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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/9/2008 10:39:00 AM | At the moment I start off with a low weight and do about 25 reps. Then I'll add more weight on each set and decrease the reps each time (20, then 15, then 10..etc)
At the moment I'm up to 50 kg for 6 reps.
Is this a good way to go about it or does anyone have another method that might give me quicker results?
Thanks in advance for any replies | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/9/2008 11:10:45 AM | Push-Ups! Lots and lots of old fashioned push-ups!! This is what helps me.
That may sound silly, but you are basically working the same muscles as you do in bench. However many reps you do in your bench, double that in your push-ups. If you can easily push your own body weight up without having that delayed muscle raction (the burning muscle pain)... it's time to up your push-up reps AND your bench weight.
Also, concentrating on core strength, again for me, helps to hit the higher weights. Again, that may sound silly, but, for me, when I bench, I put more than just my chest into it.
Like I said, this is what helps me (I think it's just because I have lots more weight to lift in a push-up? :P )... someone else may have something better.
Good luck :) | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/9/2008 12:00:46 PM | Pretty much what you are doing already, but just to encourage you to keep at it
Do smaller sets with higher weights, so rather than doing 25 of a lower weight, do 10-12 with a much higher weight
It's working for me, I find that I can progress quite quickly with higher weights when I work out like this
Before I just used to go nuts thinking more reps the better with a weight I found too comfortable, obviously got frustrated when I wasn't feeling any stronger | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/9/2008 1:02:49 PM | | Try doing a warm up set for 12 to 15 reps. Then go slightly heavier for 6 to 10 reps, again slightly heavier for 6 to 10.(these sets should not exhaust.) Final set, heavier weight to failure.(at least twelve reps, ideally with a training partner to push all the way.) Good luck | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/9/2008 6:23:28 PM | I do 5 sets of 12,10,6,6,10
Bench press is not a chest only workout. You need chest, shoulders and triceps. If you got weak shoulders, your bench will be weak ... same with triceps. I'd do close grip bench press, weighted dips, floor presses and cable pushdowns for triceps. For shoulders, I'd do dumbell shoulder presses superset with arnold presses, military presses, side and front dumbell shoulder raises. I am one of the guys who can shoulder press, incline/decline/flat bench press with 120 dumbells. I try to keep my shoulders very strong so I can improve my bench. A lot can bench 100-120 dumbells but they lack a lot when they shoulder press. When they go bench press with barbell, they can't lift as expected. Plus always touch chest, only people who can't usually have shoulder problems. If you want to do half sets go ahead, I am not going to debate on it.
plus SQUATS x 1000. This one exercise will make your entire body bigger and stronger. Get used to it and go a bit lower than parallel. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/9/2008 6:25:31 PM | | also forgot the positioning of your feet is cruical. Try to put them as far back as you can (as long your heels on the floor) and wide out so your core is locked. I usually drive my shoulders onto the bench too, helps me push more. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/10/2008 5:01:06 AM | I was getting worried for a moment there, but someone stepped in with some meaningful information so all is well.
I go five sets, 10, 8, 6,6, ~4 rep max. First two are warmups at about 50% then 80%. Next two are the main work sets, the last set I grab a random passerby as a spotter and try and add 2.5kg to my 4 rep max.
That is just one exercise on chest/ab day though, I pick and choose several of the following each week as well: Dumbell flys, barbell pullover, incline bench, decline bench, decline pushups, dumbell press, machine flys, cable flys and the ocassional odd other exercise. I Always start with flat bench, after that is always varies.
As mentioned by Mr Omans, shoulder and triceps play a large part in bench as well, he covered exercises for that. Different day later in the week for me.
Pushups will not improve bench. High reps will not improve bench. Doing half arsed low effort sets will not improve bench. Pushing it to failure on the last set or two of low reps WITH a spotter will improve bench.
Technique- again, as mentioned, feet on the ground. For the work sets, my feet are on the ground, my shoulder blades are on the bench and that is all that is touching anything. Everything else is locked up tight to give maximal leverage and stability.
Reference here for animation of dude doing a properly stabilised lift: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/BBBenchPressPowerLift.html
Reference here for strength standards 1RM: http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/BenchStandards.html
Of course, at the same time you want to be putting the same effort into the rest of your body. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/10/2008 9:56:31 AM | Well just in case nobody looked it up here are Dave Tate's bench tips
12 Steps to a Bigger Bench
1 Train the Triceps
Training your triceps for a big bench has to involve heavy extensions and close-grip pressing movements such as close-grip flat and incline bench presses, close-grip board presses, and JM presses. Various barbell and dumbbell extensions should also be staples of your training program.
