How to increase bench?
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Some great info above. One thing to note is if you're mentally always trying to push the bar away, you're losing out on the descent of the bar, or negative reps. Like the OP I was stuck at around the same weight, and it was just pissing me off. Instead of trying to push the bar away from me, I would use that same weight and just slowly lower that same weight to my chest over a 5-10 sec span and then unload. Within a few weeks, I broke free from the weight I was stuck at. This will help with what the others mentioned above, it will strengthen your shoulders and other muscles at the same time.0
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Some great info above. One thing to note is if you're mentally always trying to push the bar away, you're losing out on the descent of the bar, or negative reps. Like the OP I was stuck at around the same weight, and it was just pissing me off. Instead of trying to push the bar away from me, I would use that same weight and just slowly lower that same weight to my chest over a 5-10 sec span and then unload. Within a few weeks, I broke free from the weight I was stuck at. This will help with what the others mentioned above, it will strengthen your shoulders and other muscles at the same time.
Then you were working the base more, which are the lats. Strengthen the lats with pullovers and watch it take off...Look, I hit 505 lbs on the flat bench and 405 on the incline at age 34. At 34 I stopped power lifting. Started back 4 years ago after shoulder surgery. I'm at 420 flat and 370 incline at age 51. Strengthen the negative side with heavy straight bar pullovers and work the tri's heavy and you won't waste energy on the negative of the bench, leaves more for the pressing
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Some great info above. One thing to note is if you're mentally always trying to push the bar away, you're losing out on the descent of the bar, or negative reps. Like the OP I was stuck at around the same weight, and it was just pissing me off. Instead of trying to push the bar away from me, I would use that same weight and just slowly lower that same weight to my chest over a 5-10 sec span and then unload. Within a few weeks, I broke free from the weight I was stuck at. This will help with what the others mentioned above, it will strengthen your shoulders and other muscles at the same time.
Then you were working the base more, which are the lats. Strengthen the lats with pullovers and watch it take off...Look, I hit 505 lbs on the flat bench and 405 on the incline at age 34. At 34 I stopped power lifting. Started back 4 years ago after shoulder surgery. I'm at 420 flat and 370 incline at age 51. Strengthen the negative side with heavy straight bar pullovers and work the tri's heavy and you won't waste energy on the negative of the bench, leaves more for the pressing
Your right and that's why I moved to wide grip pull ups. My comment was more supplemental to your advice and others about strengthening other parts that are involved.0 -
I tighten the lats up, like I'm squeezing from hands thru shoulders,lats. So tight that it's hard to tell how heavy the weight really is. I don't lose anything on the way down, saving it for the press. My new thing is a Swiss bar, love that thing. It helps keep the elbows in more.1
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420 this morning, it was ugly but went up.1
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I like Z_I_L_L_A's recommendations, a lot of knowledge there, nothing left to say really. Be patient with your lifts, strength will come.0
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Do reverse grip bench too.
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I might have missed it, but don't you have a periodization program yet? You can't just keep bashing linear progression at such high weight. Also, AlphaDestiny isn't a powerlifter and has no idea about powerlifting programming from anything I've seen on his channel. You should probablly get onto something like 531, Texas Method or similar intermediate program that will have you periodizing your lifts.
Also, looking at your lifts, you really should be deadlifting a lot more right now with those bench and squat numbers where they are.0 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
10-25 reps, 10-15 set range, skull crushers up to 135#, overhead ext with DB's up to125# .,shoulder width grip press downs on cable machine usually whole stack, dips etc. all 2 to 3 times a week or until my joints start screaming,lol. I threw in reverse grip bench last night. We did 135 for 50 reps 4 sets. On another note hit 185# pullovers for sets of 10-12reps for the lats. I'm not all scientific about my workouts, it's more of how I feel, and how the weight feels as to what exercise and weight and sets and reps.
I bench this Sunday, going for either a 425 lb flat or a 380 lb. incline. Depends on how I feel, Saturday I'll be in Birmingham watching my 15 yr old nephew compete. He weighs 190, 6% BF going for a National record. His bench is 360, DL 455, SQ.425 last time we checked about a month ago.
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JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
10-25 reps, 10-15 set range, skull crushers up to 135#, overhead ext with DB's up to125# .,shoulder width grip press downs on cable machine usually whole stack, dips etc. all 2 to 3 times a week or until my joints start screaming,lol. I threw in reverse grip bench last night. We did 135 for 50 reps 4 sets. On another note hit 185# pullovers for sets of 10-12reps for the lats. I'm not all scientific about my workouts, it's more of how I feel, and how the weight feels as to what exercise and weight and sets and reps.
I bench this Sunday, going for either a 425 lb flat or a 380 lb. incline. Depends on how I feel, Saturday I'll be in Birmingham watching my 15 yr old nephew compete. He weighs 190, 6% BF going for a National record. His bench is 360, DL 455, SQ.425 last time we checked about a month ago.
Wow, that's quite a training session. Have you ever found any value in using a football bar to bench or do you think the reverse grip is a better alternative for volume work?
