Improve Bench Pres [Tips]
Need help improving your bench press or need help breaking those Pr's?!? Today, in this article you will learn how to get stronger overall with the bench press. Don't miss out on these TOP 7 Tips. Many of you people do not do this and it will help with your progress!
Form and technique is everything when it comes to powerlifting and lifting weights in general. There are also techniques to help improve strength and stability during executions. You'll learn more as you continue reading on.
TOP 8 BENCH PRESS TIPS TO GET STRONGER
1) Focus on Form - Better form, more Gains!
- - Technique is everything
- - Proper form allows your body to move accordingly; when out of alignment for example, muscles are vulnerable to tears due to the stress and the way the mechanics work
- - Don't flare your elbows out too far
- (approx 45 degrees from your side)
2) Don't always do Bench Press - You need other exercises to improve
- To stimulate growth, you need progressive overload. Sometimes, when we do nothing but bench press, it somewhat stops us from growing in a way. So people will do "the small work" to help increase their PR's. These "small work" are necessary to improve other muscles that are involved in the bench press
- So the bench press will utilize the pecs, shoulders, and arms. So to improve the bench press or to break plateaus, you would focus on a bodybuilding routine. Unilateral exercises specifically. Unilateral exercises mean that you're using one side of your body only compared to a compound movement such as the bench press, it involves all the muscle groups. So we're improving on the smaller muscle groups individually.
- It's best to pair Bench Press exercises with rowing/scapular retraction exercises and to pair Chest Flies with pulldown exercises. For best results, use a variety of exercise equipment, including barbells, dumbbells, resistance machines, and cable pulleys
3) Focus on Your Breathing - Proper breathing leads to better lifts and less stress
- - Bracing your core helps stabilize your body and muscles allowing you to lift heavy with intensity
- - Deep breaths allow energy to flow
- - Proper breathing: always exhale on exertion. For example, when you are pushing a bench press off your chest, you exhale on the push and inhale as you bring it slowly to your chest. When you are doing a pullup, you exhale on the pulling up motion and inhale on the way down. Breathing during exertion is important in preventing internal injuries such as hernias, blood vessel strain, and high blood pressure that can cause fainting.
4) Go Light on Bench Pressing - Work on The Small Details To Get Stronger
Sometimes we go too heavy on the bar. When we do that, we use ego and momentum to lift the weights. This isn't effective lifting I'd say. You aren't properly engaging the muscles and using other muscles to aid in the lift, therefore, it's not an efficient workout for whatever you're doing. If it is improving bench press or training your chest during this exercise, you should always feel the muscle contract. Momentum and ego lifting just doesn't do as much as proper lifting and you're prone to injuries.
5) Utilize Floor Bench Press - Heavier Weights - Less Risk and Injury
- The floor press is a great move to add mass to the chest, shoulders, and triceps without adding excessive strain to the shoulders due to the decreased range of motion.
6) Proper Workout Program - Effective progress building
If you don't have a proper workout program in place, you won't have efficient progress in bench pressing or breaking PR's. A proper program ensures that you're on track to meet ends goal(s). This also embraces the journey, keeping you accountable to stay driven. Sometimes, we get carried away, so by following a program, you can efficiently level up.
- A workout plan that will compliment the bench press goal.
7) Stretch The Upper Back / Upper Back Mobility - Better mobility means better lifts
If we're restricted in the upper back region, your bench press performance WILL be reduced. There's no doubt about that. Having a restricted back means that you cannot efficiently utilize those muscles to perform that exercise (the bench press) so therefore, that may be your bottleneck. So, what you need to do, you need to examine your whole body. Examine your range of motion and mobility for your shoulders, shoulder blades, and back muscles. If you feel restriction/tightness/knots, it is time to relieve those muscles so you can begin to use full range of motion and allowing the muscle to work at its best. You'll also improve blood flow which is important for overall strength and recovery.
-> Massages can help with tightness, knots and freeing up those muscles
-> Foam rolling can also help relieve tightness, knots and freeing up those muscles
-> Focus on recovery. Sleep, rest.
-> Stretching is also very good for relieving tightness, knots and freeing up those muscles improving mobility
- I would not advise anyone to do intense compound lifts when their mobility is impacted. You're at a greater chance of injuries due to reduced range of motion. However, some people can get away with it, but still, you're prone to injuries.
8) Improve the Weak Links
That could be stability, improving strength upon other areas other than your chest and arms. Your upper back needs worked on if you're wanting to lift very heavy. The more you can work on, the better you'll be at it.
Work on the links that connect to the bench press.
Work on them triceps, lats, upper back, and mobility.
Having a weak link in any of those areas will dramatically impact your strength and power.
WHY YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING IN BENCH PRESS
1) Too Much Bench Press
Doing the same thing, the same routine, the same lifts, etc won't make you progress. You need to explore and train other areas of the bench press aspect. As I mentioned above, you need to work on the muscles that complement the bench press exercise
2) Not Recovering Properly
Recovery is crucial. If you're lifting 7x out of the week, there are no days off for you. The human body needs rest and days off in order to recover efficiently.
3) Not executing the form and/or technique properly
Form and Technique is everything. It ensures you're using proper mechanics to properly execute the lift. With improper form, it'll be harder to execute the lift. You will have more power and stability if you focus on your form and technique.
4) Not having a proper training program
As I mentioned, overtraining can impact your gains and/or progress. You need to switch it up a bit, be creative with your workout regime and make sure it compliments your bench press goals. If you're not training for that, then you aren't efficiently progressing. You're going in circles if you aren't progressing.
5) Not eating enough
Low energy can ruin everything. It can ruin your gains, your strength, and power. So make sure you're eating a lot to obtain the energy you need in order to properly bench press considering bench pressing requires lots of energy and effort.