How to increase your bench press?

[of_wolf_and_man]

I'm getting quite sick of my bench press still being in double digits... and i would like to see myself improve to press three figures or close to it... so what is the best way to improve your bench press?

So far i've succeeded in increasing stats on dumbell chest press (flat and incline) and every other chest exercise BUT the bench...

someone HELP ME PLEASE!!!

[deegee]

what are you pressing now?

often getting over 100 kg is all in the mind, if you are not too far off just put 100 on the bar and go even if you do only a few just stick to it.

If you are way off and have plateaued then maybe you need to look at diet and mixing the routine around a little.

[ExpensiveUrine]

There are many variations on how to improve a certain lift and programs that cycle volume/intensity/frequency/tempo, depending where your sticking points are for that lift.

We don't know what you're doing for bench, program wise, so it's hard to say.

[Cornfed]

The most common way of doing this is to pyramid up to a higher weight over time. So you might start out benching 4 sets of 8 at a particular weight in a workout. When you had increased the weight as far as possible with that scheme, you might do workouts with one set of 8, then one set of 5 at an increased weight, then two set of 3 at an increased weight. After doing that for a few workouts you could try pyramiding up to a higher weight by doing sets of 5-4-3-2-1, increasing the weight with every set.

You would also want to work on any sticking points. If your sticking point were coming off the chest, you could strengthen that part of your bench by, for example, doing wide grip presses and holding the bar on your chest for a second at the bottom. If your sticking point were locking out then triceps exercises such as dips and close-grip presses might help. Don't forget to train your lats as well, as the bigger they are the more thrust you will get off the bottom.

[Marcus]

I'm in the midst of a bench press strength increase program at the moment. My bench has always sucked too.

Lon Alexander recommended it to me & it basically goes like this:

Week One.

5 x 5 flat bench - no spotting, a definite pause at the bottom of the movement.

Inc DB press - 3 sets 6-8

Inc flyes - 3 sets 6-8

Week Two.

3 x high rep (12-15) bench press - going to failure, no pausing.

Inc DB - 3 sets 12-15

Inc Flyes - 3 sets 12-15

Weeks Three.

Same as week One but an increase of 2.5kg's on the bar.

Basically you have to get your 5x5 before you increase the weight, so start off with something fairly manageable, & work your way up from there. Growing in confidence each week.

After a while you will plateau & not make the 5x5. Next time you bench go for 5x3. Do this until you plateau again then go back to your old routine.

This program is working for me. I'll be 5x5ing 95kgs tonight (seems light but the pause at the bottom taxes the pecs big time).

Obviously diet is crucial & you need to be taking in enough calories.

[2guns]

just increase yr wieght over time.

a spotter is really useful e.g say u load 100 on the bar and u do 4 reps unassisted use yr spotter to help u with say 2 or 3 more. im sure in a matter of weeks ull be doing the whole set unassisted.

todya i trained chest and for my last set of bench i did a pb of 140kg 3 reps unassisted and my bro spotted not very much for 3 more.

i expect in say 6 more chest /back workouts ill be able to do 6 of 140 by myself

[Varven]

First and foremost, im no big bencher, my gf probably presses more than me.

Secondly, Im under the firm impression the only way of increasing a bench is not by linear periodization but Eastern-perfected- Conjugate systems.

Linear periodization should work but with limited gains and lenghty time frames.

Search up WEST SIDE BARBELL TRAINING: HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BENCH.

I will post the article later on.

[shane]

I find my bench press has got alot stronger from this routine that i do.

10x 50

8x 60

6x80

4x100

2x105kgs

Then i do a burn outset say 60kgs do as many as

then the same for incline but not the same weights and finish the chest off with 2x10 on pec dec get a ggod burn off this :grin:

[Ash]

Add Hise Shrugs to your routine.

I know it sounds like a strange suggestion but they will add strength through the entire shoulder area, which translates into an increase in how much weight you can bench.

I first read about this exercise in an old (OLD) Iron Man magazine and it's always worked for me - as my Hise Shrug weights go up, I find I can shift more weight on all pressing movements, including shoulder presses.

They are doing great things for my traps as well but as always YMMV.

[Marcus]

Look at your diet first man. Lift your calories & your strength should increase.

[2guns]

also i dnt know wat yr like now of wolf, but in those pics u looked pretty lean try put a bit more fat on this will give u abit more strength by protecting yr joints i think. so u can lift a bit more and try abit harder without risking injury as much

[Retro Blaster]

IMHO coming from a power lifting background i recomend you pump the triceps up do exercises such as board presses rack lockouts floor presses and close grip variations of each also tate presses and jm presses. If you can distingush where you fail in your attemps you can figure out how to bring up the weak points. The majority of people fail at lock out so doing high board presses and rack lock outs will help here if its in the middle of the lift use lower boards and floor presses with db and or bb and if you fail of the chest you need to do speed work like 8 sets of 3 reps @ 50-60% of 1 rm and concentrate on exploding of chest.

Traps and lats need to be tight so does the core to control weight also vary grips from wide to close and extra wide this will all help push through barriers and sticking points.

[Pseudonym]

So many great points... good stuff, people!

[Varven]

IMHO coming from a power lifting background i recomend you pump the triceps up do exercises such as board presses rack lockouts floor presses and close grip variations of each also tate presses and jm presses. If you can distingush where you fail in your attemps you can figure out how to bring up the weak points. The majority of people fail at lock out so doing high board presses and rack lock outs will help here if its in the middle of the lift use lower boards and floor presses with db and or bb and if you fail of the chest you need to do speed work like 8 sets of 3 reps @ 50-60% of 1 rm and concentrate on exploding of chest.

Traps and lats need to be tight so does the core to control weight also vary grips from wide to close and extra wide this will all help push through barriers and sticking points.

Hey Retro, Ive always wondered whats the difference between floor press and Pin presses in a rack?

I mean both have a resting point at rock bottom, get rid of momentum right?

BTW my sticking point is from chest until midway, so wondering what max effort exs would target it best... pin presses ?

[Retro Blaster]

Pin presses or rack lock outs take away allmomentum but also take away all presure on the tris and pecs for that split second floor presses keep the presure on but not as much as normal pressing does, i think its the same as box squating esentric overcome by cosentric or maybe the other way around??

Max effort for the chest to mid will just be low board presses 1 or 2 boards also if you have acess to a cambered bench bar that will force the hands past the level of the chest so creating more power of the bottom, IMO speed work is the best way to fix this sticking point remember to explode of the chest but not bounce