Resumen
Bodybuilding training professionals and users who use bench press (BP) should be aware of the implication in choosing another exercise, either to improve muscle activation or to maintain activation levels while seeking another parallel objective. Depending on the grip, we emphasize that a wide grip will have a greater involvement of the pectoralis major in both portions, but should not exceed a width of 200% biacromial distance (BAD) due to increased risk of injury. Otherwise, in the decline of the bench angle, the decrease in the clavicular portion should be considered, as opposed to an increase in the sternal portion. On the contrary, in the inclination there is a decrease in the sternal portion without having a difference in the clavicular compared to the horizontal portion. In addition, the increase in instability in the BP causes a decrease in the intensity of the load that can be moved, reducing the electromyography activity (EMG) of the pectoralis major, although it can be observed that some of these exercises have an application with different objectives due to the fact that they have a greater influence on other muscle groups with a stabilizing function. Focusing on other types of exercises, BP is the one that most involves the pectoralis major. However, other exercises such as push-ups are more accessible and obtain a similar activation when exposed to the same relative load, although it is difficult to increase the load during the exercise. Therefore, the results of our meta-analysis reflect the appropriateness of the BP for safety and efficiency.