2 Keep your shoulder blades pulled together and tight.
When you pull your shoulder blades together you're creating a tighter, more stable surface from which to press. These techniques also change the distance the bar will have to travel. The key to pressing big weight is to press the shortest distance possible.
3 Keep the pressure on your upper back and traps.
Lie on the bench and line up so your eyes are four inches in front of the bar (toward your feet). Now using your legs, drive yourself into the bench to put pressure on the upper back and traps. Your eyes should now be even with the bar.
4 Push the bar in a straight line.
Try to push the bar toward your feet. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. By keeping your shoulder blades together and your chin and elbows tucked, you'll have less shoulder rotation when compared to the J-line method of pressing. Less shoulder rotation equals less strain on the shoulder joint.
5 Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and elbows.
This is probably the most important aspect of great pressing technique. The elbows must remain tucked to keep the bar in a straight line as explained above. Keeping the elbows tucked will also allow lifters to use their lats to drive the bar off the chest. If the barbell is behind the elbow toward the head, then the arm position becomes similar to an extension, not a press.
6 Bring the bar low on your chest or upper abdominals.
This is the only way you can maintain the "barbell to elbow" position as described above.
7 Fill your belly with air and hold it.
For maximum attempts and sets under three reps, you must try to hold your air. Try to expand and fill the belly with as much air as possible and hold it. If you breathe out during a maximum attempt, the body structure will change slightly, thus changing the groove in which the barbell is traveling.
8 Train with compensatory acceleration.
Push the bar with maximal force. Whatever weight you're trying to push. If you can bench 500 pounds and are training with 300 pounds, you must then apply 500 pounds of force to the 300-pound barbell. This is known as compensatory acceleration and it can help you break through sticking points.If you can get the bar moving with more force then there won't be a sticking point. Instead, you'll blast right through it.
9 Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar apart!
The best way to get the body tight is by squeezing the bar. We've also found that if you try to pull the bar apart or "break the bar," the triceps seem to become more activated.
10 Devote one day per week to dynamic-effort training.
This method is best defined as training with sub-maximal weights (45 to 60%) at maximal velocities. The key to this method is bar speed. If you're an intermediate lifter, I suggest you start at 50% of maximal and see how fast you can make it move for three reps. If you can move 20 more pounds with the same speed then use the heavier weight. Eight sets of three reps. Use three different grips - two sets with the pinky fingers on the rings, three sets with three fingers from the smooth area of the bar and three sets with one finger from the smooth area.
11 Devote one day per week to maximal-effort training.
For the second bench day of the week (72 hours after the dynamic day) you should concentrate on the maximal-effort method. This is best defined as lifting maximal weights (90% to 100%) for one to three reps. This is one of the best methods to develop maximal strength. The key here is to strain. The downfall is you can't train above 90% for longer than three weeks without having adverse effects.
12 Train the lats on the same plane as the bench.
I'm talking about the horizontal plane here. In other words, you must perform rows, rows, and more rows. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/10/2008 2:16:33 PM | The body needs to go to "failure" in order to rebuild things stronger. If you are capable of doing 20 reps, but only do 10, you never "fail" and hence never become appreciably stronger.
A set that takes appreciably longer than 20-30 seconds, is working the muscle in endurance. If you are looking for size, this is not what you are looking for. Doing large numbers of repetitions at low weight is good for a warm up. It really isn't part of the workout, but it is important. Cold things break more easily than warm things.
Balance is important. If you are doing something for the front of the body, you should do something for the back of the body. Over strengthening any one set of muscles with respect to the muscles which balance it, is just asking for problems later in life.
Variety is a good thing. If you are interested in bench press, some of it can be Smith machine, some with a barbell on a bench, some with dumb-bells on a bench, and some with dumb-bells on the ball. As the platform becomes more unstable, more of the stabilizer muscles get involved. Which is a good thing. However, you cannot lift as much when you are less stable. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/10/2008 5:11:50 PM | Some very good replies, but some a little involved - unless you're really into it.
If you were really serious, check out the nearest reputable powerlifting club.
An less involving method (ala Stewart McRobert - Beyond Brawn author) advocates very small, progressive jumps in either the weight or reps which i thoroughly agree with.
