Increase Your Bench Press

A Tip to Increase Your Bench Press - Mass Secrets

2006-04-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

One easy way to increase your bench press is to increase your bodyweight. As your bodyweight increases, you'll find your ability to lift heavier weights also increases as well.

So if you're stuck at a bench press plateau, try increasing your body mass either by eating more, or changing your training style a bit or both.

If you don't know how to do this, check out this webpage on mass building secrets - they work even for hardgainers.

Use Bench Press Chains to Increase Your Bench Press

2006-03-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Using chains in your bench press can help you develop power through the upper portion of your bench press.

What happens in this excercise is this: Chains are draped over each end of the barbell bar, with 3+ feet of the chain resting on the ground.

As you unrack the weight and lower it, the chain begins to pile up on the floor the lower down the bar gets, making it lighter. Then, as you reverse and start pushing the weight away from your chest, more chain is lifted off the ground, making it harder to lift through the upper portion of the lift.

As you can see, using bench press chains can help you develop power through the "top end" of the bench press lift.

Sqauts - A Big Help to Get a Big Bench

2006-03-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Squats actually help you bench more weight. No, really.

It's true because squats strengthen your body's core, hitting almost all of the major muscles in your body, which increases overall muscle size, causes an increase in testosterone development, and strengthens supporting muscles that will help you increase your bench press.

As you are able to lift more weight in your squats, you'll notice that you'll suddenly be able to bench more as well.

I bet you no one ever told you that about squats before, did they?

The Dumbell Bench Press

2006-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

The dumbell bench press can be a very effective excercise to use when you are trying to increase your max bench press, as it allows you to target the muscles used in a traditional bench press through a full range of motion.

Using dumbells in a bench press motion strengthens the supporting muscles that are involved in developing your bench press to its maximum potential.

More Rest = Bigger Bench

2006-02-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are unable to perform at a peak level of performance due to overtraining and a general lack of rest.

Scale back on all of your other activities, and make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night and watch your max bench press soar as a result.

Looking for some Inspiration to Help Increase Your Bench Press?

2006-02-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

If your training has hit the wall, and you need a bit of a jump start, some inspiration to keep going, you should check out the video of scott mendelson bench pressing over 1000 pounds - it's crazy.

You can see the video by following the link found at http://www.maxbenchpress.com, and clicking on the 1000 pound bench press article link on their home page.

Watch Your Grip to Increase Your Bench Press

2006-02-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

When doing bench presses, the way you hold the bar is extremely important, as the grip you have on the bar determines which muscles are mainly being used to lift the weight.

For example, if you use a wide grip for your bench presses, you will end up using more of your pec muscles to lift the weight than if your grip was closer together (which causes your triceps to lift most of the weight).

The optimal grip for strength ultimately depends on the individual, but most prefer a wider than shoulder width grip, and keeping your elbows tucked into your sides as you lift.

The Close Grip Bench Press - A Key to Increasing Your Bench Press

2006-01-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

The close grip bench press is a critical excercise to do when training for a max bench press, as it puts a lot of stress on your triceps, deltoids and your pecs.

As it primarily stresses your triceps, you will be able to drastically increase your one rep max after a couple of months of training in this lift.

Take It Easy - Then Lift Like a Crazy Man

2006-01-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

When attempting to lift your maximum bench press, you need to make sure that you rest enough between your sets.

In going for a max lift, you are trying to lift the heaviest weight possible - not seeing how quickly you can rush through your routine.

You need to rest a lot between sets - one minute or more - to make sure that you aren't tired and that your muscles have recuperated a little.

Remember - you're trying to build strength when you go for a max lift, you're not trying to build muscle.

Use An Arch To Lift More Weight

2006-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

When going for a max bench, try using a bigger arch in your back than you regularly do. When positioning yourself to have a bigger arch, try to slide your hips closer towards your head, keeping your buttocks still touching the bench.

This changes the bench press, as you won't have to lift the weight quite as far - but it's still a legal lift.

Strengthen Your Supporting Muscles to Increase Your Bench

2006-01-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

When going for a big bench press, don't neglect to train the smaller, supporting muscles such as your rotator cuff muscles or deltiods (all 3 areas of them), as these muscles can be seriously injured if you make a mistake when benching, which will slow your progress to say the least.

Lift With a Training Partner

2006-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

If you want to really push yourself, you may need to get a training partner.

