The Bench Press. The King the of Jungle when it comes to lifting weights, right? Well, in my humble opinion that title belongs to the squat, but there really is one question that rules them all when it comes to exercising your manliness... "How much do you bench, bro?"

The bench press really is a great lift, however, it's not for everyone. If you have a serious shoulder/elbow injury, if you're an overhead athlete, if you're incredibly kyphotic, it may be in your best interest to avoid the lift and the prioritize pulling movements for a while. But, if you can bench, bench away!

The bench press allows for heavy weights, progressive overload, and will gain you a ton of respect with the bros of the world if you can put up some serious numbers. It's a compound, multi-joint movement that will increase anabolic hormone release, improve bone density, put some hair on your chest, and strengthen, not only your muscles, but your ligaments and tendons too!

One of the excuses I typically hear for not bench pressing is "Well, I don't have a spotter." 1. You should never attempt a weight that you know you can't lift. It's dangerous, stupid, and will lead to no gainz. Remember, the weight room is for building strength, not testing it. 2. There's a very simple fix if you do find yourself in a hairy situation.

You don't want to end up looking like this....

Instead try this. It's a little tip I picked up from the man, the myth, the legend, Jonnie Candito.

See you next time!