The bench press is the king of exercises in American gyms. The guy with the massive chest pressing a dangerously heavy barbell over his chest and face is accepted by most to be the most knowledgeable expert in any gym.
Whether this exercise is over-rated from a functional standpoint or not, everyone who lifts will eventually want to increase their bench press. If you are a high-school or college football player, of course, increasing the bench press is critical, since it's part of the NFL Combine. Fortunately, it's not too difficult to do so.
Step 1
Eat more food. The simplest way for an experienced weight trainer to get stronger is to get bigger muscles. Consume 500 calories more per day, and you will gain 1 lb. per week. This will result in a strength increase. Consume 1,000 calories more per day and you will gain 2 lb. per week. Keep your caloric intake high in protein, and most of the weight will be muscle instead of fat.
Step 2
Strengthen your upper back and your shoulders. Although these body parts are not the prime movers in the bench press, they are both critical to support during the bench press exercise. Perform exercises like the bent-over barbell row and seated shoulder press to strengthen these critical supporting muscle groups.
Step 3
Perform both maximal effort (ME) and dynamic effort (DE) workouts during your training week. While ME workouts are obviously critical to increasing your strength, since you have to lift more to get stronger, so are DE workouts.
Step 4
Do DE workouts by using submaximal loads, and complete as many repetitions as possible in a set time frame. According to Mike Westerdal in his book "The Critical Bench Program--How to Increase Your Bench Press 50 Pounds in 10 Weeks," it normally takes a competitive power lifter about 3 seconds to complete a single max-effort bench press repetition. Performing your DE repetitions for the same time duration will increase your ability to recruit the maximum number of muscle fibers during the ME lifts.
Step 5
Focus on your body during the lift instead of the bar. Work on trying to "pull the bar apart." According to strength coach Mark Rippetoe in his classic "Starting Strength," this is critical to recruit activity by the supporting muscles of the shoulders and arms. Maintain the same lifting grip, but tighten the grip drastically and focus on trying to rip the barbell in half as you lift.
Step 6
Visualize the bar going up. Many times, the act of imagining the bar going up can activate the neurological system into firing, causing the bar to, in fact, go up! Visualization is a well-respected tool of performance enhancement in fields ranging from athletics to psychology. It works just as well in weightlifting.
Tips and Warnings
- Consider using an experienced lifting coach instead of a personal trainer if you want to really increase your bench press strength. Strength coaches focus on improving strength, while personal trainers may focus on general fitness improvement. This can lead to a lapse in pure strength gains.
- Bench pressing is an inherently dangerous exercise. Seek out professional instruction, and always use spotters when performing the bench press. Consult with your personal physician prior to engaging in any new exercise or diet regimen.
References
- "The Critical Bench Program--How to Increase Your Bench Press 50 Pounds in 10 Weeks"; Mike Westerdal; 2009
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training," 2nd ed.; Mark Rippetoe; 2007
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