How to Increase Your Bench Press: 16 Evidence-Based Tips

“How do I improve my bench press?”

In some unspecified time in the future in time, most weightlifters ask this query.

Why?

First, as a result of benching heavy weights is cool. 🙂

And second, as a result of the bench press entails most upper-body muscle tissue, making it probably the greatest measures of upper-body power.

That’s why if you wish to construct a robust, highly effective, muscular higher physique, you could know easy methods to improve your bench press max.

And if that tickles your fancy, this text is for you.

In it, you’ll study easy methods to increase your bench press utilizing 16 science-backed strategies.

1. Use Correct Type

Step one towards studying easy methods to strengthen your bench press is knowing correct bench press type. Right here’s every thing you could know:

1. Lie on a flat bench and place your toes flat on the ground. 
2. Pull your shoulder blades collectively and down, and with out lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, barely arch your again. 
3. Seize the bar with a pronated grip (palms dealing with your toes) barely wider than shoulder-width aside and unrack the barbell.
4. Decrease the barbell to your chest, maintaining your elbows tucked 6-to-10 inches out of your sides.
5. Press the bar again to the beginning place.

Right here’s the way it ought to look:

2. Concentrate on Progressive Overload

Progressive overload refers back to the course of of constructing your bench press exercises progressively more difficult. It’s paramount when studying easy methods to enhance your bench press as a result of it maximizes the muscle- and strength-building results of weightlifting.

The first approach to implement progressive overload is to elevate heavier weights over time.

The simplest approach to do that is utilizing double progression—a technique for growing your weights solely when you hit the highest of your rep vary for a sure variety of units (usually one).

As an illustration, in case your bench press exercise requires 4-to-6 reps of the bench press and also you get 6 reps for a set, add 10 kilos to your subsequent set.

When you handle 3 or fewer reps with the brand new weight, cut back the load by 5 kilos to make sure you keep within the 4-to-6 rep vary. 

Comply with this sample of attempting so as to add reps or weight in each exercise.

3. Repair Your Bar Path

Research reveals that almost all new weightlifters use an inefficient “bar path,” making the bench press more difficult than it must be.  

Particularly, newbies normally attempt to press the bar straight up and down over their chest. Nevertheless, this creates a “second arm” between the shoulder joint and bar, forcing the anterior deltoids (“front delts”) to work considerably more durable to rebalance the bar over the shoulder as you press it.

To grasp this higher, think about holding a broomstick horizontally with one hand. In case your grip is in the midst of the broomstick, balancing it’s straightforward. Nevertheless, when you transfer your hand nearer to 1 finish, it turns into more difficult to maintain the stick balanced since you lengthen the second arm and create extra torque. 

So, to press probably the most weight doable, comply with this bar path:

• Eccentric (Decreasing): Start with the bar immediately over your shoulders. Decrease it in a mild arc to your lower chest.
• Concentric (Lifting): Press the bar up and towards your throat. As soon as it’s over your shoulders, end the rep by urgent it straight up.

Right here’s a visible comparability between a newbie’s bar path and that of an elite-level presser. Purpose to repeat the elite-level presser’s path:

4. Pump Your self Up

Research reveals that psyching your self up earlier than a heavy set can considerably impression the quantity of weight you’ll be able to elevate.

Merely take 10-to-15 seconds earlier than your set to concentrate on the train you’re about to carry out and visualize your self performing it efficiently.

(Tip: Attempt listening to motivational music and doing breathing exercises to assist with this.) 

5. Use the Proper Mixture of Quantity and Depth

Managing volume and intensity is vital to understanding easy methods to get higher at bench press.

Right here’s how:

• Prepare your chest muscle tissue with 10-to-20 weekly units: When you’ve been coaching for lower than a 12 months, doing 10-to-15 weekly units is enough. When you’ve educated longer than a 12 months, doing 15-to-20 weekly units cut up over 2-to-3 exercises will yield higher outcomes. 

• Use 85-to-90% of your one-rep max for many units: Do ~75% of your bench press coaching within the 4-to-6 rep vary (85-to-90% of your one-rep max). This lets you “follow” lifting heavy weights however is much less demanding than coaching nearer to your precise one-rep max. Do the remaining ~25% of coaching with barely heavier (1-to-4 rep vary) and lighter (7-to-12 rep vary) weights. 

• Finish all units 1-to-2 reps shy of failure: To maximise your outcomes, take most units of the bench press near failure. Ask your self on the finish of every set, “If I needed to, what number of extra reps may I’ve gotten with good type?” If the reply is greater than two, improve the load or reps to make your subsequent set more difficult.

6. Differ Your Rep Vary

Research shows that when you’re benching greater than as soon as per week, various your rep ranges from exercise to exercise helps increase power acquire.

Right here’s how this would possibly look when you bench twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays:

• Monday: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps
• Thursday: 3 units of 8-to-10 reps

And right here’s the way it would possibly look when you bench thrice per week:

• Monday: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps
• Wednesday: 3 units of 8-to-10 reps
• Friday: 3 units of 2-to-3 reps

7. Elevate Explosively

Studies show that lifting explosively is superior to lifting slowly when attempting to achieve power.

