For people who lift weights, the bench press is often considered the hallmark lift. "Whaddya bench?" is a common refrain in gyms everywhere. The bench press is a great measure of upper body pushing strength and is used in sports and bodybuilding as a measure of raw strength for that reason. When looking to increase the maximum amount that you can bench press, there are as many strength training programs available as there are people who train, but most of the successful programs share a few common traits.
Step 1
Warm up before you lift weights. Performing some basic mobility exercises for the shoulders and arms, prior to benching heavy weight, can go a long way to preventing overuse injuries to these joints.
Step 2
Stretch your muscles after every workout. A session of dynamic and static stretches can help reduce or prevent delayed muscle soreness and hasten the healing process by reducing the amount of lactic acid stored in the muscles.
Step 3
Lift heavy amounts and use a low repetition range for your sets. "The secret to training for strength is low reps," claims Mike Westerdal, BSc, CPT, in his book "The Critical Bench Program-Increase Your Bench Press 50 Pounds in 10 Weeks." Pushing yourself to lift a weight heavy enough that you can only get it up four or five times taxes your muscular system and your central nervous system. These are the body systems that are going to help you increase your bench press.
Step 4
Train your upper back using a horizontal pulling exercise like the bent-over barbell row. Strengthening the back muscles along the same plane as the muscles used for the bench press will provide you balance in the upper torso muscles. This will help increase your bench press weight as well, due to the stabilizing effect.
Step 5
Use appropriate accessory or auxiliary exercises. You can strengthen the smaller muscles used in the bench press, like the anterior deltoids and the front of the shoulder, and the triceps in the arm, with specific auxiliary exercises, when necessary.
Step 6
Minimize the number of auxiliary exercises that you perform though. Too many exercises will detract from the amount of effort that you can put into the primary lift. This will decrease your bench press weight. In his book, "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training," Mark Rippetoe points out that, for the average, non-steroid-using trainee, an "abbreviated" program with fewer exercises will be beneficial.
Step 7
Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night, and eat enough. According to both Westerdal and Rippetoe, the most common reason that athletes fail to improve their strength is due to inadequate recovery. It is imperative that you get enough sleep and food to allow your body to recover. Rippetoe points out that calorie count is more important than macronutrient balance when you want to increase pure strength.
Tips and Warnings
- While a personal trainer who has power lifting experience can be helpful in developing a plan to increase your bench press weight, there are not a lot of personal trainers with that experience. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists, or power lifting coaches, are better people to turn to for advice on this athletic endeavor.
- Lifting heavy weights over your chest and face is inherently dangerous. Please seek out professional instruction in the techniques and methods of power lifting bench presses. Always use spotters! Everyone should consult their physician prior to beginning any exercise program.
References
- "The Critical Bench Program-How to Increase Your Bench Press 50 Pounds in 10 Weeks;" Mike Westerdal, BSc, CPT; 2009
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 2d Ed;" Mark Rippetoe; 2007
- "Westside Barbell Bench Press Manual;" Louis Simmons; 2009
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