Training partners can be great if they are around the same level of athletic ability as you are, and if they can help you stay motivated to achieve your goals. Another benefit of having a training partner, is that you always have someone there who's ready to spot your lift, should you be unable to complete it.

Choose a training partner with care, as it does require additional inconvenience at times when scheduling workouts.

Increase Your Bench With Lock Outs

2006-01-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

If you want to increase your bench, you should do lock outs.

To do lock outs, set up the catches on a power cage so that the bar rests a few inches below the level of your arms when fully extended. So, in performing this lift, you will only be lifting the weight a couple of inches.

This will strengthen the joints, ligaments and tendons used in the bench press and will give you more power during the lock out position of the bench press.

Do 3 reps and 5 sets using heavier weights than you normally lift, after a good warm up, of course.

Be Safe When Going for a Max Bench Press

2006-01-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

When you are going to attempt a max bench press, be safe.

-Warm up, make sure your muscles are warmed up.
-Get a spotter, or make sure that your safety catches are adjusted properly.
-As you lift the weight, don't jerk it or bounce the weight at any point.
-Keep all of your muscles tensed and tight thoughout the whole lift.

Eat Big to Get Big

2006-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

If you want to increase your max bench press, you should probably consider putting on a little weight. Start eating a little more than you usually do to increase your bodyweight.

Quite often what will happen is your strength will naturally increase along with your weight.

New Website on Increasing Your Bench Press

2006-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

We just finished our new website, which is entirely devoted to helping you increase your bench press.

It's got tips on supplements, training and much more.

Check it out. It's at http://www.maxbenchpress.com

Cycle Your Bench Routine to Increase Your Max Bench Press

2006-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

To constantly increase your bench, you need to cycle the weights you lift.

Start by doing sets of 5 reps for 3 sets for 2 or 3 months (once a week). On the first week, start with a weight that is about 80% of the weight that you could lift for 5 reps. You want to increase the weight you lift by 2.5lbs a side every week, or every two weeks if you can. By doing this, you want to get some momentum up (building strength)to propel you past your previous max bench for 5 reps.

Blast Through a Sticking Point and Increase Your Bench Press

2005-12-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

Use heavy lock outs on a squat cage to increase your bench press by setting the catcher bars at a level that will allow you to lift the bar a couple of inches to work a sticking point.

For example, if you have trouble locking out your lift, set the bars a couple of inches below the weight supports and then lower the weight down to the bar and up again - it's kind of like a mini bench press that only lasts for a couple of seconds.

Do 5 sets of 5.

These lock outs strengthen your tendons and ligaments so you can lift more weight.

More Testosterone = More Weight Lifted

2005-12-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

If you want to drastically increase your bench press, you will have to increase your testosterone level.

One easy way to do this is to do squats and deadlifts, as they are complex, multi joint excercises that increase your overall body mass, which can increase your testosterone levels.

Think and Increase Your Bench Press

2005-10-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

You've got to go to the gym every time that you are going to train your bench press and think that "today's the day....I'm gonna bench more than I've ever lifted before."

You have to come mentally prepared. Think about how you'll add an extra 10lbs to your bench press. Dream about it the night before.

See yourself getting under the bar and tearing it off of the racks just before you lower it slowly to your chest......and then have it explode back up to a full lockout.

Psych yourself up. Do what you have to do to get prepared beforehand.

Increasing your max bench press is a war....come ready to win.

Add Major Pounds to Your Max Bench!

2005-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

I've used this book myself, and would highly recommend it to anyone else.

It's got all kinds of great "how to" info about increasing your bench press, and many people have added 50lbs to their bench in one month.

When I did the program, I added 40lbs to my bench in just under a month - so as far as I'm concerned, it was money well spent, as it cost less than a small bottle of protein (and gave me more results as far as increasing my max bench press).

Increase Your Bench Press Books

This is a great book, with lots of insider information and secrets that will save you from learning "the hard way."

The book comes with a 150% money back guarantee (that's right - 150%!) and some incredible bonuses that give you the "low down" on nutritional supplements.

Click here to Grab it now and get adding some serious poundage to your max bench press!

Weighted Dips: A Key to a Big Bench

2005-08-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

Dips are an extremely important exercise to do while going for a big bench, as they stress all of the major muscles involved in benching - shoulders, chest, triceps etc.