That doesn’t imply it’s best to elevate explosively on the expense of excellent type; somewhat it’s best to elevate weights as quick as doable whereas utilizing correct approach and controlling the load.

To study extra about lifting tempo, take a look at this text:

Should You Lift Weights Fast or Slow? The Quick and Dirty Guide

8. Prioritize the Bench Press

You perform best on the workouts you do earliest in your exercises if you’re bodily and mentally recent.

Thus, if you wish to enhance your bench press numbers, begin your chest, push, or upper-body exercises with the bench press.

9. Do the Proper Accent Workout routines to Improve Bench Press Energy

10. Strengthen Your Triceps

Though your pectoralis majors (“pecs”) and deltoids (shoulders) do many of the work in urgent the bar off your chest within the bench press, it’s primarily your triceps that “lock the weight out” on the prime of every rep.

That’s why you want sturdy triceps if you wish to full reps with heavy weights.

To find the very best workouts for strengthening your triceps, take a look at this text:

Grow Bigger Triceps with the Best Tricep Workouts & Exercises

11. Grip the Bar as Arduous as Attainable

For a simple power increase, grip the barbell as exhausting as you’ll be able to, clench your jaw muscle tissue, and push your tongue into the roof of your mouth. Several studies show that doing so boosts your power and energy manufacturing. 

To study extra about this phenomenon, take a look at this text:

How to Use Remote Voluntary Contraction to Instantly Get Stronger

12. Use the Proper Cues

Weightlifting cues are psychological mantras that direct your consideration to explicit points of your train approach. They increase your efficiency in a number of methods, together with serving to you produce extra power, perform extra reps, and train for longer. 

The most effective cues for enhancing bench press efficiency are:

• Contact your chest to the ceiling: Making an attempt to the touch the ceiling together with your chest retains your shoulders again and down and backbone arched and ensures your pecs do many of the work. 

• Screw your toes into the ground: Imagining screwing your toes into the ground creates rigidity in your legs which increases stability, rigidity, and steadiness.

• Rip the bar aside: Enthusiastic about ripping the barbell aside ensures your upper back stays engaged, offering a secure base to press off. 

13. Get Sufficient Relaxation

Sadly, many individuals get carried away and wind up benching far more than they need to, which ultimately leads to plateaus, frustration, and overreaching.

Keep away from this by permitting your self sufficient time to recover between exercises. A superb rule of thumb is to permit at the least at some point between bench press classes (until you’re following a full-body routine).

14. Deal with Your Weaknesses

Figuring out your bench press weaknesses and utilizing workouts to strengthen these areas can help increase your bench. Right here’s a easy information:

• When you battle “off your chest,” improve your preliminary pushing power with the pause bench press and dip.
• In case you have hassle via the “mid-range,” do the board press or bench pin press (with the pins set to a top about 4-to-6 inches above your chest). Incorporating tools that gives “accommodating resistance” (resistance bands or chains) might also assist since these train you to speed up via the center portion of every rep.
• In case you have problem locking out, construct power in your triceps with the close-grip bench press, dip, JM press, overhead triceps extension, triceps pushdown, and skullcrusher. 

15. Use a Spotter

Having a spotter on the bench can increase the variety of reps you’ll be able to carry out and make you’re feeling extra assured in your capacity to finish every set efficiently, which ought to assist efficiency over the long run.

For tips about how to not suck at recognizing, take a look at this text:

How to Not Suck at Spotting in the Gym

16. Take the Proper Dietary supplements

• Protein powder: Protein powder, corresponding to whey or casein, gives your physique with the vitamins needed to construct muscle tissue and get well from exercises. 
• Creatine: Creatine boosts muscle and power acquire, improves anaerobic endurance, and reduces muscle harm and soreness out of your exercises. 
• Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances power, temper, and focus, will increase power and endurance, and reduces fatigue.

(When you’d like much more particular recommendation about which dietary supplements it’s best to take to achieve your well being and health targets, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in lower than a minute, you’ll know precisely what dietary supplements are best for you.)

Methods to Improve Bench Press: FAQs

FAQ #1: Why am I so weak at bench press?

The most typical causes persons are weak on the bench press are they use improper type and comply with a poorly designed program that doesn’t prioritize progressive overload or embrace the right combination of quantity, depth, and frequency. To keep away from these points, comply with the recommendation on this article. 

FAQ #2: What different workouts assist enhance bench press?

FAQ #3: How do I practice for a robust bench press?

To coach for a robust bench press, comply with a program that emphasizes bench press one-rep max power, corresponding to Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger, Wendler’s 5/3/1, or Greg Nuckols’ Beginner Program. 

FAQ #4: How usually ought to I bench for power?

FAQ #5: Ought to the bar contact your chest on the bench press for power?

Sure, it’s best to contact (not bounce) the bar in your chest whereas bench urgent for power. This ensures you practice your muscle tissue via a full range of motion, which helps stop muscle and strength imbalances and weak factors in your press.