For example: If you can do 8 reps x 40kg with good technique (cos you dont want to ruin your shoulders now!)... then next time try 8 x 41kg (+2 x 0.5 plates). when that is done progress in your next workout to 8 reps x 42 - 42.5kg.....and so on....
If you don't have access to really small plates (you could use extra collars) then go up in reps instead. So 8reps x 40....then 9 x 40kg.....10 x 40kg....when you reach 12 x 40kg, up the weight to say 45 and drop the reps to 8 again, and begin the proccess anew. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/10/2008 6:09:05 PM | 3 sets of positives (normal bench press movement)
3 sets of negatives (resist as the bar is lowered, let the spotter do the positive for you)
1 set of isometrics (halfway through the bench press movement stop and resist for as long as possible) | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/10/2008 11:00:42 PM |
9 Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar apart!
The best way to get the body tight is by squeezing the bar. We've also found that if you try to pull the bar apart or "break the bar," the triceps seem to become more activated.
Interesting. Will try on monday. | |
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| Best ways to increase your bench press?
Posted: 7/11/2008 3:42:45 PM | Yeah um....Dave is absolutely right about imagining your are trying to break the bar by bending it...a little known side effect of this technique is that it can help protect the easily damaged rotator cuff muscles inside your shoulder. Whichever way yuo press (as we are all biomechanically different) it should feel really natural and not in any way induce grating, or shoulder pain.
As someone who has torn both (rot cuffs) in his time, the moment you start to get sharp stabbing pains that feel like they eminate about an inch inside your shoulder joints, then seek advice or google info about the rotator cuff...'cos when it goes, you won't be benching a tin of beans let alone anything else.
Also there are many ways to acheive the end result - but most people massively overtrain. I will still maintain that for strength (depending on various factors - especially how long you've been training) you can make good progress in 2 sets per week!!! Hell even 1 set per 13 days has improved newbies strength for 6 months or more.
Can I ask if it is the strength aspect, or the size you wish to attain? | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/11/2008 5:06:55 PM | .............................................................................................
The way to increase your bench press is with singles.
When I was in junior college, age 19, I pressed 230 pounds weighing 140 while running cross country.
The only thing I did was occasional one or two sets of singles, but usually one set because I was used to this
and didn't need any warm up. The key is to make sure your form is perfect every time, keeping your back
flat on the bench, and pushing the bar up steadily. Also I would keep my hands shoulder width apart on the bar.
A friend of mine with big arms could press 180# for 3 sets of 10 but couldn't press 200 pounds, and I couldn't
do what he did, so it depends what you're aiming for. If you want big arms then go for the 3 sets of 10.
If you're aiming for tone then use a light weight, press the bar slowly (same as before) and then hold it at the top,
so you're doing 20 reps in 5 minutes. This is what I do now as I like having the tone, as tone = strength without bulk.
The tension you hold on the bar develops the tone in your muscles. | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/12/2008 9:10:35 AM |
The way to increase your bench press is with singles. If you plateau. He has not, he just does not have the basics.
When I was in junior college, age 19, I pressed 230 pounds weighing 140 while running cross country. Hard to imagine someone stopping in the middle of a cross country race to do some bench presses, but go on....
The only thing I did was occasional one or two sets of singles, but usually one set because I was used to this
and didn't need any warm up.
In my experiences most people who lift big but say they- or are rumoured to- only lift ocassionally sneak in a lot of extra weights when no one is looking. Maybe the years have faded your memory.
As for the warm up, ridiculous advice. Warm ups are essential for a variety of reasons. Your advice is harmful, not just poor.
A friend of mine with big arms could press 180# for 3 sets of 10 but couldn't press 200 pounds I do not and will not ever believe this ridiculous statement. It would be very unusual for someone to be able to get 10 reps of 180 and for them not to be able to press at least 230. Depending on their training regime, you could expect anywhere up to 250 for a 1RM. Unable to 1RM 10% more than their 10RM is ludicrous. This fits nicely with the rest of your bombast though.
This is what I do now as I like having the tone, as tone = strength without bulk. Just in case anyone was in danger of taking you seriously, you come out with this gem. Strength is a direct function of muscle cross section. All other variables equal, strength is purely determined on size of the muscle. 'Tone' is a broad expression that describes muscle visible due to low body fat. It has nothing to do with your ludicrously poor fitness advice. | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/12/2008 3:22:38 PM | Add two excercises to your routine.
