3 TIPS FOR A BIGGER BENCH PRESS
There's
nothing quite like the feel of pushing big weight on the bench press.
It's probably the most often used measuring stick of strength in the
gym, No one really ever asks you, Hey, what do you donkey press
But
getting to those plate-clanging, bar-bending weight loads is no easy
task, which is why we're offering you our three best tips for boosting
your bench in a hurry
Negatives
Performing
heavy negatives once or twice a month does wonders for building
strength. Bodybuilders that don't have a "negatives day" in their
routine are really missing out on huge gains. As a quick refresher,
negatives are reps that concentrate on the eccentric, or lowering phase
of an exercise. Our muscles can handle 30-40% more weight on the
negative portion of a rep, so taking advantage of that taps into plenty
of underexploited fibers in your pecs and trains your body and mind to
deal with heavier weight
To
perform negatives on the bench, add 30-40% more weight than you'd
normally use for 10 reps (after a few warm-up sets, of course). So if
you're pressing 250 pounds for 10 reps, add an extra 75 pounds (30%)
onto the bar. Unrack the weight and resist the negative all the way down
for a full five seconds or more. Once the bar touches your chest, have
your training partner help you bring the bar back up to the starting
position and repeat this for 3-5 total agonizing reps. Use this method
sparingly - 1-3 sets, once or twice per month - to avoid overtraining or
injury. Besides, after training like this, you'll likely be too sore to
want to do it again soon
Training upper back
A
missing piece of the puzzle when trying to increase your numbers on the
bench is working your upper back. Without a strong upper back, it is
difficult or impossible to stabilize heavy weight on either side of the
repetition. Training your lats and rear delts with regularity and
enthusiasm will take your bench higher, faster
Stick
to mass-building exercises like barbell rows, T-bar rows, pull-ups,
dumbbell rows and pulldowns in the 8-12 rep range on back day. And make
sure not to neglect your rear delt raises on back or shoulder day. Don't
let your rear delts fool you - just because they're a small muscle
group doesn't mean you can't train them heavy. Aim for the same rep
ranges (8-12) as your back - just be careful to maintain strict form on
all exercises and avoid using any elasticity or momentum to complete
reps
Grip strength
You
might be thinking, "What the heck does my grip have to do with my bench
press." The answer is "More than you might think." And that doesn't
just apply to this exercise - grip strength translates to more poundage
on nearly every exercise. For the bench press, however, it pays its
biggest dividends by providing greater wrist stabilization. With shaky
wrists and flimsy forearms, you have less control of the bar, which is
particularly troublesome if you're into pressing big boy weight. Plus,
keeping your wrists locked helps you maintain proper form. Training your
grip then is a huge factor in maximizing your bench
The
prescription? Grab a hold of a 45-pound plate in each hand at the
fingertips and perform as many finger curls (lifting the edge of the
plate towards your palm) as you can. Rest for 30 seconds and keep going
until your forearms need a fire extinguisher to put out the flames
Take these three tips and go start tossing some iron around - we guarantee the results will come swift
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