Football is by far the most popular sport in the world. This is in terms of players and fans and everyone wants to become the next Christiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. However, looking at Ronaldo, you can see someone dedicated to training and putting in a lot of hard work. But the aid of a workout belt is often a great addition when doing tough exercises like the bench press.
For most sports, the bench press is a great exercise and it builds upper body strength. However, football is mostly played with the feet and not the upper body. Well, this is what most people think until rubbing shoulders with a top defender.
The bench press is great for football, especially in the box where players rub their shoulders and it gives you the upper body strength to move others out of the way. So, let's look at the benefits of bench pressing for football players.
Upper Body Strength Is Important In Football
The upper body does not take the brunt of the force when running around the pitch. However, when a player has the ball, they are rubbing shoulders with defenders and each is trying to knock the other off balance.
By integrating the bench press, you will significantly strengthen your upper body and this makes it possible to push other players off the ball. This is possible when defending and attacking. However, it works best inside the box where players constantly trip over each other from set-piece plays.
The Intimidation Factor
Have you ever seen a big player on the pitch, knowing that it is better to avoid bumping into them? Well, having big upper body muscles is a great way to intimidate your opponents and allow you to beat them simply by this method.
When someone tries to steal the ball from you or you are trying to steal the ball, being bigger and stronger will be intimidating. When someone notices this level of intimidation, they are likely to be mentally weakened, which should make it much easier to get your hands on the ball.
Fortunately, the bench press is one of the best exercises to increase upper body strength. Not only does it increase strength, but you will notice an increase in size. Intimidation has always been a part of sport and there is a reason why players do not enjoy going toe-to-toe with someone like Virgil Van Dijk on the pitch.
Defending The Ball
A soccer player needs chest muscles to shield the ball away from opponents. You have probably seen that when players waste time or try to hold up the ball for another player to get into position. To do this, you can rely on the skills you have with the ball at your feet, but having a bigger upper body makes shielding that much easier.
For this reason, football players tend to significantly improve their upper body strength, which makes it possible to shield the ball more efficiently. If someone doesn’t match your upper body size and strength, they are in a position where it could be impossible to get the ball off you.
Bench Pressing Targets Numerous Muscles
Another significant benefit to bench pressing is that it is considered a compound exercise. This means that it targets multiple muscles at the same time and can make it easy for athletes to save time in the gym. The Bench Press can target most of the upper body and depending on the variations, it will slightly change the muscles targeted the most.
Since it is a time-saver exercise that hits numerous birds with a single stone, it is a great option to have in your workout routine. It also targets one of
the bigger muscle groups in the chest, which is always great for the release of testosterone and building up your body.
It Contributes To A Well-Rounded Physique
Another thing many footballers chase is simply looking good. Many players have earned themselves incredibly lucrative endorsement deals through their image. The bench press is one of the best exercises for the upper body and as we mentioned, it does target a variety of secondary muscles.
Even if you focus heavily on the squat and your routine revolves around strengthening the legs, the bench press will give you a well-rounded physique that makes you look and feel great on the pitch. Bench pressing also boosts the confidence of many players and this is something you could use to your advantage.
Conclusion
In essence, bench pressing is a great way to become a fully-rounded football player. Once you master the skill, and add it into your workout, you will notice just how much you change on the pitch, especially when it comes to strength. However, some might suggest football players should not perform the bench press. We would love to see some of your thoughts in the comments on whether bench pressing is good.
Meta: Finding the answer to whether is bench press good for football or not.
