Bench Press - With Bands
How to do the Bench Press - With Bands
- 1
Using a flat bench secure a band under the leg of the bench that is nearest to your head.
- 2
Once the band is secure, grab it by both handles and lie down on the bench.
- 3
Extend your arms so that you are holding the band handles in front of you at shoulder width.
- 4
Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- 5
Bring down the handles slowly until your elbow forms a 90 degree angle. Keep full control at all times.
- 6
As you breathe out, bring the handles up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- 7
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
How to program the Bench Press - With Bands
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Bench Press - With Bands responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Bench Press - With Bands is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Secondary muscles worked
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Bench Press - With Bands work?
The Bench Press - With Bands primarily targets the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Bench Press - With Bands?
You need Bands. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Bench Press - With Bands should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