To do dips, use the parallel bars found in the gym. Arch your head rearwards. Keep your legs tucked up under your torso. Lower your body while keeping elbows close to the sides. From the low position, push up to a straight arm position and hold. Lower arms to a parallel position with bar and repeat.

Dips are like chin ups - once you get used to the motion, you'll quickly be able to do a lot of them, and will be able to do weighted dips (having weight hanging from your waist) which will increase your bench press dramatically.

Increase Your Bench By Developing Your Rotator Cuff

2005-08-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

On the road to increasing your bench press, you'll probably run into an injury or two (hopefully none that are serious).

But the most common injuries are shoulder injuries, and many are rotator cuff injuries.

So, in an effort to rehab or repair your shoulders, try developing your rotator cuff mucles. You'll find that your shoulders will be much stronger and more resistant to injuries.

PLEASE: Your rotator cuff muscles are very small - so please use extremely light weight when developing them (I'm talking 2.5 lbs kind of light). It doesn't matter how much you can bench here. Don't run the risk of wrecking these important muscles, just because you wanted to lift heavy.

How to Use Your Triceps to Increase Your Bench Press - Part 2

2005-08-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

This post continues with the article from e-nourmous.biz:

"Here is how I learned to incorporate my triceps during my bench press workout and competitions.

When you get set to do your bench press, grip the bar as tight as you can. You might want to chalk up before you try this.

Now bring the bar down in a controlled manner. As you begin to push the weight up, be aware of your arm position. Just as the elbows begin to reach the level of you shoulders, pull or push as if you were trying to snap the bar into two pieces.

If you have a narrow grip you will actually be pulling out on the bar as you push. This will force you elbows to come in under your hands and lock out the lift. If your grip is wide, you will be pushing out on the bar with your triceps and you push up with your pecs and delts forcing your shoulder, elbow and wrist to come into line to force a lockout.

This does take a lot of practice, but when you get the timing down its amazing. You'll feel a fluid transition where your pecs and delts will get the bar moving and your triceps will jump in like a force of specially trained backup troops to help your put the bar through the roof."

How to Use Your Triceps to Increase Your Bench Press

2005-08-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

In an article at e-nourmous.biz, I saw an interesting idea of how to use your triceps during the bench press it goes as follows:

"Here is how I learned to incorporate my triceps during my bench press workout and at competitions. When you get set to do your bench press, grip the bar as tight as you can. You might want to chalk up before you try this.

Now bring the bar down in a controlled manner. As you begin to push the weight up, be aware of your arm position. Just as the elbows begin to reach the level of you shoulders, pull or push as if you were trying to snap the bar into two pieces.

If you have a narrow grip you will actually be pulling out on the bar as you push. This will force you elbows to come in under your hands and lock out the lift. If your grip is wide, you will be pushing out on the bar with your triceps and you push up with your pecs and delts forcing your shoulder, elbow and wrist to come into line to force a lockout. "

Powerlifting Secrets to A Big Bench - Part 3

2005-08-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today we will focus on your grip.

I am a firm believer in trying new grips from time to time, as the grip can change so many factors in your bench press. You do not want to change your grip just to close the gap, but sometimes a slightly wider grip is just what the doctor ordered to cheat an extra few pounds onto your bench.

Changing your grip from time to time will work the muscles used in the bench press a little differently and will sometimes shock the muscles into developing more strength and power.

Do not assume that just because you lose power when your grip gets TOO wide that you can't try it in a bench shirt. If you find that you gain power toward the top of the lift with a wider grip, try it with your bench shirt on. The shirt will become tighter at the bottom due to the excess stretch from the wide grip. This will compensate for the weakness at the bottom. Then you will gain power as the bar travels upward. Finally, you have closed the gap a couple more inches.

Powerlifting Secrets to A Big Bench - Part 2

2005-08-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Today we will look at the shoulder tuck.

Many powerlifters do not realize how much energy is wasted by allowing the bar to travel further than they have to. Next time you get on the bench at the gym, notice how far the bar is traveling. Then, when you get yourself set, pull your shoulders back as far as you can, and take the weight off the rack. Try to pull your shoulders back a little bit further and keep them back as you lower and press the weight. With this method, I have taken as much as 4 inches off of my bench while creating a solid base below my shoulders.

Powerlifting Secrets to A Big Bench - Part 1

2005-08-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

The powerlifting secret for today is about getting a good arch.

