all kinds of "wobbling" of the bar should be excluded;
- It is necessary to lower the bar twice as long as you perform an upward movement;
- A beginner athlete should enlist the help of a friend or use a Smith machine;
- You can not beat off the projectile with your chest;
- Before pressing, adjust the bench so that the barbell falls to the border of the lower chest muscles;
- Try to use the full range of motion;
- When performing a barbell press upside down, you should observe the position of the elbow joints, which should be pulled apart;
- When the sports equipment passes the most difficult point of its trajectory, a strong exhalation should be made. Thanks to this technique, the blood pressure in the head will decrease;
- If your blood pressure differs from normal, then it is better not to use the barbell press upside down in your training program.
Bench press options
It should be noted that this exercise can have a lot of options. The most popular are the following:
- Dumbbell bench press at an angle down;
- Bench press at different angles;
- Bench press at different angles using the Smith machine.
I would also like to talk about the results of one study conducted five years ago. Scientists decided to determine the effectiveness of the bench press. As a result, the downward bend press has been proven to develop chest muscles better. Thus, it can be argued that athletes who want to actively develop the clavicular region need to adopt an upward angle press.
Another rather interesting study was carried out using electromyography. With its help, it was proved that when performing a barbell press upside down, all the load falls on the pectoral muscles. This allows you to almost double the neuromuscular stimulation in comparison with the classic horizontal press.
While the scientific evidence is good, the working weight is just as important. Everyone knows that the more load an athlete uses, the more noticeable the weight gain will be. When performing an incline press down, a person is able to use 10-15% more weight than with horizontal presses.
This can be explained by three facts:
- According to the data obtained through the use of EMG, when performing an incline press down, a greater number of muscle fibers are involved in the work, which allows you to develop more effort;
- The body is positioned so that most of the shoulder joints perform adduction, which allows you to shift the load from the anterior deltas and triceps to the lats. The lats are known to be superior in strength to the triceps and deltas;
- Since the amplitude of movement of the sports equipment is less in comparison with the classic bench press, it is much easier to move the weight to a shorter distance.
Summing up, we can say that the barbell press upside down may be better than the classic one for the development of chest muscles.
You can familiarize yourself with the technique for performing this exercise in this video:
