The bench press, in its infinite glory is not the best exercise to show true strength. The dead lift, the physical act of pulling up as much weight as one can from the ground seems like a more fitting champion. Or what about the Olympic lifts, the movements that are competed on by athletes across the world on the greatest stage? Could even the dip be a more true testament of upper body strength than the bench press? Regardless of any of this, the bench press still holds a lure in our culture, and will for the foreseeable future be the only number that matures to recreational weight lifters. So how can you maximize your effort in the gym to make sure that your bench press numbers keep rising? Here are four simple steps that will surely help you add more weight to the bar.
1. Lift Like a Powerlifter
The first step towards getting a bigger bench is to train for a bigger bench. This may seem obvious, and it is obvious, but the most basic principles of weight lifting have been overshadowed by fads, perfect pushup infomercials, and improper information. Getting a bigger bench is simple, and it requires one relatively easy step: train like a powerlifter.
What is powerlifting? Powerlifting is a sport that consists of three lifts, the squat, dead lift, and bench press performed at maximum weight. Simple right, lift as much weight as possible and garner the largest total you can. This sounds like a perfect blueprint for what we want to do with the bench press. Mimicking the training style of power lifters makes sense for two reasons, one obvious and one more scientific.
Powerlifters lift the heaviest weights in the world. The world record for bench press is held by a powerlifter, not a bodybuilder. It then makes sense from a purely common sense stand point to model what this group of people do. Secondarily, the science backs it. Training in a lower rep range (which we will go in depth on below) works for strength and power, which is exactly what we are looking for.
Search for Rippetoe’s guide to rep ranges and strength, it is an extremely helpful graphic for our argument here. The largest effect on both strength and power occurs at lower rep ranges, below 8, generally somewhere between 3 and 6. What does this mean? No more drop sets, no more burn out sets until infinity, more powerlifting style training.
To put it simply, you need to train in the 3-6 rep range to get the best strength and power results. Also remember, you train for strength, you don’t test for strength. Going for one rep max’s every week will not help you increase your strength, rather it will be extremely taxing on your central nervous system. Train for the strength, don’t test for it.
2. Embrace your Weakness
The bench press is a three part movement. This may seem silly at first, but think about it this way. First you have the descent, the stretch of your pectorals, second you have the initial push, the engagement of the pecs, and third you have the finish, the engagement and contraction of your triceps. Three parts, two parts that really engage your muscles, and one part that is primarily your weakness.
Personally the top of my bench press is my weak point. I can push a lot of weight halfway up from my chest, but finishing the movement has always been a struggle. The fix; floor press, close grip bench press, and Tate press.
Floor press
The floor press is a powerlifter’s best friend. The set up is simple, and the logic behind the motion is even more obvious. All you need to do is set up a bar raised from the floor high enough that you can get your elbows below it, then you perform the same motion as a bench press, you push. The great thing here is that you are just focusing on the top part of a pressing motion, isolating the muscle fibers that are engaged when you try to finish a real bench press. Also, the floor press takes leg drive completely out of the question, hitting your chest and triceps with full force. Train moderately heavy for strength and a little bit of hypertrohpy, think 6-8 reps per set.
Close grip bench press
In addition to the floor press you are going to want to hammer your triceps with a few other presses to really make them stronger. The close grip bench press is the same as the bench press, just with a closer grip. Your hands do not need to be extremely close to reap the benefits of this exercise, and going to close can actually cause wrist pain and inhibit you from going as heavy as you can. A width similar to that of the man below will work just fine for our goals. Keep your elbows in, and perform full reps. Train moderately heavy like above.
Tate press
The Tate press is a great finishing exercise for your bench training days. The Tate press simulates a bench press but only engages your triceps. We still want to go heavy here, but not quite as much, think 8-10 reps per set.
If the bottom of your bench press is your weak point, you are in luck, there are exercises that specifically target getting the bar off of your chest. The dip, and decline bench press are the two most helpful movements for getting an initial drive off of your chest. Also keep in mind that your form may be inhibiting your ability to drive the bar off of your chest. Always keep a tight back, firm feet, and a slight arch in your back when you bench press to fully engage your body.
Dips and Decline
Nonetheless, dips are one of the most important chest related exercises to build muscle. The theory here is simple, dips focus their attention on the lower, stronger portion of the chest and can be trained quite heavy. Building up your lower chest will enable you to get the initial drive to push the bar off your sternum and into the air. The decline bench does the same thing. For a weak bottom of your bench it is simple, build up strength in the bottom of your pecs. Heavy, power and strength rep ranges should be incorporated, think 3-6 reps per set.
3. Use Chalk
This may be perceived as the silliest step in getting a bigger bench, but it may actually be the most overlooked. Chalk is generally seen as an aid in only pulling movements, but its beneficial effects can be seen in pushing movements as well.
Chalk at its core does one thing, it allows for a more firm and secure grip of a bar. When you bench heavy you want every muscle working together to get that bar off of your chest. Your forearms included. Chalking up your hands and the bar will allow you to have a more secure and firm grip, when you squeeze your heart out it will now go the extra mile. Try it, chalk helps, it really does.
4. Foam Roll… your legs
Okay, using chalk might have seemed odd at first, and I am sure that foam rolling your legs seems even more out of place right now, but trust me, it works. This step towards a bigger bench should not be limited to just your lower body, you really should foam roll your upper body as well. There are a few reasons for this.
First, foam rolling relieves tension built up in your body. When you bench press (and lift heavy in general) you want to get the most out of your muscles, you want everything working in sync and at their maximum, this goes for your legs as well as your upper body. By foam rolling your IT band, inner quad sweep, glutes, and calves you are preparing yourself for maximum effort from your leg drive. By loosening and releasing tension and stress in your lower body you are allowing yourself the ability to use your leg drive as effectively as possible.
Foam rolling your upper body also has benefits. Loosening up your lower back can help mediate the strain and stress that is put on it when arching it during the bench press, and foam rolling your lats can help you form a tighter base from which to push. Foam rolling you biceps and front delt will also aid in loosening up your shoulder, and finally rolling around on your chest will relieve any nagging tension or strain that has built up there. Pretty much, roll, roll a lot, and do it before you lift, it helps.
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