A good back arch is essential to many lifters. The key is to move your butt as close to your shoulders as possible without bringing either off of the bench. You want most of the arch to come in you upper back not your lower back. This will do three things for you. First, it will transfer the weight from your delts to the lower pecs. This reduces the risk of injuring you shoulders.

NOTE: If you are putting too much strain on you lower back, don't do it. You will also notice that if you have a good arch you will be bringing the bar down just below your pecs. This makes the bench more like a decline bench where most people have more power. Finally, you will be reducing the distance that the bar will travel during you bench press.

Attitude is Everything

2005-08-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

When you go for a max bench, you need to be sure that you're in the right frame of mind.

Block out any and all distractions, see yourself in your mind's eye making a successful lift, and get yourself psyched up for the lift - get the testosterone flowing.

Getting the testosterone flowing doesn't necessarily mean running around screaming (although it can for some people), but it is getting to the place where your body feels charged and ready for a lift - which may take the form of a cold, calm assurance where your body feels electric - like you're ready to lift anything.

Then go and blast through that sticking point, into a bigger bench press.

Underground Mass Building Secrets

2005-08-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

As I was surfing around the net, I found a site that blew me away - James Jordan's Underground Mass Building Secrets website.

Reading James Jordan's mass building secrets simply amazed me!

He wrote everything from a hardgainer's perspective, showing that his way of training will work even with someone who has a hard time putting on muscle.

Then, I had a crazy thought. "If this works with someone who has a hard time putting more muscle on, how much more muscle could someone else put on?"

Putting on additional weight is very important to us here because a major part of having a big bench is how much you weigh.

Heavier guys can just plain lift more.

But what if the extra weight you were carrying around was pure muscle - how much more weight do you think you could add to your bench? 30, 45, 90lbs?

James had got a lot of wisdom to offer and I can't document it all on this webpage, so check out his site here, where he tackles the tough questions and provides insider knowledge on how to turbocharge your training so that you can start putting on some major muscle mass.

Upper Back Excercises

2005-08-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the best excercises for your upper back that will help you build a strong platform for a massive bench press:

1) Chin Ups - If you can, do weighted chin ups once you've mastered basic chin ups. Chin ups will widen your back and will pack on some major size in the lat area if done properly.

Technique: Have your palms facing towards you and hold the bar about 18" apart. Start with the arms straight in a hanging position. Pull upwards and thrust the chest up high. Keep the head back and shoulders pulled down and back.

Don't cheat unless you are going for a few more reps at the end of a set

Keep your reps at 6 or more, and do 3 sets.

2) 1 Arm Dumbell Row or Barbell Row - Rows will add thickness and power to your back, but you must focus on technique or you risk hurting your lower back.

Technique - Keep your back straight at all times, and pull the weight up to your chest using the back muscles (primarily the lat muscles) only. Use less weight if you have to, but make sure that you can feel the muscle working.

Again, keep your reps at 6 or more, and do 3 sets.

Excercising for A Bigger Back to Increase Your Bench

2005-08-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

The key thing to remember in training your upper back (especially the lat area) is form. You want to lift heavy weights to get a thick, powerful back that will have you benching enourmous weight, but you must concentrate on form in order to work the upper back properly.

In all upper back excercises, it's important that you really concentrate and squeeze the targeted muscle throughout the lift.

Cheating is all right on the last one or two reps, especially if you're lifting huge weights, but to train your back and see any improvements, you need to be more concerned about feeling the muscle work.

It's very easy in upper back excercises to use other muscles to lift the weight because the pulling motion they use can include other muscle groups.

For example, when doing chin ups if you don't concentrate on working your lats, you could end up using your biceps to pull yourself up. The biceps will get worked in pulling motions, but when developing your back you need to make sure that your back muscles are the ones getting the primary stress.

Remember: It's more important to squeeze the muscle being worked in your back excercises and totally exhaust them than it is to hoist huge weights with the help of other muscle groups.

Once your form is down, the heavy weights will come - and then you'll have a huge back and a bigger bench.

Build Your Back for a Bigger Bench

2005-08-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Many top benchers contribute a large part of their bench press ability to having a strong back, as it is the launching pad for the bench press.

Just so we're clear here - back training is typically divided into 2 sections:

1) The upper back, consisting of the lats and traps
2) The lower back, which is the area from the waist to the lats.

