Five Keys to a Bigger Bench Press
August 23, 2009 by Tyson Loveless
Filed under Working Out
Anyone who works out is going to be asked sooner or later, “How much do you bench”. It’s unavoidable. The bench press is the measure of manliness and strength. If you are looking to boost your bench you should follow these Top Five Bench Boosting Tips. Using these tips you will build massive muscle and strength. Read on to learn how to truly master the King of all exercises.
The Warm Up. Just like any athlete before a big game you need to warm up by stretching the whole body. This improves flexibility and prevents injury. Proper stretching can also give your muscles more room to grow. When lifting take time to stretch your shoulders and chest. The best lifters will stretch through out their entire work out. After stretching do some warm up reps with light weight. Get your muscles warmed up before trying to max.
Maintain Five Contact Points. If you maintain more points of contact you will have extra power. Five points to focus on are the head, back, shoulders, buttocks and feet on the ground. By keeping these contact points strong you will increase stability and reduce the risk of injury. For extra power focus on pushing down at each point.
Holding the Bar. After years of hard training I finally discovered a guarded tip of top lifters. Hold the bar in lockout for 1-2 seconds. This simple move will help you develop more strength. Consistently holding the bar in the lockout position will help prepare you for lifting heavier weights.
Negatives. Performing slow negatives is a very effective way to boost your bench press strength. A negative is done with a weight you could comfortably rep 10 to 12 times. You lower the bar at a steady 10 count then explode the back back up as fast as possible. This will help you push your chest and triceps even harder. The negative is a favorite among some the world’s most famous strongmen.
Triceps Training. Don’t be so concentrated on your chest that you ignore the rest of your body. The triceps are heavily involved in bench pressing. To move up in weight you are going to need to increase the size and power of your triceps. The stronger your triceps the more you will be able to bench. Don’t let your bench plateau because you don’t spend enough time training your triceps.
Use these five tips to master the King of All Lifts, the bench press. These simple things will make a huge difference in the amount of weight you are able bench.