One pre burn your pecs with 3 separate isolated pec movements.
Butterflys, Cables and Dumbells, and then a wide stance (hands) pushups. Do the pushups before you do your bench. Then bench normally.
Afterwards, do the same routine, (Up and then down) with Dips on a dip machine. No more then max 10 reps. If 10 is easy, hang a dumbbell off your weight belt.
Work from no weight to up to your max and then back down again. This will isolate your triceps and also burn your pecs.
You will get incredible driving power on your bench, after a few weeks.
It will take your body a couple weeks to get used to the added Chest movements, but you will get used to it. Just give your chest a day to recover and make sure you get plenty of Free Form Amino acids and take them RIGHT AFTER your workout.
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/12/2008 4:30:58 PM | .............................................................................................
Crazytimes, your assumptions are mistaken, as I have never trained in the manner you suggest.
In fact I did bench press the 230 once right before a cross country race, as it didn't take much energy anyways,
then I finished ahead of a teammate close competitor. I probably pressed 230 on at least 5 different occasions
and it was no big deal to me. I was more keen on doing 18 pullups from all the way down then my chin over the bar,
plus one time did 8 pullovers, pulling myself up and over the bar from all the way down and repeating 8 times,
though that was quite dangerous as my fingers were slipping on the last one so I never did them again.
Later in my mid 20's I did train for and compete at Olympic Weightlifting for a year at the Los Angeles YMCA with
coach Bob Hise who trained many national champions, some who had been training with him for more than 10 years.
We never did 10 reps of anything. How ridiculous. The most reps I did was 5 sets of 5 full squats grazing shorts on
floor and back up with 310 pounds, and 1 rep of 386 pounds, again FULL squat not half, one arm snatch with 155
pounds each side, full snatch in rare contest with 220 pounds, overhead supports with > 500 pounds on the rack, as
I was very good at these, and 285 c&j, all weighing 146 pounds. Usually I could jerk anything that I was able to clean.
Check out the training of WR holder Galabin Boevski, and others to see their training is exactly as I did in junior
college, and later more seriously. Judd Biasiotto trained the same way in a garage on the way to setting WR power
lifts. Boevski would walk in cold and do WR attempts over and over three times a day with snatch, clean & jerk, and
finish with front squats. SINGLES!
By the way, I did the same thing in high school. I weighed 125 pounds and could press only 50 pounds over my head,
got a set of weights for Xmas and in 6 weeks was overhead pressing 125 pounds, and a few months later 145 pounds
very strict overhead press, all from SINGLES.
I prefer my training now though, as mentioned above, that anyone can do and is more useful for athletic endeavors
and for life things like living, gardening, hiking and so on.
If you're aiming for tone then use a light weight, press the bar slowly (same as before) and then hold it at the top,
so you're doing 20 reps in 5 minutes. This is what I do now as I like having the tone, as tone = strength without bulk.
The tension you hold on the bar develops the tone in your muscles.
This gives you the functionality for your life and longevity, without adding useless weight and bulk to your system. | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/12/2008 6:26:51 PM | | Incline bench has always been a key part to my lifting. I saw a guy today who could press 315 on flat but had trouble w/185 on Incline. For me, strength comes from 3 primary excercises and the rest are supplimentary. Squats, cleans, incline. I'm not saying it's right for everyone, but it works for me. | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/15/2008 5:05:25 PM | OMG!!! RONNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE with arms bigger then my thighs!!!!
I met him at a body builder contest in VA.... even his neck was HUGE!!!!!!!!!!
That man eats a WHOLE chicken as a "mini" meal...LOL
Yea...if anyone could tell you Ronnie coleman could...!!!
OMAN... are you going to go ahead and go for it? Train for a show? I think you should :) | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/16/2008 11:35:56 AM |
The best way to improve your bench press is to do more bench presses!
That's just not true.
As an aside I am NOT Dave Tate, those are his bench press tips up there not mine he is a very influential powerlifter and an incredible strength coach. | |
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| best ways to increase your bench press
Posted: 7/16/2008 4:52:36 PM | Excuse me for asking the obvious, but to the OP: how much are you eating????
Ditto on the Date Tate stuff.
Another mind/muscle connection tip I read from either Tate or Wendler???? .....Instead of thinking about pushing the bar UP towards the ceiling, think about pushing *yourself* down into the bench. | |
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