Having a strong back incorporates training both the upper and the lower back, which will give you a solid foundation that will pay dividends in your effort to increase your bench press.

A Bench Press Legend's Routine

2005-08-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here's Doug Young's routine that he considered fantastic for maximum strength and bulk.

He used the following program twice a week with these poundages:

Bench Press (32 inch grip)

135x10 470x6
225x8 470x6
315x6 470x6
405x3
450x2

On the last set, he went for as many reps as he could,

Triceps Press
225x6, 4 sets

Williams Front Deltiod Raise
50x15, 3 sets

Stiff Arm Pull Down on Lat Machine
100x6, 6 sets

Flys with Cable
50x6, 6 sets

One Arm Concentration Curl
55x6, 6 sets

One Arm Rowing Motion
110x6, 6 sets

You can see the pattern of heavy weights with low reps for multiple sets here. Even though the poundages used may be way more than you can lift, you can still use the sets and reps with your own weight and build up.

Go ahead and try this routine, but always be aware of what your body is telling you as far as overtraining goes.

Muscular Development - The Secret of Doug Young

2005-08-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

According to Terry Todd in his book "Inside Powerlifting", the secret to Doug Young's phenomenal strength and muscular development is the way that he does his bench presses. Terry says:

"In all my years of watching people train and compete, I have never seen anyone do benches the way Doug does them. The difference between Doug and other benchers is the slowness with which he lowers the bar to his chest. Whether there is 60 pounds on the bar or 600, Doug lets it down slow, people, slow, perhaps taking as long as 5 seconds from the top position until the bar touches the chest."

"I've asked him about it several times and the reason he gives has nothing to do with bodybuilding, but with positioning. He says that in order to get a maximum explosion off the chest it's necessary to have the bar in the perfect spot on the chest, and that there's no better way to insure this exact position than to lower the bar gently into the absolute middle of this "power point." My hunch is that besides helping Doug in the performance of the lift either physically or psychologically or both, this extreme slowness has had more than a little to do with both his eye-popping, button-popping development."

Note: Since the time this article was written (1978), research and studies have shown that eccentric contraction (the lowering of the weight while resisting) builds strength and muscle size faster than both concentric contraction (pushing the weight up) and isometric contraction (pushing against a bar that won't move).

Doug Young - A Bench Press Legend

2005-08-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Doug Young was a Bench Pressing Legend in the 1970's, having benched 600 lbs at a bodyweight of 275 in March 1977, having just torn a pectoral muscle.

If his name sounds familiar, it could be because he is the younger brother of NFL great Bob Young (who played football for the Phoenix Cardinals).

The following is one of the craziest descriptions that I've ever heard of, and it is of Doug Young, told by powerlifting legend Terry Tate in his book, "Inside Powerlifting"

"The 1975 Nationals were held that year in York, Pennsylvania, and lifters from all over the country were staying at the Yorktowne, a fine old hotel in the downtown section. My wife and I had also booked a room there, mainly to visit with old friends, but also to be handy to the marvelous bounty of the Yorktowne's Friday night seafood buffet. When we checked in I learned at the desk that Doug had arrived earlier in the afternoon, and so when we got to our room, I called him and we arranged to meet that evening to feast on the buffet and catch up on old times.

Jan (Terry's wife) and I got there first and made a run through the boiled shrimp and fresh crabmeat. We had just settled down at my preferred corner table to enjoy a long evening of good food when two things happened that made an impression on me - I don't suppose I'll ever forget them.

The first thing that happened was that Doug Young walked a foot or two past the big double doors of the dining room and just stood there - his shoulders seeming to touch each doorjamb and his deeply tanned 22-inch neck slowly turning this way and that as he looked for us in the crowd.

But the second thing, the important thing, was that when Doug walked into the room, the entire room grew quiet. Everyone, lifters and nonlifters, stopped talking, stopped eating, and simply stared at what they knew was one of the most astounding creatures on God's earth.

Doug was wearing tight Levi's again, along with a cowboy shirt and a pair of handmade western boots, and let me tell you he was a showstopper.

Anyone who can take the minds of 200 people off of heaping platefuls of some of the best food in the world has got to be really something. And Doug is.

I've seen most of the top bodybuilders of the last 20 years and all of the top lifters, but in casual street clothes the most impressive physical specimen of all - bar none - is the big studhorse from Texas who silenced that huge roomful of hungry people with the slim-hipped, bull-shouldered, dangerous looking splendor of his awesome physical presence."

