The bench press is an effective exercise for training the chest, shoulders and triceps muscles, and it is one of the three lifts in powerlifting competition. Whether you compete in powerlifting or just want to improve your bench press for personal reasons, sticking to the same workouts for a sustained period can lead to plateaus. To quickly add pounds to your bench press, try changing your routine and adding exercises.
Change Your Program
If you have been doing the same number of repetitions and sets on your bench press for an extended period, your muscles and nervous system likely have adapted to your training and have minimal growth stimulus. If you've been training with higher reps, try doing a low-rep program such as Bill Starr's 5x5 workout or Jim Wendler's 531. If you're used to low reps, try the German Volume Training 10x10 routine.
Reassess Your Technique
Your technique is important when bench pressing. While it mainly targets your chest, shoulders and triceps, you should think of it as a whole-body exercise. Strength coach Mike Robertson advises squeezing your shoulder blades together, pressing them down into the bench and keeping your elbows tucked in. Try to keep your whole body tight as you lift, and grip the bar firmly. Aim to explode up forcefully on every rep.
Dynamic Day
Trainer and former elite powerlifter Dave Tate recommends doing one "speed bench" day every week. Use a fairly light weight -- about 50 percent of your single-repetition maximum, and focus on moving the bar as quickly as possible on each rep. Try to keep your reps per set to between two and five, and do as many sets as you can until your speed slows down. You can increase your weight, providing you can still press the bar quickly. This exercise can help your technique and improve your explosive power.
Accessory Work
Your bench press may be lagging due to certain muscle groups being weak. For example, if you often struggle to lift the bar from your chest, it may be due to your having weak pectorals and shoulders, so you should add extra dumbbell and overhead pressing exercises to your routine. If you're more likely to fail the lift toward the top, your triceps probably need extra work, so perform exercises like dips, partial presses and close-grip presses.
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