Congrats to your nephew, best of luck to him. Those are great numbers, especially at his age and stats, damn!1 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
10-25 reps, 10-15 set range, skull crushers up to 135#, overhead ext with DB's up to125# .,shoulder width grip press downs on cable machine usually whole stack, dips etc. all 2 to 3 times a week or until my joints start screaming,lol. I threw in reverse grip bench last night. We did 135 for 50 reps 4 sets. On another note hit 185# pullovers for sets of 10-12reps for the lats. I'm not all scientific about my workouts, it's more of how I feel, and how the weight feels as to what exercise and weight and sets and reps.
I bench this Sunday, going for either a 425 lb flat or a 380 lb. incline. Depends on how I feel, Saturday I'll be in Birmingham watching my 15 yr old nephew compete. He weighs 190, 6% BF going for a National record. His bench is 360, DL 455, SQ.425 last time we checked about a month ago.
Wow, that's quite a training session. Have you ever found any value in using a football bar to bench or do you think the reverse grip is a better alternative for volume work?
Congrats to your nephew, best of luck to him. Those are great numbers, especially at his age and stats, damn!
Football bar? I've used a Swiss bar, really like it too. Nephew has been in the gym with me and his dad since he was 10 doing light weight and hi reps.0 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
10-25 reps, 10-15 set range, skull crushers up to 135#, overhead ext with DB's up to125# .,shoulder width grip press downs on cable machine usually whole stack, dips etc. all 2 to 3 times a week or until my joints start screaming,lol. I threw in reverse grip bench last night. We did 135 for 50 reps 4 sets. On another note hit 185# pullovers for sets of 10-12reps for the lats. I'm not all scientific about my workouts, it's more of how I feel, and how the weight feels as to what exercise and weight and sets and reps.
I bench this Sunday, going for either a 425 lb flat or a 380 lb. incline. Depends on how I feel, Saturday I'll be in Birmingham watching my 15 yr old nephew compete. He weighs 190, 6% BF going for a National record. His bench is 360, DL 455, SQ.425 last time we checked about a month ago.
Wow, that's quite a training session. Have you ever found any value in using a football bar to bench or do you think the reverse grip is a better alternative for volume work?
Congrats to your nephew, best of luck to him. Those are great numbers, especially at his age and stats, damn!
Football bar? I've used a Swiss bar, really like it too. Nephew has been in the gym with me and his dad since he was 10 doing light weight and hi reps.
We have a football bar at my gym, I've never really used it.
GL to you newphew, sounds like a beast!0 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
10-25 reps, 10-15 set range, skull crushers up to 135#, overhead ext with DB's up to125# .,shoulder width grip press downs on cable machine usually whole stack, dips etc. all 2 to 3 times a week or until my joints start screaming,lol. I threw in reverse grip bench last night. We did 135 for 50 reps 4 sets. On another note hit 185# pullovers for sets of 10-12reps for the lats. I'm not all scientific about my workouts, it's more of how I feel, and how the weight feels as to what exercise and weight and sets and reps.
I bench this Sunday, going for either a 425 lb flat or a 380 lb. incline. Depends on how I feel, Saturday I'll be in Birmingham watching my 15 yr old nephew compete. He weighs 190, 6% BF going for a National record. His bench is 360, DL 455, SQ.425 last time we checked about a month ago.
Wow, that's quite a training session. Have you ever found any value in using a football bar to bench or do you think the reverse grip is a better alternative for volume work?
Congrats to your nephew, best of luck to him. Those are great numbers, especially at his age and stats, damn!
Football bar? I've used a Swiss bar, really like it too. Nephew has been in the gym with me and his dad since he was 10 doing light weight and hi reps.
It's basically a longer swiss bar with a couple different grip variations within it.
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JAYxMSxPES wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »
10-25 reps, 10-15 set range, skull crushers up to 135#, overhead ext with DB's up to125# .,shoulder width grip press downs on cable machine usually whole stack, dips etc. all 2 to 3 times a week or until my joints start screaming,lol. I threw in reverse grip bench last night. We did 135 for 50 reps 4 sets. On another note hit 185# pullovers for sets of 10-12reps for the lats. I'm not all scientific about my workouts, it's more of how I feel, and how the weight feels as to what exercise and weight and sets and reps.
I bench this Sunday, going for either a 425 lb flat or a 380 lb. incline. Depends on how I feel, Saturday I'll be in Birmingham watching my 15 yr old nephew compete. He weighs 190, 6% BF going for a National record. His bench is 360, DL 455, SQ.425 last time we checked about a month ago.
Wow, that's quite a training session. Have you ever found any value in using a football bar to bench or do you think the reverse grip is a better alternative for volume work?
Congrats to your nephew, best of luck to him. Those are great numbers, especially at his age and stats, damn!
Football bar? I've used a Swiss bar, really like it too. Nephew has been in the gym with me and his dad since he was 10 doing light weight and hi reps.
It's basically a longer swiss bar with a couple different grip variations within it.
That must be what I used then.1
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