Crazy. It makes you just want to get in the gym and train your bench press like a madman, doesn't it?

You should see the pictures of this guy in "Inside Powerlifting" - they're insane. If you don't have the book, I highly recommend that you get it.

A Simple Fix to the Bench Press Plateau

2005-08-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was cruising around the net and saw this on Intense Workout, which will add yet another plan of attack to increasing our max bench press:

"Your problem might be your diet and your weight. If you are on some type of a weight gaining diet, then the chances are that as you increase in your own body weight, you will just as easily be able to increase on your bench press weight. So, if your stuck, you might want to try to add another 100-250 daily calories to your diet, because this will probably give you the added strength you needed to blast out of your bench press plateau and start increasing again."

Please note: This approach should be used over extended periods of time. For example, increase your caloric intake by a certain amount over a set time (like an extra 100 calories per day over a one month time period) to see how things go.

Personally, for a technique like this, I'd use a one month testing period before I added any more calories - just to see if my max bench did increase.

Explode Your Max Bench with these 2 exercises

2005-08-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

2 exercises that you absolutely must do in addition to your bench press training are: squats and deadlifts.

Why?

Because squats and deadlifts work your whole body, which strengthens your core muscle groups (which are sometimes called secondary muscle groups) which are used when you bench.

You'll find that you are able to lift a lot more in both squats and deadlifts than when you bench, which gives your body a bit of a chance to adjust to lifting heavier weights until your bench catches up.

Both squats and deadlifts put a huge amount of stress on your upper body throughout the whole lift, so your whole upper body is getting a workout trying to balance this weight as it is lifted. This strengthens the muscles that you will use to lift the bar off of your chest during the bench press.

Doing squats and deadlifts will increase your total body and muscular strength and size, but because of the additional strain they put on your body try not to do deadlifts or squats on the same day that you do your bench presses.

In order to get maximum size and strength gains, train your deadlift, squat and bench press all on separate days and be sure to train them FIRST in your exercise rotation when you are strongest - not after you've done a few sets for another muscle group.

Increase Your Bench

2005-08-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Some Reasons for a Plateau in Your Bench Press

2005-08-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

If you've been lifting weights for any length of time, I'm sure you've run into more than a few plateaus in your bench press training - either in muscle size or strength.

If that is the case for you right now, it could be attributed to one of the 3 following problems:

1) Exercising too many muscle groups per workout. If you train all of your muscle groups on one day or even a combination of muscle groups in one workout (eg - triceps and chest), consider breaking your workout down so that you only train one or two muscle groups.

And since we are concerned with increasing our bench press, consider having just one day for training for the bench press per week.

2) Overtraining. When was the last time you had a break? Taking a week off every now and then can actually increase your strength, as it will give your body a chance to fully recuperate and your mind a chance to become more focused.

3)Using the same routine for too long. In order to constantly make gains in both strength and muscle size (especially in the bench press) it is very important that we divide our lifting year into different sections, where each section keys on a specific weightlifting phase.

Eg - Section 1 - Muscle Size, Section 2 - Muscle Strength etc

For each different section, we will need a new routine that is focused on producing the desired result.

For example, in a muscle size section of the year we may decide to do a low to mid number of reps (like 5 or 6) for a few sets to make sure that we are building solid muscle, but are still lifting fairly heavy weight (which helps in both the strength and muscle size departments).

How to Perform the Bench Press

2005-08-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

The standard way of performing the bench press is to take a grip, with your thumbs about 3 feet (90 cm) apart, which allows the forearms to be vertical when the upper arms are parallel to the floor.

Start while lying face up on a bench. Take a balanced hand placing and lower the weight from the arms-straight position to the pectorals.

Touch the bar lightly to the chest (no bouncing) and press upwards. Keep your elbows under the bar, and don't allow them to come close to the body.

Beginners may find that the bar starts to fall either forward or backwards, or that the weight is rising unevenly because one arm is stronger than the other. Time and practice will cure these mild upheavals.

After a couple of weeks, you won't even have to think about balancing the weight or lowering it without wobbling because you will have then developed a perfect groove.
When you lower the bar to the chest, don't allow it to drop! Always control its descent deliberately, especially so if it is a heavy weight.

If you control its downward path, you are assured of a positive upward movement.